Bet you thought your pet dental insurance would be covered under your pet’s medical plan? Well, sometimes, but all those other times, think again! So who does that pooch think he is having two separate insurance plans? Well don’t sweat it, I’m going to show you why dental insurance can be necessary for your pet and why you might want to consider getting an add-on to your existing plan if it already has it.

Admittedly not every dog will need dental insurance. It’s worth consulting with your vet to find out if your particular breed is more susceptible to any diseases. Other than that you should be aware that one of the easiest ways for an infection to spread in your pet’s body is through their mouth. This can result in a condition as serious as heart disease!

What Can Pet Dental Insurance Do For You?

The simple answer to this question is everything. The strongest method to avoid diseases is prevention. If you find yourself too busy to deal with brushing your pet’s teeth regularly then you can find a plan that contains coverage for routine dental care and dental work. These two things alone could stop your pet dog from being one of the 3.2 million dogs in the U.S. that have heart disease, or one of the 15% of dogs in the U.K.

What Sort of Plan Should You Look For?

The sort of plan you should look for depends largely on the advice of your vet. Is your animal of a certain breed or a certain age where it would benefit from a high deductible in case of some sort of emergency procedure? I would venture to say if your pet isn’t of a high risk and you start early enough a good plan would include good coverage for basic routine checkups. Either way make sure you get the coverage for basic checkups even if you opt to do most of your brushing and dental work yourself. It’s always a comfort to know that things are as they should be which brings me to another point.

As with all forms of pet insurance you will want to check the list of vet providers for your plan to see if you can stick with the one you have, or if it will cover you to switch if that is what you want.

So now you can see that especially if you have a dog, this is really something you should be thinking about. Pet dental insurance is absolutely necessary; some studies actually put the estimated cost of a pets teeth right alongside our own.

Check out some great recipes:

Dog Biscuits For Your Favorite Dog

Dog Biscuits For Your Favorite Dog 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 cup cornmeal 2/3 cup Brewer’s yeast 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 egg yolks 3 beef bouillon — or chicken 1/2 cup boiling water Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix well.... [Read more]

Bone Bonanza

Bone Bonanza 1/2 pound ground beef — uncooked 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/3 cup black beans, cooked — mashed 1/3 cup cottage cheese 1 teaspoon soy sauce Combine ground meat and chicken broth in a bowl. Add the black beans and cottage cheese. Add... [Read more]

Apple Cinnamon Drops

1 large apple 1/4 cup honey 1/2 cup of water 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup oatmeal 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1/8 cup whole wheat flour Directions: Preheat oven to 350 ° F (180 ° C). Core, slice and mince the apple (use a food processor... [Read more]

Baker’s Bagels

Baker’s Bagels 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 cup unbleached flour 1 package yeast — 1/4 ounce 1 cup chicken broth — warmed 1 tablespoon honey 1. Preheat oven to 375°. 2. In large bowl combine the whole wheat flour with the yeast. Add 2/3... [Read more]

Dog Biscuits #1

Dog Biscuits #1 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1/2 cup powdered milk 6 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg — beaten 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 cup ice water Combine the flour, milk, salt, garlic powder and sugar.... [Read more]

Classic Canine Cookies

Classic Canine Cookies 4 cups whole wheat flour 1/4 cup cornmeal 1/4 cup cooked rice 1 egg 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Juice from a small orange 1 2/3 cups water Mix all ingredients together well. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll... [Read more]

Beef Twists

Beef Twists 3 1/2 cups flour, all-purpose 1 cup cornmeal 1 package unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup milk 1 egg 1/4 cup corn oil 1 jar Baby food, meat, beef, strained 1 beef bouillon cube 3/4 cup boiling water — or beef stock Dissolve bouillon cube in... [Read more]

Aunt Bianca’s Dog Biscuits

Aunt Bianca’s Dog Biscuits 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 egg — beaten Flavoring: Meat drippings, broth or water from canned tuna (enough to make a stiff dough). Combine flour, powdered... [Read more]

Dog Powder Mix

Dog Powder Mix 1 cup brewer’s yeast 1 cup bone meal 1/2 cup kelp powder 1/2 cup alfalfa powder Mix well add to air-tight container. Keep in freezer if desired add one tablespoon to dogs food each day.  Read More →

Bow Wow Biscuits

Bow Wow Biscuits 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup wheat germ 1/2 cup powdered milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 8 tablespoons bacon grease — or margarine 1 egg — beaten 1 teaspoon brown sugar 2 tablespoons beef broth —... [Read more]