Average Around $532, but Dachshunds are $858

International News

December 10, 2010

A research study by Sainsbury's Finance reveals some interesting facts about costs and coverage for pets in the UK. While the average claim across all pedigree dogs was around £337 [$532], the average cost of a Sainsbury's Pet Insurance claim for a Dachshund was around £543 [$858] in 2009: the lowest average claim of any breed covered by the Sainsbury's Pet Insurance was around £175 [$277].

Sainsbury's Finance, which nor incidentally sells pet insurance coverage, is urging pet owners to ensure that they have quality cover to help pay for any treatment their pet may need, as veterinary costs are rising; the average value of a claim received for a dog in 2009 was over 14 percent higher than 2008. Sainsbury's Pet Insurance covers veterinary bills up to £7,500 [$11,862} per condition.

As a very sad result of the rising costs, Sainsbury's survey found that as of the end of 2009 56 percent of vets interviewed claimed that over the past five years, they have had to put down cats and/or dogs because their owners could not afford the treatment costs. Similarly, an alarming 88 percent of vets said that they have experienced situations where owners have rejected a recommended course of treatment or operation because they could not afford to pay for it.

Lucy Hunter, Sainsbury's Pet Insurance Manager commented: For most of us it would be unimaginable to take the decision not to go ahead with a course of treatment or worse still to end a much beloved pet's life. Unfortunately though, finding ourselves in a position where we might struggle to pay for treatment doesn't take much imagination. The only way to ensure peace of mind and to be better able to deal with un-expected vet bills is to purchase good quality pet insurance.

The survey also summarized the most and least expensive breeds of dog to treat as follows:
Dog breed Average treatment cost % difference to average cost
Top 3
Dachshund £543 |$858] 61 percent+
Chow Chow £518 [$818] 54 percent+
Italian Spinone £506 [$800] 50 percent+

Bottom 3
Yorkshire Terrie £231 [$365] 32 percent-
Greyhound £199 [$315] 41 percent-
Whippet £175 [$277] 48 percent-

Source: Sainsbury's Finance