One of the most distressing situations we find ourselves in is where a pet's problem is curable but (understandably in some cases) the cost 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 for the pet owing to money constraints.

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 you should look out for:

• Be careful to check that the amount of veterinary fee cover is adequate, over time a single illness can cost many hundreds of pounds.
• Check that there is no limit on how long you can claim for each illness, chronic conditions can go on for life, not just twelve or twenty–four months.
• Check that your pet will still be covered in later years when he or she needs it most and the premium in those years will still represent good value.

What Won't Be Covered?
Like 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 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 thoroughly recommend it to our clients. Our only interest is to ensure that we never have to compromise the quality of veterinary care on the basis of cost.

There are proposal forms available in the waiting room but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask one of the practice team.

For an example of pet insurance see the PetPlan Web site.

See the PetPlan Web site