Pets can be your pride and joy, so why wouldn’t you want to make sure they are properly looked after? Vets bills can be incredibly expensive and with an estimated 1 in 3 people needing an unexpected trip to the vet it’s wise to be prepared, making pet insurance a vital consideration.

By having pet insurance you can be sure that you won’t have to pay extortionate vets bills in the case of an emergency. With some procedures costing in excess of £1,000 that accident or unforeseen illness can put a serious dent in your pocket, so to avoid the risk of not being able to afford treatment it’s vital that you have adequate insurance in place.

You also need to consider the possibility of your pet going astray or even being stolen. Many insurance policies will be able to pay for advertising or reward money, while some offer cover for kennel bills in the event that you’re hospitalised and you could even get help towards legal bills if your animal were to cause an accident.

There are plenty of types of policy that you can go for as well, with every company being able to provide different things. Most will be able to offer you a choice of lifetime cover or limited cover, with there being a whole host of different levels available. You’ll always have to do your research, and always compare several quotes to make sure you’re getting the best.

A lot of people assume that pet insurance is only available for cats, dogs, rabbits and other more popular pets, but that’s certainly not the case. In fact, you’ll be able to find appropriate cover no matter what species you have, with exotic bird and reptile insurance being readily available. You may have to pay slightly higher premiums given the more expensive and specialised nature of such animals, but it’s a small price to pay.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that certain breeds of dogs and cats will also cost more to insure than your run-of-the-mill varieties, with many “select breeds” (often purebred) having more specific needs. You also need to remember that pre-existing conditions will be excluded from any policy no matter what pet you have, but you’ll still be protected against any future illness.

As you can see, pet insurance really is essential no matter what type of pet you own. It can give you valuable peace of mind so you can be sure that your pet’s best interests are being looked after, and you don’t have the worry of severe financial losses if anything were to happen to your beloved pet. Always make sure that you have the right policy in place, and that’s one less thing to worry about.