Pet insurance

Pet insurance quotes available online in just a few minutes

Most pet insurance companies offer discounts or other benefits if you buy online - here we've gathered together some of the best online deals so you can compare and contrast - meaning that you should get the best pet insurance policy for you and your pet. Terms and conditions will vary so make sure you read the policies carefully and that the cover meets your needs.

Rising veterinary costs mean that pet owners can pay a lot for their pets health problems, pet insurance is ideal for owners who deeply love their pets and are willing to spend a significant amount of money to keep them healthy and extend their life. Most pet owners will weigh two main considerations when shopping for pet insurance: budget and coverage. Peace of mind can also be an important factor, but far more difficult to quantify. An all-inclusive coverage pays for everything from routine checkups and vaccinations to accidents and chronic illnesses, a basic pet inurance is lot cheaper but will only pay out in emergencies. A flexible plan offers discounts on a wide range of services, from veterinary care to training, make sure to check for coverage of pre-existing conditions as well as breed-specific genetic ailments, such as hip dysplasia for large dogs. Some plans place limits on annual, per-incident, per-illness or lifetime costs, coverage usually starts at eight weeks but some plans won't cover pets over a certain age, Payment options for pet insurance include flat fees or deductibles and/or co-payments, plans with lower monthly premiums come with higher deductibles and/or larger co-payments. Pet insurance premiums are affected by the age, health and breed of your pet, as well as the type of animal, some plans offers discounts for multiple pets. Plans generally require customers to pay the vet bill first and then submit receipts for reimbursement, find out if the insurance premiums will increase as your pet ages.

There are around 50 different insurers selling policies, with monthly premiums depending on where the animal lives, whether it has a pedigree and how old it is. As with any type of insurance cover, it’s important to shop around and select the right cover to suit your individual needs. In the past, the first port of call might have been the vet but now high street banks, the internet and even supermarkets are becoming popular places to obtain cover. Premiums start from as little as £7 per month for dogs and £4 per month for cats and can be picked up in the supermarket along with the weekly groceries.

Premiums in London and the South East tend to be higher than other in parts of the country because vet fees are generally higher there. The most expensive pets to insure are generally the most exotic, these include tarantulas, birds of prey, monkeys, ostriches, venomous snakes and dwarf crocodiles. Wild creatures such as crocodiles and venomous snakes should have public liability insurance of £1m per animal, around £100 to £150 per year.

Policies generally provide around £5,000 in vet fees, £2 million of third party liability, and a death benefit of £500, some policies also cover for loss of a pet by theft or straying, the cost of advertising and rewards for lost pets, emergency kennels and holiday cancellation, alternative medicine and an allowance for travel to the vet.

Around half of all UK households own at least one pet, equivalent to 11.8m households, 10% are covered by a pet insurance policy, 54% bought policy direct from insurance company, 16% from vet and 30% from other sources.