Pet Insurance
Insurance for your pets
We all want to do the very best for our animals therefore Castle Vets recommend Pet Insurance. This takes away the additional worry and offers real peace of mind should your pet need treatment or be taken ill unexpectedly. The helpful information on this page gives you all the tools you need to choose the right policy
From birth through to adulthood we hope that our animals live a long and healthy life. Unfortunately, this is not always true and they may require urgent veterinary attention. With technological advances enabling vets to do more for pets, including using the latest diagnostic tools, the cost can soon add up.
We all want to do the very best for our animals therefore we recommend Pet Insurance. This takes away the additional worry and offers real peace of mind should your pet need treatment or be taken ill unexpectedly.
There are many companies each offering different levels of cover. Our recommendation would be to look for a policy that covers your pet for its lifetime. This means that the animal will be covered for all eventualities; if it is injured the insurance company will cover most of the costs up to the maximum per claim per year; if the animal has an ongoing illness the insurance company will pay for any costs each year up to the maximum per claim per year. Each year you would have to pay the agreed excess but they would continue to pay for the treatment.
Other policies cover your pet’s illness for the first year up to the maximum agreed but will not pay for any further treatment for the same illness regardless of how many years you continue to insure with them. However, if the animal suffers another illness or an accident then the policy will once again cover for the first year of treatment. The premiums charged for these policies are cheaper than the premiums charged for the life long policy.
It is also important to be aware that if you decide to change your pet’s insurance provider, that any pre-existing conditions will not be covered.
Important facts to consider with any pet insurance company:
- Is the pet insurance company reputable?
- Have you compared the excesses and benefit levels?
- Does the policy offer lifetime cover for a condition? This will help to ensure your pet receives lifelong cover rather than a policy which only covers a condition for a year or up to a set fee. This is especially important if your pet develops a condition such as diabetes or a skin or heart problem.
- Have you checked that the premium and excess does not increase each time you make a claim?
- Will the company insure your pet into its old age?
Check what exclusions, if any, will be in place at renewal for an illness that has occurred in the previous policy year.
Examples of items you may wish to be covered:
- Congenital & hereditary illness
- Hip related conditions
- Dental treatment
- Behavioural problem
