We recommend that all IG owners purchase pet insurance to cover the costs of veterinary care, and this ongoing cost should be considered when budgeting.
Vet bills can be eye wateringly expensive. The cost of fixing a broken leg can range from £3,000 – £6,000 and a one-night stay at an emergency vets can cost anywhere in the range of £500 – £1,000 per night before treatment has even started.
While it is tempting to choose the cheapest premium offered, make sure you understand what the policy covers, on what terms, and to what financial extent.
Do some research on insurance policies
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has a comprehensive guide to the ins and outs of pet insurance policies and it’s definitely worth reading before buying or switching insurance policies: ABI Guide to Pet Insurance.
Essential cover
While it makes financial sense to look for a policy with a low premium, we advise all IG owners looking for a new insurance policy to make sure that the policy covers:
- Veterinary care of at least £6,000 per illness per annum
- Lifetime cover
- Complimentary therapies e.g. physiotherapy or hydrotherapy on the advice of a vet
- Dental cover
- Behavioural issues to cover referral to a qualified canine behaviourist
Insuring a young Italian Greyhound with no previous medical conditions is relatively inexpensive. However, please be aware that as dogs age, the insurance premiums increase and this needs to be factored into your ongoing budget. It’s not unknown for a 12 year old IG to cost in the region of £200 – £300 per month to insure.
Some people choose to keep a clear credit card to cover the costs of veterinary care instead of buying pet insurance. We do not recommend this as veterinary care costs can escalate rapidly e.g. a one-night stay for surgery on a broken leg can be over £3,000.
Switching policies
Most dog owners look to switch the insurance policies when renewals show significant increases in the premium. When switching, check that the new policy will cover previous / pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing conditions doesn’t just mean conditions that your dog is affected by at that moment in time – it includes all previous medical conditions that show on your dog’s medical history.
There are a small number of insurers who now offer to cover pre-existing conditions under specific terms.
If the new policy excludes pre-existing conditions you need to be aware of the risk that you will need to cover the bills for any treatment for those conditions on an ongoing basis.
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