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What is Pet Insurance? Pet Insurance is very similar to human health insurance which offers a range of programs tailored to suit the needs of domestic pets. While pet insurance remains a relatively underdeveloped product in North America, with less than 1% of all pets being insured, European levels of insured pets range from 12% to 50%. QuickCare Pet Insurance: QuickCare offers accident and illness coverage for your dog or cat and financial protection for you! Your pet is a part of your family, prepare for the unexpected. At QuickCare, we're committed to eliminating the financial stress associated with your dog's or cat's healthcare needs through a selection of affordable easy to understand pet insurance programs.  Why do I need Pet Insurance? Advances in the field of animal medicine have been exponential in past decades allowing veterinarians to successfully treat conditions that were previously considered untreatable. However with these advances comes an escalating cost of veterinary care. It is estimated that North American pet guardians now spend over $10 billion a year on healthcare for their pets. Consider these facts: One in three pets will need emergency veterinary treatment every year. Two out of every three pets experience a significant health problem during their lifetime.

Generally, pet medical insurance is taken out for unforeseen and unavoidable events in much the same way that you would take out car insurance to repair your vehicle if you have an accident.   As with all insurance policies, no insurance plan covers everything, so we hope that this general A-Z guide will answer some of your questions about pet care insurance.   A - Age:  Pet care insurance policies will have some restrictions on the age of the pets they cover. Most will only cover a pet once it is six to eight weeks old, as this is generally the youngest age that a puppy / kitten should leave its mother. Older pets, however, face far more restrictions. The majority of pet medical insurance companies will stop offering cover to new customers once their dog is eight years old and this can be as low as five years old for certain breeds.  B - Breeding:  Most policies do not cover breeding or breeding related conditions that arise as a result of pregnancy or whelping / kittening. C - Complementary / alternative therapies:  Some pet care insurance policies will provide limited cover for alternative therapies, such as homoeopathic or herbal medicine, acupuncture, physiotherapy or hydrotherapy.  Others provide no cover at all.  If you feel that this is an important benefit then be careful to read the small print of policies. D - Diet food: Pet medical insurance policies may have restrictions on cover for clinical (or prescription) diet foods, prescribed by your veterinary surgeon.  Some will not cover such diets at all, while others limit the time that you are able to claim, or the type of diet that is covered.  Usually policies do not pay for the cost of a clinical diet that is only prescribed to help your pet lose weight.  If clinical diets are covered then a proportion of the cost of the food will be paid, allowing for the 'usual feeding costs' for your pet.  Payment of clinical diets is an important benefit to consider when choosing a policy.

E - Exclusions:  These are the restrictions to your cover.  No insurance policy will be able to cover you for everything, so you will need to make sure you are fully aware of what you can, and cannot claim for.  Some exclusion clauses may be specific to your pet and these will be listed on your Insurance Certificate, if applicable. F - Flea control:  General routine healthcare, like flea control, worming tablets, spaying/castration and grooming/de-matting are not normally covered by pet insurance.  This is because they are not unexpected costs in relation to the proper care and attention of a pet. G - Good health: Your pet should be in sound health when you apply to take out cover.  If your pet has had any illness or injury when you apply for cover you must ensure you disclose this to the insurer.  Usually they can still provide cover for your pet but not for that particular illness or injury. H - Hereditary / congenital:  Pet care insurance policies vary greatly regarding cover for hereditary (disorders passed on from parent to off-spring) and congenital (conditions that are present at birth) problems, for example heart disorders, hip dysplasia. Hereditary and congenital disorders are likely to be first noticed when the pet is young and therefore it is important to purchase cover for your pet as soon as you acquire it, especially if the plan includes cover for this type of disorder.

I - Injuries:  These can vary from thorns in paws to road traffic accidents.  The associated treatment costs involved can be as distressing as the accident itself.  The cost for a road traffic accident can be extremely expensive, running into thousands of pounds in some cases and even minor injuries can require several visits to the vet. J - Jargon:  Don't be put off by insurance 'jargon'; if you have a question about any of the terms and conditions of a plan, then telephone for clarification.  You may feel that pet medical insurance is unnecessary.  It is possible with any insurance policy, whether for car, home, travel or pet that you could go for years without having to make a claim.  However, in fact one in three pets require veterinary attention every year and insurance provides the reassurance that should your pet need to have emergency surgery or require treatment, you will have the funds to cover the cost. K - Kennelling:  Insurance policies do not generally cover the costs of kennelling, but they will cover the cost of hospitalisation at the veterinary practice as part of the course of treatment.  However, some policies provide cover for kennel / cattery fees or for the cost of a pet sitter if you are ill or injured and have to go into hospital. L - Liability:  If your dog injures someone or damages his or her property, the policy might pay compensation that you become legally liable to pay.  You could for example become liable to pay if your dog causes a road accident, accidentally knocks into someone in the park and injures them, escapes onto someone's property and causes damage, or injures livestock on a farm.

M - Maximum benefits:  These tell you the maximum amount you are covered up to on your policy.  Some companies will limit you to an amount per year.  Some will limit you to an amount per condition. N - Neutering and spaying:  This is regarded as an 'elective' treatment and is not covered by most insurance policies. O - On-going conditions:  Unlike injuries, on-going conditions (for example heart problems, epilepsy, skin conditions, diabetes or arthritis) require treatment over many years rather than two or three consultations.  As over 50% of claims are for on-going conditions it is important to make sure that your policy will provide cover for these conditions year after year. P - Pre-existing:  All pet care insurance policies will exclude illnesses, conditions and accidents that occur before you take out the policy.  This also applies to illnesses or conditions, which show signs or symptoms before the cover is taken out and then are fully diagnosed at a later date.

Q - Quick claims settlement:  If you need to make a claim, request a claim form and give this to your veterinary surgeon to complete and confirm the treatment your pet has received. Return this form with the relevant documentation, as required. R - Rescue:  If you adopt a pet from a rescue centre then you can still benefit from having pet insurance, the pet does not have to be a pedigree. S - Specialists:  If your usual veterinary surgeon is unable to treat your pet, you may need to visit a specialist.  These visits can be very expensive and most policies will cover the cost of these fees. T - Teeth:   Cover varies on pet medical insurance policies for teeth and dental treatment.  Generally, cosmetic and preventative dentistry is not covered. Be careful to look at the small print of a policy if you would like dental attention to be included.

U - Underwriters:  These are the companies who fund the claims for pet care insurance and can analyse patterns and trends in veterinary treatment fees for different types of pet as a result. V - Vaccinations:  It is a condition of most pet policies that your pet should be fully vaccinated, as recommended by your veterinary surgeon.  As this forms part of the general healthcare and upkeep of your pet, your policy will not normally cover the cost of these injections. W - Waiting period:  Most companies will have a 'Waiting Period' which starts from the issue date of the policy. You will not be covered for any illnesses that start or reoccur during this period.  Injuries are however usually covered immediately from the issue date.

X - Rays:  Modern veterinary medicine relies upon X-rays as one of its tools to diagnose conditions and your pet medical insurance will cover this diagnostic treatment, along with other diagnostic tests such as blood tests or ultrasound scans. Y - Yearly and monthly options:   Some policies offer an annual contract of insurance.  Should it be necessary to make a claim, then the full annual premium will be due, even if you have opted for a monthly payment option.  Other policies are a true monthly plan with no long-term commitment and no penalties for cancellation. Z - While nobody likes to read the small print, the terms and conditions of your policy define in detail what is and is not covered by your insurance  It is really important for you to use this time to read the full wordings to make sure that the insurance is the right policy for you.