When bringing a new pet home, providing health care for your pet is just one of the expenses you need to be prepared for, just like food, toys and bedding. If your pet has an accident or develops a serious illness, you might need to find funds in a hurry in order for them to get the medical attention they require.Pet insurance can help provide some peace of mind that you’ll be in a better position to afford all the veterinary care your pet may need when unexpected or ongoing veterinary costs suddenly arise. In recent years there have been significant advancements in veterinary treatment options now available for your pet if they were to become unwell. At times you may feel that veterinary fees are costly compared to the same costs within the human health care industry, however, this occurs due to the fact that human health care in Australia is heavily subsidised by the government which unfortunately is not the case in the veterinary industry. Pet insurance is there to allow more animals access to these more advanced and specialised care options, which without insurance may have been cost prohibitive. In emergency situations or if your pet develops a medical issue which requires long term medication, costs can easily reach into the thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars.

All policies will have some exclusions, the most common being pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing conditions are health problems that your pet had prior to commencing your insurance policy. This is why insuring your pet as young as possible will decrease the chance of any pre-existing conditions being present. The age of your pet is also a limiting factor with some insurance policies not being able to cover your pet for the first time if they are above a specified age.

The cover provided by different products can vary considerably, ranging from accident-only policies to lifetime full cover policies that may also include routine care such as vaccinations and dental care. You should choose the type of product and the level of cover to meet your needs.