Pet insurance: coverage and costs

Dog and cat insurance is one of the pet insurance options. This form of insurance covers veterinary expenses if your pet becomes ill or has an accident.

Many insurance companies offer pet insurance policies, but coverage varies from company to company. Here is the coverage offered by a pet insurance policy:

• Veterinary Insurance: Covers the care and treatment for pet illnesses and injuries. Surgical coverage: Includes surgery and anesthesia for pets.

• Blood Test Coverage: Covers your pet’s blood test.

• Scope of Anesthesia: Covers anesthesia for pet surgery.

• X-ray coverage: X-ray coverage for your pet.

• Alternative Treatment Coverage: Many pet insurance policies also cover alternative treatments, such as acupuncture.

How to choose insurance for your dog or cat

The first step in choosing insurance for your pet is to do an internet search and seek advice from your veterinarian. Insurance companies offer different policies and you need to choose the one that best suits your needs. Once the policy coverage is determined, the premiums are determined and are paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. Once the insurance is activated, it is possible to obtain reimbursement, for example, if the animal causes damage or injury or requires urgent veterinary treatment. Other ancillary guarantees may be the sharing of expenses incurred in the event of loss, compensation for travel changes and holidays due to the animal’s needs, requests for pet sitting services or professional home care for health reasons. Some policies provide additional services for dog and cat owners during the holidays, such as telephone veterinary assistance and advice, referral to specialized centers and clinics closest to the holiday destination and reimbursement of any costs incurred for tests and animal care.

It may also include home delivery of necessary medications and reimbursement of additional accommodation costs if the owner extends the stay due to the pet’s health condition.

Likewise, it is possible to obtain assistance, support from affiliates and specialized services to help care for animals in the most difficult moments. The cost of premiums depends on several factors, including the breed, age and type of pet, and rates can vary for dog, cat or other pet insurance. It is also important that the policy is taken out by the right person. The insured must be the same as the owner of the animal registered in the reference registry. For example, if a household has two pets, each owned by a different person, two separate policies will need to be issued for the two different policyholders.

Another point of concern is the microchip. In fact, purchasing insurance is essential for both dogs and cats.

Finally, for all insurances, animals must have a health card with compulsory vaccinations.

Take a close look at the policy coverage and read all the terms of the policy carefully so that you have a complete understanding of what the insurance covers. Dog insurance is mandatory in some very specific circumstances and does not cover any particular breed. However, due to some legislative changes in recent years, there is still a lot of confusion about it.

Until 2009, in fact, there was no registration of dangerous dog breeds, the specimens of which were subject to insurance obligations. However, that list was later dropped because lawmakers rightly ruled that the owner was responsible for his dog’s behavior, which cannot be determined solely by breed.

However, despite this, dog insurance is mandatory in the case of specimens reported by the vet. If a dog is responsible for aggressive and generally violent behavior, it is entered in a register of dogs declared at high risk of aggression, for which a civil liability policy for damages to third parties must be set up.

Either way, pet insurance can help protect you against unexpected losses to your pet’s health. If you decide to insure your dog or cat, it’s important to choose the best policy and check the costs and coverage of the policy to ensure you get the best value for money.