Policy Cover of Pet Insurance

Policy Cover of Pet Insurance

In 2006, the UK census revealed that there were 10.3 million cats and 10.5 million dogs in Britain's homes. That means approximately 26% of households owned a cat and 31% owned a dog. It is no surprise then, that pet insurance has become a thriving business, with more insurance companies offering pet cover policies to reduce the cost of vet's bills. When you consider that even simple surgery for a dog injured in a road accident can cost nearly 1,000 many pet owners without insurance are left with the heartbreaking choice between watching an animal they love suffer and potentially being pushed into debt because of the costs involved. So the obvious solution is pet insurance. For just a few pounds a month, you can make sure your pet is covered in the same way you would take out personal accident or medical cover for a member of your family. So what should your pet insurance policy cover?

Vet's Fees
The main reason for taking out pet insurance is to cover vet's fees. This should cover all reasonable and customary costs for treatment of your pet by a vet over the course of the year. But as with all insurance policies, you must check the exclusions (areas the policy does not cover). These can range from costs resulting from pre-existing medical conditions or those that develop within the first few weeks of the start of your policy. It may also exclude costs resulting from vaccinations, spaying or neutering and pregnancy, as well as any illness that your pet should have been vaccinated against. So it is important to make sure that your pet has had all their vaccinations and does not have any pre-existing medical condition before you take out the policy. A quick check up may be a wise precaution so that you can give your insurance company accurate information about the general health of your pet.

Third party liability
Although pet insurance is mainly taken out to cover the costs of vet's bills, it can also protect you against third party claims. This means that if someone is injured or even killed as a result of the actions of your pet (for example, your dog running out into the road and causing an accident), then you have insurance against any subsequent claims that may be made. Third party liability also protects you against claims for damage to other people's property caused by your pet. If this is not included in the policy, adding it onto your cover may only cost you an extra few pounds a month, but could save you a lot of money in the long run.

Emergency boarding and kennel cover
It's not just pets that fall ill. Owners can suffer the same problems, and in that event it may be necessary to have your pet put into boarding kennels or a cattery for the duration of your stay in hospital. This is often an optional extra, but is particularly useful for elderly pet owners who statistically have a higher probability of being hospitalised at some point. However, emergency boarding and kennel cover does have set conditions, and you may not be eligible for this cover if the hospitalisation is the result of a pre-existing condition before the cover was taken out.

Other extras
Pet insurance can also cover a range of other eventualities, such as advertising and reward costs should your pet go missing or be stolen. This can help cover the cost of putting up flyers or advertising in your local paper and can even cover the cost of replacing the pet up to a certain amount. If your vet recommends that another vet treat your animal, some cover does include overnight transportation and board to cover the costs of getting your animal to another vet. Pet insurance can also cover travel and accommodation expenses if you have to cancel or cut short your holiday because your pet has gone missing or is injured.

With a wide selection of companies offering pet insurance, your best bet to ensure you get a good deal at the right price is to use a comparison site. This will give you an at a glance guide to the types of pet insurance available, what they do and don't include and if there are any optional extras that may cover unexpected situations that could mean expensive vet's bills or kennel costs. Be aware though, that many insurance providers will not cover 'rescue' animals because their medical history is unknown, so if you do have a rescue dog or cat, it may be worth contacting a provider direct to find out if they do offer cover to rescue animals. Unusual or exotic pets may also be excluded from general pet insurance policies, so check your comparison site to find an insurer that does offer cover for your animal.