I had pet insurance for leo when he was a pup and cancelled it when he was about 2 because it went up so much - he then never cost me a penny until christmas and between then and last week he cost me about 2k in fees

Do they only cover up to 12 months of illness?

Does it have to be diagnosed? as they never did find out what was wrong with him or rather what the underlying cause was

What does it cover - i know it doesnt cover consultations / vacs etc so its just the treatment and tests associated with an illness?

There are several different types of policy - some will cover a condition for the lifetime of the animal, some will only cover each condition for a year. Some will cover any conditions up to a maximum payout of a specified sum.

The condition has to be diagnosed to a certain degree - 'gastric condition' would cover any digestive disease or problem, for instance.

No new insurer will cover a condition that has been previously diagnosed; if a dog had had tests and treatment for recurrent diarrhoea, for example, then anything associated with that would be excluded from a new policy - and yes, insurers do ask vets when claims are made!

>What does it cover - i know it doesnt cover consultations / vacs etc so its just the treatment and tests associated with an illness?

I'm not sure what you mean about the consultation part of the fees?  I've not seen any insurance where the fees for the consultation have been excluded from cover.

I have one dog on a premier cover and the other on a standard cover (both with M&S).  Assuming I took them in for a 'new' condition (not pre-existing before insurance date), the insurance will cover the vet consult, the cost of all tests, the cost of drugs, and surgery if necessary.  It will also cover any follow up consultations or further treatment.  Premier gives me a lifetime cover, and standard will pay up to £1000 per illness or injury.

I do pay an excess per year.  Incidentally if the vet bill is less than your excess you must still put a claim in, otherwise the insurers records won't show you are eligible to claim as soon as your bill exceeds the excess amount.  I know of a someone who assumed she had to pay every bill below her excess figure - she paid 4 separate bills of £35 not realising that she could have put a claim in for the insurers to pay as soon as she'd passed her £50 excess!!

If you are shopping for insurance online, and you are concerned about the exact cover offered, you can call the company to ask for a policy document.  it makes it much easier to compare like with like.