OkcPets Magazine November 2022

16 OKC Pets • November / December 2022 PET INSURANCE Policies Cover a Range of Care by Jennifer Sharpe F ergie, a 12-year-old Chihuahua, is a rescue dog belonging to Adam Cobble. Fergie was diagnosed with diabetes and needs regular care, including insulin, that Adam pays for out of his own pocket. Because of Fergie’s troubles and a battle with cancer for one of his other dogs, Adam wishes he had bought pet insurance. “It’s peace of mind to have insurance for your dog or your cat,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen.” What Is Pet Insurance? Pet insurance is medical insurance for your pet. Most policies are for dogs and cats, although some options are available for an- imals such as horses, birds, snakes, rabbits, and others. Chad Cobble, president of Cobble Insurance Agency, who is Adam’s brother, has run his own agency since 2007. He offers a variety of insurance products from policy-providing companies. He added pet insurance to the menu about five years ago. “We first dealt with pet coverage as part of homeowners’ or auto policies,” said Chad. “It has always been standard practice when working with a client on a homeowners’ policy to ask about pets in the home,” he said. Progressive Auto Insurance offers pet coverage as a rider on the auto policy in case a pet is hurt in a car accident. Pet insurance is now available as a stand- alone policy. “It helps with bills from the vet, and there’s a couple different packages you can buy,” Chad said. “One in three people who own pets have an unexpected vet visit per year. That’s a pretty big statis- tic, percentagewise, and are you prepared for it?” Particulars of Policies “Premiums are based on the breed of dog, size of dog, even the age of the dog,” Chad said. It is important to understand what a client is concerned about because there