Such is the love that the UK population has for its pets that they actually have more pet insurance policies than health cover for themselves according to a new Tesco Finance study.
23 percent of pets in the UK had pet insurance cover bought for them last year said Tesco Finance, compared with just over 12 percent of people buying health cover. This means that nearly twice as many pets are covered than people and puts the UK in at number two in the table for the best pet care.
To further appeal to pet owners Tesco Finance pet insurance is being discounted by 20 percent for online purchases, with another 5 percent discount if more than one animal is covered.
Churchill Insurance are asking all pet owners to make sure they have suitable pet insurance in place to ensure the animal can receive the best care should it be needed.
As a Churchill Insurance spokesman pointed out, the cost of the premium will be insignificant compared with the cost of a vet bill, never mind the emotional costs if there is no pet insurance in place and the vet then proves too expensive. Even though all pet owners think their own animal will remain healthy the fact is that a third of pet owners claim on their insurance each year, pretty much all of whom would never have thought they would need to.
With the cost of veterinary treatment going up by about 12 percent each year it is imperative that pet insurance is in place continued the Churchill Insurance spokesman.
Following on from a programme on the BBC that showed the issues facing some pedigree dogs More Than Insurance is advising all pet owners to understand the specific needs of their dog so they can make sure they can receive the best veterinary care.
More Than Insurance would like all pet owners to check their existing pet insurance policies, or consider buying one if they do not have one already, so that their pet will be covered for the main ailments it can suffer from.
The BBC programme showed how dogs have been changed through breeding and the problems this has caused. The problems are many and varied so More Than Insurance urge owners to do the best for their pet and get proper pet insurance in place.