Breed Other than Pedigree
If you want to buy insurance for a dog that you haven’t yet adopted or bought, it is recommended to consider buying or adopting a crossbreed instead of a pedigree. An insurance policy for a pedigree can be costly as some of the breeds are more likely to develop a variety of hereditary conditions.
Make sure to check the conditions covered in the policy as not all insurance providers include the cost of treatment for various hereditary conditions typically suffered by pedigree pets. Also, the insurance premium might be higher for a pedigree pet as some insurance providers increase the premium due to the higher risk of pedigree pets being stolen.
Microchip Your Dog
Another way to cut down the cost of insurance premium is to opt for a higher excess but you should only opt for an amount you can afford to pay in case of a claim. When you go to gocompare.com and compare dog insurance, you will need to answer whether your pet is micro-chipped. Micro-chipping your pet isn’t expensive. In fact, a few animal shelters and charities offer it for free.
Insurers use a variety of factors for calculating the insurance quote and microchip is one of those factors as it shows that you are taking responsibility as a pet owner. It’s also easier to find a chipped animal in case it goes missing which should reduce the costs incurred by an insurer in case their policy includes a clause on lost pets. Different insurance providers place different weights on different factors when it comes to underwriting insurance policies but micro-chipping the pet should lead to some savings in premium. We recommend checking out a really comprehensive guide on dog microchipping on FluentWoof.com.
Wilson says that the pet insurance price will depend on a variety of factors including your location as well as breed and age of the pet. One way to bring down your premium cost is by micro-chipping the pet and making sure that their vaccinations are always up-to-date.
Opting for a Higher Excess
You can bring down the cost of insurance premium by opting for a bigger voluntary excess but it is important to ensure that you will be able to pay it in case you want to make a claim. Whether you will want a high or low deductible plan will depend on your personal situation and circumstances, and this is something worth considering at the outset. Learn more about pet insurance deductibles.
Things You Should Know
Vaccinations are taken into account by some insurers when they calculate premiums for pet policies.
Free veterinary care is offered by the PDSA for injured or sick animals in the UK.
Insuring an older pet costs more and therefore, you need to take care of them before you allow their insurance policy to lapse.
Checkout co-insurance
Co-insurance is related to excesses and this is something you should care about as it’s common in pet policies.
Simply put, co-insurance means that the animal owner is also responsible for a part of the remaining vet fees after deduction of the excess. It might seem bad on surface but it helps in making insurance more affordable, especially when it comes to older pets, and it might also help in increasing competition among different vet practices.
Vaccinations
You need to ensure that the vaccinations for your pet are always up-to-date. Don’t forget to collect the certificates from the vet for proof. It might bring down the cost of insurance premiums as this factor is also considered by some insurance companies. In case the pet isn’t vaccinated, it might make your insurance invalid or you won’t be covered any longer.
You can get an insurance quote without the vaccination but in case you have to make a claim for a particular condition that a routine vaccination could have prevented, you might find it difficult to get a payout from your insurer.
Pay Attention to Your Pet’s Health
Vaccinations are important but it’s also important to look after the health of your pet. Your pets should always get a lot of attention, love and exercise and pay special attention to their food. If you happen to be in Scotland, you can buy the best quality food from pet shops in Glasgow.
This will help in keeping them away from the vet which will mean you won’t be required to make a claim on the insurance policy which, in turn, will save you from paying any excess and it will bring down the cost of your insurance.
Multi-Pet Policies
In case you have a few animals or more than one pooch, you might be able to save money by insuring them together instead of insuring them separately. However, it does not mean that you shouldn’t shop around and compare the cost from different insurers as it is still possible to get an overall cheaper deal by getting them insured separately.
