Taking care of your pet with the peace of mind of insurance at Lomond Veterinary Clinic.

Should your pet be involved in an accident or get seriously ill, you want to be able to afford the best treatment possible.

Having your pet insured gives you peace of mind knowing that your pet is protected financially. Remember that if you insure your pet after they have developed an illness, this will not be covered by any policy, just the same as you cannot insure your car after you've crashed it and expect the insurance company to pay for the repairs!

Not all pet insurance is the same so a little research before your choose your policy can be hugely beneficial. Generally, pet insurance policies fall into three different categories.

Let's use a fictional example – Max, a 2 year old Border Collie with an ongoing skin problem who has just broken his leg. Let's assume that Max has cover up to £4000 and see how the different policies would compare.

These provide cover up to a set amount for veterinary fees, which is renewed each policy year. There is no time limit on claiming for conditions provided the policy is continued. The amount of cover can be spread out over a number of conditions but the policy will not pay more than the total veterinary fees cover stated in one policy year.

This policy will pay for Max's skin condition and his broken leg to be fixed up to a total of £4,000. Next year, and every year after that, Max has another £4,000 cover for treatment, so treatment for his skin condition is still covered by his insurance.

Policy Types And Next Steps

1. Lifetime / Covered for Life Policies

These provide cover up to a set amount per condition, regardless of how long that may take e.g 3 months or 10 years. Once the maximum amount for a condition has been reached, that condition becomes excluded from the policy.

2. Maximum Benefit Policies

With this policy there is £4,000 for Max's skin condition over as long a time period as he needs it, until the £4,000 limit has been reached. Max is a young dog so the funds may eventually run out. There is a separate fund of £4,000 for his broken leg. Once he reaches the £4,000 limit on either condition, this condition will no longer be covered.

3. Time-Limited Policies

These provide cover up to a set amount per condition or for 12 months, whichever comes first. After the initial 12 month period, the condition will be excluded from the policy. These types of policies are not ideal for ongoing conditions such as diabetes or skin problems.

This policy will pay for Max's skin condition for 12months but no further cover is provided after that time, even though the £4000 limit may not have been reached. Pays separately for Max's broken leg but any complications arising after 12months would not be covered.

Things to Consider

Other things to consider include whether behavioural or dental treatments are covered, are prescription diets covered, whether complementary therapies – such as acupuncture – are covered, what the policy excess will be, and will the excess or premium increase if you make a claim?