No, you don’t have to get pet insurance.

However, if you do not have pet insurance, if your pet needs medical attention or urgent care, you will need to pay out of pocket and upfront for those services.

Pet insurance can reduce the financial burden an emergency involving your pet can create.

As there is no Medicare equivalent for pets and vets, the diagnostic, medical and treatment services required to keep them healthy need to be paid for upfront.

Pet insurance is a great way to protect against unexpected veterinary bills. You will pay a pet insurance premium, this payment may be weekly, fortnightly, monthly or annually, and that will cover values towards different services that your pet may require.

Some insurance policies will cover 100% of claims made some will cover a portion – this is dependent on the service provider and the level of insurance cover you choose.

Vet bills do add up fast, so while you may not like the idea of paying for something you may not use for a while (or at all), the costs are usually significantly less than the cost of an emergency involving your pet.

Pet insurance takes the difficult decisions away if your pet needs urgent care. It is common that people have to make tough decisions between treating their pets and their financial stability. Pet emergencies are very common and pet insurance can give you that extra assurance along the way.

If you have questions about pet insurance, you can always discuss with our veterinary team today.

If you’re thinking about investing in pet insurance, there are some things you should be aware of when beginning your search for the right insurer.

• Think about what you actually need coverage for. There may be services or coverage that is for things that are not relevant to the kind of animal you have or the area that you live in.
• Not all insurance companies will cover pre-existing conditions for your pet. It can be especially difficult if you’re looking to insure an older pet, as many animals, like cats and dogs, age at a faster rate than humans and may develop health problems as they get older. Make sure you find insurance sooner rather than later.
• Some insurance companies may not provide coverage for older pets or for particular breeds or types of animals. Make sure you do your research.
• Like health insurance for humans, pet insurance also has different levels of cover. Some may cover basics, like general check ups and vaccinations, while others might offer emergency surgeries, and some might cover everything. You don’t necessarily need to have the most comprehensive cover, it’s a good idea to take into consideration what kind of pet you have, their current needs and if there are any conditions this breed of animal may be more susceptible to.
• Ensure you are fully aware of how much your insurance covers. Some insurance types may cover 100% of the services, some might cover some services fully and a percentage of others, some may have annual caps on particular services, and some may only cover a percentage the services. The amount they cover of services will likely be in line with the level of coverage you have selected. The more comprehensive your insurance policy, the higher percentage of the bill the insurance company will cover. It’s a good idea to get the best cover that you can comfortably afford.
• Be aware of the excess. An excess payment is the payment you need to make to make a claim. You can choose to have a higher excess, which means your insurance premium will be lower but if you need to make a claim you will be making a higher excess payment at the time. If you decide to have a lower excess, your initial insurance premium payment will be higher, but when you need to make a claim your excess required will be lower.
• Read the fine print. Most insurance policies will have exclusions, these could be related to certain animal types or certain services. Just make sure you understand what is and is not covered by your policy before signing up to one.