Older pets vets' bills 3 x times more expensive

Considering whether or not it’s worth insuring your elderly pet? This may help you decide as data from Agria Pet Insurance has found that average vet bills for animals aged nine and over are almost three times more than the average of pets aged four or younger.

Not only does insurance provide some reassurance if your pet were to become unwell, but as pets get older, just like humans, their chances of developing ill-health increases.

Looking at its own data from 2017, Agria discovered the top three conditions your pet could face in later life. For dogs, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus and skin conditions were top of the list and are all conditions that could continue year after year. If seen by a vet, however, all of these conditions can be treated, and managed but on-going vets’ bills can be expensive. However, adding a supplement to your older dog's meals to help combat some of these conditions.

Finding insurance for an older pet if you don’t already have cover, can be tricky. It is common practice for pet insurance providers to place a maximum cap on the age a policy can be taken out, so as your pet ages, insurance options can be limited. Owners without significant savings to pay for unexpected or long-term vets’ bills can find cost becomes a factor when looking at treatment options.

In response, Agria has decided to make its lifetime cover available for pets of all ages from 1st December 2018 to 31st January 2019. ‘Age Amnesty’ gives owners of older pets the perfect opportunity to obtain a lifetime policy and benefit from the long-term peace of mind this provides. 

Tom Vaughan, Head of Marketing at Agria Pet Insurance, comments, “Agria’s lifetime insurance is designed to help pets right from their early days to their golden years. We’re delighted to open up access to new lifetime policies to older pets this winter, so they can be included later in life - giving their owners reassurance over the cost of treatment for conditions that may arise as the years pass.”

Below are some of our recommended products for older dogs:

• The Animology Senior supplement - full of all the essential ingredients needed to provide superior health support
• The Animology Hip, Joint & Flex supplement - designed to help improve the overall condition, health and flexibility of a dog
• P & L Premium Memory Foam Mattress - ideal for Older & Arthritic dogs eliminating the pressure points on a dogs limb joints
• WildWash Pet Senior Shampoo - combination of natural ingredients chosen for this shampoo, are designed to help combat issues with excess odour, dry skin, loss of coat shine and thinning hair

Visit www.agriapet.co.uk/amnesty for more information