Pet Insurance

Pet Advice Categories

Pet insurance provides cover for veterinary fees should your pet become injured or ill.
As a pet owner, it provides you with peace of mind, knowing you can afford the best available treatment for your loved ones.
We recommend the concept of pet insurance because we believe it is in the best interest of your pet – we do not recommend one individual policy over another.

Apart from veterinary fees, pet insurance often includes other cover such as:
Hydrotherapy & Complementary treatment
Damage to someone else’s property.
Purchase price of your pet.
For lost pets, the cost of advertising and the cost of a reward.
Costs of looking after your pet if you need to go into hospital.
Costs of cancelling your holiday if your pet requires emergency care close to departure.

Anything that relates to your pet’s medical history prior to the policy starting (pre-existing conditions).
Anything related to pregnancy.
Preventative health care such as vaccinations, flea and worm treatment, neutering (a few companies do make a contribution towards preventative care).
Routine dental care (not always excluded).

Amount of Cover Provided: There are three general types of cover, ’Time and Benefit Limited’, ‘Benefit Limited’ and ‘Life Cover’.
Premiums: This is the cost of the policy. Typically you get what you pay for, the more substantial the cover then the higher the premiums.
Excess: The amount you pay towards the cost of the treatment. Varies depending upon insurance company and policy so check the details.
Changing your Insurance: Be careful! If you change after a medical condition has occurred it is likely to be excluded under the new policy. When first choosing, carefully consider your needs now and in the future.
Age: Typically, insurance can be taken out from 8 weeks of age. As your pet gets older, unless you have an existing policy that you can renew annually, insurance cover for pets over 8 years of age is harder to find.
Check Details: Always check details, as the amount of cover, what extras are covered, what is excluded, premiums and excesses do vary.

Time and Benefit Limited

12 month policy for each medical condition, up to a financial limit.
Each condition covered for 12 months
If financial limit reached within 12 months, cover stops.
Once the limit is reached (time or financial) then the condition becomes excluded and it is excluded from future claims.
Basic policy and usually the cheapest.

Benefit Limited

Financial limit for each new condition.
Each condition is insured until financial limit has been reached.
No time limit provided you keep insurance cover in force.
Once financial limit reached, then the condition becomes excluded and it is excluded from future claims.

Life Cover

New conditions are insured up to a financial limit each year.
Where the financial limit is reached in the year, no further claim can be made until you enter a new policy year.
No limit on how many times the condition can be covered in this way – ‘life cover’.
Most comprehensive policy available.

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