Pet Insurance : What's not covered

The exact details of what your policy covers will naturally vary from product to product, but in general most pet insurance policies will exclude the following:

• Routine care for your pet, such as grooming, flea control, teeth cleaning, and standard vetinary examinations.
• Vaccinations - these are considered to be optional for insurance purposes, and so will not usually be included in your cover, no matter how important they are to your pet;s health.
• Bills under the 'excess' amount. With most policies, you have to pay a certain amount towards any treatment, and any bills for less than this amount can't be claimed back on your insurance.
• Existing conditions - if your pet already had a known condition when you took out the policy, you won't be able to claim for any expenses arising from it.
• Long term treatments. This is one area that can vary quite widely. With some policies, only the first twelve months of any condition can be claimed for, meaning lifelong treatment for a condition such as arthritis may not be covered.

These exclusions are of course only a guide, and you should read the small print of your policy before signing on the dotted line. And, as with all kinds of insurance, it's best to assume that unless something is specifically included, it's probably excluded!