What Is Prescription Pet Food?
Prescription pet meals is any meals that you simply want a prescription out of your veterinarian to purchase. This meals has particular dietary content material to assist along with your pet’s digestion or hereditary situations. It could also be moist or dry and may be bought from most giant pet meals retailers, but it surely’s dearer than common meals. The dietary wants it meets are so particular that it’s solely really helpful to be used with a vet’s steerage.
Why Is Prescription Pet Food Needed?
Although a prescription weight-reduction plan alone often received’t remedy an sickness, prescription meals can ease quite a few acute or continual situations. This weight-reduction plan may additionally assist steadiness nutrient deficiencies. Here are some situations for which your vet could prescribe meals:
- Arthritis
- Bladder stones
- Cancer
- Dental issues
- Diabetes
- Food allergy symptoms or sensitivities
- Gastrointestinal issues (vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion, and so forth.)
- Heart illness
- Joint issues
- Kidney illness
- Liver illness
- Post-surgical restoration
- Weight administration
Just as a result of your vet prescribes a selected meals doesn’t imply your pet must eat it for the remainder of its life. In truth, many prescription meals don’t have as full a dietary profile as common, over-the-counter pet meals. A canine with kidney issues could profit from a low-protein meals, however just for a sure period of time. Always comply with your vet’s suggestions so that you don’t inadvertently deprive your pet of vitamins.
What Types of Pets Have Prescription Food?
Because cats and dogs are the hottest pets within the United States, giant pet meals firms solely manufacture prescription meals for these two animals. There are specialty or premium meals for birds, rodents, snakes and different pets, however there aren’t presently prescription choices.
What Is The Average Cost of Prescription Pet Food?
The value of prescription pet meals relies on the kind of meals and quantity your pet eats. Here are pattern costs for the commonest manufacturers of prescription canine and cat meals available at fashionable retailers equivalent to Chewy, Petco and Petsmart. According to Pet Place, common dry canine and cat meals prices $0.50 to $3 per pound.
*Based on retail pricing on Petco.com.
Though costs range significantly, all prescription meals is dearer than common, over-the-counter meals. Assuming a 30-pound canine eats 2 cups of pet food per day and there are 4 cups of dry kibble in a pound, that’s 182.5 kilos of meals per yr. Regular pet food would cost $182.50 to $638.75 per yr, whereas prescription pet food would cost $781.10 to $1,222.75 per yr.
Is Prescription Food Covered By Pet Insurance?
Some pet insurance coverage suppliers cowl prescription meals, however others don’t. You’ll must verify the specifics of individual insurance policies if it is a concern for you. Here’s how cat and canine insurance coverage protection from fashionable firms applies to prescription meals.
- ASPCA: Covered
- Embrace: Offers protection with elective add-on to Wellness Rewards plan
- Fetch: Not coated
- Figo: Not coated
- Healthy Paws: Not coated
- Lemonade: Not coated
- Nationwide: Covered
- Pet First: Partially coated with add-on
- Pet’s Best: Not coated
- Spot: Covered
- Trupanion: 50% coated
If your pet already has a well being concern that requires prescription meals, the underlying concern is a preexisting situation and won’t be coated by any pet insurance coverage supplier. If your pet not requires the meals however later must resume consuming it (usually after a yr or extra has handed), some pet insurance coverage firms could cowl it.
Are There Alternatives to Prescription Pet Food?
There could also be options to prescription pet meals, however what you’re paying for is certainty and comfort. Alternative remedy diets typically require you to make your personal pet meals from uncooked components or buy premium limited-ingredient meals or dietary dietary supplements. Additionally, you’ll wish to clear any various diets along with your vet to ensure they’re equal to the prescription meals.
How Does Pet Insurance Work?
Pet insurance coverage is often available as an accident-only plan or accident-and-illness plan with choices for wellness add-ons to cowl routine care. When you enroll your pet in a plan, you’ll select the protection degree, deductible, and reimbursement share you need. Depending on these components and your pet’s age, as there are sometimes age limits to protection, you’ll be given a month-to-month premium.
All suppliers have a ready interval earlier than protection begins, usually a number of days. Once this era is over, in case your vet diagnoses your pet with a coated situation, you’ll pay the invoice and file a declare along with your supplier. Your supplier will then reimburse you for anyplace from 70% to 90% of the cost. Insurance may additionally cowl preventive care equivalent to checkups, vaccinations and heartworm medicine when you add this protection whenever you enroll.
The Bottom Line: Does Pet Insurance Cover Prescription Food?
The sadly obscure reply is “sometimes.” Prescription meals isn’t coated by most suppliers, however you’ll find it in some plans. Pet insurance coverage insurance policies are typically extra helpful for overlaying surprising accidents or sicknesses and the diagnostics and examination charges that consequence.
All pet insurance coverage excludes preexisting situations, so don’t begin your search hoping that you may get a present prescription coated. Buying pet insurance coverage when your pet is young and wholesome will make sure you get probably the most protection. We suggest getting a quote from no less than three firms earlier than enrolling.