So you've bought that puppy and started your training and socialisation regime. You and your family are all excited about the new arrival and you have acquired all the miscellaneous kit to make its life a happy and contented one. But hold on a minute. Have you taken into account the need for pet insurance? Why on earth would I want pet insurance I hear you ask. Well, dogs can be expensive to maintain in normal circumstances, but just suppose circumstances change, and health problems occur. What will a vet cost? What costs will you face should the animal cause an accident to a third party, or bite another dog? What about the costs of vaccination or kennel costs if you go on holiday?
These issues may never have occurred to you when you were first considering a pet, but undoubtedly should be factored into your budget especially in these financially straitened times. Pet Insurance is offered by a variety of Insurance Companies and other Animal organisations but when considering a policy, the very first thing you should do is check out your household insurance policy, which sometimes provides cover for the owner but not the dog. So the dog may only be covered when he is in the care of the insured householder or your family.
Read the Small Print
Insurance policies are notorious for the "small print" and hidden "exclusion clauses" so make sure you check out any prospective policy in detail so you know what cover you are receiving for your money. Animal policies can vary considerably in detail, with a variety of discounts available and differing excess costs applied. Generally speaking, a standard policy will cover areas such as:
. Veterinary fees, often including on-going tratment costs.
. Emergency boarding kennel fees
. Third party liability and legal expenses should an incident come to Court.
. Early death from illness or accident.
. Reimbursement costs of the purchase price of the dog in the event of mis-selling by the breeder.
. Recovery costs in the event of a lost animal
. Loss due to theft
. Referral costs for specialist veterinary treatment, or special drugs.
Calculate the Costs
The costs of a policy can thus vary widely depending on the cover you elect to take out. Costs will also vary due to considerations such as place of residence, size and breed of your animal, and a range of other factors, so it can be quite difficult to compare like with like. Check with your vet if in doubt... most know what is available and can advise on the most cost effective cover for your given circumstances.
Be aware that Insurance policies do not normally cover items such as:
. Preventative vaccination, such as worming shots
. Dog neutering at owner's request.
. Caesarean surgery at birthing.
. Death of a mother dog during or after birthing.
. Death of new born puppies.
. Cover for whelping risks if you are breeding from your bitch.
There are many Insurance sites on the Internet nowadays, and some comparison web sites which can help you decide on the most cost effective cover for your particular needs. Make sure you check the cover, read the fine print and you will be able to relax in the knowledge that your dog insurance is in place and your animal is protected. but remember you will have to keep up those premiums, so make sure they are budgetted for.
