Have Adequate Pet Insurance to Keep Your Vet Fees Down

Have you ever thought what would happen if your beloved pet got sick and you couldnt afford the cost of treatment? More than one UK-wide survey put that question to pet owners, and the answers were very revealing. The results indicated that the number of owners who would have their pet put to sleep if they were unable to cover the cost of treatment was 23%. The remaining 7% would do everything to ensure that their pet was given appropriate veterinary treatment; including sacrificing a planned holiday and borrowing money.

Rising veterinary costs have become a hot topic as vets bills have risen dramatically. Giving your pet the proper medical care it needs is not cheap. For example, British dog owners spend 800 million a year on medical treatment. The typical cost of a treatment is approximately 154. However the vets costs can often be much higher. For example, the vets bill for treating your dog's broken hip after he was hit by a car could exceed 1,500. This amount will rise even further if your pet needs emergency treatment.

The solution to having to deal with your pet suddenly becoming ill or being involved in an accident is to make sure you have insurance. If you have sufficient pet insurance then you will not have to worry about finding the money to pay for any medical treatment that your pet needs. Surprisingly, only 15% of British pet owners actually have their pets covered by pet insurance, even though the cost of vets bills is on the increase. If you are one of the 85% that does not carry insurance then you need to think about the benefits of investing a few pounds each month to protect your pet.

What Will Pet Insurance Cover?

Pet insurance doesnt just cover your vets fees. The majority of pet insurance will also cover other costs that arise from your pet and its actions. For example, covering the cost of repairing any damage that your dog or cat causes to some elses property, any medical and legal bills relating to a dog bite and also contributing towards the costs involved in finding your lost pet, including advertising. You may also find that your pet insurance company will pay for kennelling if you have to stay in hospital overnight, or compensate you if you have to cancel a holiday or cut it short because you pet is ill. It is essential that you read the small print of your insurance policy so that you are aware of exactly what is covered.

How Does a Pet Insurance Policy Work?

The majority of policies will cover your pets medical bills on a per incident basis, once you have met your agreed voluntary excess and up to a fixed limit. For example, if your pet needs treatment because he has swallowed a foreign object and your pet insurance has a voluntary excess of £100, and a limit of £3,000 per incident, then you will only have to pay £100. The insurance company will then pay up to £3,000 worth of the vets fees for that incident. If your pet cuts their paw on some broken glass, later in the same year, you still only pay £100. The insurance company will pay up to £3,000, even if they had paid out £3,000 on the previous treatment, because this is a separate incident.

You need to read through all of the details of your pet insurance policy very carefully to check what it does not cover. This is especially important with certain conditions and illnesses that may be inherent in your pets particular breed.