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Which is the best policy for your pet?
5 minutes
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Not sure which type of pet insurance policy you should get for your pet? This guide will help you understand the differences between our Lifetime pet cover and Time limited cover.
Why choose LV= pet insurance?
- Our £10k Lifetime pet policy is Defaqto 5 star rated
- We'll give you a 10% discount for your first year of cover when you buy online
- We’ve teamed up with FirstVet to offer our pet insurance customers free 24/7 video consultations with qualified vets.
- Save time and see how LV= Pet insurance compares to other policies
Pet insurance allows you to focus more on getting your pet back to good health and less on the cost of unexpected vet bills.
Lifetime pet insurance cover
Lifetime pet insurance cover is typically seen as the premium option, and gives you the most extensive cover for your cat or dog. Lifetime pet cover, covers your pet year after year, for your pet's lifetime, as long as you don't cancel your policy or let it lapse at renewal. As many insurers don't cover pre-existing conditions for new policies, many people choose to keep their Lifetime pet cover rolling.
Lifetime pet insurance cover is ideal if your pet develops a long-term illness, such as diabetes or arthritis.
Because Lifetime pet insurance policies are so comprehensive, they can cost more than Time limited policies, which offer cover for short-term illnesses and injuries.
Lifetime pet insurance policies will provide cover for all illnesses or conditions that occur in the policy year, up to the policy limit you choose. The policy limit is then refreshed and applied again at renewal, so you know your furry family member is always covered, provided you remain insured with us.
Don't forget: if your cat or dog has any pre-existing medical conditions when you take out your policy, we may not cover these.
What's covered with our Lifetime pet insurance cover?
What's covered
- Veterinary fees for treatment up to £3,000, £5,000 or £10,000, depending on the policy you choose (which will be shown in your Policy Schedule), to cover all
conditions in each 12 month period of insurance including dental, behavioural and complementary/alternative therapies - Liability to other people for injury and property damage for dogs up to £2 million for each incident
- The amount you paid for your pet, up to £1,500, if your pet dies as a result of an accident, theft or goes missing and is not found after 45 days, or dies from an illness before the renewal following their 9th birthday for dogs, or 11th birthday for cats
- Advertising costs up to £1,500 (including a maximum £500 reward) if your pet goes missing
- Boardingor pet minding fees up to £1,500 if you’re hospitalised for two or more days oryour pre-booked transport home from a holiday is delayed or cancelled.
- Holiday costs up to £3,000 if you have to cancel or cut short your holiday because, within 14 days of your departure date, because your pet needed emergency veterinary treatment
- up to £2,500 for quarantine costs because of illness or microchip failure
- up to £500 towards the cost of getting any paperwork you need to allow you to re-enter the UK if you lose your pet’s passport or veterinary certificate during a trip, or your pet’s microchip fails
- up to £2,000 for additional accommodation/transport costs if your pet is too ill to travel home as planned
- Dental treatment for illness and injury providing your pet has had a dental examination within the previous 12 months and all treatment recommended as a result of the last dental examination was carried out within 6 months of the examination taking place
What's not covered
- Any injury that happened or any illness that showed symptoms, before your pet’s cover started may not be covered. This includes any injury or illness that is caused by or relates to the pre-existing injury, illness or symptom
- Any illness or behavioural problems or any signs of illness or behavioural problems that occur within the first 14 days of the
policy start date - Any accident or injury that happens within the first 48 hours of the start of the policy
- Conditions that are normally protected against by a vaccination, unless your pet has had the vaccination
- Preventative or routine treatment, examinations or tests, general health supplements, bathing or de-matting
Any treatment in connection with breeding,pregnancy or giving birth
- Costsrelating to cremation or burial
- Food unless being used instead of medication
- Transplant surgery including pre and post-operative care
- Anythingcaused by or related to your pet going to countries which aren’t listed as coveredin your terms and conditions
- Yourpolicy won’t cover any loss or costs as a result of your dog worrying, chasingor attacking livestock.
- Liability arising outside of the UK
Time limited pet insurance
Time limited cover is designed for pet owners wanting a pet policy that covers the essentials. It will cover your pet for short-term illnesses and injuries.
Our Time limited pet insurance offers many benefits, including 10 sessions for each complementary treatment therapy type, per illness/injury (within the vet fee max benefit/time limit)This also includes shockwave and laser therapy. We also offer up to £2 million, per incident, liability to other people for injury and property damage cover, if your dog has injured someone or caused damage to someone's property and you’re found legally responsible.
LV= Time limited pet insurance will only cover a condition up to the policy limit shown on your policy schedule for maximum of 12 months, even if it occurs again a few years later. As soon as either the monetary limit or time limit has been reached, all cover for that condition stops and there is no more cover available for that condition. This condition will then be excluded on your cover.
What's covered with our Time Limited pet insurance cover?
What's covered
- Veterinary fees for treatment (including complementary/alternative therapies) for 12 months from the start of a condition up to £1,500 or £2,500 depending on the policy you choose (which will be shown in your Policy Schedule)
- Liability to other people for injury and property damage for dogs up to £2 million for each incident
- The amount you paid for your pet, up to £1,500, if your pet dies as a result of an accident, or goes missing and is not found after 45 days, ordies from an illness before the renewal following their 9th birthday for dogs,or 11th birthday for cats
- Advertising costs up to £1,500 (including a maximum £500 reward) if your pet goes missing
- Boarding or pet minding fees up to £1,500 if you’re hospitalised for two or more days or your pre-booked transport home from a holiday is delayed or cancelled
- Holidaycosts up to £1,500 if you have to cancel or cut short your holiday because,within 14 days of your departure date, your pet needed emergency veterinarytreatment.
- up to £2,000 for quarantine costs because of illness or microchip failure
- up to £250 towards the cost of getting any paperwork to allow you to re-enter the UK if you lose your pet’s passport or veterinary certificate during a trip, or your
pet’s microchip fails - up to £2,000 for additional accommodation/transport costs if your pet is too ill to travel home as planned
- Injury only dental treatment providing your pet has had a dental examination within the previous 12 months and all treatment recommended as a result of the last dental examination was carried out within 6 months of the examination taking place. The only exception to this is that we’ll also cover removing the first milk teeth when your pet is over 6 months old, providing he/she was under 16 weeks old when cover started.
What's not covered
- Anyinjury that happened or any illness that showed symptoms, before your pet’scover started may not be covered. This includes any injury or illness that iscaused by or relates to the pre-existing injury, illness or symptom
- Any illness or any signs of illness that occur within the first 14 days of the policy start date
- Any accident or injury that happens within the first 48 hours of the start of the policy
- Conditions that are normally protected against by a vaccination, unless your pet has had the vaccination
- Preventative or routine treatment, examinations or tests, general health supplements, bathing or de-matting
- Dental treatment for illnesses
- Any treatment in connection with breeding, pregnancy or giving birth
- Costs relating to cremation or burial
- Food unless being used instead of medication
- Transplant surgery including pre and post-operative care
- Anything caused by or related to your pet going to countries which aren’t listed as covered in your terms and conditions
- Your policy won’t cover any loss or costs as a result of your dog worrying, chasing or attacking livestock.
- Liability arising outside of the UK
