Common exclusions in pet insurance

Usually, the following things aren’t covered by pet insurance.

Pre-existing conditions

In most cases, insurers don’t cover illness or injury that your pet had or showed signs of having before the start of the policy. This is termed a pre-existing condition and can include any illness or injury. An illness could also be considered pre-existing if it results from or is closely related to a condition your pet already has.

For example, if your pet had an ear infection when you took out the policy, your insurance likely won’t cover treatment for any infection in either ear going forward.

Routine and preventative treatments

Pet insurance is in place to help with unexpected vet bills after an illness or injury. It doesn’t cover the cost of routine treatments or preventative care, including:

• Spaying
• Castration
• Flea, worm and tick treatments
• Grooming
• Claw clipping
  
  
  

Hereditary and breed-specific exclusions

Some breeds of dogs and cats are genetically predisposed to certain medical conditions. Sometimes these conditions are excluded by insurers for certain breeds. This could be degenerative myelopathy for German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers, for example.

Age-related exclusions

Just like humans, as pets get older, they are more likely to need medical treatment. Most insurers view pets of 8 or 9 years as older pets. The cost of your insurance will either go up to cover your older pet, or some insurers will stop providing cover once they reach a certain age. This depends on the insurer, but maximum age limits can be from 7 years and above.

Many pet insurers have a minimum age too and often won’t insure pets younger than four weeks.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations usually fall under the routine and preventative treatment exclusion list, meaning most pet insurance policies won’t cover these costs.

Even though this isn’t covered by insurance, it’s important to ensure you keep your pet’s vaccinations up to date. If you don’t and they get a condition that could have been prevented by the vaccination, treatment for this condition may not be covered by your insurance.

Pregnancy and birth

If you want to breed your female pet or don’t want to get them spayed, make sure you check whether treatments related to pregnancy are included in your insurance policy. Most insurers won’t provide cover for pregnancy and giving birth, and likely won’t cover injuries, illnesses, hospital visits or deaths associated with a pregnancy.

Waiting period

Most pet insurance policies have waiting periods before you can make a claim. This will depend on the individual insurer and your chosen policy. In most cases, it is between 10 and 15 days for illness claims and 24 hours for injury claims.

Dental treatment

Pet insurance policies usually don’t cover routine dental check-ups and treatment. If your pet must have a number of teeth out for example, your vet bills can become quite expensive. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to be covered, and you’ll need to pay out of your own pocket.

You may be able to claim for dental treatment that’s the result of an accident or injury, such as root canal surgery after an accident.

Behavioural issues

Behavioural issues like anxiety, aggression and compulsive behaviours are sometimes considered to be outside the scope of standard veterinary care and excluded from pet insurance. This depends on your insurer, so check the details of your policy.

Limitations to look for in policy small print

Lifetime pet insurance is the most comprehensive pet insurance policy. It ensures you can claim for a condition for your pet’s life. It will cover you for vet fees up to a certain amount every year, so long as you renew your policy for the same amount annually.

Often there are internal limits within the policy, however. This means that the insurance will only pay out a maximum amount each year towards certain conditions or treatments. These inner limits then reset back up to the full amount when you renew your policy each year.

Usually, the following treatments will likely have inner limits:

• CT and MRI scans
• Cruciate ligament
• Behavioural sessions
• Complementary therapy
• Dental illness
• Prescribed diet food
  
  

Always check your policy wording to understand if there are inner limits within your insurance cover.

Coverage caps and limits

At Asda Money, our Lifetime policies have inner limits covering the following amounts:

The impact of exclusions on pet healthcare costs

Although pet insurance can help cover the costs of unexpected vet bills, there are some fees it won’t help with, such as routine dental treatment and vaccinations.

If you are concerned about covering any fees that are not covered by your insurance, consider speaking to your vet. Some practices offer monthly payment plans to help spread out the cost of routine vet treatments.

How to choose the right pet insurance plan

It’s important to choose the right pet insurance policy for you and your pet. You may want to consider:

Time limits on the policy

Depending on the policy you choose, there may be time limits on how long you can claim for a condition. With a time-limited policy for example, there is usually a 12-month limit for making claims.

This means if your pet suffers from an illness and you make a claim for their treatment, your insurer will pay for it for 12 months up to a certain amount. Once this 12-month period is up, the insurer will stop paying and you won’t be able to claim for this condition again.

With a lifetime policy, you can claim for a condition for your pet’s entire life. You’ll be covered for vet fees up to a certain amount each year. All you need to do is renew your policy for the same amount annually.

Their age

It might be more expensive to insure an older pet, and you’ll need to look for an insurer that doesn’t exclude them due to their age.

Questions to ask before purchasing pet insurance

Before you purchase pet insurance, make sure you ask yourself:

• Are there any breed exclusions or limitations?
  
  
• What is the time limit to claim for certain illnesses or injuries?
  
  
• What are the maximum amounts you can claim for different treatments?
  
  
• Are there inner limits as part of the policy?
  
  
• What are the waiting periods before coverage starts?
  
  
• What is the process for pre-existing conditions?

How do I protect my pet and how can Asda Money help?

With the right pet insurance policy in place, you’ll be covered for unexpected vet expenses and will have the peace of mind that your pet will be covered should anything happen.

At Asda Money, we work with a trusted insurance administrator and provide a range of pet insurance policies to meet your needs. Compare our different cover types to find the right cover for your pet.

Our helpful jargon buster should help you understand any pet insurance terms you’ve not seen before. You’ll also find plenty of FAQs to help answer any questions you may have.