Average cost of a pet insurance dental care claim is £192.68
Around one in ten cat or dog owners (10%) in the UK - 1.76 million people - claim that their pets suffered dental problems in the last year, according to research by Sainsbury's Finance. With the average cost of a pet insurance dental claim costing around £200 Sainsbury's Finance is encouraging owners to seriously consider the benefits of being protected with pet insurance. The most expensive pet insurance dental claim that Sainsbury's Finance has settled over the past five years was £5,652
Analysis of Sainsbury's Pet Insurance data reveals that for dogs, Labradors are most susceptible to dental health problems, and indeed, had the highest number of dental pet insurance claims across both cats and dogs. For cats, Siamese are the most likely to suffer from dental health problems.
Gingivitis (gum disease) is the most common dental claim (66.8% of claims) made for both cats and dogs, with an average value of £175.22 over the past three years. Mouth injury claims are far less frequent than gingivitis (30.2% of dental claims) however the average value of a claim here during the past three years is much higher at £233.91.
Sainsbury's Finance research reveals that 1.47 million (8%) cat and dog owners claimed their pets had suffered from toothache and/or gum disease over the past year, and 322,000 (2%) had suffered dental problems as a result of an accident. Worryingly, 60% did not have pet insurance to help cover the cost of treatment.
Lucy Hunter of Sainsbury's Pet Insurance commented: "It's important your pet's dental care isn't overlooked as the consequences could cause the animal distress, put them at risk of infection and can be very costly. A good way to manage these costs is to take out adequate pet insurance that provides cover for both dental accident and illness."
On a regional basis, cat or dog owners in the East of England and East Midlands had the highest percentage of pets who have suffered dental problems over the past 12 months (13% in both locations). This is followed by 12% of owners in the West Midlands.
Lucy Hunter commented: "Prevention is better than cure, so owners should take their pets to the vet for regular dental checks and take professional advice to reduce the risk of problems occurring. Also, when looking at pet insurance policies, owners should choose very carefully and not just consider price alone. Investing in a good quality policy that offers a high level of cover, including dental cover, will ensure that the family pet is well cared for and you won't have to worry about costly treatments."
Quality pet insurance does not need to be expensive; good cover at a competitive price can be found by shopping around for the best deal. Indeed, Sainsbury's Finance has recently announced the extension of its pet insurance promotion which sees it offer 1/3 off when purchasing online up to and including 2 May 2011. Pet owners taking advantage of the offer also have the opportunity to receive a further 5% discount if they insure a second pet, and customers using their Nectar card could also benefit from double Nectar points on their Sainsbury's shopping and fuel for two years.
Sainsbury's Pet Insurance offers an extensive range of benefits at a competitive price, and provides one of the highest levels of vet fee cover at £7,500 per condition. For further information, visit sainsburys.co.uk.