Taunton and South Somerset Living Oct - Nov 2021

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PET
Here Martin James gives some valuable advice
Though the UK has changed dramatically
in recent years, we still have national
obsessions that are quintessentially
British. A big chunk of the population
feel the pull of the open road, jumping
in a caravan or motorhome at every
opportunity. Others spend small fortunes
down at the garden centre or heading out
to hike in somewhere that’s green. But
above all else, as a nation we’re obsessed
with our pets.
Over lockdown, an astonishing 3.2 million
households purchased or adopted a pet
- and a huge and evolving industry has
grown up around them, from daycare to
specialist food providers. According to
the latest research that brings us up to 34
million pets in the UK, including 12 million
dogs, 12 million cats, 1 million rabbits and
600,000 hamsters!
This demand has led to spiralling prices
and a worry trend of pet theft - to such a
degree that the Government is considering
much tougher penalties for pet thieves.
And from the complaints I see, cost is
clearly a worry for many pet owners.
As people start to go back to the office,
there’s a huge demand for dog walkers
and pet daycare. Many people are starting
to report anxiety in their pets after the
months of unadulterated attention they’ve
experienced suddenly ending. Bet therapy
classes are apparently booming.
Which brings us to the most important
pet expenses you’ll encounter - pet
insurance and vet’s bills. Though many
more policies have come on to the market
in recent years, lots of people are put off
by high prices or confusing contracts.
Pet insurance varies considerably like all
insurance products but it makes sense to
buy the best one you can afford - but that
doesn’t always mean the most expensive.
The best policy you can buy is a ‘lifetime’
policy, which covers your pet for treatment
for life, though only for a set amount each
year. These are the priciest policies but
make the most sense for pet lovers. You
can also buy ‘maximum benefit’ policies
that will pay up to a set ‘cap’ for each
illness. Finally, there are ‘time limited’
policies which only cover your pet for a
set period (your standard 12 month policy)
and ‘accident only’ policies.
If you’re on a budget, an accident only
policy is worth considering. As the name
suggests, the policies will only cover you
for genuine accidents not illnesses. But
if money is tight, they can really help out
if your pet is injured. Take time to read
the policy though so understand what is
being defined as an accident – and get the
insurer to explain anything that isn’t clear.
Pet theft cover is a new type of insurance
and usually you have to purchase it
separately.
A lot of the people I speak to don’t want
to think about their pet getting ill, so
leaving aside some basic injections and
treatments, many people avoid speaking
to a vet until something bad happens. I’d
really encourage anyone with a pet to get
to know their vet. The security of knowing
that the surgery is there, its opening hours
and where to go if you need emergency
treatment is priceless – though I hope you
never need to use it.
Speak to your vet before signing up to
see if their fees are likely to be covered.
There’s quite a lot of variation with vet’s
fees - and if yours is pricey, check with
the insurer how much they’d be willing to
cover.
And finally, if you need to make a claim,
speak to the insurer and tell them
about the costs asap. Some vets may
recommend ‘experimental’ treatments
that aren’t recognised and might not
be covered. I’ve seen dogs sent for
hydrotherapy treatments that turned out to
be frolicking in a paddling pool in a shed –
for hundreds of pounds. So make sure you
look into what every treatment involves
and how it helps the underlying medical
condition.
Martin is head of Media at Resolver
Resolver can help you sort out complaints
including pets, vets and every pet service
you can imagine. Check out www.resolver.
co.uk
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