Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Category:
Personal Finance Tips
According to new research from Sainsbury’s Finance, 56 percent of vets have revealed that they have had to put down cats and / or dogs in the past five years because their owners could not afford the required treatment.
In addition, it was found the 88 percent of vets have encountered situations where owners have ‘rejected a recommended course of treatment or operation’ due to an inability to pay for it.
Sainsbury's Pet Insurance Manager, Joanne Mallon, commented: "It should be an essential item on a prospective owner's list when weighing up whether to purchase an animal or not. Doing without insurance is simply false economy and worse still could result in some heart breaking family decisions being made later down the line.
"Advances in veterinary science mean that our pets can get the best treatment possible these days, but these improvements including everything from more sophisticated scans to cancer treatments come at higher costs and the financial burden is being felt by pet owners. Despite this, the vast majority of our pets are not insured so their owners have no protection against large veterinary bills.
"Vet fees are increasing by around 12% a year, and as a result of this we may see more animals needlessly being put down because their owners cannot afford it."
The research uncovered that 63 percent of vets are of the belief that there has been an increase in the cost of treating a skin tumour on a cat or dog during the past 12 months. Furthermore, it was found that 53 percent of vets reported a rise in the cost of treatment for dental trauma. Additional reports of cost increases included the treatment of gastroenteritis at 65 percent, lameness at 61 percent and diabetes at 57 percent.
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Homeowners who are juggling ad hoc bills and regular commitments could consider taking out a secured loan to tie up any existing credit into one manageable monthly repayment. One of many finance options available, a secured loan for
consolidation could leave borrowers with lower monthly outgoings. This extra money could potentially be set aside in a savings account for future use. However, if opting for a secured loan to consolidate debt, it should be remembered that consolidating your debt may increase the amount you pay back overall and extend the repayment periods of your debts.
