Pet insurance and how to make a claim

At the Avenues Veterinary Centre, we believe that Pet Insurance is a wise investment. Pet owners need to consider whether they can afford the best treatment option for their pets in the event of an emergency involving injury or illness.

Your own vet may recommend referral to a specialist, and investigation and treatment at a referral centre may cost several thousand pounds.

Contact us about pet insurance claims

What to consider when choosing pet insurance:

Lifelong Cover: Veterinary cover until the end of life. Policies usually give a maximum amount you can claim on each condition per year, and the pot refills each time you renew your pet insurance policy.

Continuous Cover for a specific condition: This type of cover guarantees cover for a condition year after year. There is usually a financial limit per year or in total. An easy way to ascertain this is to ask the insurer if your pet would be covered continually for a chronic condition such as diabetes or arthritis.

Excess typically £50 – £100 per condition: This is the amount which you must pay before the insurer becomes liable for a cost of investigation or treatment.

Heredity and congenital conditions: Check that your insurance policy does not exclude conditions common in your breed of cat or dog.

Amount of cover: Depends on your financial circumstances. At referral centres, a medical investigation or surgical procedure can typically carry a financial bill of three thousand pounds and upwards.

Third-party cover: If your dog is involved in a road traffic accident, the owner may be liable for costs involving vehicle repairs or injury to the driver.

DO NOT CHANGE YOUR INSURER without giving this careful consideration. A new insurer will NOT COVER any conditions which arose prior to the onset of their cover.

It is important to choose the insurance provider carefully as the policy could be in place for all of your pet’s life.

Making a pet insurance claim

First, contact your insurer for a claim form. This may be available by email or download. The owner normally has a section of the claim form to complete. Your veterinary surgery will complete the remaining section, which will be accompanied by a full clinical history report. We will then return the completed form to you. There is an administration fee of £5.00 to cover the costs and we ask you to allow 14 working days for completion of your claim form.

We do not usually claim our clients’ fees directly from insurers. Most insurers will not discuss financial matters related to a claim with the pet’s veterinary surgeon as the vet is not deemed to be the insurer’s customer.