4 tips to buy puppy pet insurance

by admin February 01, 2010 in Insurance News

Finding the right dog for you and your family can be time consuming. There’s a lot to consider: breed, size, character, colour, budget… but when you finally find the right puppy, it’s now time you thought about getting it insured against expensive and unexpected vet bills.

I have heard a lot of horrific stories when it comes to puppy insurance, so I thought I’d put together 4 simple tips to help you protect your new friend safely.

1. Research pet insurance before you buy your puppy

As soon as you get your new dog, you want to be able to insure it straightaway. If you delay, then you run the risk of your pet developping a condition or suffering an accident without being insured. If that’s the case, then the conditon will be excluded from any future insurance policy you may get as it will be classed as pre-existing. Timing is very important, so make sure you do your research as early as possible.

2. Beware of the waiting period

Similarly, when you buy puppy insurance, a waiting period applies. This means that for the first 14 days of cover (sometimes up to 28 days!) you cannot claim for illnesses. Accidents are covered but not illnesses. So if you dog were to develop one, again it would be classed as pre-existing and excluded. This stresses the fact that you should get cover as soon as possible. Anything can happen during these first 14 days, so make sure you minimise the risk.

3. If you have a 4 or 6 week free cover, upgrade to a full policy at least 14 days before your free cover expires

This directly relates to the above. When you get a new puppy, you may be offered a 4 or 6 weeks free cover. At the end of it, you might want to change your pet insurance provider, especially if you can get a better quote.

When you switch pet insurance, another 14 day waiting period will apply to your new policy. You want to make sure that there’s no gap in protection between the free cover and your full policy so make sure you purchase your full cover at least 14 days before your free one is due to expire. That way, you’re covered for illnesses as soon as your free cover finishes.

4. Consider lifetime cover

There are 3 types of pet insurance available. 12-month, per condition and lifetime. If you’re looking for the most comprehensive type of cover, you may want to consider lifetime pet insurance.

It’s called ‘lifetime’ because medical conditions are covered ongoingly throughout the life of your pet, for as long as you remain with the same insurer. So if your new puppy develops an illness at age 1, for as long as you stay with the same provider, that illness will be covered year after year. Other types of insurance exclude conditions after 12 months or after your vet fees limit is reached. You can compare lifetime pet insurance here.

Do you have any more tips? Leave a comment or compare pet insurance for your puppy today.

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