Pet Insurance like any insurance cover can be invaluable to help with unexpected veterinary fees but it is well worth doing your homework when it comes to the fine print so that you know what to expect from your insurance policy.

These days there are a large number of companies that offer Pet Insurance and the choice can be daunting. Many of the policies available are underwritten by the same company and therefore the cover offered is often similar although there are some stand alone companies.

The main things to look for when deciding on an insurance policy are as follows:

Cover for Life

Many policies are advertised as providing cover for life. In reality this often means that they will insure your pet for life but doesn’t necessarily mean that they will cover chronic or recurring conditions for life. It often means that they will cover these conditions up to a maximum amount within one policy period after which they will be excluded. A lot of the conditions we treat are chronic in nature and therefore it is important to choose a policy that will pay out on these for the life of your pet.

Major Exclusions

Exclusions vary between companies. All companies will exclude pre-existing conditions but other exclusions can include:

• Diseases for which there is a vaccine, even if the pet is vaccinated.
• Diseases caused by fleas and ticks. This is especially important to check as we see lots of cases of tick paralysis and flea allergic dermatitis.
• Routine teeth cleaning is excluded by most companies, some companies will cover dentistry work where extractions are required.
• Diagnostic testing if no conclusive diagnosis is achieved.

% of Claim Covered

This varies between companies. Some companies cover 100% of the claim minus any fixed excess, other will only pay a percentage of the claim (70-80%) with or without a fixed excess as well.

Accident and Illness

Some companies have separate accident and illness polices. If you are considering taking out insurance then it is advisable to insure your pet for both accident and illness.

Age of Pet Insured

Most insurance companies will not insure older pets for the first time for illness cover. The cut off age varies between companies but is usually 8-9 years of age or younger for selected breeds.

Pensioner Pets

With some companies the level of cover changes once your pet reaches a certain age and you may have to pay a percentage of the cost of treatment as well as a fixed excess.

Waiting Period

This is the period of time between taking out the policy and cover commencing. Accident cover is generally immediate. Waiting periods of 21-30 days are usual for illness cover and cruciate ligament conditions can have a waiting period of 6 months.

Bilateral Conditions

Bilateral condition are those conditions affecting a body part of which the pet has two such as eyes, ears, knees. The relevance of these conditions is that when excluding conditions from your cover, bilateral conditions may be classed as one condition and therefore only one annual maximum limit may apply.

Annual Maximum Benefit

This is the maximum amount the insurance company will pay in each policy period. Some companies also apply annual or lifetime sub limits for certain conditions such as tick paralysis and cruciate ligament disease.

Choosing an insurance policy can seem daunting at first but having the right policy for you and your pet provides peace of mind when it comes to unexpected vets’ fees. If you have any further queries regarding Pet Insurance then please contact us to discuss the options further.

Comparison of Pet Insurance companies - make the right choice