Pet insurance bigger priority than health insurance for Brits
09 September 2010 / by Rachael Stiles
Unselfish pet owners would put the health of their four legged friends before their own, with more pets than people having insurance.
Research from Tesco has found that more pet-owning Brits have pet insurance in place than health insurance, with 46 per cent insuring their pet compared to 35 per cent who insure their own health.
Some devoted pet owners said that they would even cancel their own health insurance policy if they needed the money to pay vet bills, while others would give up gym memberships, nights out, or alcohol and cigarettes.
A third of pet owners said they would cancel their annual holiday if their pet become ill, so that they could afford to pay the vets bills, and a quarter are willing to get into debt in order to pay for treatment for their pet.
Of the pet owners asked, eight per cent said that they would have their pet put down if they were faced with an expensive vet bill, but Tesco pet insurance says this does not have to be the case if they have protection in place.
Julie Hopes, general insurance director at Tesco Bank, said “Ensuring that your pet has access to any veterinary treatment it may require, can provide peace of mind and it needn’t cost the earth. Pet insurance provides cover for a range of ailments and at Tesco, we don’t change the policy conditions just because your pet gets older.”
© Fair Investment Company Ltd
Apply online or compare Tesco pet insurance in the table below:
| Provider | Online Discount | Max Vet Fees Covered | Additional Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Aviva Pet Insurance |
10% | Up to £6,500 (platinum cover) | Vet fees for illness and injury. Third party liability – up to £1 million for dogs, Boarding kennel or cattery fees – up for £1,000 if you have to go into hospital for 48 hours or longer (Platinum cover only). Includes access to Pet Legal and Find a Vet helplines. | Get Quotes > |
 Bought By Many Pet Insurance |
15% multi-pet | Up to £15,000 | Rated 5 stars by over 4,000 customers. Choose from £3,000 to £15,000 vet fees cover/year. Zero excess available. Clear and simple policy document. UK based help teams. Easy claim process with no forms to fill. 15% multi-pet discount | Get Quotes > |
 Scratch & Patch Pet Insurance |
N/a | Up to £8,000 | 5 Star Defaqto insurance. Family approach to insurance for cats and dogs in a straightforward, easy to understand way. Multi-pet cover available without the need to have more than one policy. UK customer and claims service provides expert veterinary information and advice 24/7/365. Unlike many other pet insurers, no coinsurance or co-payment to add to your excess. | Get Quotes > |
 Pet Insurance » |
45% Intro Discount |
up to £4,000 | 45% Introductory Discount. With multi-pet cover you can mix and match Standard or Lifetime policies too – there’s even a 10% multi-pet discount when you insure more than one pet.Compare pet insurance plans online and discover which level of cover best suits your needs. We love pets and we love great value! | Get Quotes > |
 ASDA Pet Insurance |
Save up to £100 a year by switching to ASDA | Up to £7,500 | Great value Pet Insurance. 3 choices of Lifetime cover for vet’s fees up to £2,000, £4,000 and £7,500, reinstated annually and with ongoing conditions insured for life. Also 12 month Standard and Value cover availabale, and Accident Only. 24 hour vet helpline | Get Quotes > |
 John Lewis Pet Insurance |
20% | Up to £12,000 | Dog and Cat Cover – No upper age limit – Long term cover so you claim for conditions like arthritis. Vet fees paid directly – Cover for loss or theft – Vetfone is a 24 hour service offering expert advice and support about anything to do with your pets. | Get Quotes > |
 PDSA Pet Insurance |
10% | Up to £8,000 per year | Cover from £6.29 per month. 5* Defaqto Rated Pet Insurance. Buying Pet Insurance from PDSA means you’re supporting the UK’s leading veterinary charity. Pay monthly at no extra cost, we can pay your vet direct (subject to availability), access a range of pet helplines | Get Quotes > |
 Petplan Pet Insurance |
10% | Up to £14,000 per year | Dog, Cat and Rabbit Cover – Petplan offers genuine Covered for Life pet insurance. Multi-Pet Discount (£12 a year per pet)90% of claims settled within 5 days – | Get Quotes > |
 Debenhams Pet Insurance |
10% | £7,000 | Prices from £4.09 for cats and £7.58 for dogs. Three levels of cover to choose from. £1,000,000 third party liability cover for dogs. | Get Quotes > |
| Provider | Online Discount | Max Vet Fees Covered | Additional Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pet Insurance » |
45% Intro Discount |
up to £4,000 | 45% Introductory Discount on Dog Insurance. With multi-pet cover you can mix and match Standard or Lifetime policies too – there’s even a 10% multi-pet discount when you insure more than one pet.Compare pet insurance plans online and discover which level of cover best suits your needs. We love pets and we love great value! | Apply Now > |
John Lewis Pet Insurance |
20% | £7,000 | 5% discount for customers insuring more than one dog. Dog vet fees paid directly – Cover for loss or theft | Apply Now > |
 American Express Pet Insurance |
20% | Up to £6,000 per year | American Express offers three levels of dog insurance – get 20% off when you buy online plus get one month’s free premium per policy per year, when insuring two or more pets | Apply Now > |
Petplan Pet Insurance |
10% | Up to £12,000 per year | Petplan offers genuine Covered for Life dog insurance, get 10% off your first year’s premium today | Apply Now > |
| Provider | Online Discount | Max Vet Fees Covered | Additional Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pet Insurance » |
45% Intro Discount |
up to £4,000 | 45% Introductory Discount on Cat Insurance. With multi-pet cover you can mix and match Standard or Lifetime policies too – there’s even a 10% multi-pet discount when you insure more than one pet.Compare pet insurance plans online and discover which level of cover best suits your needs. We love pets and we love great value! | Apply Now > |
John Lewis Pet Insurance |
20% | £7,000 | 5% discount for customers insuring more than one pet. Cat vet fees paid directly. Cover for loss or theft. No maximum age limit. | Apply Now > |
Petplan Pet Insurance |
10% | Up to £12,000 per year | Petplan offers genuine Covered for Life cat insurance, get 10% off your first year’s premium today. | Apply Now > |
American Express Pet Insurance |
20% | Up to £6,000 per year | American Express offers three levels of cat insurance – get 20% off when you buy online plus get one month’s free premium per policy per year, when insuring two or more pets | Apply Now > |
| Provider | Online Discount | Max Vet Fees Covered | Additional Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Petplan Equine Insurance |
n/a | £5,000 | Petplan Equine offers genuine Covered for Life pet insurance. | Get Quotes > |
 Animal Friends Equine Insurance |
n/a | £6,000 | £250 or £500 excStandard Equine (aged 30 days to 20 years) – veterinary fees up to £2,000, £4,000 or £6,000 per condition for 365 days from the initial onset of a condition. Mature Equine (aged over 20 years) provide veterinary fees for accidental injury of up to £2000 per injury for 365 from the initial onset, subject to a £125 excess. Third party public liability insurance provides cover up to £2 million subject to the excess depending on your chosen policy. In addition, bolt on extras are available so that it can be tailored to suit your individual needs, including Death of Horse, Loss of Use, Loss by Theft or Straying, Tack cover, Trailer cover, and Personal Accident and Dental cover. Also, if you don’t own or loan your own horse, a range of Rider Only policies are available to provide you with Personal Accident and Public Liability cover. A range of policies from young rider, to premium covers are offered. These policies provide cover for Third Party Liability, Emergency Veterinary Fees, Personal Accident and Dental and more. | Get Quotes > |
| Provider | Online Discount | Max Vet Fees Covered | Additional Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Multi Pet Insurance » |
45% Intro Discount |
up to £4,000 | 45% Introductory Discount. With multi-pet cover you can mix and match Standard or Lifetime policies too – there’s even a 10% multi-pet discount when you insure more than one pet. Compare pet insurance plans online and discover which level of cover best suits your needs. We love pets and we love great value! | Get Quotes > |
American Express Multi Pet Insurance » |
20% | Up to £6,000 per year | Get 20% off when you buy online plus get one month’s free premium per policy per year, when insuring two or more pets. | Get Quotes > |
Petplan Multi Pet Insurance » |
10% | Up to £12,000 per year | Many people own more than one pet so that’s why Petplan gives you the option to add all your pets to your new pet insurance policy making it easier for you to manage. Further to that by adding more pets to the policy Petplan also give you a discount of £12 a year per pet. Petplan offers genuine Covered for Life pet insurance, get 10% off your first year’s premium today. | Get Quotes > |
| Provider | Online Discount | Max Vet Fees Covered | Additional Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
John Lewis Pet Insurance |
20% | £7,000 | Vet fees paid directly. Cover for loss or theft. No maximum age limit. 5% multi-pet discount. | Apply Now > |
 Direct Line Pet Insurance |
10% | £8,000 | 15% multipet discount if issued on the same policy. Discounts applied consecutively. | Apply Now > |
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