Tick Season Bites: Make Sure Your Pet Has Insurance

April 03, 2017

Better weather and bank holidays means it’s countryside dog walking season - and the risk of invisible but potentially expensive, and deadly, pests.

But the answer to avoiding at least some of the danger presented by ticks is to get the gossip.

"Prevention is better than cure: cure can cost thousands of pounds - we know, because we help pet owners foot the bill for treatment for damage inflicted by a much-underestimated parasite," said Mark Effenberg, founder of www.healthy-pets.co.uk cat insurance and dog insurance and 'parent' to one-eyed retriever Deputy Dawg.

"In the same way that many people avoid accident black spots when they're driving, so too can dog owners avoid known areas of tick concentration - it's simple: talk to other dog owners, but, importantly, your vet, to establish the level of incidence of ticks in your area.

"If you're planning a UK-based holiday which will involve dog walking, then find a dog owners forum in the area you're going to - or even fire off a concise email to a local dog breeder or vet in the area you're planning to visit to get a sense of whether there's a problem with ticks.

"Ticks transfer all sorts of diseases - Lyme disease being particularly nasty, and very much in the news - but vigilant owners will be able to spot and deal with them: there's a lot of advice online, but, fundamentally, while they are often the size of a flea, they don't move: they attach themselves to your dog. The key is their safe removal ensuring that you don't leave their fangs embedded in your pets skin. You can get special tools and tweezers to remove them.

"Most of the diseases and infections that ticks transfer are curable if identified quickly - but Lyme disease can take weeks to clear with treatment, and that can be expensive.

"Insurance is something that you may never need, but it's worth every penny to your pet."

Healthy Pets, an award winning online pet insurance provider in the UK, focusing exclusively on cat insurance and dog insurance. Healthy Pets can cover a range of policies from Accident Only, Maximum Benefit, and Lifetime to help customers find a policy to suit them and their pet.

Peace of mind with our dog insurance

Particularly when your pooches are highly energetic or prone to be clumsy, it is vital to protect them with dog insurance. Our cover can be offered for puppies from five weeks old and can include vet fees for illness and injury up to £7,500, as well as ongoing cover for eligible new illnesses.

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