Vet bills costing £1.5 million a year

Research from Direct Line Pet Insurance has established that routine trips to the vet are costing pet owners as much as £1.5 billion each year.

Treatments such as vaccinations can result in huge annual costs and without these vaccinations, dogs and cats are at risk of illnesses such as canine flu and kennel cough.

However, in spite of this, Direct Line Pet Insurance has discovered that 10% of pet owners fail to keep their dog or cat’s injections up to date, putting them at risk. Cost is the main reason for the lack of vaccinations and when calculated is collectively as much as £1.5 billion annually.

Research shows that over 60% of dog owners do not have insurance in place that would cover costs including vaccinations, meaning they have to resort to other means of paying for their pet’s treatment.

Furthermore, 17% of pet owners have actually delayed treatment for their pet because they are unable to afford it.

Chris Price, Head of Direct Line Pet Insurance said regular vaccinations can play a major role in disease prevention in dogs and cats and help to ensure that they remain in the best of health.

We are aware that the costs of vaccinations can be a daunting prospect for pet owners and so we are offering our new customers £20 towards that cost to help them immunise their pets, concluded Mr Price.

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