Specialists in finding you cheap pet insurance

Are you ready for the vet? Statistics in the United Kingdom indicate that only ten percent of dog owners have an insurance policy covering their pet. However there is a one in three possibility that their pet will need professional treatment for illness or injury within the next year.

The costs of treating a dog are expensive. For instance back surgery can cost around £4,000. Treatment for liver failure (not an uncommon problem in dogs) can amount to £5,000. Of course many animals require on-going treatment for injury and illness. On top of the initial treatment, there are the costs involved in the hospitalisation of the recovering animal. So a solid insurance policy may in the worst case senario, relieve the caring owner from making a painful decision based on costs.

So what are the pros and cons of taking out a pet insurance policy covering your dog? Firstly the cost of insurance premiums. As an example, depending on the provider, the cost of insuring a pedigree labrador ranges from around £10 to £15 per month. This may be considered an expensive proposition. The dog may never need treatment but, pet insurance – like any other form of insurance is only useful when you need it and are you prepared to gamble on the health of your dog and the bills for treatment?

So which breeds are most expensive? A cross bred mongrel will present you with fewer health problems and ultimately less medical expense and therefore are cheaper to insure. Pedigrees are naturally more expensive to insure.

Remember that pet policies vary from insurer to insurer. Routine treatments and existing conditions will not be covered and there will be exclusion clauses and almost certainly a capped limit on costs covered. Premiums will increase with the age of the dog and as indicated above, the various breeds will attract differing insurance costs.

The costs connected with medical treatment are only one aspect covered by pet insurance. Pet policies can include cover for the expense of the publicity and advertising involved if a pet is lost. A policy may cover the legal costs in the event of a claim against you for injury as a result of the actions of your dog. Some policies pay for the care of your dog if you are incapacitated and even the cost of replacing a valuable animal if it is stolen.

Pet insurance is widely available and can be obtained from numerous specialist providers and high street names including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Direct Line. Generally the policy options are either annual cover or life cover. Cheapest is not always best – read the conditions of any policy before taking it up!