They do sell pet health insurance, and I had it for awhile. You have to first pay the vet out of your pocket. Then you submit a request to the insurance company for reimbursement. I found it to be a lot of red tape. And, remember, it's not set up to give back to you as much money as you pay in premiums. That's never how any insurance policy works.

If I get another pet, I would skip the pet health insurance. But I'ld learn all I could about credit specifically for pet healthcare financing.

In any good sized city, there is likely to be a no frills clinic that does things like "shots" cheaper than a traditional vet practice. VetCo is a chain of clinics that does routine things quite inexpensively. You don't make an appointment. You show up and wait in line. It's a good deal.

However, it is sensible to also establish a relationship with a traditional veterinary practice. Here's where you have to select with care. And be prepared to change, if you're not satisfied. Nowadays, some vets want to sell you as much care as possible. That's not always what is most humane for your pet. When my dog was dying of cancer, one veterinary resident doctor at a pet emergency hospital warned me not to let anyone talk me into surgery on my dog's tumor (attached to her liver and spleen.) He said it was inoperable. Well, down the line I fell for a sales pitch at another fancy pet hospital where the vets there (an internalist and a surgeon) told me surgery could probably give me another 3 good years with my dog. I brought her in for surgery. Shortly afterwards, I got a call from the surgeon saying he had opened my dog up and found the tumer was - inoperable. He seemed to want to euthanize her and I told him to go ahead. I didn't want her to wake up with a cut up belly and be in pain, just to die soon anyway. So, while under anesthesia, she was given some I/V barbituarate and passed away right on the operating table. I got a bill for $3000. That was for a surgical proceedure that never should have been attempted. These doctors at this place had seemed smart and ethical and caring. They said, "We are recommending surgery because we have to advocate for the dog." (As if anyone cared about her more than I did.)

So that's a little story about how you can get sucked into something expensive and pointless that is not in the best interest of your beloved pet. I am glad to have learned what I learned, and I hope I will be wiser with my next pet.