It cannot be said often enough: a pet is for life, not just for Christmas. Make sure you can afford to keep your pet healthy and happy.Buy pet insurance now.
It cannot be said often enough: a pet is for life, not just for Christmas. And pet-lovers are likely to want peace of mind about their pet’s health, too, which is where pet insurance comes in. It may seem like an expensive investment to some but it can be a real blessing in disguise. Indeed, pet-owners who do not take out cover risk vet bills of thousands of pounds.
Advances in science have meant that pets now live longer due to the increasingly sophisticated treatments available (and ironically therefore face an increased likelihood of illness or injury at some point) and vet bills have risen as a result. It makes sense to avoid over-spending on illness and injury when you already have to consider the everyday expenses of food, grooming, property damage, kennelling and routine vaccinations.
How much operations can cost
Getting your furry friend back on the road to recovery can be surprisingly costly:
- Mending a dog’s torn ligament damage costs upwards of £1,500
- MRI scans can cost £1,000
- Dogs that suffer from arthritis could rack up a £3,000 vet’s bill
- Stomach surgery for your pet would set you back about £900
- An operation to mend or amputate a rabbit’s broken leg cost £600
- The cost of pet recovery from a traffic accident can be anything from £500 to £2,500.
- Plating a cat’s leg cost up to £300, the x-rays can cost a further £100 and aftercare can add another £200.
But before you buy pet insurance, consider your requirements. Insurers offer different types of policy depending on age, type and breed of pet. Pedigree animals will cost more to insure than mongrels and a dog will be more expensive than a cat.
What Pet Insurance includes:
1. Vets Fees: Includes surgery, hospitalisation and treatment
as a result of accident or illness.
2. Third Party Public Liability and Accidental Damage: Provides
coverage in the event that your pet causes injury or damage to someone else
or to their property. Usually up to £1 million.
3. Boarding Kennel/Cattery fees: Apart from boarding fees when
necessary, this can also provide home care if you are hospitalised for more
than three days.
4. Death from illness and Loss by theft or straying: The insurer
will recompense you up to the current market value or the original cost of the
pet should they die or go missing. Your pet may have to be under eight for this
to apply.
5. Holiday Cancellation Costs: If your pet has to have emergency
surgery within 14 day of your holiday departure date or whilst you are away.
6. Advertising and Reward: If your pet gets lost, local advertising
and a reward will be covered
7. Pet psychologist/Counselling Costs/Alternative Therapies:
Some comprehensive polices cover the cost of pet psychologists, pet owner counselling
and alternative therapies for pets such as acupuncture, homeopathy.
Exclusions
Exclusions to be aware of: Pet insurance will not cover the cost of the following:
- routine vaccinations, worming or flea control
- cost of any treatment not directly related to illness
- any fees occurred from spaying or castration
- the cost of having your pet put down or cremated
Points to be aware of:
- Check the policy excess as you could find that you are required to pay too high a proportion of the vet’s bill yourself to make the policy worthwhile.
- Check whether claims are covered per condition or annually.
- If your pet has a chronic condition such as arthritis for which there is no permanent cure, check the policy terms as many insurers will not pay out indefinitely.
- Check if there is a limit on how many claims can be made in any one year and whether any pre-existing conditions may invalidate a claim.
- Check if there is a cap on the sum the insurer will pay out for a particular condition, as well as a time limit on how long the condition will be covered. Some insurers stop paying out if a medical condition lasts over a year.
- Always read the small print to see what conditions the insurer will accept and remember to disclose any problems to the insurer. Usually the insurer will still provide cover but will exclude the problems disclosed.
- Often insurers will not cover pets more than eight-years-old. This is because there is an increased chance that your pet will require the attention of a vet. It is best to insure your pet from a young age as they will then be insured for life.
- Vaccinations must be kept up to date. The insurance company will not pay out if a claim results from an illness which would have been prevented by vaccination.
- Insurers tend not to offer no-claims discounts as this may discourage owners from taking their pet to the vet and making a claim which would not be in the best interest of a sick pet.
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