A New Year and time for New Year Resolutions! How about resolving to get your pet insurance organised? It is surely much better to be paying a monthly payment to an insurance company, which can be budgeted for, than paying a sudden, often large bill to your Vet.

Pet insurance is offered by a multitude of companies, and the premiums will differ mainly on whether the cover is for a pedigree or crossbreed animal, and also whether the cover is for the lifetime of the animal or not. If cover isn’t lifelong, and your pet developed a disease, for example, arthritis or diabetes, which need treatments constantly and each year, the insurance wouldn’t pay out after the first 12 months. Visit your practice to get more general information on insurance or collect some leaflets. Generally if you need to make a claim, you will have already paid your vet, and the insurance company will then pay you. The practice will fill out your claim form immediately on receipt to speed up your payment.

Thinking about going on holiday this summer and taking your dog or cat with you? There is still time to get your pets’ passport ready if you start it now. 
Your pet needs a microchip and rabies vaccination, with a blood sample taken 3 weeks later to check its' antibodies to rabies. (Please note, some animals do fail this test, and the vaccine and blood sample need to be repeated.) 
Once the blood sample has been passed the passport can be issued.  The most important rule to remember however is that you have to wait 6 months from the date of blood sample before your pet would be allowed to return into the UK.  This is equivalent to the quarantine period in case rabies has been developing prior to vaccination. 
The passport and animal then need to be checked 24-48 hours before returning to the UK (usually by Vets. nearby airports or ports) and tick and tapeworm treatments applied. 
It is advisable to check if there are any additional requirements for entry into the country you are visiting, also please visit us at the practice for any advice on preventative treatments you may need to protect your pet against exotic diseases.

Further information can be found at defra.gov.uk