PET INSURANCE

We all want to do whatever we can for our pet should they become ill or injured and opting to take out Pet Insurance gives us that peace of mind but choosing the right policy can be a minefield and lets face it, a little boring. With so many Insurers offering Pet Insurance how do we know which one to choose? Much of the time it will come down to price, however it is always wise to remember that often what you get is what you pay for so do some research into the different policies offered. Talk to friends and family to get personal recommendations, but to help you, here a few things to think about when finally choosing which Insurer to use.

As a basic guide there are 3 different types of Pet Insurance:

1. A 12 month policy limit. This means that you can claim PER condition for 12 months only from the date your vet first noted the condition or until you reach the monetry policy limit, whichever comes first, after which time the condition will be excluded from the policy.

2. A continuous policy. This means that you can claim PER condition until you reach the monetry limit regardless of how long it takes to get there, whether that be 6 weeks, 6 months or 6 years, however, once that limit has been reached, the condition will be excluded from the policy.

3. A renewable policy. This means you get a set pot of money per period of insurance for ALL conditions and once the monetry limit has been reached it will not be topped up again to the maximum amount UNTIL the policy renews.

Most, if not all, insurances will not cover for pre-exisitng conditions, something your pet was suffering from before the inception of the policy, nor within a set period at the beginning of the policy year, usually 10-14 days.

There will also be other specific exclusions for example dental work unless as a direct result of an accident, cryptorchidism (retained testicles), spaying/castration, treatment in connection with pregnancy or giving birth and any elective or preventative treatment.

EXAMPLES

Ben, a 5 year old Labrador has been diagnosed with a heart condition that will require life long medication. His owner took out 12 month policy limit Insurance cover at a limit of £1000 per condition. Ben had lots of tests carried out and medication was prescribed on a monthly basis. Bens owner has been claiming for the heart problem since the vet first noticed the problem 15th January 2006 and although Bens owner had not claimed the full £1000, once 15th January 2007 came along, the condition was then excluded from the policy and could not be claimed for again.

Milly, an 8 year old crossbreed has been diagnosed with kidney failure and her owners took out a continuous policy at a limit of £3000 per condition, the initial cost of treatment/diagnosis cost several hundred pounds but the ongoing medication would be claimable for however long it takes to get to the monetry limit.

Jack an 18 month old Springer Spaniel ruptured his crutiate ligament on 2 July 2006. After many visits to the vet it was decided a very costly operation was required to repair the damage. Jacks owner had taken out a renewable policy with a money pot of £1000 per year for all conditions. The treatment for Jacks injured leg far exceeded the £1000 but the policy was due to renew on 1 August 2006 and the money pot was topped up again which was very handy as Jack had ongoing treatment of hydrotherapy starting on 6 August so the condition could continue to be claimed for.

Free 4/6 week policies are sometimes available. These will often have a very low policy limit and higher than normal excess and will have more exclusions so ensure you are fully aware of what exactly is being offered.

We never know what illnesses/injuries will befall upon our companions. some will go through life only ever visiting the vet every year or so, some get themselves into all sorts of scrapes or are unfortunate enough to suffer from illness after illness and it feels as if we need to make a regular appointment kept especially for our pet as we are constantly at the vets surgery.

Pet insurance can seem like a waste of money but it can also mean the difference between being able to give our pet the best veterinary treatment possible and not being able to afford to do so. Deciding which type of policy is best for you/your pet can be difficult but do your research and choose wisely.

INSURANCE ADVICE If you would like to speak to someone privately about pet insurance please email IRRInsurAdvice@aol.com