If money is tight, but you’re after peace of mind, we’ve got a few tips on finding the best dog insurance rate
Money might not be your first consideration when it comes to insuring your precious pooch, but it’s always nice to get a bargain. After all, with all the money you save, you can buy your dog that special toy she’s had her eye on or a comfy new bed. You’ll find various ways of getting a good rate on your dog insurance premiums; it just takes a little bit of thought and planning.
Shop Around
The number one rule for finding a good deal on your pet insurance is to shop around. Never take out the first policy you come across, as you never know whether it offers good value for money or costs hundreds of bucks more than some of the competitors. Either call around to various pet insurers, or look for a price comparison website. The latter is obviously the easiest option, because it does all the legwork for you, but sometimes the cheapest companies don’t put themselves on price comparison websites, as they have to pay a fee to be listed. Therefore, the money they save can be passed on to their customers.
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Set Your Deductible High
If you’re willing to take the risk, it might work out cheaper in the long run to set your deductible as high as you can. A policy with a high deductible generally costs significantly less per month or per year than a policy with a low deductible. If you end up claiming on the insurance infrequently or never end up claiming at all, then it may end up costing you less overall. However, it is a bit of a gamble and you should make sure you can afford the cost of the deductible should disaster strike and your dog gets ill or injured.
Give Accurate Breed Information
If your dog isn’t pure bred, make sure that your insurance company knows this. For instance, if you own a pug mix, let the insurers know that she’s a mixed breed; don’t just list her as a pug for convenience sake. Pure bred dogs are generally more likely to suffer from all sorts of congenital and hereditary conditions. They’re also more likely to be stolen. As such, premiums for insuring pedigree dogs tend to be significantly higher than those for insuring mixed breed dogs.
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Look Out for Deals
Many insurers will offer better introductory rates or discounts for certain things, such as taking your policy out online or paying the full year as a lump sum. Be on the lookout for these kinds of deals and other special offers, as they could end up saving you a decent chunk of cash.
Multi-Pet Discounts
If you have more than one dog in the household, watch out for insurance companies that offer multi-dog insurance. Rather than having to take out two separate policies, both for, say, $30 a month, a multi-dog policy will allow you to take out a $30 policy for one dog, then add your other pooch to the policy for an additional fee per month; $10, for example. This can end up saving you a large amount of money, especially if you have a small menagerie at home.
As you’ll see, there are many ways that you can save on your pet insurance. While it’s tempting to go for the very cheapest policy, it’s also a good idea to look at the quality of the coverage they offer. There’s no point saving $20 a year, if the company won’t pay out when you really need it.
