Rising obesity makes pet insurance essential

Posted : 06-01-2006

With rising obesity levels in the UK among both pets and their human masters, a leading pet insurance provider is calling on all owners to put their pets on a diet, or face the consequences.

Research by Halifax Pet Insurance showed that 38 per cent of owners said their pet had put on weight over the traditionally over-indulgent Christmas period, while a third of pets were simply overweight.

Frances Wright at Halifax Pet Insurance, the firm that conducted the survey, said: "Pets, like their owners, tend to expand a little over the Christmas period.

"Obesity is a major cause of pet illness — which is not only costly to treat, but traumatic for both animal and owner."
Despite these findings, only 13 per cent of respondents said they planned to put their pet on a diet. Halifax has warned pet owners not to disregard pet insurance advice, as increasing numbers of pets are diagnosed as suffering from chronic and costly illnesses including heart complaints, diabetes and arthritis.

But Halifax Pet Insurance has warned owners not to be complacent even if they have pet insurance, as not all policies cover the full ongoing cost of treatment for a long-term chronic illness such as diabetes. Some pet insurance policies only offer cover on a per-condition basis, meaning that once the limit for vets' fees has been used up there is no further cover available.

Celebrity pet owners in particular have come in for criticism from veterinarians, who have claimed they promote irresponsible ownership by treating pets as fashion accessories.


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