Do you have a dog and worry about the cost of vet bills? Emerald Pet provides insurance for dogs in Northern Ireland. This blog post will help you understand all that is involved with getting your pet insured, and how to choose the right policy for them. We’ll discuss what to do if your pet has an accident or becomes ill, as well as how much it costs!
Looking for dog insurance NI that doesn’t exclude you because of where you live?
Dog insurance does depend a lot on your postcode. That’s because vet fees – the most significant part of a dog insurance policy – will vary depending on where you are. A vet in central London is likely to charge a lot more than one in a less expensive place.
Dog insurance in Northern Ireland will not see drastically different veterinary fees, but it is possible that there are cheaper options if you live outside of an urban area like Belfast.
But regardless of pricing, finding dog insurance NI is easy once you have found which insurers cover the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland.
Emerald Life is one of those and our pet insurance product developed with Covea Insurance – Emerald Pet – is available throughout Northern Ireland. Get a quote today and see what we could offer your favourite companion.
You can get a quote online or call us now.
NI dog insurance policies from Emerald Pet offer four levels of flexible cover so you can choose the level you need for your dog or cat. Meanwhile we offer a range of add-ons to customize your pet insurance to suit you.
These optional add-ons include emergency boarding and minding fees, advertising and reward costs in case of theft or straying and even holiday cancellation.
Table of Contents
Compare Dog Insurance NI
Shopping for dog insurance in Northern Ireland can be confusing. This is because rates are often based on your pet’s breed and where you live, so comparing the plans offered by different providers is a good idea to find the best price.
But don’t stop there. You probably know that no comparison site covers the entire market, so you might start by searching a few. But be careful–the quotes you find may have been amended to allow for a better price and not necessarily the better policy. Many insurers will try to attract business from comparison sites by offering cheaper cover but with more exclusions which make the cover less useful.
A cheaper policy may not be better if you have to pay a high deductible amount.
Many pet insurers provide their best deals to people coming directly to them, saving on the advertising costs of comparison sites
At Emerald Life we are not even on a lot of comparison sites so we can pass on our best deals to you. In fact, with Emerald Pet we give you 10% off your first year’s premium as thanks for choosing us.
What To Look For
Type of Dog
With dog insurance, you should consider your pet’s breed. Certain breeds like Pugs and French Bulldogs are at an increased risk of developing medical conditions, so they are often more expensive to insure.
If you live in Northern Ireland and are considering getting pet insurance, be mindful of what might happen when you try to cover your dog breed.
The cost to insure different breeds may vary across providers, so be sure to get quotes from more than one provider.
Cover Level
Cover level should be one of your top priorities for insurance quotes in Northern Ireland, regardless of where you are in the UK. Pet insurance policies come with a range of different cover levels to suit different needs.
You may find your dog is experiencing higher health-care needs when it comes to procedures and medication, and so you may want to opt for a higher cover level. More coverage does have an impact on the cost but at the same time you don’t want to under-insure with a lower amount than necessary.
Exclusions
Exclusions are an important part of any insurance policy as they clearly define what you can and cannot claim for. However, they are also a feature that can vary drastically between providers and cover levels so be sure to check the situations your particular provider’s coverage is applicable to.
In particular you should think about medical conditions as most dog insurance policies exclude pre existing conditions.
Additional Perks
With houses, you can normally get a few nice extras like accidental damage or legal cover. But with pets, it’s different: they’re your close friend whom you want to spoil, thus the opportunities to treat them through your pet insurance are abundant.
With Emerald Pet we offer a range of complementary treatments including homeopathy, acupuncture, osteopathy, hydrotherapy, chiropractic treatments and herbal remedies.
While dog insurance typically focuses on health and medical needs, some policies also include help if your pet is lost or stolen. Emerald Pet offers up to £1500 of reward money for stray dogs and costs of advertising per year.
Travel is another factor to consider if you plan on taking your pet abroad with you.
If you have a dog then you might also be interested in third party liability cover which can help if your dog causes harm or damage resulting in legal action.
What Is Covered?
It is unlikely that a dog insurance policy will cover everything you might need. For example, Emerald Pet does not offer coverage for vaccinations, spaying, castration or preventative treatment.
We also exclude pre-existing medical conditions as well as any conditions that occur within the first 14 days of the policy.
However EmeraldPet does include training and behavioural treatments of up to £200 a year and clinical diets up to £200 a year.
You should also consider your pet travel requirements. EmeraldPet has an optional add-on to extend cover for up to 60 days per journey if you take your pet to Europe. Then we also offer extensions for emergency boarding and daily minding as well as holiday cancellation.
Excesses
When you purchase a policy from Emerald Pet, your excess is the contribution that you would be responsible for when making any claims. Dogs and cats are subject to different policies depending on the type of claim made and their medical costs.
For dogs on EmeraldPet these are:
- Whilst under 8 years old – £100
- Once 8 years old and over – £110 and a further 15% of the cost of the treatment
Do I Need Dog Insurance NI?
There’s no doubt that pet insurance can seem tedious. You pay a regular premium that usually goes up and if you don’t claim that can seem wasted.
However, with treatment costs increasing unexpected vet bills are no small sum. The average pet insurance claim – and thus what you would pay if uninsured – now stands at about £800.
You should also take into consideration pre-existing conditions. If you wait until the pet is old before buying insurance, any ongoing conditions that developed would not be covered by the insurance company.
That’s because insurers typically exclude pre-existing conditions from cover. Pet insurance that includes pre-existing conditions tends to be specialist and expensive.
So therefore when considering dog insurance NI it makes sense to buy sooner rather than later even if your pet is well because that is the best way to make sure future medical conditions are covered.
Any medical conditions arising within 14 days of buying the policy are also excluded from EmeraldPet, which is common with a lot of insurance providers.
Before you buy any company’s dog insurance, it is important to do your research. For example, how broad are the scope of coverage for each policy and what is excluded?
How Do I Get Dog Insurance NI?
Getting insurance for pet medical costs is easy with EmeraldPet. Simply get a quote online or call us for help. Once you have received your quote be sure to check all the documentation to make sure our cover is right for you and your pets.
