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