2023-08-10 03:09:13
Pets are lovable and loyal, an indispensable part of the household, but they can also be extremely fragile. Puppies, for example, are exposed to a series of ailments from the sixth week of life, when they lose their maternal immunity. From now on, diseases may be just around the corner and as they get older, prevention and care will be essential.
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However, the cost of an ordinary visit to the vet usually exceeds $25,000 in Colombia. Hospitalizations, surgeries, laboratory tests, sessions with specialists and other services increase this value exponentially. Although the prices vary according to determinants such as race, age or species, for many people it is still difficult to pay for the health of their pets.
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For this reason, a wave of innovative modalities in veterinary medicine has begun to gain strength in Colombia for years. In the country there are approximately six establishments that offer prepaid medicine and at least seven insurance companies that provide the best amount of health services for pets.
Some of the best known plans are those of Vetplus, PetsColombia and Zoovida, where a monthly payment is paid and the client has the right to use the most required services in the best veterinary clinics throughout the country.
One of the plans with the most national coverage is the one offered by VetPlus, where the packages range from complete and unlimited coverage for accidents and illnesses to those that are adapted to the most essential needs of the furry ones and the client’s budget. Prices can range from $78,000 a month up to $174,400 a month, depending on breed, size, and age. In the case of cats, the value is between $75,500 and $109,500.
These services cover from the vaccination of a puppy to surgeries, going through hospitalizations, laboratory tests, ultrasound scans and even the cremation of a pet. It is estimated that in this way people can save on average more than 1 million annually in veterinary expenses.
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“It is a great relief for me to be able to travel through Colombia with Tabata. We have had some accidents that I have been able to successfully overcome thanks to the medical plan that I have. When I needed a good vet in another city, I got it and the treatment was always guaranteed. The only thing I did was present her card and pay a voucher for a value much lower than what the laboratory tests and the hospitalization time that my dog required on two occasions would have cost me in total,” says Luciana Enríquez, who travels with his little Creole of 7 years constantly.
And it is that this modality of plans in veterinary medicine has been so successful that it has even begun to be implemented in other parts of the world. However, the market is not limited solely to prepaid medical services, there are also preventive care modalities such as PetPlus and online veterinary guidance projects such as VetPhone de Mascotas Saludables Col.
“Pets that receive a good diet, adequate exercise, veterinary care and preventive measures such as vaccinations and deworming, are less likely to get sick regularly,” says Felipe Ramírez, product manager at PetPlus, a network of veterinary clinics and hospitals distributed throughout throughout the country.
According to Ramírez, in this network they are committed to preventing diseases that could interfere with the quality of life of a pet in the future. The plan includes vaccination, nutrition, parasite control, assessment of immune status and early diagnosis of chronic diseases, among others.
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The highest price for the dog plan is $950,000 a year and the total savings is 33 percent in expenses. In the case of cats, it is $850,000 per year, with a savings of 35 percent.
“Many people think that preventing the onset of diseases in dogs or cats is not so essential. But commonly they will begin to develop conditions related to their race or lifestyle as they age and being able to bring them to this age in good health not only saves money and headaches, it is also part of offering a much more dignified old age to a being we love,” he said.
Although it is true that prevention is important, it is also true that over time the immune system of dogs and cats strengthens and they are less likely to get sick as frequently, especially in adulthood.
Many people say they do not require these types of services while their pets are young and strong, but it never hurts to know how to act when faced with signs of illness, such as changes in appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, or other unusual symptoms.
In relation to this scenario, the veterinarian Diego Buitrago created VetPhone, a project that offers veterinary guidance online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The plan has no age or illness restrictions and puts the client in direct contact with specialists without intermediaries, both nationally and internationally.
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The model has a basic plan that costs $90,000 for three months or $330,000 for the whole year. According to Buitrago, “there are people who have pets and are aware of how important it is to take care of them and keep them healthy, but they cannot access very expensive medical plans. We offer a very complete service at affordable prices”.
The truth is that the frequency with which a dog or cat gets sick can vary significantly depending on several factors, such as its age, breed, general health, environment in which it lives and care provided.
There is no precise average of how many times a pet gets sick each year, but for those who believe that caution is better than sorry in the future, these innovative modalities of veterinary medicine are a very wise option.
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