More than a third of respondents have pet insurance for theiranimal, and they spend $76.76 on average per month onpremiums.

People sure love their pets—enough to go into debt to cover vetbills, often spending more on pet health care than their own healthcare, according to a LendEDU survey.

Indeed, 24 percent of the 1,000 pet owners polled have gone intocredit card or personal loan debt as a result of health/vet costsfor their pet. Those respondents have taken out on average$1,566.96 in debt to cover an emergency surgery or recurringtreatments for their pet’s health. Some (10 percent) of pet ownerssay they have missed bill payments because of their pet expenses,11 percent have delayed having children and 8 percent say they havedelayed getting married to cover pet expenses.

Related: Infographic: How insurance helps sickpets

Moreover, nearly half (46 percent) of all of the respondents saythey spend the same or more on their pet’s health care than theirown.

“This is incredibly surprising to see, as many Americans mightnot think about how much they spend on their pet’s health careinstead of their own,” the authors write. “Some possibleexplanations for this could include people putting their pet firstin the order of who gets health and dental appointments, or beingneglectful to their own health to the benefit of their pets.”

More than a third (39 percent) of respondents have pet insurance for their animal, and they spend$76.76 on average per month on premiums. A majority of thoserespondents (77 percent) say pet insurance has come in handy foremergency expenses.

Indeed, 39 percent of those respondents without pet insurancehave had to pay at least one large expense at an average cost of$1,021.59.

Eighty-eight of respondents with pet insurance say “it’s worthit,” the authors write.

Other key findings include:

• The average purchase price of a pet was $282.75. Broken down bytype of pet, dogs cost the most ($327.13 on average), followed bybirds ($127.38); cats ($89.89); reptiles ($78.12); fish ($57.38)and guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits ($53.58).
• On average, pet owners spend $139.73 on average per month ontheir pet. Broken down by type of pet, dog owners spend the most($157.39 on average), followed by bird owners ($127.38); cat owners($95.11); guinea pig, hamster and rabbit owners ($63.64); reptileowners ($56.88) and fish owners ($53.60).
• More than half (55 percent) of monthly pet expenditures gotowards purchasing food, followed by health/vet costs (24 percent);toys and accessories (13 percent) and other expenditures (8percent).

Read more: 

• Gen X has the most insured pets
• Pet insurance claims surge as usagegrows
• 5 most common and 5 most expensive pet insuranceclaims
• 11 unusual pet insurance successstories