As a pet owner, the thought of losing your much loved companion can be hugely difficult, and something you probably don’t want to think about at all. However, when the time comes, feeling prepared both emotionally and financially can be a huge help during a difficult time.
Providing a peaceful death through euthanasia is part of many veterinary surgeon’s jobs. And like many other healthcare services they provide, is chargeable. If you are one of the many pet owners who has taken out pet insurance in order to help cover the cost of vet bills for your animal, it’s important to know whether the costs associated with euthanasia will be covered. The last thing you want to be thinking about when you have made the difficult decision to say goodbye is to be faced with an invoice you thought you were covered for.
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How can pet insurance help me as a pet owner?
In short, pet insurance covers the cost of veterinary fees when your pet is unwell, when you pay a monthly or yearly payment or ‘premium’. Lots of owners take out pet insurance in order to be able to provide a high standard of healthcare for their pet. And it’s vital to be aware of what your policy covers. Knowing what and how much will be covered can give you the confidence to make decisions regarding treatment without worrying about the costs. And it can also give peace of mind when the time comes to consider euthanasia.
What are euthanasia and cremation?
Euthanasia is ‘the act of deliberately ending a life to relieve suffering’. In a veterinary setting it is also often called being ‘put to sleep’ or being ‘put down’. As a vet, providing the best care and welfare is part of our job. Unfortunately that does sometimes mean carrying out euthanasia to put an animal out of pain and suffering. Euthanasia can be a calm and peaceful event that gives an animal a comfortable end to their life. It often takes place in the veterinary clinic, but can occasionally be done at the animal’s home. It usually consists of an injection that causes the heart to stop and the body to shut down. The cost of this will be paid to the vet practice to cover the service and time provided.
People are often more familiar with the term ‘cremation’ as sadly a lot of us will have encountered this at the end of a human’s life or funeral. This is where a body is turned to ashes through the cremation process. For pets, this may be done ‘communally’ with other animals or ‘individually’ where the pet is cremated on their own. There are sometimes options to have a memorial of the pet in the form of a scatter tube or a casket so that owners have something to remember them by. Cremation services may be provided and charged by the veterinary practice or by an independent pet crematorium. The price of individual cremation and memorials is often higher as it requires more time and resources. All euthanasia and cremation services should be handled with utmost dignity and respect by veterinary and crematoria staff.
Does pet insurance cover euthanasia and cremation?
Some insurance policies will cover the cost of euthanasia and cremation, where others will not. This is when it’s particularly important to pay attention to the small print when choosing an insurance policy. Certain plans cover the cost of euthanasia that happens as a result of an illness or injury where others may cover it as an ‘addition’ to the policy, which usually means paying a higher premium. For example, Pet Plan will cover the cost if a pet is put to sleep because of an illness or injury; but will not cover the cost of cremation or burial.
It should also be noted that if your pet is put to sleep as a result of a ‘pre-existing condition’ or ‘exclusion’ not covered by your policy, the euthanasia service will also not be covered. Some companies’ policies offer a ‘death of pet’ cover. This can provide the purchase or donation price of the animal if they pass away. It can also cover the euthanasia cost if the animal is up to nine years old, or accident if they are over nine.
As you can see from the examples above, there’s a huge variation on cover for euthanasia. So it is worth exploring insurance policies in detail to find the option you think would suit you best. Price comparison websites can be a great way to compare policies and their prices too. It’s worth spending a bit of time looking at what’s on offer before you commit to a provider.
In conclusion
Hopefully being clued up on exactly what pet insurance can do for you and your pet will give you peace of mind not only if your pet becomes unwell but at the very difficult time of saying goodbye to them. Having a pet put to sleep is often one of the most emotional times you can go through as an owner; which can make decision making challenging. Knowing whether the cost will be taken care of is one less thing on your mind; letting you focus on giving them the care they deserve.
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