My Pet Needed a $500 X-Ray That Cost Me $250 Even With Pet Insurance. Here's Why

A few months ago, I made what I can only call a rookie dog owner mistake (which is a bit sad, given that I've owned dogs for many years). I left a plate of cooked chicken on the bone out on my counter unattended. And sure enough, my meat-loving dog pounced on it, devouring its contents in under a minute.

The chicken itself wasn't a problem. But swallowing cooked bones can be really bad news for dogs. The bone pieces can splinter and cause bowel perforations, among other problems. So once I realized my mistake, off to the emergency vet we went.

After several hours of waiting and a detailed X-ray, the vet determined that my dog would probably be okay to pass the bones through his digestive system without surgery, which would've been risky and costly. Needless to say, I was relieved.

On the way out, I was given instructions for my dog's care (a special diet to help pass the bones through his system) and swiped my credit card to the tune of $500. The clinic was also kind enough to take down my pet insurance details and submit a claim to the company on my behalf, thereby sparing me the paperwork.

Weeks later, I got a check from my insurer for $250. But clearly, that was only 50% of my total bill. And there's a reason for that.

Don't forget your deductible

If you have health insurance, auto insurance, or homeowners insurance, you may be familiar with the concept of the deductible. It's a sum of money you have to pay before your insurer covers the cost of your care.

My pet insurance policy comes with a $250 deductible. Because of that, I had to pay for half of my dog's $500 treatment, while my insurer covered the remaining half.

Now a deductible of that amount isn't so unusual. Nationwide, a major pet insurer, says that most pet owners choose a policy with a $250 annual deductible.

But when I paid my bill at the clinic, I wasn't thinking about my insurance deductible. So I was expecting to be reimbursed the full $500 I paid, and it was a bummer once I realized that wasn't going to be the case.

Always have money in savings

The good news in all of this (aside from my dog being okay, of course) is that I had $250 sitting in my savings account to cover my share of my pet's care. I didn't have to carry a credit card balance forward and pay it off over time.

In fact, even with pet insurance, I always make a point to have money in savings for dog-related emergencies because deductibles aside, it's possible to encounter a situation where your insurer won't pay for 100% of the medical bills you incur. And if you have pet insurance, I suggest you do the same.

At the very least, set aside enough money to cover your full deductible. But for better protection, go beyond that.

You never know when you might incur a $6,000 pet care bill where your insurer will only pay 80% after your deductible is met. And you never want to land in a situation where you have to damage your finances to give your beloved pet the care they need.