Britain's pooches and moggies don't escape the credit crunch

It's not just people who are being affected by the current economic slump, according to Sainsbury's Finance, which offers good quality, competitively priced pet insurance. The bank's survey findings indicate that around 4.64 million pet dogs and cats are also seeing the effect of Britain's credit crunch as their owners admit to making cut backs.

Worryingly, some 836,000 (4% of dog or cat owners) admit to not taking their pet dog or cat to the vet for a regular check-up and some 247,000 dog and cat owners have had to refuse veterinary treatment for their sick dog or cat or worse still, have had to have their animal put to sleep.

The number of pets that may suffer from reduced or no veterinary treatment is likely to worsen given that some 1.91 million cat and dog owners say that they have delayed purchasing pet insurance cover, or even cancelled their current policy as a result of the credit crunch. However, shopping around and taking advantage of insurance deals means you don't have to do without cover. Sainsbury's Pet Insurance currently offers 15% discount for customers buying online.

Joanne Mallon, Sainsbury's Pet Insurance Manager, said: "We understand that almost everyone is being affected by the current economic climate, however one way to make sure your beloved dog or cat doesn't suffer is to make sure that you have adequate insurance cover should they have an accident or fall ill.

"It's inevitable that many pet owners will look to cut back on expenditure, but it's worth noting that veterinary medicine has advanced greatly over the past five years and treatments have become a lot more costly. Good quality pet insurance is therefore essential and is really not something to cut back on."

From a regional perspective, dogs and cats in the West Midlands are most likely to have felt the effects of the recession (36% of all pet owners in the region had changed some habits as a result of the credit crunch). Those in East Anglia appear to be least affected by the credit crunch, with just 9% saying that they had made any changes regarding their pets' well-being.

Quality pet insurance does not need to be expensive and good cover at a reasonable cost can be found by shopping around. Sainsbury's Pet Insurance is designed to offer some of the widest range of benefits available at a competitive price. For further information, visit sainsburys.co.uk