Dog and cat insurance: reimbursement of veterinary costs

The different veterinary costs to pay when you have an animal

The choice to adopt a pet entails certain expenses to preserve its health. The amount of fees can quickly represent a significant budget. We invite you to take stock of the different health costs for your pet.

Preventive care to protect your animal

Administering a dewormer is recommended to prevent parasites in your animal's digestive system. It helps to avoid:

• growth delays;
• digestive disorders (bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.);
• skin conditions…

Count around ten euros for 2 tablets. The recommendations are 2 to 6 tablets per year, depending on whether the animal goes outdoors or not.

Vaccines make prevention costs to be expected for your animal. They protect it from serious illnesses such as:

• rage;
• distemper;
• parvovirus;
• kennel cough…

You should vaccinate your dog from a very young age. The first vaccination is given at the age of 6 to 8 weeks and its compulsory booster is annual, throughout the life of the animal. The average price is between 50 and 80 euros per year.

• Periodic visits to the veterinarian

To detect and prevent the appearance of pathologies, regular consultation with a veterinarian is necessary. We ideally advise you to make an appointment at least twice a year. This consultation is an opportunity to monitor the state of health of your companion, but also to detect any dysfunction likely to harm his health. A periodic visit with a veterinarian costs between 30 and 50 euros.

>> CLICK HERE TO COMPARE ANIMAL INSURANCE <<

Veterinary costs for an accident or illness

Your pet's health may require a visit to the veterinarian, apart from check-ups for vaccinations. Those are additional fees to add to your budget for your companion. He can be a victim:

• of an accident;
• a fight with other animals;
• an allergy;
• intoxication;
• poisoning;
• or quite simply an illness (cardiac, respiratory or digestive problems, etc.).

In addition to the cost of the visit to the veterinarian (between 30 and 50 euros), you will have to pay the specific treatments, additional examinations (ultrasound, etc.), hospitalization or surgery. The bill can quickly climb and exceed 1,000 euros.

Reasons to take out insurance for your pet

Pets, whether a dog, cat or NAC (hamster, dwarf rabbit, chinchilla, ferret, guinea pig, reptile, parrot, etc.), can be sick or accident victims. Apart from current medical expenses (annual vaccination, sterilization, etc.), the costs incurred at the veterinarian are, most of the time, unforeseen. To preserve your budget and be able to cover the costs of caring for your pet, pet insurance is essential. It ensures a taking charge of your expensesallowing you to cover part of the costs incurred, according to the insurance formula taken out. Clearly, mutual health insurance for animals works in the same way as complementary health insurance for humans. The only difference lies in the absence of Social Security for dogs, cats and other rodents.

Veterinary insurance: how much does it cost?

For a cat, you will find mutual insurance companies whose price is between €5 and €15 per month. For a dog, it will cost €7 to €20 for traditional guarantees. Most insurers specializing in animal insurance offer reductions from the second insured animal.

>> CLICK HERE TO COMPARE ANIMAL INSURANCE <<

Anyway, the price of animal health insurance is consecutive to a certain number of elements such as:

• the type of animal and the breed (some animals are more fragile and encounter more health problems. This increases the amount of your animal insurance premium);
• the age of your pet at the time of taking out the insurance;
• the level of guarantees taken out.

Do you need to consult a veterinarian and have you taken out insurance for your dog, cat or ferret? Getting a refund is very simple. All you need to do is send the care sheet given by your veterinarian to your insurance company, as well as the paid invoice.. You can do this by mail or, if your insurer offers it, via your online customer area. You will quickly receive a refund.

Depending on the coverage offer chosen, you will be more or less reimbursed. Most of mutual insurance companies for animals offer 3 ranges of health cover for the health expenses of your four-legged companion:

• The “economic” formula offers an annual reimbursement ceiling of 1,000 to 1,200 euros. It covers 50% to 70% of the cost of veterinary care. It generally only reimburses veterinary costs linked to accidents.
• The “median” formula has a higher annual ceiling, of 70 to 85% of the costs incurred and up to 1,500 euros per year. It covers accident and illness costs under certain conditions.
• The “premium” formula offers the best guarantees. Veterinary costs can be reimbursed 100%. The average annual reimbursement ceiling is 2,200 euros. You can choose to add additional guarantees (prevention package, civil liability, death guarantee, etc.). Premium guarantees cover the costs of vaccinations, prevention products (anti-flea, anti-tick, deworming), surgical procedures (sterilization, etc.), x-rays, ultrasounds, analyzes and even euthanasia.

Moreover, some costs are not covered. For example, if your pet contracts rabies due to a lack of vaccination, the insurance will refuse to reimburse you. The same goes for costs linked to poor treatment.

Things to watch out for before taking out pet insurance

Don't buy the first dog or cat insurance you find. Not all pet insurance is created equal. Remember to study the level of guarantees, the first essential point for choosing the best insurance for cats or dogs, but also:

• the deductible: insurance companies set deductibles, these sums which remain your responsibility after reimbursement. Please note that some insurers do not impose a deductible;
• the reimbursement ceiling: coverage of costs is not complete. Depending on the dog/cat health insurance company chosen, reimbursement ceilings are set. Be sure to find insurance capable of offering you high ceilings and above all adapted to the veterinary expenses that you are likely to incur for your dog or feline;
• the waiting period: just because you take out your pet insurance does not mean that your expenses in a veterinary clinic are covered. Your insurer may impose a waiting period on you depending on the cause of the treatment. It is generally quite short for an accident. However, it will be longer for an illness and for a surgical procedure.

Compare animal insurance to find the best insurance

You should carefully consult the terms of the contract in order to find out about reimbursement levels, the care covered and the possible waiting period. These elements can easily be compared using a animal mutual insurance comparator.

>> CLICK HERE TO COMPARE ANIMAL INSURANCE <<

THE animal health insurance comparator is an essential online tool for find the best guarantees. It is free and without obligation, fill out a short form and obtain the prices of the different insurance companies specialized or not in health coverage for animals.

Remember that insurers are completely free to set their insurance formulas for veterinary expenses and their prices. This simply means that with equivalent guarantees, it is possible to find cheaper insurance. Save money while allowing your pet to be perfectly cared forthe promise is beautiful.