Each year, many dogs and cats fall sick from illnesses that could have been prevented with vaccinations, such as canine flu, kennel cough and other respiratory diseases. Yet research* for Direct Line Pet Insurance reveals that many pet owners are putting their pets at risk as one in 10 (11 per cent) admit their dog or cat’s jabs are not up-to-date.

For many, cost is an issue and a trip to the vet doesn’t come cheap - dog owners alone spend a staggering £1.5 billion** on vet fees each year. However, according to Direct Line, 62 per cent of dog owners don’t have insurance in place to cover costs so they have to resort to other measures to pay for their pet’s treatment. Worryingly, 17 per cent have delayed treatment for their pet in an attempt to avoid the costs.

Chris Price, Head of Direct Line Pet Insurance, said: “Our research shows that one in ten owners admit their dog’s vaccinations are not up-to-date. However, regular vaccinations can play a major role in disease prevention in dogs and cats and help to ensure that they remain in the best of health.

“Direct Line Pet Insurance is aware that the costs of vaccinations can be a daunting prospect for pet owners and so we are offering our new customers £20 towards that cost to help them immunise their pets***.”

Victoria Stilwell – Celebrity Dog training Expert from Channel 4’s ‘It’s Me or the Dog!’ comments: “Providing your dog or cat with good health care is paramount to being a responsible owner. Vaccination prevents many debilitating and sometimes fatal diseases that would need veterinary intervention and ensures that your pet lives a longer, healthier life.”

Direct Line Pet Insurance offers:

• Insure more than one pet with Direct Line and customers receive a discount
• Direct Line can pay the vet direct
• A pet is covered per condition, so there’s no restriction on the number of times a customer can claim
• There is a fixed one-off excess for each condition
• If a policyholder is hospitalised, Direct Line will pay up to £1000 for the pet’s boarding costs

* Research conducted by YouGov for Direct Line Pet Insurance amongst 1,136 GB dog owners. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th and 17th January 2007. The survey was carried out online. The figures have not been weighted.

** Source: Defra, 2006 quote that 24% of British people own a dog. 24% of 45,731,000 (GB population from ONS) is 10,975,440 dog owners in Britain. YouGov research shows dog owners spend an average £144.53 a year on vet fees so £144.53 x 10,975,440 is 1,586,280,343

*** Direct Line Pet Insurance is offering £20 towards the cost of vaccinationsfor policyholders that insure their pets with Direct Line before 30^th June 2008. If the price is less than £20, Direct Line will cover the actual cost. Customers can redeem the £20 offer within the first 12 months from the start date of their policy.

Covent Garden based design and build agency CogWorks have created the first UK website for Agria Pet Insurance.

The website was created to introduce Agria, the largest pet insurance company in the Scandinavian region, to the UK market and to provide a platform to launch a range of new products and services in the future.

“The website has been designed to keep in-line with the Agria brand in Sweden.” said Adam Shallcross, Managing Director of CogWorks. “The site will be updated over the coming months to provide more information about Agria and the range of services they provide” he added.

Agria Animal Insurance, who purchased Petpartners Plc last year, is a specialist company of the Länsförsäkrings Alliance which is comprised of 24 regional mutual insurance companies together with the jointly owned Länsförsäkrings AB, the hub of the Alliance.

The research firm Datamonitor has forecast that the pet insurance market in Britain will grow to almost £600 million in 2011, from nearly £380 million in 2006.

“We are very pleased with the new website, and feel it is a good base to work from.” said Matthew Henderson, of Agria.

Great value pet insurance from MORE TH>N with 15% off when you buy online. Up to £7,000 vet fees cover for each accident or illness your pet may have.

MORE TH>N covers your pet for the full length of its treatment and also protects cats and dogs regardless of age from 8 weeks old.

Find out more here

The cost of routine visits to the vet has shot up in the last five years meaning owners are having to fork out more to keep their pet healthy. Figures from the Society of Practicing Veterinary Surgeons show that since 2002, the price of regular treatment has soared over 20%*.

Tesco Pet Insurance is offering a 40% discount to new customers buying cover online (20% over the phone) from 6th March until 2nd April 2008.

Allan Burns, head of Tesco Pet Insurance, comments, “Vets fees are becoming more expensive and it is important to know that in the event of an accident or unexpected illness your pet’s medical treatment can be paid for. We are offering a special discount to encourage pet owners to ensure their cat or dog is protected. Pet owners are responsible for ensuring their pets are kept healthy and happy and that includes picking up expensive vets fees if they’ve no insurance“.

According to research by Mintel, just over one third of pet owners (38%) feel they cannot easily afford all the veterinary costs for their pet(s). Perhaps now they can. Prices start from as little as £5.73 per month for dogs and £3.24 for cats.

*Information from Society of Practicing Veterinary Surgeons. Analysis of vets fees between 2002 and 2007.

A leading provider of pet health insurance, announced today that health insurance for pets in the United Kingdom is growing at a record rate.

CEO, Russell Smith stated, “According to Mintel, a leading analyst firm whose U.K. research spans more than three decades, the pet health insurance market in the U.K. is worth more than GBP 245 million, or over $495 million. There are currently over 1.85 million pet health insurance policies in place, and approximately 50 pet health insurance providers in the country.”

He continued, “U.K. Pet Health Insurance providers include: TESCO, a major online grocery store, Blue Cross, an international leader in healthcare insurance services, Pedigree, Pet Plan (an Allianz company whose gross premium income exceeds GBP 1,634 million), The Kennel Club, Equine & Livestock and AXA Insurance (a company that serves more than 50 million customers with more than GBP 1,091 billion in assets).

“Providers of health insurance for pets in the United Kingdom understand the importance of sophisticated pet health insurance programs that provide ‘lifetime coverage’ and other important benefits. At ensurApet, we understand this need, which is why our plans are currently the only program in the United States to offer lifetime coverage along with other critical benefits desired by pet owners. As the market grows for pet health insurance in the United States, we are confident that our plans will set the standard for excellence in the industry.”

Saga Pet Insurance has revealed that 1 in 7 (14%) claims are a result of clumsy pets*. The analysis looked at the number of ‘clumsy’ claims, rather than those for illness or disease, made for both cats and dogs in each region. Midlands’ moggies are revealed as the most accident-prone cats in the UK with over a quarter (26%) of claims caused by carelessness. Dogs in the area can feel a little smug as it’s their Southern relatives who were clearly the most hapless in the UK with the South East having the highest proportion of claims related to clumsiness, and being twice (185%) more likely to fall victim of their own negligence than welsh mutts who are the most cautious in the UK.

Top 5 regions of clumsiest cats  
1. Midlands
2. South East
3. Scotland
4. South West
5. North West

Top 5 regions of clumsiest Dogs
1. South East
2. South West
3. Scotland
4. East Anglia
5. North East

The top reasons for accident-prone cats to visit the vet were injuries to the body (22%) or being involved in road traffic accidents (16%). Getting caught on branches when jumping out of trees or cutting themselves when squeezing through small gaps were examples of some of the scrapes they get into. Dogs are more likely to suffer injuries to feet (27%) and ligament damage which is generally caused by a sudden strain on the leg (16%), both highlighting that dogs aren’t quite as nimble on their toes as their owners would like to believe.

However it’s not just the pets we should be feeling sorry for. The cost of treating these clumsy animals is potentially huge for the 71% of pet owners who are uninsured in the UK**.  The average cost for treating a cat involved in a road traffic accident is £705 but the costs can be as much as £5000, and treating a dog that has ligament damage could be closer to £9000!

*Analysis of actual Saga Pet Insurance claims from April 2006 to July 2007.
** GB TGI 2007 Q4 (Jul 2006 – Jun 2007) – Hhld survey

Melvin Everest, from leading pet insurer MORE TH>N comments on the NHS statistics released today, showing a rise in the number of people treated for dog bites:

“The latest statistics from the NHS show a worrying rise in dog attacks, particularly amongst children and a growing trend for ownership of menacing breeds, which are considered by some as status symbols. At MORE TH>N we take responsible pet ownership seriously and we support Mr Lamb’s call for greater awareness of the risks of irresponsible dog ownership.

As one of the leading pet insurers in the UK, we not only look to provide insurance to dogs (and cats) of all ages, up to £7,000 for each and every illness or injury, money towards advertising for lost pets, and a 24 hour veterinary helpline, we also provide all customers with up to £2 million of liability insurance should their dog injure someone, or damage someone else’s property

In addition, in support of the principle of Dangerous Dogs Act 1991and the lack of knowledge on the conduct of certain breeds, we have applied restrictions on the breeds of dogs we insure. As such we do not provide cover to a variety of wolf type breeds, breeds originally bred for guarding or potentially used for fighting.