Advice on Pet Insurance
Legal stuff
This is just an introduction to pet insurance and is not intended to be representative of the covers or restrictions offered by any particular insurance or that all insurance provide the protection described. You can get a recommendation for a particular insurance to suit your own circumstances by talking to the skilled staff at any Coversure branch.
Why buy Pet Insurance?
Purchase pet insurance if you want to protect yourself against the cost of vet’s fees if your pet needs medical treatment, or to compensate you in the event that your pet is lost or stolen or dies.
What is covered?
A typical pet insurance will provide for vet’s fees to be paid if your pet is ill or is injured. It will also give compensation if your pet strays or is lost or dies at a young age. You will also be covered for your liabilities to other people if your pet causes damage to their property.
What is not covered?
Each section of the policy will be subject to a limit. For instance there may be a limit of vet’s bills of £4000 in any year. You will be able to see the limits if you look on the proposal form that you fill in to take out the insurance, or the policy summary that will be given to you before you take the insurance out. The policy will not cover any medical conditions that your pet suffers from prior to the policy being taken out. Some conditions will not be covered at all, for instance pregnancy, neutering, or vaccinations.
It’s normal for each claim to be subject to an excess, that is, an amount that you pay before the insurance company takes over.
Pet insurances are not meant to cover working animals and claims which arise from an animal’s use in a sporting activity or for a business or profession will not be covered. Examples would be guard dogs, gun dogs, cats kept for breeding, racehorses and so on.
Death cover normally ceases once the pet reaches a certain age. This can be quite young, six doggy years would not be unusual. Different breeds can have different conditions attached to them.
What does it cost?
It depends on the type of animal, its age and its breed. Coversure clients paid an average of £121 for pet insurance during 2005.
What to watch out for?
Check that the limits on each section of the policy match your needs.