Pet Insurance

There are several types of pet insurance policy available, including:

• Accident only – Just covers accidents.
• Time-limited – Provides cover for a set period of time (often 12 months), after which the condition is excluded.
• Maximum benefit – Covers a maximum amount per condition, and after the limit is reached the condition is excluded. These are often classed under lifetime, so be careful.
• Lifetime – A set amount of money is usually reset annually each time you renew your policy, allowing you to keep claiming for ongoing conditions.

It is important to read the policy carefully and to make sure that you understand the level of cover provided.

Some pet insurance policies also provide other benefits, which may include:

The cost of emergency medical treatment if you take your pet abroad.

Third party liability cover, for example if your dog injures someone or damages their property.

Paying the price you paid for your pet if it is lost, stolen or dies before a certain age.

The cost of advertising, including a reward, if your pet is lost.

The cost of looking after your pet if you need to go into hospital for emergency care.

The cost of your holiday if it is cancelled because your pet needs emergency surgery close to the date of departure.

When you claim for treatment under your insurance policy, you will have to pay an excess amount – this may be a fixed sum or a percentage of the total claim. 

All policies will have some exclusions, which may include, but are not limited to:

• Pre-existing conditions (problems that your pet has had before the policy was taken out).
• Anything related to pregnancy or birth.
• Preventative or planned treatments, such as vaccination, neutering or dental treatments.

Most policies will also have a medical exclusion period, often called a waiting period, which can be 10 to 30 days from the start of the policy. Any condition that starts during this time may not be covered.

Insurance companies vary in the types of cover that they provide, so we recommend comparing the various options available and reading the small print carefully.