Statistics show that one in every three (1:3) pets will need emergency treatment during each year. Unfortunately, the unexpected costs can be high and families may need to make tough decisions concerning the care of their pet. Pet insurance can help cover the cost during these stressful situations and ensure that decisions are made based on your pet’s welfare rather than finances alone.
Our Huntingdale Vet team are dedicated towards providing the best care for your pet when he or she becomes ill. Having pet insurance means that financial stress is greatly reduced and decisions can be made without having to worry as much about the costs involved.
Dr Adrian Fleay offers a word of advice:
“I would strongly recommend pet insurance to all pet owners and urge you to apply while your pet is still a puppy or a kitten. This will be before any problems have developed and your pet will be covered for most problems. Pet insurance helps take away the stress of potentially large vets bills and let's your vet perform the highest level of patient care available."
The main reason behind this is that not all problems can be dealt with in a general practice scenario. Veterinary medicine and surgery has come a long way in the last 20 years. Similar to the human medical field, there are now registered veterinary specialists in many fields including surgery (orthopaedic and soft tissue), internal medicine, cardiology, dermatology and oncology (cancer treatment). Having a pet insured means that if your pet needs a referral to one of these specialist's, the expense is not as much of an issue.
Pet insurance cover is available as either Accident Only or Comprehensive Cover. It’s important that you choose a pet insurance policy that suits your budget but also adequately covers your pet for injury and/or illness. Double check the fine print so that you are absolutely certain that your pet is covered for any common problems that may be associated with their breed.
This is the cheapest cover but will only cover your pet if they sustain an accident injury (road traffic accident or similar event). Beware that most Accident Only policies will only cover a percentage of the veterinary care costs.
This cover is more expensive and each provider will offer differing costs according to the level of cover chosen and the excess nominated by you.
It will cover expenses for both accidental injury and also illnesses such as:
· Skin conditions
· Gastrointestinal conditions
· Infectious diseases
All comprehensive covers will vary in the illnesses and situations that they will cover, so you need to be comfortable that you have chosen the most appropriate policy for your pet.
Our Huntingdale Vet staff do not endorse one specific insurance provider over another but you are welcome to use the following link to view a comparison table of commonly used providers in Australia.
