SSPCA warns on pet insurance this winter

Posted : 20-01-2006

With bitter weather set to grip the UK over coming weeks, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) is seeking to educate pet owners (on) how best to care for their furry friends this winter.

Many measures are common sense, but the importance of adequate pet insurance can not (cannot) be underestimated. With all the costly mishaps that cats and dogs seem to get themselves into at this time of year, owners may be faced with hefty bills if they have not taken out adequate pet insurance for little Fido.

The charity is urging pet owners to (colon) clip the hair on pets' paws to prevent the build up of painfull ice balls between dogs' toes from walking in cold water (semi-colon) check the water bowls of pets who live outside to ensure they have not frozen over (semi colon) and buy jackets for short (hyphen) haired pets.

Additionally, if you are in the habit of treating your dog ensure that you only give them dog (hyphen) friendly chocolate, as regular chocolate is toxic to them. Most species of lilies are poisonous to cats and raisins or grapes can cause acute liver failure in dogs, so be sensible when clearing out those leftovers.

Perhaps because of the straightforward nature of these measures, relatively few people appear to appreciate the potential expense of an injured pet. Treating a cat with a broken leg can cost around £1,000, while cataracts for a dog could exceed £1,500 (based on Saga claims data).

This compares to monthly pet insurance premiums that generally range in the (region of) £2 - £5 for cats, and £7 - £10 for dogs and cover costs of treatment for accident, illness or disease, as well as kennel and cattery costs should the owner have to spend more than 72 hours in hospital.


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