Dental care bill for nation's cats and dogs stands at over £28.5m

Britain's pet owners face a collective annual bill of £28.5 million for the non-routine dental care of their pet dogs and cats, according to Sainsbury's Finance. The bank, whose pet insurance is one of the minority to cover dental treatments for both injury and illness related issues, is concerned that because a staggering 74% of cats and dogs are not insured, the majority of owners are having to foot these bills themselves.

The bank believes that around 100,000 treatments at a collective cost of some £21 million each year are having to be financed out of the owners' own pockets as they do not have an appropriate pet insurance policy in place to cover it. Indeed, recent research from the bank found that a staggering 2.5 million people have turned down veterinary care, including dental treatments, because they could not afford it. Pet owners with good quality pet insurance however are reaping the benefits as the bank, estimates that non-routine dental care accounts for over 35,000 pet insurance claims each year.

During this season of economic uncertainly the bank is urging people to consider purchasing pet insurance now more than ever before as the chances of being able to find hundreds or even thousands of pounds to cover unexpected vets bills is becoming increasingly difficult. The bank's advice comes with a warning however and it's a stark one - not all pet insurance polices are the same, they vary dramatically in quality and can not be simply compared on price alone. In relation to dental cover for example, 63% of polices do not cover dental treatment for both injury and illness.

Neal Devine, Sainsbury's Pet Insurance Manager, commented: "Pet owners should take care to choose a pet insurance policy that provides dental cover in the event of both illness and injuries. Some policies will say that dental treatment is covered but it's important to watch out for those who really only provide dental cover resulting from accidents. As pets get older the majority of dental treatment required is more likely to be as a result of illness rather than injury.

"The cost of treatment shouldn't be underestimated as the average cost of treatment for a dog or cat with gum or dental disease is in the region of £150 - £250. If a dog has a fractured jaw, you can be looking at anything from £350 to £2,000 depending on the type and severity of the fracture."

The most common dental complaints affecting the nation's dogs and cats seen by Sainsbury's Pet Insurance are dental traumas e.g. fractured jaws, gingivitis (gum infection) and abscesses.

Top five dental conditions (by volume of claims) seen by Sainsbury's Pet Insurance
Dental trauma eg fractured jaws
Gingivitis (gum infection)
Abscesses
Oral tumours
Mouth injuries

Neal Devine, Sainsbury's Pet Insurance Manager, said: "Dental problems amongst the nation's pets are widespread and we fear the situation may only get worse as some owners begin to feel the effects of the current financial climate and forgo taking their pet to the vet for regular dental check-ups that could prevent an animal needing treatment or worse still, deny their animals the treatment they ultimately need due to cost, something pet insurance would help prevent.

Good quality pet insurance does not need to be expensive, good cover at a competitive price can be found by shopping around. Sainsbury's Pet Insurance offering up to £7,500 cover for vet fees is also designed to offer some of the widest range of benefits available at a competitive price. For further information, visit sainsburys.co.uk