Compare Pet Insurance

Compare pet insurance

	Provider	Dog	Cat	Online Discount	Max Vet Fees	Min Excess
	Sainsbury's 12 months cover for the price of 9 when you buy online. Minimum premium applies. Ends 8th July 2013.	Quote required	Quote required	12 months for the price of 9 for Nectar card holders	up to £7,500	£75 + 10% of claims cost	MORE INFO
	MORE THAN As a MORE THAN policyholder, you'll have access to your own Personal Customer Manager so every time you contact them, you'll get through to the same person!	Quote required	Quote required	15% off Premier Cover	up to £7,000	£50 + 10% of the treatment cost	MORE INFO
	John Lewis Insurance Long term cover for your pet.	Quote required	from £5	10%	up to £10,000	£60	MORE INFO
	Gocompare Search through 20 insurance companies to find the policy which best suits your needs with Gocompare.com.	Quote Required	Quote Required	Quote Required	Quote Required	Quote Required	MORE INFO
	The Co-operative Insurance 20% off for new customers when you buy online before 31/05/2013.	Quote required	Quote required	20%	up to £5,000	£75	MORE INFO
	Asda Up to 10% online discount as standard and up to 20% online discount when you cover 2 or more pets.	from £8	from £4	10%	up to £6,000	Quote required	MORE INFO
	M&S Save 15% when you buy online (new customers only). M&S Cardholders get 250 M&S points for new policies.	Quote required	Quote required	15%	up to £7,000	£50	MORE INFO
	Liverpool Victoria Liverpool Victoria now provides pet insurance for cats and dogs with two levels of cover.	From £6.71	From £4.31	10%	up to £5,000	£60	MORE INFO
	VetsMediCover Monthly or annual payments. Cover for dental treatment. One price irrespective of breed, postcode or age	from £28	£17	0%	up to £10,000	£95	MORE INFO
	Virgin Money Choose between 3 levels of affordable Pet Insurance and receive a 15% reduction if you insure more than one pet.	From £7.59	From £7.59	10%	up to £6,000	£70 cats / £80 dogs	MORE INFO
	Animal Friends Insurance Cat and dog cover from the ethical pet insurance provider. 10% multi-pet discount.	from £2.98	from £2.98	0%	up to £40,000	£69	MORE INFO
	Petplan Receive 10% off your first year's premium when you take out a new policy plus multi-pet discount.	Quote required	Quote required	10%	up to £12,000	Quote required	MORE INFO
	Direct Line 12 months' cover for the price of 10 plus your choice of gift (Offer ends 25th June 2013)	Quote Required	Quote Required	12 months for the price of 10	up to £6,000	£70 cats / £80 dogs	MORE INFO
	Churchill Churchill Pet Insurance offers two types of cover for availability and 20% discount if you purchase online.	Quote required	Quote required	20%	up to £3,000	£55 cats / £65 dogs	MORE INFO
	E & L Specialist Pet Insurance providers offer introductory 25% online discount and a further 10% for insuring more than one pet.	from £8.19	from £4.50	25%	up to £6,000	Quote required	MORE INFO
	Homebase FREE £20 Homebase gift card when you enter promo code 'CARD4' before 31/07/13 PLUS get up to 20% off when you insure 2 or more pets online.	£8.41	£3.85	up to 20%	up to £7,500	£75	MORE INFO
	helpucover Apply online and your quoted premium will include a 10% discount.	Quote required	Quote required	10%	up to £6,000	£40	MORE INFO
	The Green Insurance Company Choose to donate to environmental charities with your policy at no extra cost.	Quote required	£5.86	0%	up to £7,000	£60	MORE INFO

Pet insurance

Dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, budgies, snakes, hamsters, fish, ostriches… OK, well maybe not ostriches, but all of the other aforementioned enjoy a special place in the hearts of millions of us, as our much-loved pets.

The animal lovers among us see our pets as part of the family. But looking after them when they are not well can get very expensive. None of us would deny our pets the medical treatments they need but the sad truth is that many have no choice. The fees for consultations alone can be steep; the astronomical prices of regular medicinal prescriptions or operations can become simply unmanageable, running into the thousands per year.

Unfortunately, the NHS doesn't stretch to the winged, nor the four-legged. But you can avoid these fees - and some very difficult decisions - by taking out pet insurance. Cover is most commonly available for cats and dogs, but you can find policies for just about any of our furry friends, however exotic they might be.

To help you find the cheapest and best deal, Know Your Money has a range of the leading pet insurance products on the market here for you to compare.

Pet insurance is actually a lot like health insurance for people. The healthier your pet is, the cheaper your insurance policy will be. What's more, if your pet has certain medical conditions or is at an older age when you seek cover, you might find that you are unable secure a policy at all.

Therefore, we advise Know Your Money readers to take out insurance for their pets while they are young and healthy. If you wait until they develop a problem before you look for cover, you may pay a heavy price, and, without wanting to scaremonger, that price might unfortunately not be a financial one.

There are a few other things that you need to consider as you look to compare to make sure that you get not only the best insurance for your pet, but the cheapest too.

Firstly, look what you'll be covered for, including illnesses, accidents, vaccinations and dental work. Then consider the excess that you'll have to pay if you need to make a claim. Sometimes this will be a set figure, with other policies it might be a percentage of the total cost of the treatment. Thirdly, check out what the maximum amount is that you'll be able to claim for.

Then look at ways to bring the price down. If you pay annually, rather than monthly, you will often be able to negotiate a discount. Other providers might offer you a cheaper premium if you pay by direct debit because of the security in longevity that they perceive it offers them.

Finally, you might be able to get a cheaper deal by insuring two or more pets on the same policy. Whichever offer you opt for, make sure you are comfortable with the cover. You don't want to take any risks when it comes to a family member, whatever species they may be. If you want more information about pet insurance before you look to compare, check out Know Your Money's impartial and informative guide.

Important – Use of knowyourmoney.co.uk is subject to our Terms of Use