As a nation we Brits are generally an animal loving society, most households wouldn't be complete without extra family members in the form of our much loved dogs, cats and even house rabbits - throw in a hamster, goldfish and the odd mouse or two (hopefully not literally) and you've pretty much got the perfect balance.
On a more serious note, the majority of us realise that the health of our pets is important and anything we can do to help maintain this should be undertaken.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that apart from giving our pets a high level of care and much love and attention there is little else we can do - you'd also be wrong; much in the same way as health insurance for ourselves, pet insurance is available to help protect your cherished pets and offer financial assistance in the event of a medical emergency or health condition.
Veterinary treatment can be costly with the bills in some cases running into the thousands. As you can imagine pets such as dogs and cats can be rather accident prone especially when left unattended.
Having cover in place will help you avoid heartbreaking decisions involving the health of your pet and financial limitations. This has often been the case for many families and deciding which is more important is extremely difficult - a decision no one should have to make!
There are many different providers of pet insurance and each company will offer its own plans tailored to suit specific species and varying factors such as age and breed.
Level of cover can vary greatly between policies - you will usually find you are covered for injury and most common medical conditions (some hereditary conditions can be excluded, see below). Vaccinations, worming and flea treatments are not normally included but there are an increasing number of specialist insurers offering this as part of their package.
Other common exclusions can include investigative tests such as blood sampling, x-rays and ultrasound examination. If a breed specific hereditary condition is likely such as Atopy (an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks its own skin cells causing much irritation to the patient) often found in West Highland White dogs and Chocolate Labradors, to give but one example.
Some medical conditions occurring in feline and canine patients can necessitate a prescription diet which will usually be costly, therefore you should check if this is covered under a prospective policy. Where necessary you should seek another policy with this level of cover included.
Of course price varies considerably between insurers and you should ensure you don't compromise on quality when opting for a cheaper policy. Factors that can affect the end premium include of course the type of pet you have, the age, breed and health of the pet and any medical history or past claims that could affect your application. As with the majority of insurance policies there will usually be an excess to pay and the amount you set will also affect the monthly payment you make.
For those of you unfamiliar with insurance jargon, the excess you pay is in simple terms a contribution you are required to make in the event a claim. For example if a fractured leg on your cat cost £500 to repair you may be required to pay the first £50 yourself. You will usually have to pay an excess for each separate incident but ongoing treatment of a particular treatment will usually be treated as a continuation and only one excess charged (check your policy to be sure).
You can usually find insurance to cover; Cats, dogs, rabbits, birds and other smaller mammals such as hamsters, rats and mice.
You should consider pet insurance if you have any of these animals as the policy will more than pay for itself if needed.
Chris Rowlands is a UK based author with experience within the financial sector centering on insurances.
