Pet insurance – preparing for the unexpected

Anyone who has been forced to take their pet to the vet for more than just their annual vaccinations will appreciate the value of pet insurance.

Loving your pet means more than just taking care of them during routine visits – it also means ensuring they can get the treatment needed when accidents or illnesses occur. With finances tight, nobody wants to be left to count the cost of a huge vet bill if their dog or cat falls ill, and so, for just a few pounds a month, pet insurance can be a saving grace.

What should you look for from a pet insurance policy?

Though it can be tempting to put price first when shopping for pet insurance, it’s just as important to look at what the policy covers to ensure it meets your needs. Here are some elements to look out for:

Vet fees – Most policies impose an annual cap on the amount you can claim, and there may also be a restriction on the amount you can claim per condition. Look to see if there are any exclusions – most policies do not cover spaying/neutering, annual vaccinations or pre-existing conditions.

Death benefit – Death is inevitable for all animals so most insurers will not pay out for the most common conditions leading to an animal passing on, but payouts may be available for accidental death and other unexpected events.

Third party liability – Covers damage caused to the property of others by your pet.

Theft/ straying – A payout if your pet is missing for reasons other than personal negligence.

Lifetime cover – If a pet develops a long-term condition, such as asthma or diabetes, that requires on-going treatments, expenses will generally only be covered until the end of the policy term. However, with lifetime cover your pet will continue to get the treatment it needs although you will be obliged to stay with the same insurer.

Dental cover – Many policies don’t include dental care, but, according to Sainsbury’s Bank, dental related issues cost Britain’s pet owners £28.5million a year – so look for a policy that does offer this protection.

There are other features that are worth looking out for, including: cover for advertising/ reward costs if a pet is missing, accidental damage cover, quarantine costs, and even reasonable costs towards repeat tick and worming treatments.

What about pet insurance while you’re on holiday?

Pet insurance takes on added importance when preparing for a holiday – during a pre-holiday rush people are less likely to notice problems with their animals.

Having saved for a holiday it may be more difficult to find the money needed to cover vet bills and even if the kennel/ boarding facility offers to insure your pet during their stay, it’s still worth taking out insurance in case there is a problem with the accommodation, or if your pet has a pre-existing condition.

A good policy can also cover your pet against the following risks:

1. Emergency boarding costs/daily minding:
   For example if the owner was hospitalised or if there were travel delays or cancellations before returning home.
   

2. Trip cancellation/return home:
   Some policies will cover your expenses if you need to return from a holiday early due to an ill or injured pet.
   

3. Emergency expenses abroad:
   If you plan to take your pet away with you, look to see if it is covered for emergency expenses while overseas.

   
   

Where can you get the cover you need?

It’s important to get pet insurance that provides the right level of cover at the right price.

In this instance, the GoCompare.com pet insurance comparison tool (the first true pet insurance comparison tool from any UK website) - can help you identify the level of cover you want while comparing more than a dozen different policies. So ask yourself what you’d like to be covered and don’t overpay for features you don’t need.