Your dogs and cats are part of the family. You want to make sure they have the best care when they're poorly, and that's what pet insurance cover is for. Every pet is different, which is why there are different options to choose from. If you're wondering "what pet insurance should I get?", here are some things to consider.

It's important to choose the right type of pet insurance cover – for you and for your pet. Accident only pet insurance is usually the cheapest, but it won't cover your pet if they fall sick from an unrelated illness such as heartworm, skin allergies or hip dysplasia.

Some breeds are more prone to illness than others. For example, Labrador Retriever dogs could be prone to cancer and exercise-induced collapse (EIC), while Ragdoll cats might suffer from kidney problems and hyperthyroidism. It's worth doing some research on your pet's breed to find out whether they're more or less at risk.

Choosing a higher level of cover will give you more protection if an accident or injury were to happen. A policy that covers illness, as well as accidents, covers the cost of treatment if your pet happens to fall sick as well as other costs such as euthanasia and burial or cremation costs when it’s time to say goodbye.

At Tesco Insurance, we offer different levels of cover. You can find more information about the differences in the types of cover we offer below, or you can find out more about our Pet Insurance.

*Excluding pets over 5 or 8 years old for a dog, depending on the breed, and 10 for a cat who die from illness.

Excesses will apply to your policy, which will affect the amount of premium you pay and how much you have to pay towards your pet's treatment.

An Overage Excess will apply to your policy when your pet turns a certain age (5 or 8 years old for a dog, depending on the breed, and 10 for a cat). After that, you'll have to pay 20% of any claim you make.

You can also set a Voluntary Excess to 'split the bill' and help reduce your premium. And there are some things you won't need to pay an excess on.

You'll find everything you need to know about excesses in the policy documents.

Notes:

1. The vet fees limit is the maximum amount we’ll pay towards your vet’s bill if you make a claim, once you’ve paid the excess.

2. The vet fees time limit is the amount of time we’ll keep paying towards your pet’s treatment. You need to make sure you renew your policy with no break in cover - we’ll send you a renewal reminder, or you can set your policy to auto-renew, so you don't forget.

The level of pet insurance cover you choose should be based on your, and your pet's, individual needs. A way to figure that out is to find out more about our Pet Insurance and get a quote. We'll run you through some questions to help you work out what our best type of pet insurance is for you based on the information you give us, how long you'll need help paying vet bills for and how much vet fees you would like to cover to each illness, accident and injury.

Get advice for your pet, whenever you need it. Just call the vetfone helpline.

Tesco Pet Insurance is arranged, administered and underwritten by Pinnacle Insurance plc. Tesco Personal Finance Ltd acts as an introducer to Pinnacle Insurance plc which is 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. Tesco Personal Finance Ltd and Pinnacle Insurance plc are not part of the same corporate group.

Vetfone is provided by Vetsdirect Ltd.

Tesco Insurance is a trading name of Tesco Personal Finance Ltd, Registered Office: 2 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9FQ (registered in Scotland, no SC173199) which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (register no. 186022).

We do not provide personal recommendations to customers.

The content on this page aims to offer an informative introduction to the subject matter but does not constitute expert advice specific to your own situation. All facts were correct at time of publication and were compiled using a range of sources.