The benefits of insuring your pets

Your pet is just another member of your family, but unlike the rest of your family when they get ill they do not have the benefit of a National Health Service. Veterinary bills can be extremely costly, so it is always best to avoid a situation where you have to choose between the dog's stomach operation and your child's university fees.

Insuring your pet will give you peace of mind, and leave you satisfied that should any unexpected health problems arise, they will have immediate access to the best possible treatment available.

There are many types of policy available, both general and specific, and most companies offer a pet insurance scheme so, as with all types of insurance, it is always a good idea to shop around and find the best policy for your and your pets individual needs.

Pet insurance is now readily available from a number of insurance companies and many offer online quote and purchasing services, enabling you to insure your pet from the comfort of your own home.

Most pet insurance policies have set age ranges. For most pets (e.g. dogs, cats and rabbits) the age range is usually from 8 weeks until 8 years of age. However, this varies depending on factors such as the breed of your pet. This is to take into account the fact that some breeds live longer than others do. For this, and other reasons some companies insure pets as old as 12 years. If your pet is insured at a time when it is within these age ranges, the policy will continue with no upper age limit, although cover for death from illness may no longer apply once a specified age is reached.

When a pet reaches old age, as well as losing death from illness cover, a percentage of the total claim is often required on top of the claim, although insurance is still often beneficial at this stage.

If you are a breeder, there are companies that with short term insurance policies, which will insure your animals in first few weeks after birth, and for the first few weeks in their new home. Many of these policies can be found online, or from specialist pet insurance companies..