Dogly has searched through some of the best dog insurance companies online, so you can find popular dog insurance companies all in one place.
Dogly advises everyone with dogs to consider taking out dog Insurance as part of being a responsible pet owner. Many pet owners don’t realise how expensive vet treatments can be and do not plan ahead financially. If your dog gets ill or has an accident the costs can quickly spiral out of control. Every year 1 in 2 dogs will need vet treatment and fees are going up each year.
The average UK vet bill is now £300 with more complicated treatments costing in excess of £3000. The question is can you afford this or have you put something aside in case it happens. If not then it may be worth considering some of the insurers below
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Further Dog Insurance Information
Opting for the cheapest pet insurance is not always the best way to go, its a very good idea to ensure you have looked at the level of cover that is on the policy. Here’s a list of some of the Important factors of a policy that should be taken into account.
Vet Fees
The charge and fees that you will encounter at the vets are the main reason most dog owners get pet insurance, as they can be quite staggering. Even the smallest issue with your dog can come at quite a cost, but if you have insurance this can be covered with just an excess amount for you to pay. Different insurance companies and vets work in different ways regarding payment, sometimes the insurance company will pay the vet direct but others will require you to pay the vets then claim the money back. You will need to check this with your vets and the potential insurance company beforehand.
Insurance companies will also put a maximum pay out limit on each policy that they will pay out each year. This is in the form of a total pay out but they also have a maximum pay out per condition. For example if your insurance company says you have a maximum pay out of £8000 a year, it could only have a maximum of £2000 per individual condition.
What are the Dog insurance Excess Fees
The dog insurance polices that you will encounter will all have an excess fee on them. They are normally between £75 & £100 and seem to be creeping up each year. If for example you have an excess of £100 and your dog requires treatment at the vets and the cost comes to £350, you will have to pay the first £100 and the insurance company will cover the other £250. The lower the excess the better it is for you, but generally if the excess is lower you may be losing out somewhere else, so ensure you read all the terms and conditions.
What are Lifetime Cover and Cover for Life
Most dog insurance companies will offer a Lifetime cover option, these are normally far more expensive than stand 12 month cover policies. These life time policies offer a big advantage because if your dog were to develop arthritis it will be covered for life. This will only apply if you renew the dog insurance with the same company each year. If you had a standard policy the cover for the arthritis would cease after 12months. When your renewal comes up it can be hard to find suitable cover that will cover existing conditions.
Additional Benefits
Most dog insurance companies will offer a whole range of other benefits with each policy than can be useful. Things like advertising costs and money for rewards should your dog get stolen or go missing. If you end up in hospital and your dog needs to go to kennels this can sometimes be paid for by insurance companies.