There are at least 101 reasons why insuring a pet should never be looked upon as optional luxury. Tales of dogs burning down houses, shooting people, covering themselves in industrial waste and eating weird and wonderful objects such as bicycle handlebars are no doubt y the extreme but they most certainly do happen.

More commonplace canine calamities such as cut pads, gastrointestinal problems and joint disorders don't come cheap by the time the vet has seen the animal a few times and possibly carried out procedures to correct any problems.

In fact, a recent survey carried out by the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) estimated that the average claims cost per year has risen to over £110 for a dog and £90 for a cat. Vet fees in general have risen enormously over the past 15 years mainly due to advancement in technological procedures and specialist treatments.

Thankfully, gone are the days when owner's regularly had to have their cherished pets put to sleep because of a lack of expert treatment for certain debilitating conditions or serious injuries. With improving animal medical research, skills and resources what were once incurable, life-threatening ailments can be dealt with effectively by many vets. With most owners, the price of treatment is secondary to preserving and enhancing their pet's quality of life.

It is estimated that the average cost of owning a dog is around £10,000 for the duration of its life, with a whopping 40% of that total (£4,000) going toward unforeseen veterinary bills. It is known that one in three pets will require some form of extensive surgery before they are two years old and 50% of pets in the UK need extensive surgery at some point in their lives.

Pet insurance policy's can cost as little as £8.00 per month for a dog and £5.00 per month for a cat. With an average canine lifespan of 13 years, that's just over £1,300 for the whole of a dog's life - a serious tumour could end up costing well in advance of £2,500 for proper treatment.

No animal lover need ever be in the awful position of having to choose between the burden of expensive medical treatment or the loss of a beloved pet if they have taken out an effective pet insurance policy in the beginning. As well as the obvious benefits of being able to cover medical expenses, many pet insurance policy's also cover much more, such as advertising for a lost pet, payment for boarding fees should you ever become hospitalised and payment of (usually up to one million pounds) third party liability cover should your pet ever be the cause of an accident.

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