Langford Vet Practice Pet Insurance

Third party liability is an essential part of pet ownership. It could help protect you financially if anybody made a claim for injury or damage against you as the pet owner. 

The Dogs Trust or your home insurance policy may include coverage for your pet. 

Whilst veterinary health care generally represents excellent value for money, the cost of treatment can often exceed owners’ expectations as our own health care is normally funded by the NHS and therefore the true costs are hidden. Pet insurance is a very useful service that can take the financial worry out an already stressful situation when our pets are ill. 

There are several types of insurance policies available to suit all your needs. 

Lower priced policies will have more exclusions and lower treatment caps whereas more comprehensive policies will have a higher monthly premium.  

The amount of cover available for your pet will differ between policies so it is important to check your policy wording carefully. 

• Do you want a policy that lasts for one year or for the time of your pet? 
• Annual policies are often cheaper than lifetime policies and only provide financial cover for conditions and treatments for animals for the length of the policy. A lifetime policy will allow you to claim year after year.  
• Lifetime policies can often only be taken out from an early age. 
• Veterinary fees (up to your maximum policy amount), some even include supportive treatments such as hydrotherapy and behaviour. 
• Death of your pet (through illness or injury) 
• Loss of your pet through straying or if stolen 
• Check what the excess is for your policy. As with car insurance to home insurance you will be asked to pay an excess when making a claim. This can differ from policy to policy. 
• Do you need to pay a percentage of the fees? Many policies for older pets will require you to pay a percentage of the final claim. Check the terms and conditions of the policy to see what the percentage is.  
• Remember: don’t forget to renew your insurance before it runs out. If you lapse this may result in your pet not being covered and needing take out a new policy with exclusions of any preexisting conditions or lose your lifetime coverage. 

It is normal practice for a pet insurance to make exclusions for pre-existing illnesses, which is why starting a policy as soon as possible helps to protect you against the financial implications for future health issues. 

Some policies will even cover emergency boarding and holiday cancellations if your pet is injured or unwell. 

Pet insurance does NOT cover the cost of routine healthcare such as regular flea and worming treatments or vaccinations. If you would like to spread the cost of your routine healthcare with an easy direct debit The Langford Club is available to help you.