Have you thought about insurance for your pet?
We strongly recommend that you consider pet insurance for your pet, the cost of veterinary care can be more than most pet owners realise especially when specialist techniques or equipment are necessary and, with no NHS for pets, pet insurance is the best way to help you cover the treatment costs.
Due to insurance regulation we are not allowed to recommend who you choose as your Pet Insurance provider. However, choosing pet insurance can be confusing so we have detailed below 4 different types of pet insurance policies available.
It is not always clear what type of policy a company is offering so if you have an understanding of the below, you can then decide which type you feel is best for you and your pet and then look at which companies offer the type you want…
Accident only
- Covers the cost of any accidents your pet may have
- Will only cover up to a certain amount (benefit level)
- Often only covers a certain amount of accidents
- No cover whatsoever for any kind of illness
12 month/ Time limited
- Appear to be a cheaper type of policy
- Claiming starts from the date the first clinical signs started
- After 12 months, have passed the condition you are claiming for and its treatment will no longer be covered
- Once the 12 month period has passed you will have to pay for any further treatment for that condition for the rest of the pets life.
- You are unlikely to find another pet insurance which will then take on your pet without excluding this condition as it will be classed as pre-existing.
Maximum benefit
- Very common, often advertised as life time and lifelong which can be misleading
- One pot of money is allocated for each illness/injury. Depending on which company you are looking at will depend how much you have for each condition
- Once the set amount of money has been spent per condition that condition will no longer be covered with this company or any other company so you will need to pay for treatment related to this condition from then on
Lifetime cover
- One pot of money for all conditions claimed in a year at the end of the policy year the pot is topped back up to the amount you began with, giving you a new full pot for the following year
- Perfect for ongoing conditions such as diabetes, skin conditions, joint problems etc.
Useful tips…
- Please make sure you are comparing like for like when comparing insurance policies
- By deciding which type of insurance you want first, you then have the opportunity to make an informed decision on your pet insurance provider
- If you have already chosen your insurance provider and are thinking of moving to another company, please speak to one of our team first as switching insurance can be costly and is not always best for you and your pet
- Please feel free ask at reception for details on our claims process so that you are aware what you need to do should you need to make a claim in the future
- To help you decide what insurance type is best for you, research the breed of pet you have and look at the common conditions that this breed may have
Questions you may find useful when shopping for pet insurance…
- Is this policy a policy where after claiming for a condition for an amount of time I will no longer be covered for that condition?
- Is this policy a policy where after a set amount of money for a condition the condition will no longer be covered?
- Will the policy amount that I can claim be topped back up each year that I renew?
- Will you place exclusions at renewal on this policy?
- Will my premiums or excess increase if I make a claim?
- Does the policy cover congenital or hereditary illness?
- Does this policy cover dental treatment and behaviour problems?