Guide to Pet Insurance

Getting insurance for our four legged friends is often overlooked, but something that more and more owners in the UK are turning to in the face of rising veterinary bills. Taking out a comprehensive pet insurance plan will not only provide you with cover for any vets fees for as little as around £7 a month for dogs. Combined bills for diagnosis, treatment and supplementary medicine of illnesses can potentially run up into the thousands, and so whilst pet insurance may seem expensive, you're really only paying out a comparatively small amount a month.

As well as cover for veterinary fees, the majority of pet insurance plans will also come with public liability cover which could save you huge costs; for example, your dog runs out into the road and causes an accident, you could be held liable for any costs. You will also be covered for liability if you have a pet that poses a potential threat to members of the public, specific breeds of dog, or venomous exotic pets, for instance.

As well as this, many pet insurers provide a range of extras with their policies. If your pet goes missing or is stolen, many providers will stump up the cash to fund a poster campaign and reward, and cover for cattery and kennel fees.

What to look for in Pet Insurance:

The exact details of what your pet insurance policy does and does not cover will naturally vary from product to product, but in general there are a number of things which pet insurance policies will not provide cover for. As the primary reason for taking out pet insurance is to provide cover for veterinary fees, things that are considered to be routine maintenance for your pet will probably not be covered in a plan.

Things to look out for in policy documents include:

Grooming, pest control and vaccinations:

The costs of basic care for your pet, such as grooming, flea control, teeth cleaning, and standard examinations and vaccines are generally not covered by the majority of plans. Grooming, cleaning, vaccination and the administering medicine for parasites all help to improve your pets health and should reduce the likelihood of further visits to the vet.

Vet fees and excesses:

A number of pet insurance plans come with a set limit for vets fees, which are rarely any less than £1,000 per year. Some insurers will instead set a ceiling limit for each condition – be sure to check how much you are eligible to claim each year and for how long. Insurance plans with an annual limit are generally easier to manage and give you greater freedom, so long as the costs do not exceed the limit.

Some policies will come with an excess level, usually at a fixed limit of anything from £50 to £100, and so in some cases, unless you pay a bit extra per month to reduce the excess, it might work out cheaper for you to pay bills for minor operations and check ups yourself without making a claim.

Life long policies and your pet's age:

Whilst many insurers will advertise lifetime insurance cover for pets, it is quite often the case with older pets that insurers will be less willing to provide cover. This means you're going to have trouble taking out a new policy if your pet is heading towards old age. The maximum age for new policies is usually around 10 years for cats, and 8 years for dogs. Something else to consider is whether a policy taken out on a younger animal will still be valid when the pet reaches the upper age limit.

With some policies, only the first twelve months of any condition can be claimed for, meaning lifelong treatment for a condition such as arthritis may not be covered.

Pure breeds and hereditary conditions:

Some plans will specifically exclude treatment for any perceived hereditary conditions. For example, owners may not be entitled to cover for specific breeds of dog that are prone to gastroenteritis if they need to be treated for a stomach problems, and white-haired blue eyed cats, which have a slightly greater chance of developing hearing problems in later life, may not be covered for any ear-related treatments. As such, certain pedigree breeds may cost more to insure as they are likely to develop hereditary problems associated with their breed in later life.

Lost Rewards and cover for Straying/Theft:

A reward for lost/stolen pets is often lumped in with the limit for a poster campaign, and sometimes advertised as being separate. You may see a policy which claims to pay out, for example up to £2,000 for a reward and £2,000 for posters and advertising but in the small print, it transpires that you only get a maximum of £2,000 to encompass a reward, posters, putting up ads in the local paper etc.

Funeral Cover:

Pet insurers may include cover for the costs of having a pet put down and some include cover for the cost of cremation and burial. If this is offered with a policy it may, again, be compromised by the breed of your pet and any hereditary conditions associated with it.

Tips on how to reduce your pet's premium:

• Don't claim on kennel/boarding fees – have a friend or relative look after your pets whilst you are away

• Regularly treat your pet for worms, fleas and other parasites to reduce the risk of any associated infections which may require extensive trips to the vet

• Neutering or spaying your pet will significantly reduce the chance of infection from other animals

• If you can have your pet fitted with an RFID microchip, it will be easier to recover if lost or stolen, and therefore a lower risk for insurers.

Related Frequent Questions:

• Cats and Dogs
• What's Not Covered?
• Your Pet's Age
• Creepy Crawlies - Fleas Ticks and Worms