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Pet owners are warned they need to take better care of their cats and dogs as their Pet Insurance will not cover costs caused by neglect. A new study by Sainsbury’s Finance has shown that nearly half of the UK’s pets are overweight, which could invalidate their insurance. Animal experts say that pet owners who over feed their pets with treats and subsequently letting them gain weight will be damaging the health of their animals, which in turn would make their vet bills soar. The new study shows that 39% of cats are overweight, whilst the figure with dogs is 47%, which corresponds to results that show that vets have seen more overweight dogs than cats. Many medical conditions in pets can be attributed to their weight, with Sainsbury’s Finance warning that this could cause a strain on veterinary costs with fees and medication costs rising. 'People often think they are being kind to their pet by giving it treats” says Neal Devine, Sainbury’s Pet Insurance Manager, “but being overweight can influence and worsen many medical conditions in pets, such as osteoarthritis and respiratory disorders, conditions that can be very uncomfortable for the animal.' Vets were asked which conditions are most commonly attributed the weight. Osteoarthritis came out on top with heart disease and congestive heart failure also highly possible It shows that allowing a pet to become overweight is likely to cause a cat or dog a lot of distress and discomfort. As a result, Devine warns pet owners to check insurance policies as well as keeping their pets healthy. “Every pet owner has a duty of care to their animal, and if reasonable care has not been taken to prevent an animal becoming overweight, you could potentially invalidate your insurance.” So pet owners should make sure they check the small print of their policies so that if a pet becomes ill they can definitely meet the costs. Failing that, cutting down on treats could also save the life of a pet. |
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