It’s estimated that around 90% of the UK’s dogs are not insured. We ask some of the UK’s leading pet insurance experts and members of the Top Dog Insurance asks – what’s the real deal with pet insurance?

If the figures are to be believed, there are around 7 million or so dogs in Britain who are not covered by a specialist pet insurance policy. That begs the question, is pet insurance a luxury financial product with which UK dog lovers can happily live without or are there 7 million dog owners who could potentially be gambling their dog’s health for the sake of about £15 per month?

We put forward some of the common concerns held by our readers about pet insurance to Chris Price and David Keel, who are professional dog insurance experts.

K9) Surely there is an upper-limit as to the amount of financial burden a pet could leave you with? It can’t be the same as a car or home when potential expenses could run into thousands. Is insurance for pets a gimmick or a genuine necessity?

Chris) – There is no absolute upper limit on how much a pet’s veterinary treatment could cost someone, although for the majority of consumers it will not exceed the limits most insurance companies put on their policies. Certainly the costs could run into thousands if the pet had an ongoing condition that required regular check ups, treatment and medication.

Pet insurance is certainly not a gimmick. Whilst the cost of veterinary treatment may not be as much as the value of someone’s car or house or home contents, the cost is very much unknown and therefore it could be argued that it is a harder risk to self insure against. Also, as our country is becoming increasingly litigious, having protection for any damage a dog does to a person or to someone’s property for which the owner is legally liable, is almost essential.

David) – The costs of veterinary treatment are rising all the time as the science of veterinary medicine advances and it is common for courses of treatment to run into thousands of pounds. Petplan pays out over a million pounds in claims a week so pet insurance is far from being a gimmick.

Third party cover is also becoming increasingly important as the concept of strict liability for owners has been enforced by the courts. In these cases the potential cost of a single claim could run into tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Pet insurance is there to meet the potential cost of unexpected veterinary treatment to help make sure that an animal can receive the best possible care and to avoid the owner facing heart-breaking decisions.