Which is the best pet insurance in the UK?
September 28, 2009 by Frenchie
Filed under Pet Insurance Guide
Are you looking for the best pet insurance cover in the UK? Well, there’s no such thing as a single best policy because it all depends on your circumstances, what you’re looking for and your budget. However, in terms of cover and how comprehensive it can be, then Marks and Spencer is probably one of your best choice. Here’s why.
Lifelong/lifetime cover: ongoing conditions covered and no exclusions once you start claiming
Marks & Spencer is one of the best lifetime pet insurance providers. This is best demonstrated in the quality of their cover, starting with their lifelong type of policy:
• Lifelong cover only: with lifelong cover, you will get up to £6,000 in vet fees each and every year. Unlike per condition or time limited policies, there is no limit on the time or amount you can claim on a condition. Your vet fees yearly allowance of £7,000 is reset every year so you always have money available to treat your pet.
• No exclusions once you join: with time or financially limited policies, once you claim for 12 months or for a certain amount, then the condition you’re claiming for is excluded from the policy and no further claims can be made for this condition. Worse, if you were to go to another insurer, it would be excluded too as classed as pre-existing. With lifetime/lifelong cover from M&S, once you are with them, conditions will never be excluded for as long as you keep renewing your policy with them every year. Note that pre-existing conditions are still not insured though.
The widest range of treatments available to your pet
Not all insurers will give you and your vet the freedom to choose the most appropriate treatment strategy for your pet’s ailment. M&S does. See below all the treatments covered within vet fees with the cover option Premier.
• Behavioural treatment: this is very important especially for dogs. If yours were to suffer from anxiety or aggression for instance, you could be referred to a behavioural specialist and M&S would pay up to £250 per year towards it provided it is recommended by a vet.
• Complementary treatments: if usual veterinary care doesn’t manage to make your pet feel better, or if it’s not advised in some circumstances (for instance an older pet cannot always undergo surgery) then you and your vet could turn to complementary alternative therapies such as hydrotherapy, acupuncture, physiotherapy, osteopathy or chiropractic care… They provide a more natural, non-invasive approach to pet healthcare and really work.
• Clinical diet foods: sometimes the best way to treat an ongoing condition is to put your pet on a clinical diet. Conditions such as diabetes, kidney failure and urinary tract diseases in cats, and joint problems, arthritis, bladder stones, skin disease, liver disease and heart disease in dogs, are often best cured with the help of a special diet. In that respect, Marks and Spencer lifetime pet insurance would give you £200 towards the costs of such diet per year.
In pet insurance, you get what you pay for
Of course such a comprehensive cover doesn’t come cheap. If you’re looking for cheap pet insurance, this isn’t for you. Premiums are generally more expensive than other providers but when you choose a lifetime cover, then you know that you’re getting the best.
If you’re ready to give your cat or dog some of themost comprehensive cover out there, making sure that it will always receive the necessary care, then you’ll pay a bit more. Should your pet develop a chronic condition though, you’ll be grateful you made such an important investment.
To help ease your way into it though, Marks and Spencer will give you a 15% online discount in your first year of cover.

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