Upto now pet owners have had two ways of controlling their veterinary costs. Take out pet insurance or buy the drugs their pet needs on the internet. But vets have become wise.

Many vets are now charging as much as £25 for a prescription if their pharmacy is not dispensing, thus largely wiping out the cost benefit of shopping online. A typical vets practice generates around a third of it’s profit from “non-clinical” sales. Those are services such as dispensing drugs and selling specialist foods”. Until the end of October last year vets were barred from charging for prescriptions after an inquiry by the Competition Commission had found that charging for prescriptions were not in the public interest by allowing vets to maintain a near monopoly over the supply of drugs.

But since the ban was lifted, most vets have reintroduced fees. Those uninsured owners whose pets have long term illnesses have been hardest hit. Take dogs with arthritis for example. One pet owner we’ve heard of, had a sheep dog with an enlarged heart twinned with arthritis. Before they started sourcing their drugs online, their vet charged then £160 a month for the drugs their dog required. They then started buying them online and the cost fell to £75. Since last year when their vet started charging for un-dispensed prescriptions, this owner negotiated a reduced three monthly prescription fee costing £10 - so the online cost remain worthwhile.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons says that it’s reasonable for vets to make a charge but charges must be “reasonable”. The problem is that they stop short at saying what “reasonable” amounts to! What a cop out!

Having said that the average fee seems to be around £10 to £15. We appreciate that making out a prescription takes time and that has to be paid for but unless there is something very complicated, £10 for a prescription which takes less than 5 minutes to write seems tops to us.

So if you are facing high vets’ bills you should shop around for a cheaper vet. There are plenty around. And if you have any difficulty visit findavet.org.uk, the web site run by the Royal College of veterinary Surgeons.

And if you pet is generally fit now but you are worried about controlling future costs, get pet insurance. Remember, no insurance will insure your pet for an existing or re-occurring illness.

By: Catriona Singfield

Vets’ fees are set to rise, and over the next three years will increase by up to 20%. Given the expense as well as the stress and worry of an unwell pet, are pet owners underestimating the need for adequate pet cover?

When you keep an adult dog as a pet, you can expect to pay around 40% of your pet care budget on unexpected visits to the vet. Yet only about 12% of Britain’s 13 million dog owners take out specialised insurance.

Financial research company Defaqto know that choosing the right pet insurance can seem daunting. According to their research, pet owners are often confused as to what cover offers, and which policy is the right one for their needs. They may even be put off buying pet insurance altogether. Because some policies pay out on claims on a yearly basis, and others pay per condition, it can be hard to compare them for the best deal. In addition, some cover has built-in limits that place cut-off points on payouts when a claim is made.

High premiums can also put owners off. By way of example, a cat has a typical lifespan of 14 to 15 years, and can run up a total cost in medical care of up to £9,500 during that time. The family dog doesn’t do much better at an average yearly cost of £500 to £1,000 over a typical canine lifespan of 13 years. And a caring cat owner can pay up to £200 a year for insurance in London.

Pet insurance can help enormously towards costs if a pet should become ill, but what a policy covers can be very limited and it pays to check the details.

Good pet cover should include veterinary fees, long term treatment, money for rewards if a pet is lost or stolen, and dental care, as well as benefits if a pet should die of illness or as a result of an accident.

Many policies fall short of this, however. Some will not cover repeat claims for the same condition; some will allow this, but cap the amount you can claim per year. Yet others have a limit of £5,000 on any one claim.

As with all insurance cover, there are many variations. In the same way that car or contents insurance policies have an excess charge – the amount it will cost you before a claim pays out – pet insurance will also impose this fee. Defaqto warn that the cheapest cover can carry an excess of up to 35%, underlining the fact that the lowest premium may not represent the best value for money.

So what should you look for in a policy? Choose one that will last the whole lifetime of your pet. Make sure that it does not exclude any conditions already experienced – some will not pay out on any conditions dating from a year before the cover was taken. Others exclude older pets, or refuse to cover pets younger than six to eight weeks old.

However, there are benefits to having pet insurance that are often overlooked. For example, if a car driver should swerve into a wall while avoiding your dog, a good policy will cover you for damage to the car – and even the wall if necessary! You may not know it, but you are legally liable under the Dangerous Dogs Act for damage to people or property caused by your dog. If Fido goes for the postman, you may well be taken to court, but at least you can arrange cover for your legal fees.

If your pet is well but you have to go into hospital, some insurance will include a kennel stay. This might be especially useful for an elderly person, or someone living alone. Some plans also include cancellation fees if your holiday plans are upset by a sick or injured pet.

It is usual for a policy to cover costs for advertising if an animal goes missing, including a reward. Some will pay for a replacement pet should your own be stolen or even die. But because insurance is designed to cover unexpected problems, it won’t include vaccinations, booster shots, worming treatments, nail clipping, spaying or neutering.

It is common for dogs to cost more to insure than cats, with extra charges for pedigree breeds or big animals. There may even be an extra charge for the smaller, more delicate varieties of dog. Premiums may also be affected by the vets’ bills in the district where you live, being higher in cities, especially London.

As always, there are a wide range of insurance policies for pets just as there are for people. The best course of action is to decide what level of cover suits you best and shop around. Watch out for that excess though – it can be between £25 and £65. Be aware too that many companies set a maximum payment, either per year, or per illness or accident.

Look at your needs carefully, and make sure that what you require for your pet is actually covered by your policy. You may find a better combination online, so do your research and don’t neglect this resource – a good policy can save both your wallet and your peace of mind.

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We’re now in the Chinese Year of the Dog and according to Chinese folk law, anyone born during the year, which runs between 29th January and 28th January 2006, will be honest and loyal. They also aren’t concerned about wealth.

This might explain why there are 5.2 million homes owning dogs without pet insurance cover. As many will have discovered to their cost, this leaves them exposed to huge veterinary bills.

The average cost of treating a dog following a road accident is a wealth damaging £379 and the cost of just a scan could exceed £1,000.

On average, an insured pet owner makes a claim every three years. But do watch out. Pet insurance policies do widely vary in terms of what they cover, excess levels, limits on the maximum that can be claimed each year and various exclusions.

So when you’re shopping for pet insurance it’s important to study the small print. Don’t automatically buy the cheapest. Cheap premiums invariably reflect restricted cover. For example, not all insurers will offer cover for life. This means that if your dog’s problem requires ongoing treatment for more than a year, then cover ceases at the twelve-month stage.

Take Darren Gittins alsatian, Chelsea. Five years ago Darren wisely took out insurance for Chelsea as soon as she joined the family as a pup. All was well until the first spring arrived. Then, Chelsea developed a skin allergy and soon after a hip problem. Treatment turned out to be an ongoing process requiring regular visits to the vet.

Says Darren,” Chelsea is on a special diet plus regular injections to control her allergies. The monthly bill from the vet is usually between £350 and £450 so my decision five years ago to take out insurance, proved a great investment as my insurance premium is just £15 per month. In fact I’m not sure what we would do without it!”

Darren’s budget policy is issued by Pet Plan and covers lifetime conditions up to £4,000 per year. Pet Plan also have two other schemes – their Standard Plan which pays up to £6,000 per year and their Supreme Plan which provides unlimited cover. So you can see that even within the same insurance provider, you can be faced with several policies to choose from.

Some policies even provide protection for kennel fees, or boarding fees if you become ill or even receive a cancellation fee for your holiday if your pet becomes ill before you travel.

Our advice is to visit several pet insurance web sites, including our pet insurance page! Then spend half an hour comparing premiums and see what you get for your money. We know it’s a bore but put a little extra effort in and you will probably be rewarded with a great deal and peace of mind.

And if your dog could talk, we’re sure he’d say thanks too. But perhaps a big lick will have to suffice!

If your bones are strong and your joints are flexible, you move freely. And that means you can live your life to its’ full. But one in seven people have their movement hindered by musculoskeletal problems - back pain, osteoporosis, arthritis, fracture, or sports trauma. Faced with such painful conditions you may be delighted to pay £4,000 for orthopaedic surgery to get those joints flexible again. But would you be so happy to spend the same money on your pet Dalmation?
Veterinary science has developed quickly over the last ten years and as pets get older they are increasingly likely to suffer illnesses that can be costly and lengthy to treat. For example, take diabetes. This is relatively common in dogs and whilst it can be successfully treated, the treatment will be ongoing and expensive – one vet estimated that treatment cost around £2,500 per year. Eczema is yet another of many other conditions that require extended treatment.
But as with us, your pet could require emergency treatment at any time. According to Mintel, one in three pets make an unplanned visit to the vet every year. There are always scrapes that our pets get into. Your cat may have nine lives but they may well land you with nine vets’ bills! Then there are hereditary health problems. Labradors and Golden Retrievers are prone to progressive retinal atrophy, Boxers and Spaniels are susceptible to dodgy hearts, Alsations can get hip dysplasia and Setters, canine leucocyte adhesion deficiency. With an MRI scan putting you back £1,500 and a series of x-rays costing £400, the case for insurance cover becomes compelling.
In this setting, pet insurance has become the fastest growing form of insurance in the UK. E&L, Animal Friends, PDSA, Petwise, Petplan, Pet Protect, and Marks and Spencer are all names in the market. Indeed, competition for your business is intense with over 220 different policies offered by over 60 different insurers. With so much selection, the task of selecting a pet plan becomes complicated.

So keep things simple. Pet insurance falls into three basic categories. The first and usually the cheapest form, limits the claim per condition to 12 months - suitable for one-off emergencies but no good for diabetes! The second limits the total annual payout whilst the third limits the amount paid per condition.

Faced with this level of choice what features should you look for? Here are the 10 key questions to ask:
· What is the excess you have to, pay per claim? Sometimes it will be a fixed sum, sometimes a percentage of the treatment cost but more often, a combination of both.

· Are claims subject to a maximum annual cost or are they on a “per condition” basis?

· If the insurance is limited “per condition”, there will inevitably be a time limit. What is it?

· Is there a limit on vets’ fees? Yes? What is it?

· Is pet is prone to any hereditary conditions and if so, will the plan payout for their treatment? For cats you’ll get information about hereditary problems at www.petplanet.co.uk/petplanet/breeds/cats-breeds. For dogs you’ll find the answers at www.the-kennel-club.org.uk

· Is your dog insured for third party liabilities? You should be aware that if your dog caused injury or damage you could be liable.

· If you pet needs emergency surgery shortly before you are due to leave for a holiday, will your insurance cover the cost of holiday cancellation?

· If you go into hospital, does the plan cover the cost of cattery or kennel boarding fees? Some plans will payout after the policyholder has been in hospital for a minimum period.

· Does the pet insurance cover a finders’ reward if you pet is lost or stolen or the cost of advertising?

· Does the plan make a payout when your pet dies? If so, how much?
Where can you find the answers to these questions? Perhaps not surprisingly, vets are not particularly well clued up. They often have leaflets for one or two plans in their waiting rooms but they are seldom up to date with what’s available in the market. Perhaps that’s not surprising with all the developments in veterinary care for them to keep abreast of!
Well, you’ve already found the finest source of information – it’s the Internet! Simply search for pet, cat, or dog insurance and you’ll find all the information you’ll need. It might take you an hour or so to finish your research but it will be worth it in the end.

According to a market study issued by Mintel, one in three domestic pets needs an unexpected visit to the vet each year. This means you are more likely to make a claim on your pet insurance than on your home & contents policy or even your car insurance.

The word “unexpected” is the important aspect here. If you’re looking for pet insurance to provide cover for scheduled treatments such as nail trimming, vaccinations or teeth cleaning, forget it – policies that provide cover for health maintenance treatments are as rare as hens’ teeth! Neither will you find cover for elective treatment, such as spaying or castration. This means that the most common reasons for visiting the vet are not insurableable.

But it’s those unexpected appointments that are liable to be the high-priced ones! Technical progress in animal care mean that more difficult conditions can be successfully treated. But the cost of emergency care can be horrific. A dog that tears a ligament that can now be treated – but the cost? Wait for it – around £1,500! After all, a series of X-rays could cost £400 complete with the anaesthetic. And a cat that gets knocked over could easily cost £700, even more, to treat. The costs can be serious!

So if most reasons for a vet appointment are uninsurable, what do we get for our insurance premiums?

Pet insurance plans fall into three categories. The first and cheapest option limits the payout per condition and ends cover after 12 months of treatment. The second places a maximum value on the total annual payout and the third limits the value of the claim for each condition or event. And with all these plans you’ll be required to pay an excess on any claim. The excess is usually between £100 and £50. Incidentally, most of these plans pay out a predetermined sum if you pet were to die.

How much does pet insurance cost? This depends on which type of policy you select, the excess you want to pay, the kind of pet you have, its age, its breed and even your post-code (apparently vets are more expensive in London!). But to give you a guide, an industry representative calculates approximately costs between £30 and £200 per year for a cat and £50 to £500 for dog.

The best advice is start a plan when your pet is young. Most pets can be insured once they are 8 weeks old and then you maintain the insurance for the rest of its life. If your pet is in it’s middle age, say eight or nine for a dog, then it may be difficult to get meaningful cover. That’s because it will be expensive and you’ll be unable to claim for treatments for any pre-existing health conditions.

So how can you lower your premium? You can normally get a discount if you can provide documentary evidence that your pet has been identity chipped. If you’ve got more than one pet you can sometimes get a discount for the second pet. And if your post-code attracts a premium rating – consider moving! Beyond that you’ll simply have to shop around. It’s lucky you have the Internet!

The Internet has become highly popular for buying insurance and no wonder – it makes shopping easy, quick and simple. What’s more it’s undoubtedly the cheapest starting place for all your insurance needs whether it be for your car, home, or pet. Sit down, relax and let your keyboard do the walking!