The importance of pet insurance
Currently 
in the UK *43% of dogs, 62% of cats and 87% rabbits are not insured, the main reason being owners find it too expensive and feel they won’t get their monies worth. It is a subject that would probably spark conversation from all pet owners with personal stories they would want to share.
I am often asked questions relating to pet insurance …the most popular being “What insurance company do I recommend?” Sadly as a profession we are not allowed to recommend one company, we have to offer a choice and let you, the pet owners decide.
You start to investigate the companies/visit comparison sites and start asking friends and family on social media to try and find out which is the best company to use. I am sure its common ground to receive positive and negative opinion on all of them. Like when you look at Trip Advisor…some love some loathe.
So where do you start when trying to find the best insurance policy for you and your pets?
The main bulk of the policy will be relating to ‘veterinary fees’ of which you have a choice, you get fixed term/fixed amount/cover for life policies. I would always recommend ‘cover for life’ policies. This basically means that if your pet gets diagnosed with a problem it will be covered for the duration that you keep the policy. However each year you will have to pay the excess again. The problem with fixed term/amount policies is that if you have a lifelong condition diagnosed i.e. Diabetes Mellitus only paying out for a year will not be sufficient. Fixed money amounts can also be easily reached especially if you start looking at referral/specialist treatments.
Most 
policies will normally include public liability however it is always worth checking your household policy as sometimes this is included on them.
If you are quite a jet setter policies can offer holiday cancellations if you’re pet should become ill/cover if you are travelling abroad with your pet. You can have cover for advertising/reward if your pet gets lost or stolen. It’s about considering what’s important to you and your lifestyle.
Complimentary medicine has also become popular and many companies will include this on their policies, for example acupuncture/hydrotherapy/laser-therapy. Behaviour problems can also be covered with a registered clinical animal behaviourist.
Some may give you ‘cash-back’ if you don’t claim within the 12mth period/annual vaccination vouchers/9mths for the price of 12….all trying to make their policies more attractive. You need to however look beyond this and read the small print. If you don’t understand the wording then don’t take out the policy.
Prices may vary and it’s quite tempting to go for the cheapest policy however this is where you need to understand your terms and conditions.
It is worth looking around and not rushing into anything but check you understand all the small print. Ensure you know the procedure if you did need to make a claim. Some companies will allow you to do direct claims where the veterinary surgery can claim on your behalf. You may have to start the claim within a given amount of time of the condition starting so ensure you are aware of this. Don’t wait until the end of treatment as you may go beyond this period.
What happens once you have chosen a policy?
As soon as you have chosen your policy the insurance company will contact your pets registered veterinary surgery and request their clinical history. They will look in-depth at this history and decide whether any exclusions need to be made. Most policies will not cover any pre-existing conditions…for example if your dog has already been diagnosed with pancreatitis previously they will not pay out for that condition in the future. This is why sometimes switching policies like you may do with your car is not favourable. Some companies now may ‘lift’ the exclusion if the pet has not shown any clinical signs for a certain time period…again this is why checking your policy is important. You may also have a period at the beginning of the policy that you would not be able to claim for…for example you couldn’t take a policy out tomorrow because your dog got injured today and then expect to be covered straight away.
Insurance policies give you the reassurance and peace of mind that you are covered, should your pet become sick/injured. Knowing that you can gain specialist care, as you do have that policy can be a life saver….literally.
To discuss your pet needs, please get in touch
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