Pet insurance... Extra or necessity? (2024)

Is paying a premium to ensure Fido’s well-being a luxury or something we should all be doing

I am what you would call a dog lover - in fact, that might be an understatement. My two rescue dogs Dora and Jacko mean the absolute world to me, and it was only recently when little Jacko was ill that I realised I would pay thousands to save his life if I had to.

That’s the reality for pet owners for whom their dogs are a big part of their families, because life-saving treatments are expensive. Thankfully he was okay in the end, but it made me think — should I take out a pet insurance policy, just in case? And if so, where to begin?

Pet insurance is one of those things that seems like an extra, an added expense that’s not entirely necessary. Owning a dog is expensive, doubly so when you have two like me. Between food, jabs, grooming, toys and kennels, I’m sure many pet owners already feel that doggies don’t come cheap. So is it worth paying a monthly premium you might (touch wood) never need, when there are so many other bills that aren’t optional?

According to Pete Wedderburn (www.petethevet.com), it all depends on your relationship with your dog or cat. “As a vet I see people with quite a wide range of attitudes to their animals; some are more utilitarian than others. But I think if you see your pet as part of your family, then you should get them insured. Faced with a situation where your dog needs orthopaedic surgery for example, it might cost €1,500. The vet will go through the options of cutting corners. Putting a broken leg in a cast might seem like a cheaper way of doing things, but often it isn’t — it leads to more expenses in the long run.”

The fact is, most of us would pay whatever it took to make Fido better, and that might leave us in a very tricky situation. And as Pete points out, it’s not just illness or accident you’re insuring against, but bad doggy behaviour. “Besides vet’s fees, which is the most common reason people claim, you also have to think about third party liability, and what that might cost you if your dog destroyed property or bit a child.”

Pete says that uninsured dogs sometimes must be euthanised due to economic circ*mstances, and that while everything is done to prevent that happening, sometimes owners just don’t have the money to spare.

So if the consensus is that insuring your pooch is the way to go, what’s the best way to go about it — and to get a good deal? Pete says it’s really important to read the fine print, and to go for reputable insurance providers.

“Talk to your vet first and foremost, as they will know your dog and its needs,” he advises. “Then make sure you know exactly what’s included and what’s not, and what the excess is. Only certain policies offer lifetime cover, so it’s best to go for this now. That way if your dog gets a skin condition, it will be covered for its entire life if you continue to renew its policy.”

What you should know

* There are some dog breeds that certain insurers won’t protect at all, like Staffordshire Terriers and Pit Bulls. It’s not clear why, but perhaps something to do with a (largely unfounded) bad reputation, or their use as guard dogs.

* There are also certain breeds that are more costly to insure, like Rottweilers and Irish Wolfhounds. This is because they’re more expensive to treat.

* Check if you’re covered for alternative treatments, like acupuncture for your pet to relieve chronic pain. This is the kind of thing you might want to speak to a human being about, as opposed to buying your insurance online.

* Remember, cheapest doesn’t always mean best value. “Go for a company with a good track record,” says Pete.

* Insure your pet as soon as possible. “Once they have a problem, it’s too late to insure them against it,” says Pete. When you think that treating cancer in a dog can cost €10,000, it’s the safe thing to do.