Pet insurance can protect you against these unexpected costs and can help your pet live a longer, healthier life. Pet insurance also provides cover for liability costs if your pet injures someone, and indemnity if your pet dies or is lost, as well as providing other benefits such as 24/7 access to free vet helplines and guidance on improving your pet’s welfare.
What can pet insurance cover?
Veterinary fees
The cost of diagnosing and treating illnesses and/or injuries. This is the core cover provided by pet insurance and normally includes the cost of consultations, examinations, tests, x-rays, MRI/CT scans, medication, bandages, surgery, and hospitalisation. Often included are the cost of being referred to a specialist vet, and complementary treatments such as physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropractic and hydrotherapy. Alternative therapies like acupuncture, homeopathy and herbal remedies may also be covered.
Third party liability
If your dog injures someone or damages someone else’s property, and you are found legally responsible for the injury or damage caused, the policy can cover any compensation you may be liable to pay.
Loss of the pet
If your pet is lost, stolen, or dies as a result of an injury or an illness before a specified age, you will be paid the purchase price or its market value.
Advertising costs
Advertising costs to help find your lost or stolen pet and the cost of a reward if someone finds or recovers your pet.
Boarding / Hospitalisation Costs
If you have to go into hospital for an unforeseen emergency medical treatment, the cost of looking after your pet. There is usually a policy condition that you must be hospitalised for a certain number of days (usually four consecutive days) before costs are covered.
Holiday cancellation
The cost of your holiday if it's cancelled because your pet needs emergency lifesaving treatment close to the start of your holiday.
Overseas vet fees
The cost of emergency veterinary treatment for your pet if you take it abroad. Some pet insurance policies will cover additional costs such as loss of pet travel documents or emergency expenses abroad if you’re delayed returning to the UK due to your pet going missing or needing emergency vet treatment.
What might pet insurance not cover?
Pre-existing illness or injury
In general, insurers will not cover illness or injury that your pet had or showed signs of having before the policy started. This usually includes illnesses and injuries that can happen again or may appear in different parts of your pet’s body. For example, if your pet had an ear infection before you took out your current policy, your insurance will probably not cover the cost of treatment for any future infections in either ear, regardless of whether or not you made a claim under an old policy.
Exclusion or waiting period
A period at the start of the policy when veterinary treatment is not covered, typically the first 14 days (but can be 30 days in some instances). Insurance starts for illnesses that first show signs or happen after this time. Some policies have a similar period, or less, for injuries.
Routine and preventative treatment
Treatments such as vaccinations, spaying, castration, flea, worm and tick treatments, grooming, claw clipping and dental or teeth maintenance. Any costs arising from these treatments or complications arising may also not be covered.
Pregnancy and giving birth
Pregnancy, giving birth and treatment of any offspring is not usually covered.
Administrative costs
In general, insurers will not cover costs charged by a vet to provide a prescription, complete a claim form or any costs charged to obtain receipts, invoices or reports required as part of the claim.
Specific exclusions or limitations
Insurers may include exclusions, limitations, or conditions that are specific to your particular insurance policy. These could include inner caps or limits on conditions or treatment. For example, £10,000 of cover may have a limit of £2000 per condition, meaning once the limit has been reached there is no more cover for future treatment costs. These will vary between insurers and policies so it is important to always read your policy’s T&Cs and if in doubt, speak to your insurer.
Some other things pet insurance does not cover may include
- Elective treatments or procedures (i.e. treatment that isn’t absolutely necessary for your pet’s wellbeing)
- Behavioural issues that are not linked with an illness or diagnosed condition
- Dogs which are banned breeds
- Animals that are used as part of a business (e.g. racing or protection/security) or kept at commercial properties
- Animals that are not permanently in the UK
Types of pet insurance
Buying pet insurance
It is important to buy pet insurance as soon as you get a new pet because you may not be able to find insurance to cover the cost of treating an injury or illness once it’s happened, and most policies won’t cover the cost of treating pre-existing medical conditions.
The cost of pet insurance will vary between insurers and can depend on a range of factors. These can include (but are not limited to): the type of policy; age of your pet; your pet’s health; claims or treatment history; where you live; purchase price; the breed of your pet; and if it is male or female. Claims costs and the amount vets charge for treatment can also impact premiums. In general, towns and cities vets’ charges can be higher than in rural areas and premiums reflect this. Claims costs have risen in recent years due to the advancement, complexity and increased number of treatments available to owners with pet insurance.
Resources
Discover our guides, reports, free-to-use tools and download our data release schedule
Things to consider when buying pet insurance
- Shop around to find the insurance that best meets your needs; look at what your pet is covered for, not just the price alone. Documents such as the Insurance Product Information Document can help with making the terms easier to understand.
- As your pet gets older the premium may increase, so it is really important that you budget for premiums to increase as the pet gets older and the risk increases.
- Claims can significantly impact the renewal premium so it is important that you understand your pet’s breed, the type of common issues it has, what they could potentially cost and include this in any decision you make on pet insurance.
- Be aware that while moving to a new policy may be cheaper, it is likely the new policy will not cover your pet for any conditions your pet has had in the past or currently has.
- Some insurers will only accept claims after a certain number of days from the start date of the policy (an ‘exclusion / waiting period’) – usually fourteen days but can be up to sixty days.
- The policy documents from insurers will tell you what your pet is and is not covered for. If in doubt, speak to your insurer.
- Always answer the insurer’s questions honestly and in full. If you don’t, the insurer may not pay your claim and your policy may be cancelled.
- Remember to tell your insurer about any relevant changes to your circumstance to ensure your pet remains covered. For example, any change of address, if your pet gets neutered, spayed or micro-chipped or you have noticed a condition but received no veterinary treatment.
