Pet Insurance General Advice:

Whether or not to get insurance is an important decision for all pet owners. Like humans, animals can have accidents or develop  illnesses from a young age that need ongoing treatment for life (e.g. Diabetes). This means that the cost of veterinary treatment for your little one can sometimes come as a surprise. As one of our clients found out, pet insurance is one way to safeguard yourself against accidents and ongoing treatment for your pet.

Things to remember:

  • Pet Insurance is best taken out when you first get your puppy or kitten…the longer you leave it, the more chance your pet may come down with little health problems that will then be excluded from cover for the rest of their life.
  • Choose a cover you can afford. Carefully determine how much you can reasonably budget for on a monthly basis and ask around for obligation free quotes to see which companies offer plans that are suited to your financial needs.
  • Most companies will only cover up to 80% of your medical bills (some are less, some are more) and some stipulate an excess is required. You will need to bear this in mind for your budget too.
  • Choose a reputable company that does NOT have breed exclusions for certain diseases if possible. If you have that breed and the disease is common, you will absolutely NOT want to risk a problem being excluded.
  • Look for a company that offers medical AND accident cover, you want to be covered for general medical treatment as well as any unexpected vet bills if your little one gets into trouble.
  • Try to find a company that will cover your pet for $5000 per condition per year.
  • Once you have decided on a company you are happy with, make sure you stick with them (unless you have a very good reason to opt out). Ideally you want to be sure that your pet is covered for life for as many illnesses and problems as possible without any exclusions. If you switch companies and your pet has developed any illnesses since they were originally insured, a new company may choose to exclude these illnesses from your cover if you switch over to them.