<p><strong>By Carl Chambers</strong></p>
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<h3>Everything you wanted to know about pet insurance in 8 simple steps</h3>
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<p>For many people, pets are part of the family. The sheer joy they bring to a home, plus the faithful companionship they offer, means that these furry friends soon become much loved by their keepers. That’s why, when a pet gets ill or injured, no time is wasted in getting to a vet.</p>
<p>But as vet bills and medical treatment are expensive, many owners consider <a href=’http://www.confused.com/pet-insurance’>pet insurance</a> an essential purchase. Pet insurance helps cover the cost of treatment so that your pet can enjoy the best healthcare and remain part of your family well into its old age.</p>
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<h3>1.Benefits of Pet Insurance</h3>
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<p>Affordability – With premiums starting at around 4/7 per month for a cat/dog, pet insurance can be a surprisingly affordable way to help cover the costs of veterinary care and treatment. Some of the plans available through <a href=’http://www.confused.com/pet-insurance’>Confused.com</a> can cover vet fees up to 7,500 per condition. </p>
<p>Also, several of our panel of leading pet insurance providers offer regular discounts (sometimes up to 33% off) for signing up online. In addition, you could receive a further discount for insuring a second pet. Therefore, it’s possible that the annual cost of pet insurance could be less than the cost of a single visit to the vet if your pet were to get injured in an accident.</p>
<p>Extensive Cover – Pet insurance can protect you against the costs of a bewildering range of eventualities. In addition to the expected accident and sickness cover, you can also arrange for pet insurance to cover such things as emergency boarding, accidental damage to property or advertising costs should your pet go missing (see: <strong>What Can Pet Insurance Cover?</strong>).</p>
<p>Peace of mind – Pet insurance eases the burden of worry of what will happen in the event of sickness or injury, because you know your pet will quickly receive the best healthcare. You’ll also have the peace of mind in knowing that you’ll get help with the veterinary charges.</p>
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<h3>2. Do I Need Pet Insurance?</h3>
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<p>This depends on whether you’re happy to cover the, potentially expensive, vet bills arising from a sick or injured pet. If you’re happy to do so, then you don’t need it. But it’s a good idea to bear in mind that even an animal that’s healthy now, may not be come next week or next month, and as pets grow older, the chances of them getting ill only increase. In addition, who knows what your personal finances will be like at a particular point in the future? It would be plain bad luck if your pet were to suddenly require an emergency operation at a time when such an expense would be difficult to meet. These are the kinds of things to weigh up in deciding whether you need pet insurance or not.</p>
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<h3>3. What Can Pet Insurance Cover?</h3>
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<p>Because of the innumerable scrapes that your pet can get into, insurance can be bought to cover a vast amount of eventualities well beyond just sickness and injury. Here’s a list of just some of the things that can be covered through our panel of <a href=’http://www.confused.com/pet-insurance’>pet insurance providers</a>. Bare in mind though, the more comprehensive the cover, the higher the cost of premiums.</p>
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<li>accidental damage</li>
<li>advertising costs and reward (if your pet goes missing)</li>
<li>behavioural problems</li>
<li>bereavement counselling</li>
<li>complementary treatment (acupuncture, homeopathy etc)</li>
<li>costs for referral to another vet</li>
<li>cremation</li>
<li>damage to basket or kennel</li>
<li>emergency boarding or daily minding</li>
<li>holiday cancellation or return home costs</li>
<li>loss of health certificate or pet passport</li>
<li>payout for death caused by illness or injury</li>
<li>payout if pet goes missing and is not found</li>
<li>personal accident to owner</li>
<li>quarantine costs</li>
<li>repeat tick and worming treatment</li>
<li>special vet-prescribed diet</li>
<li>third party liability (up 2m)</li>
<li>veterinary fees</li>
<li>vet treatment abroad</li>
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<h3>4. Does the Pet’s Age Matter?</h3>
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<p>Because the older a pet gets, the more likely it is to require medical treatment, it’s good to know that many of the policies available through <a href=’http://www.confused.com/pet-insurance’>Confused.com</a> welcome older cats and dogs. However, for younger animals, there is often a stipulation that the pet be at least 8 weeks old before pet insurance can commence. It’s a good idea to check the small print of an insurance deal that you’re interested in to be certain of any age restrictions.</p>
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<h3>5.Typical Pet Insurance Costs</h3>
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<p>Pet insurance can be very affordable. In general, though, the more comprehensive the cover, the more expensive it will be. Basic monthly cover can be bought for as little as 7.10 for dogs and 3.94 for cats when you buy online*. And as with <a href=’http://www.confused.com/car-insurance’>car insurance</a> or <a href=’http://www.confused.com/home-insurance’>home insurance</a>, you can opt to pay a higher excess to make premiums cheaper.</p>
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<h3>6.How to Find Cheap Pet Insurance</h3>
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<p>The quick and easy way to find an inexpensive policy that suits your needs is to compare deals from a variety of pet insurance companies. <a href=’http://www.confused.com/pet-insurance’>Confused.com</a> has teamed up with the following leading, and in some cases, award-winning, providers to help you find a great deal on pet insurance: </p>
<p><a href=’http://www.greenbee.com/confused-pet-insurance/?track=confusedPI’>Greenbee</a></p>
<p><a href=’http://money.marksandspencer.com/insurance/pet-insurance/overview/?WT.mc_id=MASM_Confused01′>M&S</a></p>
<p><a href=’http://www.morethan.com/Pages/Products/Pet/PetHomePage.aspx?Type=PET&Affinity=MT001&SubAffinity=084&’>MORE TH>N</a></p>
<p><a href=’http://www.petpalsdirect.co.uk/?utm_source=Confused&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=Aggregators’>Petpals</a></p>
<p><a href=’https://www.bdmlconnect.co.uk/pet/app/%28S%28q1f12cesxgsgt155qgmqlbag%29%29/youandyourpet.aspx’>Petwise</a></p>
<p><a href=’http://www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/insuring/ins_petinsurance_pet_skip.shtml?source=NETCONFDPETIEM010001′>Sainsbury’s</a></p>
<p><a href=’http://www.tescofinance.com/personal/finance/insurance/petins/index.jsp?cmpid=aggregator/confused/pet-brochure’>Tesco</a></p>
<p>Once you select a provider, the simple process of getting your pet covered begins with typing in a few basic details such as your pet’s age, gender, breed and your postcode.</p>
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<h3>7.Excesses and Small Print</h3>
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<p>Before buying a pet insurance policy, there are two important things to remember. The first is that you will probably be expected to pay an excess with any claim you make. <a href=’/pet-insurance’>Pet insurance</a> excesses typically start at around 50, but can be higher if you opt to receive lower premiums – so bare this in mind when factoring in cost. Secondly, always read the small print. If you buy the wrong policy your pet may not be covered for certain procedures or occurrences. As cheaper policies tend to offer less cover than more expensive ones, make sure you read the small print so that you are 100% aware of what is covered before buying.</p>
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<h3>8. Ready to Buy Pet Insurance?</h3>
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<p>So if you want to ensure that your pet will be looked after in the event of illness or an accident, pet insurance can give you that peace of mind at an affordable cost. As there’s a wide range of cover available, <a href=’http://www.confused.com/pet-insurance’>Confused.com</a> can help you make choosing the right product a quick and simple process. Simply follow the link to <a href=’http://www.confused.com/pet-insurance’>pet insurance</a> and you’ll be on your way to finding great cover to protect that beloved pooch or treasured feline. </p>
<p>*Deal available from Tesco Pet Insurance on 28/01/10. Price includes their 33% online discount.</p>
<p><strong>Related articles:</strong></p>
<p><a href=’http://www.confused.com/news/household/general/pet-owners-urged-to-get-insurance-4104515340′>Pet Owners Urged To Get Insurance</a></p>
<p><a href=’http://www.confused.com/news/newsletter/general/it-s-a-dog-s-life-how-to-pamper-your-pooch-for-less-1361635526′>It’s A Dog’s Life – How To Pamper Your Pooch For Less</a></p>
!!– Confused Replacement Quote Me Home Insurance –!!
<b></b> <a href=’http://www.confused.com/’>Confused.com</a> 2010 – <a href=http://www.confused.com/home-insurance>Home Insurance</a>
pubDate:Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:30:38 GMT
Original Link:A Confused.com Guide to Pet Insurance
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