INSURANCE

Veterinary medicine has, in recent years, become increasingly sophisticated. We are able to diagnose and treat many conditions that a few years ago would have remained undetected with often fatal consequences, especially in the older pet. The down side of these advances is cost. It is not unheard of for treatment of a case to exceed £1,000.

One of the most distressing situations we find ourselves in, is where a pet's problem is curable but the cost of tests or treatment is too high for the owner and the animal has to be put to sleep. A less serious situation is when the owner has to opt for the less than best treatment available to cut costs.

That's where pet insurance comes in, veterinary fee cover can help you to avoid such situations, but when choosing an insurance company, there are a few things that you should look out for:

What won't be covered. Like with your household or car insurance, pet insurance also has a small excess which you will have to pay on a claim. Vaccinations and routine treatments such as worming are excluded. Prescription diets are generally also excluded.

Pensioner and Multi-pet discounts. Some insurers offer special discounts, pensioners and pet owners with several pets can make big savings.

Like the British small Animal Veterinary Association this practice endorses the concept of pet insurance and we would recommend it to all our clients. This way we can ensure that we never have to compromise the quality of veterinary care on the basis of cost.

There are leaflets for Petplan insurance in our waiting room but if you have any questions please feeling free to ask Frances or Marie as they are qualified Pet Insurance Advisors.