Why do you need pet insurance?

Provided by Pinnacle Insurance plc

You may need pet insurance to ensure that when your pet becomes sick, you have insurance that can help cover their illness and the unforeseen vet bills that come with it. Just like us, pets can become sick unexpectedly or get into accidents at any given moment, which is why it’s important to be prepared by covering your beloved furry friend with pet insurance.

If your pet suddenly becomes ill with a condition that deteriorates quickly, your vet bills could soon start to add up. Not only could this have an impact on your finances, but it could potentially cause stress in the household too. At Argos Pet Insurance, we want to make sure you can focus on your pet recovering rather than you having to worry about how you’re going to pay for it.

Is pet insurance worth it?

Pet insurance can be worth it simply for the peace of mind of having your vet bills covered. However, it’s ultimately up to you as the owner to decide whether it’s worth it based on your individual circumstances.

A well-behaved Spaniel puppy sitting down

What does pet insurance cover?

Depending on the insurance policy you choose for your pet, you will be covered for an array of treatments and even benefit from additional perks such as 24/7 access to Argos Vet Assistance. The pet insurances we offer are lifetime pet insurance, max benefit pet insurance or time-limited pet insurance, covering veterinary fees and other additional benefits.

As you will probably know, all insurance policies have restrictions. To find out more about out terms and conditions, exclusions and excesses, please review the below policy documents:

For cat & dog policy

For rabbit policy

Although we cover a wide range of conditions, we do not cover for pre-existing conditions. Other elements we do not cover are:

  • Routine dental work such as teeth cleaning
  • Spaying
  • Castration

Veterinary fees can include dental cover (outside of routine dental work), physiotherapy, behavioural illness, overseas veterinary treatment and other complementary treatments. As a pet owner, you may want to be supported in situations that could be upsetting and stressful. That’s why we include additional benefits such as cover towards death from an accident, injury or illness, cremation, advertising and reward if your pet goes missing or is stolen, and emergency boarding fees.

Exclusions may apply.

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A young Spaniel dog, wearing a black collar and orange lead, sitting down during a walk in a forest looking up at their owner

Are you worried about your pet’s wellbeing?

We all know what it’s like to worry about our pet when they don’t seem to be acting like themselves. Even if you don’t need to claim on your pet insurance policy, at Argos Pet Insurance we believe in making sure your pet is as healthy as possible at all times.

That’s why all of our policyholders can benefit from Argos Vet Assistance. This round-the-clock helpline can be contacted whenever you feel you need advice about your pet’s health and wellbeing. Whether you are worried about their nutrition or behaviour, our veterinary nurses are at hand to give you expert advice.

You can chat online to our experts or call the Argos Vet Assistance phoneline at 0303 3340795

Which pet insurance is best for you and your pet?

The type of pet insurance that’s best for you and your pet depends on your individual circumstances. The type of cover needed will vary depending on your budget and can differ subject to the breed of your pet, along with your pet’s needs. When it comes to choosing the right pet insurance, it’s important to do your research, compare different quotes and then make your decision, this will help you make sure the policy you choose works for you now, as well as in the future.

There are many types of pet insurance on the market to choose from such as Lifetime, Time Limited, Maximum Benefit and Accident Only. Here’s a summary of these different types of pet insurance:

What is lifetime pet insurance?

Lifetime pet insurance is a comprehensive pet insurance policy that includes an annually renewed vet fee limit with no exclusions for new conditions. There are a range of cover levels you can choose from, meaning that you can cover your pet at a cost that suits you.

Pet insurance lifetime cover includes a range of benefits including advertisement and reward if your pet goes missing, emergency boarding and overseas veterinary treatment, meaning that no matter your situation, your mind will be at ease when it comes to care for your pet. With our Lifetime pet insurance policy, you can benefit from our Argos Vet Assistance where our veterinary nurses can provide you with the advice you need to keep your pet safe, happy and healthy.

Please note, for rabbit insurance we only offer a lifetime policy and overseas veterinary treatment does not apply to rabbits.

What is time limited pet insurance?

Time-limited pet insurance covers your pet’s conditions for a limited time, usually up to 12 months or until the vet fee limit has been spent (whichever comes first). This is an insurance policy for those who want to cover their cat or dog for short-term health issues.

Claims can be made throughout this 12-month period for various treatments and all will be paid up to the maximum treatment allowance as long as it does not exceed the policy limit. At Argos Pet Insurance, we don’t just cover treatments and vet bills, we have various other benefits to help with the wellbeing of your pet. You can also access our Argos Vet Assistance and enjoy benefits such as emergency boarding, overseas veterinary treatment and advertisement and rewards if your pet goes astray.

Please note, Time Limited insurance is not available for rabbits.

What does maximum benefit mean?

Maximum benefit policies give you a fixed amount of money to use to claim for individual conditions. Once the limit is reached, the condition will be treated as pre-existing and not covered anymore.

There’s no time limit with a maximum benefit pet insurance policy, so you have as long as it takes to reach your pay-out limit before claim payments stop. You will need to renew the policy each year to have access to the cover. Again, it’s worth noting that most insurers won’t accept pre-existing conditions, so if you move your pet’s policy, you’d be left to pay the vet’s bill for that condition for the rest of their life.

Please note, Maximum Benefit insurance is not available for rabbits.

What does accident only mean?

Accident Only is a type of pet insurance that only covers your pet after they have had an accident. This does not include pre-existing conditions or other vet treatments for illnesses, meaning that it is a fairly basic policy and would not usually include additional benefits.

Argos Pet Insurance does not provide Accident Only cover.

Terms and Conditions

Multi-pet discount is a minimum of £24 when insuring more than one pet as this is worked out at £1 per pet per month for each pet. Pets can have different cover levels. Discount deducted separately from any other offer.

Argos Limited is an Appointed Representative of Home Retail Group Insurance Services Limited (HIS). HIS is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (register number 314050). Registered office: 33 Holborn, London, EC1N 2HT (registered in England and Wales, no 04109436). HIS act as an introducer to Pinnacle Insurance plc, who sell, administer and underwrite the policy and who are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (register number 110866). Registered office: Pinnacle House, A1 Barnet Way, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 2XX (registered in England and Wales, no 01007798) . HIS and Pinnacle Insurance plc are not part of the same corporate group.