What Do I need to look for in a Pet Insurance Policy?

Pet insurance allows you to have the financial back-up you might need if your pet needs veterinary treatment. Young animals are more likely to have an accident and older animals are more likely to become ill. It is important to know what to look for when choosing a policy.

Many breeders and most vets will provide you with a free cover note providing one month’s cover for your puppy or kitten. This gives you the time to shop around and set up long term insurance before the cover note runs out. It is important to know that most policies exclude illness for the first 2 weeks of the new policy so allowing some overlap is a good idea.

The main areas to compare are the amount paid out per condition and per year and whether a condition is covered for one year only or for life.

For instance, if your pet is referred to a Veterinary Referral Centre for an MRI or CT scan as well as specialist spinal surgery, costs are currently around £6,000. Long-term conditions such as diabetes or Addison’s Disease require ongoing monitoring and lifelong medication and this can add up to £1,000s over the life of your pet.

The excess is the amount of the claim that you have to cover. This is often a set amount but can be a percentage of the overall claim particularly as your pet gets older.

Most insurers require your pet to be regularly vaccinated and having your pet neutered often leads to lower premiums. Certain breeds are more prone to illness than others and their premiums will be higher to reflect this. Preventive treatment such as vaccines, worming and flea treatments are not covered by insurance and most policies exclude all costs associated with breeding.

It is really important to note that, if your pet has ever had a particular condition or injury, changing insurance company will mean that this condition is very likely to be excluded. This is particularly important when your pet has an ongoing lifelong condition. A common example is where a dog has had a skin or ear problem. Many skin conditions are caused by allergies and all future similar symptoms are likely to be excluded.

Insurance is there to provide cover for the unexpected. If your pet has had symptoms prior to you taking out insurance, it is unlikely that any condition associated with these symptoms will be covered in the future.
It is a good idea to speak to friends and other pet owners regarding their experiences particularly in relation to claims. Research the company you are considering using and read the small print. Not all companies provide the same service!

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