Pet insurance can cover expensive vet fees so that you can afford treatment for your Bearded Dragon when it needs it most. Find out about how insurance works and the cover ExoticDirect offers.
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How bearded dragon insurance can help | Why are vet costs so high? | How much does insurance cost? | Pet insurance claim statistics | Bearded dragon disease and insurance claims | ExoticDirect’s insurance cover | Pet insurance exclusions and pre-existing conditions | About ExoticDirect
How Bearded Dragon insurance can help
Bearded Dragons can be pretty relaxed reptiles and make great pets. However, even with the love and care of their owner they can get sick or injured.
Pet insurance for Bearded Dragons can help cover expensive vet bills – helping you to provide your Beardie with the treatment it deserves to keep it happy and healthy.
Vet fees are increasing every year and can run into hundreds or thousands of pounds. At ExoticDirect for example, we recently paid out £410 for treatment for a Bearded Dragon’s jaw abscess.
We have a specialist policy for Dragons that includes up to £1,000 of vet fees a year.
Alternatively you can call us on 0345 982 5505
This article aims to help you make a decision about pet insurance by explaining why vet fees are so high, the importance of insurance, some common exclusions and more.
Why are vet costs so high?
Vets provide an essential service for UK pet owners, but there is no NHS for animals so their work does cost money.
Pet insurance does not cover check-ups, but they should be affordable for most people. It’s the one-off or ongoing treatments that can end up costing a lot.
There are a few reasons for this.
Sean Wensley, president of the British Veterinary Association, told the BBC that lots of new diagnostic and imaging equipment is being used, and new treatments introduced.
He said: “These advances are expensive. And most veterinary surgeries are small to medium-sized businesses that can’t absorb these costs.”
Like in human medicine, new drugs and technologies are helping pets live for longer than they ever have done. Pet owners of the past wouldn’t have had access to these developments, but that means they wouldn’t have faced such high bills.
How much does Bearded Dragon insurance cost?
The starting price for ExoticDirect’s Basic cover is £42.87 a year, for Essential it is £127.84 and for Premier it is £145.76 a year based on prices at June 2017.
Prices will vary and depend on factors like the cover level you choose and the price you paid for your pet.
Alternatively you can call us on 0345 982 5505
Pet insurance claim statistics
Pet treatments can be expensive, so it’s important to know your insurer will actually pay out when you need it.
It’s important to research any exclusions to Bearded Dragon cover (we look at some below) and the percentage of claims an insurer pays out.
In 2014 and 2015 ExoticDirect paid out 92% of all claims we received.
Bearded Dragon disease and insurance claims
With the right vivarium conditions and diet, Bearded Dragons can stay healthy over their 10 to 15-year lifespan.
We’ve written some guides to what Beardies can eat and how to set up their housing to get you started.
However, like any animal they can be struck by disease and illness, which can be expensive to treat.
Some common illnesses include mouth rot, metabolic bone disease, respiratory infections and parasites.
To diagnose and treat a respiratory infection your pet may need x-rays, blood tests and injections of antibiotics. The price of those procedures can add up so it’s worth considering pet insurance as a way of covering these costs.
Some people may decide to put money aside each month to cover any treatment but if your pet gets ill before you’ve had a chance to save much, you could be left out of pocket.
If you feed your Dragon a good diet and provide it with love and care it should have a happy life, but insurance can be a financial safety net in case something goes wrong.
What you need to know about ExoticDirect’s Bearded Dragon insurance
We offer three levels of cover: Basic, Essential and Premier. The Essential and Premier policies include up to £1,000 of vet fee cover.
Your Beardie needs to be at least 12 weeks old to get cover but there is no upper age limit for your pet.
Policies can include cover for theft and death from accident, illness or injury.
Alternatively you can call us on 0345 982 5505
Pet insurance exclusions and pre-existing conditions
It’s important to know exactly what pet insurance does and doesn’t cover before you buy. Although it’s not a fun task, we recommend reading the policy documents. You can find ExoticDirect’s policy wording here.
According to Peter Jones, president of the British Veterinary Association, all pet insurance policies have some exclusions. He says: “The most common being pre-existing conditions, anything related to pregnancy or birth, and any routine, preventive or planned treatments such as vaccinations and spaying.”
A pre-existing medical condition is an illness or injury that occurred before an insurance policy was taken out, and they’re unlikely to be covered.
ExoticDirect paid out 92% of claims last year but it’s important to let your insurer know about any issues you think may affect insurance as withholding information could affect any future claims you need to make.
About ExoticDirect
ExoticDirect has been insuring exotic pets since 1996, and we’ve designed our policies with your pet in mind.
As a small and experienced team, we offer a personal service; our customers appreciate being able to speak to the same people when dealing with ExoticDirect.
We aim to process claims within 5 working days, offering you that extra peace of mind.
We offer a 0% APR Direct Debit scheme, meaning you can spread payments easily over 10 monthly instalments.
As well as cover for Bearded Dragons we offer policies for other lizards, and snakes, parrots, mammals and birds.
Alternatively you can call us on 0345 982 5505
Own a cat or dog? Get pet insurance that covers up to £12,000 for dogs and £9,000 for cats in vet fees every year, including dental for illness and accidents with British Pet Insurance.