As you can see from browsing at our website, we offer many very advanced forms of diagnostics and treatment. Very few practices in the UK offer this level of expertise. However, these complex diagnostic and treatment options are not cheap, so a good quality pet insurance policy is an absolute must for pet owners today. In rare cases we will also refer you off to other specialists in different fields for treatment. In many instances their costs are a lot higher than ours.
For example, we are able to perform cutting edge keyhole diagnostic procedures and surgery, orthopaedic and spinal surgery, ultrasound and echocardiographic examinations and lots more on pets.
Our advice is that a lifetime pet insurance policy is the best way to cover these costs.
Broadly speaking there are three groups of pet insurance policies. Using the example of diabetes, which is a condition that requires life-long treatment, these policies can be explained as follows:
Annual policies
These are generally the cheapest on the market and will pay for the first 12 months of treatment after your pet falls ill, up to the policy limit. In the above diabetes example your pet will be covered for the first 12 months of their illness. Thereafter you will have to pay.
Fee-limiting policies
In general these are policies that will give you a certain amount to spend on each condition your pet suffers from, with no time limit such as the Annual Policies above. However, once the maximum amount has been reached, you will need to pay. In the above example this would mean that your pet would be treated for diabetes until the maximum monetary limit of your policy.
Lifetime policies
These are policies that will provide you with a specified amount of money to cover your pet’s Veterinary care every policy year for the life of your pet. If for example this limit was £4000 per policy year, you would have £4000 to spend on all of your pets problems per year, for the life of your pet. In general these are the most expensive policies, but in our opinion offer the most comprehensive cover. One of the few companies that offers such a policy is Petplan.
When deciding on a policy, it is very important to pick one that suits your individual requirements and budget. When choosing a policy, be sure to read the small print relating to areas such as:
- Excess levels – some companies will charge a fixed excess plus 10% of the final bill, others will only charge a fixed amount. Excesses are payable per condition per policy year.
- Limits on the payment for certain procedures such as laboratory and hospitalisation fees
- Third party cover
- Overseas travel cover
- Emergency boarding
- Cover for loss, theft, death, etc
Your pet insurance provider must also be a reputable company that has been providing pet insurance for some time. Many companies enter the market with cheap prices to build up the customer numbers, but later increase their premiums substantially.
NOTE: We are not able to give advice on specific insurance policies and unfortunately FSA rules preclude us from recommending or endorsing a specific company or policy.
