Our policies

We know that new puppies and kittens are always exciting and therefore you may decide that you want to breed from your pet. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide cover for costs related to breeding or provide cover for pets that are used for this purpose, regardless if you are a registered breeder or not.

We also understand that accidents happen and therefore kindly ask that you contact us straight away as this may affect your policy.

We cover dental illness and dental accident as long as treatment has been recommended by a vet.

Your pet or horse needs to have had a dental exam within a year before the illness being claimed for and you must follow the vet or dental technicians’ advice.

For more information about what is and what's not covered, see 'Section A: Vet Fees' within your Policy Booklet.

For details on the amount of cover provided for Dental Accident and Dental Illness, see 'Your Schedule'.

There are some breeds that we do not cover. These include all breeds banned by the Government and any dog or cat crossed with these breeds. There are also certain other breeds we do not cover including dogs and cats crossed with these breeds. Further details can be found below.

If we receive information from you or your vet, that your pet is either a banned or excluded breed it will affect your policy as set out below. If you are unsure if your pet is a banned or excluded breed, we’ll ask you to provide us with a DNA test result for your pet. You are responsible for any costs for the DNA test. We won’t review your claim, or any future claims, until we receive the results of the DNA test.
 
Banned breeds and dogs crossed with banned breeds.

We don’t cover any dog breeds or types – including dogs crossed or mixed with these – that have been banned by the government under the Dangerous Dogs Act. These currently are:  

•    Pit Bull Terrier
•    Japanese Tosa/Tosa Inus
•    Dogo Argentino/Argentine Dogo/Argentine Mastiff
•    Fila Brasileiro.
•    XL Bully

If the information we receive from you or your vet confirms that your pet is a banned breed or is mixed with a banned breed, we’ll void your policy. We’ll void the policy back to your most recent renewal date. We’ll do this no matter what percentage of banned breed your pet’s DNA test results show. This is true even if you didn’t know your pet was crossed or mixed with a banned breed.

If you haven’t made any claims in your current policy year, when we void your policy we’ll refund any premiums paid for this policy year.   

If we’ve paid a claim in your current policy year, when we void your policy, we’ll refund any premiums paid, minus the amount we’ve paid for any claims. If the amount we’ve paid for any claims is more than the amount you’ve paid in premiums for this policy year, you won’t be due any refund.  

Excluded breeds and pets crossed with excluded breeds

As well as the breeds listed within the Dangerous Dogs Act, there are also some other breeds that we don’t cover. This includes pets crossed or mixed with those breeds.

If your pet’s DNA test results show that your pet is 50% or less of an excluded breed, we’ll continue covering your pet.  
If your pet’s DNA test results show they have more than 50% of an excluded breed, we’ll void your policy back to your most recent renewal date. 

If you haven’t made any claims in your current policy year, when we void your policy we’ll refund any premiums paid for this policy year. 

If we’ve paid a claim in your current policy year, when we void your policy we’ll refund any premium paid, minus the amount we’ve paid for any claims. If the amount we’ve paid for any claims is more than the amount you’ve paid in premiums for this policy year, you won’t be due any refund. 

Pre-existing conditions aren’t covered by this policy. We consider a condition to be pre-existing if it was first noticed before your policy start date or within the waiting period, whether it needed treatment previously or not. 

If you noticed something was wrong with your pet or horse before you took out the policy, it could be a sign of a pre-existing condition. This is true even if you decided not to take them to the vet. For example, if your dog was limping before the policy started, and your vet later confirmed this was due to Arthritis, we’d consider this a pre-existing condition. 

Remember, there is a waiting period at the start of this policy.

The waiting period is 14 days for illness, claims for cruciate ligament injuries in dogs and colic in horses.

The waiting period for accidents is 2 days.

If a condition is first noticed or an accident happens in the waiting period, these will be considered to be pre-existing conditions as well.

Any injuries caused by accident or illnesses your pet or horse had before you took out this policy will be considered pre-existing conditions. Any complications or conditions that later appear because of that illness or accident also won’t be covered.

Dental treatment is included on our Horse Time Limited £3,000, £5,000 and £7,000 policies.

We’ll only cover dental illness or accident claims on these policies if your horse had a dental exam within a year of the injury or illness and you followed the vet’s advice. There is a set amount that can be claimed for dental treatment and this counts towards the overall vet fee cover amount.

If you currently have one of your Standard or Mature horse policies – dental treatment required due to an accident or illness is excluded from cover. 

Please ensure your read the policy terms and conditions in full to understand what is and what is not covered.

Yes - Just like people, as your pet ages the chances of them needing medical treatment increases, meaning you’re more likely to claim on your policy. This means that your premiums may increase as your pet ages. To help us keep premiums as low as possible, when your dog turns 8 years of age, or your cat turns 10 years of age, a co-payment will apply to your policy from your next renewal date.

The co-payment is 20%. This is the portion of every vet fees claim that will be paid for by you each time you make a claim in addition to your excess. Full details can be found in 'Your Schedule' and in your online account.