The important thing to remember with pet insurance, is that animals are living things - they are not cars or household items. They are all individual, they are unpredictable and just because they're 'new and shiny' doesn't mean they can't 'break' or 'go wrong'.
Now that we've cleared that up, it's important to note that pet insurance will only protect you BEFORE a problem occurs. Any insurance policy taken out after a problem is detected, may come with exclusions because of pre-existing conditions; therefore, it's important to take out pet insurance before any problems are noted.
So how do you avoid these exclusions?
It's simple, as soon as you get home from collecting your new pet go online or call around and take out an insurance policy. You could even be prepared and do your research before you pick them up, that way you know exactly what policy is right for you and your pet.
Start early and get it right from the start
Pet insurance is very different to car and home insurance; we're used to changing our car insurance regularly to get the best deals and lowest prices. With pet insurance we've already mentioned pre-existing conditions, so this has a major impact on when and how we change our policies.
The best approach is to get the best cover you can afford and to start with the best you can find, this way you know you can rely on it when/if you need it... because once it's needed, it's too late to change!
Can you insure an older pet?
The simple answer is yes!
If your pet has been fit and well throughout it's life, you may find taking out insurance is fairly straight forward and you may be lucky enough to avoid any exclusions.
If your pet has had health problems in the past, it will most likely still be worth taking out insurance. Your policy may come with some exclusions but any new problems diagnosed after you take out the policy, should be covered.
Some insurance companies even offer cover for senior pets, although these will likely have more exclusions and higher premiums to cover the expected higher veterinary fee costs for an older animal.
Brentknoll Veterinary Centre, helping you understand Pet Insurance
