Pet insurance for pre-existing conditions

All pet insurance providers have their own definition of ‘pre-existing conditions’. But most define it as one of the following:

• A condition that your pet suffered from or showed symptoms of before taking out a policy
• A condition that is the result of an injury or illness your pet had before taking out a policy
• A condition that results in the same diagnosis of a condition that your pet suffered from before taking out a policy

To avoid confusion, you should read your policy documents carefully and find out how your insurer defines pre-existing conditions.

Yes. When you shop around for pet insurance quotes, you will be asked questions about your pet’s health. At this point, you will need to list any existing health conditions that your pet suffers from. If you opt for a standard pet insurance policy, any condition that you listed will be exempt from cover and you won’t be able to make a claim.

When it comes to making a pet insurance claim, your insurer will ask you to provide them with your pet’s past medical records. So, if you fail to declare the condition as pre-existing, they will find out and they will reject your claim. They might even cancel your cover, which could mean that your premiums significantly increase if you take out a policy again in the future.

Pet insurance isn’t a legal requirement, but if your pet already has a pre-existing condition, you’ll probably be all too aware of how much vet fees cost. The best way to financially protect yourself from the rising cost of vet fees is to take out a pet insurance policy with an adequate level of cover.

If your pet suffers from a pre-existing condition, you have two options when it comes to pet insurance. You can either take out a standard policy but have your pet’s existing condition excluded from cover, or you can take out a specialist pre-existing condition policy that allows you to claim for your pet’s pre-existing condition. A specialist policy is going to be the more expensive option, so you should consider whether it’s worth it by working out how much you spend on vet fees for your pet’s condition each year. If the condition isn’t costing you a lot of money each year, you might be better off with a standard policy. But if you find that you’re spending a fortune on vet fees, you’ll probably benefit from a specialist policy despite the higher price tag.

It can be difficult to find insurers that offer pet insurance for existing conditions. For this reason, it’s best that you insure your pet when they’re young and healthy to ensure that they’ll be covered for any health problems that they experience later in life.

The best way to find pre-existing pet insurance is to shop around for providers, comparing policies and prices as you go. You could also try ringing up providers to see if they’ll consider covering your pet’s condition and if they can’t help, they might be able to recommend you to a provider who can. You could also ask your vet if they can recommend an insurer that covers existing conditions.

This will vary depending on the insurer. When you’re shopping around for quotes, it’s important that you do further research and find out what pre-existing conditions each provider covers. Policies can include cover for:

• Hereditary conditions – illnesses that affect particular pedigree breeds and are passed down from parent to infant.
• Bi-lateral conditions – conditions that affect both sides of your pet’s body, such as hip dysplasia.
• Historic conditions – illnesses or injuries that your pet suffered from in the past but no longer does, for example recurring joint pain.
• Chronic conditions – illnesses that can’t be cured and need ongoing treatment for life. It’s harder to find policies that cover chronic conditions.

Yes, your pet insurance policy will cover any new conditions that your pet suffers from. However, the amount you can claim and how long for will depend on the type of policy you have and if you have an accident only policy, you won’t be able to claim for illnesses.

There is a handful of pet insurers that offer cat and dog insurance for pre-existing conditions: