The big question is, if you were unlucky enough to be the owner of Hansel, a nervous German Shepherd, who, when being looked after by family friends, ran out into the road on a trip to the vet’s causing a motor accident and subsequent medical claim exceeding £40,000 , would your pet insurance policy avoid you having to stump up the bill?

In most pet insurance policies there is a third party liability cover that most certainly would have protected Hansel’s owner. In fact, the majority of popular pet insurance companies would protect for up to £1 million for third party accidents like this one. It is often a consideration that is overlooked by many pet owners. Whilst ordinary household insurance will be of value if a pet causes an accident on the owner’s premises, when the pet is away from the house the owner is completely liable for any damage that may be caused by the pet. And yes, pets can certainly do some considerable damage as the owners of ‘Sam’, who turned the family home into a fireball after chewing his way through an aerosol can, would no doubt testify.

It has been argued amongst rival insurance companies that some policies have people pay for cover they are never likely to need. It is for this reason that one must be prudent when deciding on the best policy to suit an individual pet. For instance, some policies are now offering to pay for homeopathic treatment of certain ailments. This may be of considerable interest to some owners whilst others will feel it an unnecessary feature if they have no intention to ever seek a homeopathic remedy for a pet’s illness.

The most common claims on pet insurance are for laceration, lameness, gastrointestinal problems and accidental swallowing of foreign objects. Most of the policies offered by the popular pet insurance providers will cover all of these misfortunes and usually a selection of the following:

* Medical Treatment For Accident Or Illness
* Advertising For A Missing Pet
* Fees For Boarding If Owner Is Hospitalised
* Cancellation Fees For Holiday’s Missed Due To Pet’s Illness
* Cover For Loss Of A Pet By Either Accidental Death, Theft Or Straying
* Cover For The Death Of A Young (below 13 usually) Animal Due To Illness
* Third Party Liability Insurance
* Pet Travel Cover To Countries Included In The Government’s Pet Travel Scheme
* More Specific Cover (Offered Bt Certain Policy’s)
* Homeopathic Treatment (Where justified and suitable)
* Pet Bereavement Counselling
* Legal Advice For Pet Related Issues
* Pet Care Advice By Qualified Experts
* Breed Advice
* Free Telephone Helplines
* Pet insurance, as with motor insurance, will only cover your pet for unforeseen or exceptional problems. Your policy would not cover things such as worming, vaccinations boosters, grooming etc.

When choosing the most suitable policy, always study the finer details such as:

* How Long The Policy Will Last For
* Is There An Age Limit For Cover To Remain Valid
* Will There Be A Large Excess Fee For Any Treatment
* Would Some Of The Policy’s More Intricate Features Be Of Benefit
* How Much Will The Policy Pay Out - (Be careful as some policy’s will only pay out a maximum per year which won’t be of much benefit if a pet requires a large amount of medical care in any one particular year.)
* Will The Premium’s Rise Each Year Or Are They Capped
* Is The Premium Based On Location Or Other Factors
* Will Certain Breeds Carry A Higher Premium