Pet Health Insurance

While we do not run our own insurance plan, advice can always be given about insurance services and the types of plan available.

Pet insurance can help provide you with the peace of mind that your pet can be offered the best possible treatment options, without the unexpected financial worry.

The Pet Insurance Industry

The Pet Insurance Industry is regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Currently, market research indicates that only 15-20% of Pet owners have insurance for their pets. We believe you should have the right to choose the insurance that you feel is best for your pets and your budget, consequently, we do not advise on any particular company’s products.

Type of Insurance Products

Basically, there are three types of Pet Insurance.

• Lifetime Policy: This has an annual maximum fee benefit, which is renewed at the end of the year. This is particularly useful if your pet develops a long term problem, such as arthritis or a heart complaint. This is the only type of policy that will guarantee long term cover.
• 12 Month Policy: This places a 12 month limit on claiming for a single condition. After this 12 month period, the condition will be excluded from further cover.
• Maximum Benefit Policy: This places a monetary limit on the total amount that can be claimed for each treatment.

Vet Fee Benefits

Remember, the vet fee benefit is there to cover unexpected problems, and will not cover routine procedures or preventative health care. Conditions that have existed before you take out a policy, will also not be covered. Some policies may also exclude hereditary or congenital conditions, and some additional expenses, such as alternative treatments (acupuncture, homeopathy), special diets, hospitalisation and dental treatment.

Additional Benefits

Many companies include, or offer, some of the following benefits, which you may want to consider when choosing your Pets Insurance Policy.

• Third Party Liability: This protects you if your pet causes an accident which results in injury to someone else, or damage to property.
• Death Cover: This will compensate you for the death of your pet.
• Loss Cover: This will compensate you for the cost of advertising, or providing a reward, for the return of a lost pet.
• Boarding Fee Cover: This will pay for your pet to be boarded if you are unexpectedly hospitalised.
• Holiday Cancellation Cover: This covers you in the event of a holiday having to be cancelled due to an unexpected illness of your pet.
• Legal Help-lines
• Bereavement Counselling

Pet Travel Insurance

This is available for pets travelling abroad under the “Pet Passport” scheme. Policies are available to simply cover veterinary fees incurred whilst travelling abroad. Others may cover for loss of documentation, repatriation, and in the worst scenario, quarantine.

When to Take Out Insurance

Obviously you never know when you are going to require the cover that pet insurance provides. Many companies have an upper age limit, above which they will not allow you to take out a policy. Any conditions that are on-going before the policy is taken out must be declared, and may be excluded, and there is often and initial period after starting the policy, when illnesses may not be covered.

The Cost

The cost of an insurance policy for your pet is therefore dependent on many factors. Not only does it take into account what level of benefits you choose, but it will vary with where you live, what breed of pet you have, and how old your pet is. Insurance premiums, and the excess payable, may therefore increase during the life of the policy.

Remember: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR