Pet Insurance
What is pet
insurance?
Do you recommend pet insurance?
What does it cover?
What doesn't it cover?
How long does insurance last for?
How much will it cost?
What should I watch out for?
Do you
charge for filling out insurance claim forms?
Different types of policy
Pet insurance is a way to help cover the costs of veterinary treatment required if your pet is ill or injured. You pay a monthly premium and then can claim back the cost of treatment required (minus the excess) from your insurance provider. If your pet has required any veterinary treatment prior to insuring them then this will be excluded from your cover so it is worth insuring them when they are young, fit and healthy.
Do you recommend pet insurance?
Yes, we recommend that all clients consider insuring their pet(s). Our practice staff can give you general advice regarding insurance. We are also trained Petplan advisers so can give you more specific information regarding Petplan policies.
Insurance can cover:
emergency situations e.g. broken leg in a road traffic accident,
illness e.g. severe vomiting and diarrhoea after eating something rancid
long term medical treatment e.g. diabetes medications or heart medications
Insurance will not cover:
Routine vaccinations, flea treatment and worming
Routine neutering
Costs and complications associated with breeding (breeder insurance is
available for this)
Non-urgent visits to an out-of-hours service or non-urgent house-calls
Some dental treatments (this varies with provider)
How long does insurance last for?
This is dependent on the policy you choose. Some companies offer lifetime cover, others only cover for 12 months per condition (see below for more information)
Insurance premiums vary greatly between companies depending on the age and breed of dog, where you live and what kind of policy you choose. Expect to pay more for a pedigree breed and for older pets. You may be able to get a multi-pet discount with some insurers.
--Does the provider offer 3rd party liability which gives you cover in the event of your dog causing an accident/biting someone e.t.c.?
--Do they cover congenital and inherited problems e.g. hip dysplasia, behaviour problems, dental treatment or specialised prescription diets to treat bladder crystals/stones?
--Will they increase your premiums if you make a claim?
--Will they stop providing cover for your pet once they reach a certain age?
--Consider carefully before changing your insurance provider if you have already claimed for a condition on your current policy. Your new provider will view this as a pre-existing condition and will not cover any costs associated with this. You could end up paying more than before as you will have your new premium as well as ongoing costs from the now excluded condition(s).
--Don't let your monthly payments lapse by mistake. Even if it's only one month missed many companies will view this as the policy ending and when you restart it they will take it as a new policy and exclude anything you have claimed for.
Do you charge for filling out insurance claim forms?
Currently we do not charge for filling out claim forms however you must complete the 'owner section' of your form first before we will complete the 'veterinary section'. Once completed we will usually send the form off on your behalf but if you choose you can have it returned to send yourself.
There are over 200 pet insurance policies available in the UK, the majority of which will fall into one of three main categories:
Pet insurance can be very confusing so please don't hesitate to speak to a member of staff who will try their best to help you with your query.