Dog
Designed to cover various breeds, ages and medical conditions, accidents, and illness to ensure your dog's health.
In the UK, pet insurance isn't mandatory, but it's wise given the potential costs.
Pets can suffer from illnesses or injuries, leading to substantial vet bills. Most require treatment for various conditions at some point, and expenses can reach thousands of pounds per visit. Chronic issues like canine arthritis might cost over £2,0003.
Without insurance, these costs can be overwhelming. Insuring your pet ensures you don't have to worry about these expenses.
For further information, see our guide on the "Benefits of Pet Insurance".
3Research conducted by the Association of British Insurers June 2023
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Choose an insurance plan that fits your pet's health needs and your budget.
If you're concerned about covering one-time accidents or short illnesses, consider an accident-only or time-limited policy. For continuous care or chronic issues, a lifetime or maximum benefit policy may be more suitable for long-term financial support.
Lifetime pet insurance offers lifetime cover for injuries or illnesses without a time restriction per condition, but there is typically an annual limit on the amount you can claim for each condition.
Continuous coverage for the illness or injury is provided each year as long as the policy is renewed. It's important to note that this type of insurance covers new conditions only, excluding any pre-existing ones.
With a time limited pet insurance policy, there is a fixed amount you can claim for treatment, as well as a time limit restriction, typically set at 12 months.
Once this period expires or you hit the cost cap, you cannot claim for that condition again.
Similar to other policies, pre-existing conditions are not covered under this type of insurance.
Also known as 'per condition', maximum benefit pet insurance covers each injury or illness up to a certain financial limit.
Unlike annual policies, the limit does not reset each year, allowing you to claim for the same condition continuously until the specified limit is reached, provided the policy is renewed regularly.
Accident-only pet insurance is designed to assist with the expenses of treatment in the event that your pet is involved in an accident.
This type of policy does not extend to illnesses or diseases and does not include additional benefits. Also, any pre-existing conditions that your pet may have are not covered under this insurance.
Pet insurance typically covers veterinary care for accidents and illnesses, depending on the policy chosen. If you're not sure what's included, speak to the insurance provider or your vet directly.
Here's what a policy may provide cover for:
Diagnostic costs for illnesses: Including consultations, tests, x-rays, MRIs, surgery, and hospital stays.
Therapies and prescriptions: Any therapy treatment and prescriptions required.
Alternative therapies: Treatments like hydrotherapy or acupuncture if your vet recommends.
The cost of finding a lost pet: Including advertising and rewards; some policies may cover replacement.
Third-party liability cover: Mainly for dogs, covering damages they might cause.
Euthanasia: To prevent further suffering if required.
Boarding fees: If you're hospitalised for emergency medical treatment, the policy may cover the cost of placing your pet in a kennel or cattery.
Overseas travel cover: Overseas veterinary care for travel emergencies.
Pre-existing conditions: if your pet has a pre existing medical condition, this will require a tailored policy.
Routine care: Pet vaccinations, boosters, regular vet check-ups, and preventative treatments are usually out-of-pocket expenses.
Fleas and worming: Preventive and aftercare treatments for parasites like fleas, ticks, and worms are considered part of routine care.
Dental treatment: Routine check-ups including dental treatment.
Neutering or spaying: While spaying or neutering your pet will not be covered, having this done can reduce the cost of your insurance.
Elective or cosmetic treatments: Most cosmetic treatments that aim to improve a pet's appearance or ability are unlikely to be covered.
Cremation and burial: The costs for cremation or burial are generally not included in your policy
Training and obedience classes: Expenses for training such as obedience classes or behavioural modification, are usually not included in pet insurance coverage.
At MoneySuperMarket most customers paid less than £7.24vii a month for pet insurance with cat insurance averaging £5.32viii and dog insurance averaging £8.51ix.
The cost of pet insurance is subject to change as your pet grows older, but age isn't the only factor influencing your premium. Insurers consider a multitude of elements, such as:
The type of cover you select: There are different forms of pet insurance available, ranging from lifetime coverage, which is the most comprehensive and costly, to accident-only policies, which are more affordable.
Your pet's breed: Insuring pedigree pets typically costs more due to their higher value and increased susceptibility to hereditary conditions.
Your location: Your location: Vet fees vary by region, and this is often reflected in your the cost of your policy, with urban areas tending to be more expensive than rural ones.
History of claims: If you have previously claimed on your pet insurance, expect your premium to rise accordingly.
For a more comprehensive understanding of pet insurance costs, you can refer to our detailed guide, 'How much is pet insurance?'
Choosing the cheapest pet insurance isn't always the best option. It's important to find coverage that suits your pet's unique needs. To cut costs on pet insurance, consider these strategies:
Regular vaccinations, boosters, and microchipping, can lower future premiums
Adding all your pets under one policy can get your premiums discounted
Using MoneySuperMarket to compare quotes you can get the perfect coverage for your pet at the best price
A higher excess can reduce premiums, but make sure it's affordable for you
Monthly payments often include interest, so annual payments can save money
Spaying/ neutering can prevent certain illnesses, helping reduce your premiums
Yes, you can get pet insurance for pre-existing conditions, but it might be more challenging and potentially more expensive than insuring a pet that doesn't have health issues. Here's a breakdown:
Standard pet insurance: Most standard pet insurance policies will exclude pre-existing conditions. This means they won't cover any vet bills related to a condition your pet had before the policy start date.
Specialist pet insurance: There are specialist insurance providers that offer cover for pre-existing conditions. These policies typically have:
Waiting periods: They might require a waiting period after taking out the policy before pre-existing conditions are covered.
Limited coverage: Coverage for pre-existing conditions might be limited in terms of the amount they'll cover per year or have specific exclusions related to the condition
Consider buying a lifetime policy early and keeping it renewed to cover any conditions that may develop. Alternatively, you could exclude the pre-existing condition from your policy, covering treatment costs yourself while still being insured for new conditions.
Find out more about pet insurance with pre-existing medical conditions.
You may be able to save a few pounds a month with a cheap pet insurance policy, but you need to consider what that policy covers and the actual cost of veterinary care if your pet were to ever get sick. If you are unsure of how much cover your pet needs, I recommend speaking to your vet about the common conditions that could affect your pet in the future and the expected costs. This will help you find the right cover to match you and your pets needs.
Keep up to date and find out all you need to know with our latest guides.
This is for illustrative purposes only. If your circumstances and cover needs differ, your quote may be more or less expensive than the above example. Quote taken 13.03.2024.
Learn more about our full pet insurance quote methodology here.
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You’ll need the following to determine your pet insurance quotes:
Pet’s age
Breed or size
Health (and if they have been neutered)
Cost (if you bought them rather than adopting)
Behavioural history
Medical history
MoneySuperMarket makes it easy to compare policies from a huge panel of pet insurance providers saving you the time and hassle of researching each provider individually
Quotes are sorted from the least expensive, so you can quickly find a pet insurance deal that fits your needs and budget, and save money on your insurance premium.
With a wide range of policy options, you can find pet insurance that meets your unique needs and provides the coverage you need for you and your pet.
Your pet's age is a major factor in pet insurance. Younger pets are generally healthier and less likely to need expensive veterinary care, so their premiums will be lower. Older pets are more likely to develop health problems, so their premiums will be higher.
You can usually get pet insurance that starts immediately, but there may be a waiting period before you can claim for certain conditions. This is typically 48 hours for accidents and 14 days for illnesses.
The excess is the amount you’ll need to pay when you make a claim on your pet insurance. If you set a higher excess, this can bring your premiums down, but make sure you can afford the excess in the event of a claim. Some insurers will ask you to pay a flat fee for the excess, whereas others will ask for a flat fee plus a percentage of the remaining cost, so check your policy carefully before you buy.
If you have more than one pet, you’ve got the option to take out separate pet insurance cover for each animal, or to get one policy for all your pets. This is known as multi-pet insurance, and it can make it easier to manage your pet cover. It can also be cheaper, because many insurers offer discounts if you cover more than one animal on the same policy.
When you need to make a claim, call your insurer’s claims department and be sure to have your policy number, as well as the details of what happened to your pet and the vet fees you were charged or quoted. If your pet is already being treated, be sure to have all the details of the condition and the treatment required. Once you fill in a claim form and provide your insurer with all the necessary documentation to support your claim, your insurer can then review your claim.
It is usually cheaper to pay for pet insurance annually rather than monthly. This is because most insurers offer a discount for paying upfront. However, if you're on a tight budget, you may prefer to pay monthly.
Pet insurance provides you with cover when the unexpected happens. Even if you have an indoor pet, health conditions can happen when you least expect them to, and when they find themselves feeling curious, accidents are also bound to happen. Vet fees don’t come cheap, which is why your insurance is there when you need it the most.
If you’re still on the fence, take a look at our guide to see if you should get pet insurance.
Be sure to talk to your veterinarian about your financial situation. While some vets offer credit plans and are able to provide you with some financial support to accommodate your situation, others may refer you to a less expensive vet facility.
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