What is Pet Insurance? And How to Get It?

Pet insurance is a practice that covers the treatment costs that may arise in case our beloved friends experience any health problems. It should be remembered that this insurance, which allows for the application of the best possible treatment in the face of emergency and unexpected health problems and financially supports pet owners, has certain conditions and limitations. While pet insurance is a very common practice abroad, it has started to become popular and widespread in our country in recent years. Even if we don't get pet insurance for our furry friends, you can take your own precautions by examining the products in the categories of safety products for cats or safety products for dogs, which make life easier for both them and us.

What is Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance is a type of insurance that works like private health insurance but covers our beloved pets. The scope of this insurance varies depending on the companies and the policies offered. Although animal insurance is quite common, especially among those involved in animal husbandry, it should be considered that there may be significant differences between insurance policies as pet insurance is only recently becoming popular.

What is Pet Insurance Coverage?

While cats and dogs are the first things that come to mind under this insurance, some insurance companies allow the insurance of animals such as fish, reptiles, rodents, and birds living in the home, provided they are domesticated. In insurance procedures for cats and dogs, a chip is sent at the start of the insurance and all transactions are tracked through this chip.

Breeds whose breeding, production, and sale are prohibited in Turkey cannot benefit from these insurances. Under the Animal Protection Law No. 5199 and its related regulations, there are rules prohibiting the breeding, ownership, sale, gifting, or importation of certain breeds into Turkey. Breeds such as Pitbull Terrier and Japanese Tosa, which are covered by this law, may not be included in the insurance.

Things to Consider When Getting Pet Insurance

Careful evaluation of the policy is important during the pet insurance process. It is necessary to clearly understand the scope of coverage and to find out which clinics provide services under the insurance in the area where the pet lives.

Pet insurance prices vary depending on the insurance company, the scope of the policy, and the general health condition of the pet. Therefore, obtaining and evaluating quotes from multiple insurance companies makes it easier to find the most comprehensive and economical insurance. When examining the policy coverage, it is important to check which clinics, treatments, and procedures are covered. Many insurance policies include microchip implantation. For the insurance to commence, the microchip sent by the company must be implanted in the insured pet by an authorized veterinarian. If the microchip implantation is not performed or is not carried out by an authorized clinic, the insurance will not be valid. Pet insurance covers treatments performed at clinics covered by the policy in cases requiring treatment such as: • Traffic accidents, • Injuries due to falls, • Burns, electric shocks, • Health problems caused by hot or cold weather, • Choking hazards such as swallowing foreign objects.

Many insurance policies include microchipping. For the insurance to begin, the microchip sent by the company must be implanted in the insured pet by an authorized veterinarian. If the microchip implantation is not performed or is not carried out by an authorized clinic, the insurance will not be valid.

Pet insurance;

• This policy covers treatments at clinics covered by the policy in cases requiring treatment, such as traffic accidents, injuries due to falls, burns, electric shocks, health problems caused by hot or cold weather, and choking hazards such as swallowing foreign objects.

When purchasing pet insurance, it is important that the pet is fully vaccinated, does not have a chronic health problem, and is between 6 months and 10 years old. Annual check-ups, nail and fur trimming, and eye and ear cleaning are additional services that can be included in pet insurance. However, it is important to pay attention to the conditions under which all these services are specified in the policy. It is also important to examine the coverage when purchasing these insurances. It is recommended to learn about the scope and amount covered by different coverages such as emergency coverage, lost pet search coverage, and liability coverage before deciding on insurance.