Dog Insurance

Regardless of whether you have a German Shepherd, a Cocker Spaniel or a Poodle the importance of dog insurance cannot be underestimated. Dogs especially are known for their mischievous nature and can find themselves in all sorts of trouble.

Each year dogs as well as other pets are abandoned due to their owners being unable to afford the high cost of getting their illnesses and injuries treated by a vet. For example it is said that the cost to treat a dog's broken leg can be up to £1,200 to put right.

For a young healthy dog, you can find a dog insurance quote from as little as £60 per year, whereas older dog insurance can cost up to £20 a month. Either way, this is a small price to pay in comparison to the high veterinary bills you would have to pay should the unexpected happen.

Not only will your pet dog be covered but you will also be covered should your dog cause any accidents or cause injury to a member of the public. Dog attacks have been quite a popular news item recently and you as an owner can be legally liable should your dog harm another person. Also if your dog was to run out into the road and cause a car accident, again you could be legally liable for damage and injury to third parties.

When it comes to both dogs and puppies, there are a number of exclusions to be aware of.

First of all, some insurance companies will not insure a puppy who is under eight weeks old so always check the terms and conditions of any dog insurance policy for this stipulation.

Dogs that are listed on the dangerous dogs act will not be able to apply for insurance. Four types of dog that were identified by the act were the Japanese Tosa, a Dogo Argentino, a Fila Brasileiro and the more popular Pit Bull Terrier. Working dogs are also exempt from insurance such as police dogs, racing dogs and hunting dogs.

If you are a dog breeder, then it pays to know that your insurer may not pay out if your dog contracts a breeding or pregnancy related illness. This also applies to pre-existing or hereditary medical conditions.

In the event that the courts order your pet to be destroyed then most insurance companies will not cover this. It is also a good idea to check the terms and conditions of a policy to understand any exclusions that can apply if you take your dog out of the UK.

Finally, treatments such as worming, flea control and castration will not be covered under a pet insurance policy.

Finding a cheap dog insurance policy is fairly easy however finding a policy that is right for you and your dog is much more difficult.

The cheapest dog cover may miss out certain levels of cover that may be important to you such as accidental damage, third party liability and dental cover.

There is one additional extra that you will need to think about carefully and this is 'lifetime cover'. Including life time cover on your policy will increase the annual premium but its advantages far out-weigh its disadvantages.

Diseases such as arthritis, asthma, diabetes and some cancers will require ongoing treatment therefore if your dog was to contract one of these diseases then a cheaper dog insurance policy will only cover the costs up until the policies end date. After that you would be left with the burden of paying the vet fees yourself.

There are three types of lifetime cover available to choose from.

• Annual catch-all limit - This will cover a maximum amount of money for a number of diseases in one year. For example, if your dog picked up two illnesses and the policy offered £5,000 'catch-all' per year, then each illness would qualify for £2,500 for that year.
• Per condition per year limit - This means that each condition your dog contracted would be covered up to a certain amount. For example, if you had a £2,000 a year cover limit, then you would only need to pay the excess and the insurer would cover the rest of the treatment up to the value of £2,000 for the rest of your pet dog's life.
• Lifetime limit - This will offer an overall sum per condition. For example, if the agreed sum was for £30,000 then this is the maximum amount you could claim for that condition for the rest of your dogs life. The obvious disadvantage to this is that if you reach this limit and your dog is still going strong, then you will have to start paying the vet bills yourself.

Finally remember that with any claim, you will have to pay and excess payment that is agreed when you take the policy out. Set this at a level that you will be comfortable paying should the worst happen.

Whilst we all want to find the cheapest pet insurance policy, it may not always turn out as the most ideal policy for us and our pets. Our pet insurance guide will help you understand what to look out for in a policy and ensure you find the best pet insurance deal for you and your dog.

Get pet insurance for some of your other pets on our homepage.