Insurance

Why do I need pet insurance?

Did you know that in an average year 1 in 3 pets will need veterinary treatment for accidents or illness.

Unfortunately there is no National Health Service for our pets. A modern veterinary hospital is now able to treat successfully many more conditions than in the past, but the staff, facilities, equipment and drugs are not cheap.

We tend to think that the expensive treatments will be traumatic accidents like a broken leg. But in fact more chronic conditions such as allergic skin conditions, ear problems, heart and kidney disease, arthritis and diabetes mellitus can be equally costly.

With pet insurance you have the peace of mind that you and the vet can concentrate on what is best for your pet and not have the additional worry of how you are going to fund the treatment.

An additional benefit of most pet insurance is third party cover. Should your dog or cat cause a road traffic accident you could be held liable for your pet's actions.

What to look for in an pet insurance policy

Not all policies are the same so before you make a decision on which policy to chose we strongly recommend that you consider the following:

That the amount of veterinary cover is adequate.(see our examples of the cost of various veterinary treatments)

That there is no limit to how long you can claim on each illness, some conditions need treatment for the whole of their life

That your pet will still be insured in later years when you are most likely to need it.

Click on this link for a comparison of some of the pet insurance schemes available.

Examples of unexpected vet bills.

Remember your pet can have an accident or fall ill at any time.

Two examples of the type of expenditure that we see quite regularly are:

Case 1 - A large dog with a heart condition such as an Alsation may cost up to £200 a month in medication alone.

Case 2 - A cat involved in a road traffic accident with a broken leg could result in a bill of £800 or more.

Both these cases would have been covered by pet insurance