30 Apr 2026
Declan Jones CertAVN, RVN takes a look at the technology used in veterinary practice and how talking and listening to clients can improve understanding.
Declan Jones
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Image: Georgii / Adobe Stock
Anyone from outside the world of finance who tries to wade through the nuances of financial advice will be mired by a thick blanket of legislation and regulation.
The twists, forks and appendments of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 make our legislation in the veterinary world look like a walk in the park by comparison, even when trying to navigate the handbook provided by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is, therefore, no wonder that the same line may be uttered time and again when looking for answers relating to insurance: advice should be sought from the FCA or an independent legal advisor.
However, the funny thing is that even that line carries with it some legal consequence. What does the word “advice” imply here? It implies the careful consideration of an individual situation and surrounding context, which might inform the answer pursued.
Here today, this article aims to shine a broad light on to the subject of pet insurance – helping as a guide towards the many paths through this confusing forest.
What this article cannot do is convey understanding of the subtleties of any given question to single out a path ahead. This distinction is what separates the broader “guidance” from the targeted “advice”, and is precisely how we must approach conversations relating to insurance with our clients.
The FCA strictly outlines the activity of advice on financial investments, to include a contract of insurance, to only those who are regulated to do so.
More specifically, this means that, unless you happen to be regulated by the FCA, you cannot be seen to give preference to one company or specific policy over another. You cannot assist in the preparation of insurance policies, nor can you assist with or advise clients that they should be making a claim against their policy.
As professionals, where a client provides the relevant authorisation, we must, however, answer any question and submit all relevant information to insurers at the time a claim is made. It would be prudent to establish clear expectations with clients at an early stage. Clarifying that we need to provide full and clear information relating to any claim and must not omit any information that may be relevant to the claim may help to mitigate any awkward conversation or requests down the line.
It is written into our Code of Professional Conduct (COPC) that anything that might either increase a premium or decline a claim must be disclosed to the insurers.
With those rather stale legalities out of the way, let us begin by first exploring the value of insurance to our clients. What impact can insurance have for our patients, our clients and our profession?
The short answer is that insurance can provide opportunities and treatment options to those who may otherwise struggle. Veterinary practices are not under obligation to provide payment plans for treatments themselves.
Offering payment plans can be a complex matter, with appropriate preparation and authorisation from the FCA likely to be required ahead of any credit agreements. Therefore, insurance providers can step in as the middle people and facilitate the payment of those treatments that may be outside the scope of an individual’s usual capacity.
Arguments and papers by the likes of Williams et al (2020), Anderson et al (2021) and Springer et al (2022) appear to indicate that it is through the means of pet insurance we have seen treatment options within veterinary medicine expand and evolve these past years – an evolution of our profession in ways previously largely unobtainable and conceptual, from oncology to neurology and the advanced diagnostic imaging, to name but a few.
Allied professionals, such as physiotherapists, hydrotherapists and chiropractors, may have also grown to unprecedented levels in this new age of medicine and treatment in part because of the inclusion of complementary therapies within policies.
Interestingly, findings presented by Springer et al (2022) indicate some veterinary surgeons, and it could be theorised by extension other veterinary professionals, believe that access to more advanced treatments have, at times, not been of sufficient benefit to the patient.
A conversation of the ethical implications resulting from the advent of widespread pet insurance could prove to be divisive.
Indeed, it seems likely that in the interests of maintaining life, it is possible to lose the balance for maintaining a patient’s welfare.
Do you, the reader, feel that at any point in your professional career, a patient has been subjected to an unnecessary investigation or treatment? It is truly a personal and unique consideration, one that is not likely to have a real answer, and one that could easily cause offense and distress if not navigated with the appropriate level of care and empathy.
We should remember, when discussing matters of this nature, the motive behind a decision. We should remember the unique experience or moral compass each person holds.
Indeed, it is something we will all encounter as veterinary professionals – the COPC itself specifies that we have an obligation to reserve an appropriate level of care and maintain the best interests of our patients.
It is worth noting that alternate motives exist for an individual securing pet insurance; for example, exempt dogs from the dangerous dogs list must be covered by a third-party liability insurance. Just to clarify, third-party liability insurance helps to cover the legally responsible costs of damage caused by the insured subject, and its use is not limited to just exempted dogs.
To provide some perspective, public NHS data shows more than 10,000 reported episodes of dog bites or strikes occurred in 2024-25, in comparison to more than 4,000 reported episodes by all other mammals combined over the same period.
However, assuming we know our client is interested in pet insurance for the purpose of supporting the financial burden of treatments, then we need to be confident in what assistance we can provide as professionals, remaining considerate of our legal limitations.
The very first step, as always, is to set appropriate expectations. Stating clearly that you cannot and will not give direct advice based on any one policy before laying out a range of options is preferable.
While we can talk broadly around the different common elements of policies, any firm promoting pet insurance must be able to provide clear, fair and non-misleading information. It is, therefore, most appropriate to redirect questions about a policy to the insurer, who must be able to provide clear advice on the specifics for their product.
Be sure to remind clients that they should be reading policies in full before signing on the dotted line. Exclusions are naturally pervasive throughout the sector, and insurers will have the stats to know which diseases are common in which breeds.
Speaking of which, make sure a client understands their specific needs before selecting a policy. What are the common conditions their pet is likely to encounter? This could be due to breed disposition, or previous history. Is the client aware of the costs for common conditions or treatments?
This could include long-term management of chronic conditions such as hyperthyroidism or diabetes; surgically corrective procedures for diagnoses such as a cranial cruciate drawer or brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome; or even commonly encountered urgent and emergency treatments, such as for a feline urethral obstruction or an enterotomy.
Providing a frame of reference will allow the client to appreciate the broad range of costs, determining their own financial limitations. It indeed may be the case that, for some individuals, in lieu of pet insurance, budgeting to reserve money exclusively for vet bills may be more appealing.
Spending some time to make sure your client is comfortable with the lingo and common features can help mitigate confusion down the road. Waiting periods, exclusions, annual limits versus per-condition limits, lifetime cover versus non-lifetime cover, and preventable conditions such as dental coverage are just some of the more substantial considerations.
Another consideration that many clients may not appreciate is that pet insurance can appear to work a little differently to other common insurances.
As our pets age, they are more likely to encounter conditions and require treatments. It is, therefore, imperative that our clients understand the cost for any particular level of cover will not remain the same and is likely to increase in future years.
We should try to help our clients appreciate that if they desire to retain the same level of cover, they need to anticipate and budget for a rising premium. This is particularly the case in view of the likely exclusion of conditions found within previous history when switching insurance providers.
Remembering that we are mandated to disclose any relevant history to insurers, it may prove to be beneficial for a client to remain with a single insurer, for risk of exclusion from prior injury or disease, although this is naturally a personal evaluation of risk.
Finally, it would be remiss at this point to not expand our consideration of the matter, supporting clients with the cost of care. We must always remember that, as veterinary professionals, regardless of a client’s financial situation, animal welfare must be our first priority.
Facilitating pain relief and first-aid to animals that we can treat is integral to our COPC. Consider the scenario where an animal has received first-aid at a practice, but the client does not have the funds for further treatment. We should be exploring all possible options with that client.
Providing an animal is stable enough, we have a duty to ensure the client understands that charitable services may be available to them that could continue treatment. Furthermore, we have a duty to ensure any charitable service that continues treatment is provided a detailed history of events, so that they may best support that patient.
However, discussing euthanasia on economic grounds may also be an appropriate resolution, assuming all other avenues are closed. It is a difficult decision, but a decision that should be respected and treated compassionately.
The real take-home message from this article, and articles of a similar nature, is that pet insurance has a significant impact for our patients, our clients and our profession.
By maintaining clear communication, setting reasonable expectations and remaining supportive in our approach, conversations relating to insurance may, therefore, serve as an excellent opportunity to strengthen the client-practice bond.
Declan Jones worked in a small animal practice for a decade on the Kent coast before making the transition towards a more involved role within education.