Is pet insurance worth it?

Pets are our loyal companions and much-loved family members, helping to boost our mental and physical health. So it’s only fair that we do as much as possible to keep them healthy and happy too.

One way to help take care of your best pet pal is to be confident that you’re prepared for unexpected vet bills.

Let’s take a look at the reasons why it’s worth getting pet insurance for your top dog or cat.

• Do I need pet insurance?
  > What about self-insuring my pet?
• What does pet insurance cover?
• What’s the average cost of pet insurance?
  > Average cost of vet bills for cats/dogs
• What type of pet insurance should I get?
  > How much pet insurance do I need?
  > Can I add extras to my pet’s cover?
• When should I get pet insurance?
• How to save money on your pet insurance

Do I need pet insurance?

Your pet may need treatment from a vet if they become poorly or have an accident. Bills can run into thousands of pounds depending on what treatment is needed.

Vet costs could also become an expensive long-term outgoing if your pet develops a chronic illness or has multiple conditions at the same time.

Having pet insurance can give you peace of mind that they’re covered for unplanned or ongoing vet expenses. After all, you want to do right by your pet and be able to focus on getting them better.

> What about self-insuring my pet?

Some pet parents choose to set aside money each week or month instead of paying for insurance, known as self-insuring. This approach can be risky because:

• You can’t predict when your pet will have an accident or how much it may cost. So you might not have enough saved to cover everything and could end up in debt to make up the shortfall.
• You won’t be covered for legal costs if your dog injures a person/another dog, or if they cause damage/loss to someone else’s property.
• You’ll miss out on other benefits and cover offered by pet insurance, such as video calls with vets and emergency kennel/cattery costs.
• You’ll have to cover ongoing costs for many years by yourself if your pet develops a lifelong condition.

What does pet insurance cover?

Pet insurance covers you for vet treatment up to your vet fee limit. With a Petsure policy, you can choose a limit between £1,000 and £15,000 to suit you and your pet’s needs.

Included in your Petsure vet fee limit is cover for:

• Dental accidents or injuries
• Behavioural treatment and complementary therapy
• MRI/CT scans
• Prescribed diet food
• Cruciate ligament

You’re also covered for things like:

• Emergency care for your pet
• Dog third party liability

What’s the average cost of pet insurance?

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the average cost of UK pet insurance in 2022 was £327 for a year.

How much you’ll pay to insure your pet differs based on:

• Where you live
• Your pet’s age, breed, sex, and if they’re neutered
• How much you paid for your pet
• Whether your pet has any existing conditions that need to be covered
• What vet fee limit and cover options you’ve picked
• How much excess and bill share you’ve agreed to pay

> Average cost of vet bills for cats/dogs

The ABI found that the average cost of a claim in 2022 was £777.

Vet costs vary based on a number of things, including where you live in the UK and what treatment your pet is having.

Read this article on understanding vet fees to find out more about how vet costs work.

To give you an idea of what a trip to the vet could cost you, here’s some average costs of illness and injury claims collected by Nimblefins:

• Hip dysplasia (puppy) – £13,000+
• Soft tissue sarcoma (cat) – £12,200+
• Broken tibia (cat) – £2,000
• Pancreatitis – £1,303
• Road traffic accident – £1,356
• Gastroenteritis (small dog) – £673
• Urinary system disorder – £883
• Hot weather paw burns – £618

It’s also worth being aware that these claim costs don’t take into account ongoing costs where a new condition might need more treatment down the line or regular trips to the vets.

What type of pet insurance should I get?

There are a variety of pet insurance options available to cover your four-legged pal, including lifetime, maximum benefit, time-limited, and accident-only.

If you’d like to find out more about different types of pet insurance, check out this article on how to choose the best insurance for your pet.

Petsure only offers lifetime pet insurance as we believe it’s the most comprehensive cover out there. Here’s what you need to know about how our lifetime pet insurance works.

> How much pet insurance do I need?

It’s important to think carefully about your vet fee limit and not choose the lowest amount available simply because it’s the cheapest.

When deciding how much pet insurance to take out, you’ll want to keep in mind:

• How your pet’s breed puts them at risk of inheriting certain conditions
• What’s included as standard in your cover and what’s an optional extra
• How much your local vet clinic charges for different types of treatments

> Can I add extras to my pet’s cover?

At Petsure, we don’t believe in a one size fits all policy. That’s why you can tailor your pet’s cover to suit their individual needs with a range of optional extras.

Choose if you’d like to add on:

• Dental Illness cover
• Missing Pet cover
• Farewell cover
• Travel and Holiday cover

When should I get pet insurance?

You never know when your best pet pal will get into a scrape or fall ill. Although you don’t want to think about something happening to them, it’s always good to plan ahead and be prepared.

With Petsure, you can cover your puppy and kitten from four weeks old.

And we don’t discriminate against pets in their twilight years. It’s why we have no upper age limits when it comes to insuring older dogs and senior cats.

How to save money on your pet insurance

While getting the right level of cover to protect your pet is important, we understand that it also has to work with your budget.

Here’s some ways you can save money on your pet insurance:

• Look out for multi-pet discounts and deals if you’re insuring several pets under one policy.
• Play around with different excesses and bill shares when getting a quote. Choosing higher amounts can reduce your normal monthly payment.
• Take your pet for regular vet checks. This can help spot signs of illness before they develop and may prevent the need for claims.
• Think about spaying and neutering your pet at the right time to help reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and certain conditions.
• Look into insuring your pet sooner rather than later. The older your cat or dog gets, the more likely they are to develop age-related illnesses. Younger cats and dogs tend to be healthier and less likely to have existing conditions, so can be cheaper to cover.
• Make the most of free access to video calls with vets if you think your pet may be poorly. This can help avoid unnecessary visits to your local vet.

Start protecting your best pet pal today with comprehensive pet insurance from Petsure.