Supervet Professor Noel Fitzpatrick on why cheap pet insurance can cost you more in the long run

When it comes to car and home insurance, you can switch policies relatively easily. Pet insurance is different. When you try and switch pet insurers, you’ll be asked whether your pet has a pre-existing condition. Any claim you have made under your old policy for an illness or injury is likely to be classified as a pre-existing condition. As such, you will not usually be able to get covered for it under a new policy.

This means it’s important that you do your homework and get the pet insurance, but it's crucial to make sure you have the right pet insurance policy from the start. Always make sure you check the details of your cover carefully. Are there are any additional limits within the Veterinary Fees cover? Are there any restrictions on cover for diagnostic tools or any specific conditions? And will you pay more in subsequent premiums if you make a claim? These are the questions to ask before you agree to buy a policy.

I always advise families to think about the policy they are buying in terms of its value over many years rather than looking for a short-term ‘deal’. Yes, cheap policies exist. But it’s not uncommon for these premiums to increase dramatically when a family makes a claim. Furthermore, because it’s hard to switch, people can become trapped in the policy – so what seemed like cheap insurance in the beginning becomes more expensive in the long run.

Asking the right questions to compare the veterinary care the policy covers is the key to making sure your pet is able to access the best long-term veterinary care – and you are protected from being trapped in a policy that charges you more if you claim.