Britain’s best-loved agony aunt, Denise Robertson has confronted one of pet owners most feared subjects: death of a pet. In a loving show of support, the ITV This Morning stalwart spoke out amid reports that more and more people want to be buried with their pets.

“Pets come into our lives and become part of the family, which makes their death so difficult to accept,” says Denise, a devoted dog lover for over 30 years and owner of rescue dogs Max, Tess and Primmie.

“Having a lasting reminder of a pet can be a huge comfort and a way of keeping good memories alive. In some ways that loving companion is still alongside you every day.” Denise’s comforting words came at the time of release for some emotional findings during a recent survey by the UK’s leading veterinary charity and providers of great value pet insurance, PDSA.

In a remarkably survey, PDSA questioned 472 pet owners and former pet owners about the way they would prefer to immortalise their deceased pets.

Of those surveyed: 27% said they planted a rose bush in the garden usually on their pet’s favourite sleeping spot; 15% displayed a photograph of the animal in pride of place in their home; and 12% said a plaque or headstone bearing a personal inscription was the way they wanted their pet to be remembered.

Others preferred to keep the pet’s ashes in an urn on the hearth or in their pet’s bed. Private family services to commemorate their pets are also popular, although there seems to be no limit to a pet owner’s imagination.

In response to the findings, the PDSA has created a paw-shaped garden where up to 2,000 personalised tribute tags can be displayed in the Paws Forever Pet Tribute Garden in Ilford, London and personal tributes can be viewed on-line via the PDSA website.

Gill White, who manages requests for the Paws Forever Pet Tribute Tags, says the survey revealed the profound feelings people have for their pets: “Losing a pet can be as heartbreaking as losing a friend or relative. It’s no surprise that the way they choose to remember that animal is so special.”

Pet lovers across the nation are exploring the newest online website for pets, dubbed the ‘Facebook for pet lovers’ by its creators. In a blaze of publicity, fronted by TV wildlife expert, Chris Packham, the website is attracting British pet owners to its expert advice articles, and premium competitions.

After completing the free registration at MyPetBook.co.uk, you’re encouraged to get involved with the community and to share advice, pictures and any other animal miscellany with users around the globe. In return, the editorial team are promising to link to informative articles, offer veterinarian tips, provide an animal product market and detail upcoming animal events in your area.

Founding editor, Rachel Benneworth is excited by the long-awaited launch: “Mypetbook will allow anyone passionate about pets and animals to spend fun and constructive time on the site, sharing their photos and knowledge on every related topic from health to events, and to learn from new friends as well as the experts.”

The website will not discriminate against non-pet owners, encouraging those without a pet to register a wild animal in order to use the site and start learning more about the animal world as a whole.

Mypetbook is aware of its audience, and the passion they hold for animals. Benneworth promises: “All the latest in the animal world, from Tigers in Asia to Vet check-ups for your pets.”

We certainly believe the site has potential, and properly managed the future of Mypetbook.co.uk is sure to find a place in Britain’s hearts.

Is Mypetbook.co.uk filling a gap in the online pet market? How will you be using the site?

As Britain becomes more green-fingered, it’s becoming apparent that the light-fingered brigade is getting away scot-free. Insurance companies may be meeting the needs of the core pet insurance market; dogs and cats. However, when it comes to chickens, there seems to be a gap in the fence, and we’re egg-stremely surprised that British pet insurance providers are falling fowl of the nations initiative.

With the recent economic downturn, there has been a worthy increase in the number of Briton’s turning to sustainable living methods. Over a million Briton’s now actively grow their own fruit and vegetables, and many are expanding their lots to include the affable chicken, and it appears to be a shrewd move.

Britain consumes a staggering 30 million eggs per day, and a dozen free-range eggs typically costs approximately £3.00 in a British supermarket.

Some home insurance policies do cover damage caused by the birds to third-party property, but if you’re a victim of theft, or your chickens become sick then you won’t be insured for any costs incurred and this has chicken owners across the country pecking around for a pet insurance policy, which seemingly doesn’t exist.

Are you a smallholder? What’s your experience of British insurance companies attitude towards insuring your livestock?

The UK’s leading pet insurance provider, Petplan is encouraging dog-owners to consider taking out dog insurance, after figures released show a 500% increase in third-party insurance claims.

The recent report confirms the general consensus that Britons are more prepared than ever, to take pet owners to court to claim back damage costs.

In 2008, Petplan paid out almost £2­million in liability claims for dogs alone, which represents a 500 percent increase in claims since 1999.

“One of the reasons we are seeing this escalation in third-party liability claims is because we are an increasingly litigious society,” says Alison Andrew of Petplan.

“The public in general are more aware of their legal recourse to recover damages when they feel they have been injured or aggrieved in some way. This reinforces the need for any dog owner to have a comprehensive insurance policy to help them defend a claim or pay damages awarded against them.”

Aside from third-party claims, a recent report published by UK insurance group, Saga Group Ltd claims the average annual UK vet bill is now £598 — double that of 2006, and they’re increasing at double the rate of inflation.

The benefits of good pet insurance now clearly outweighs the cost: a recent Which? report told us the average annual premium of insuring a non-pedigree dog is £200, or £286 for a pedigree, with an average excess of just £68.

Experts believe this is as clear a signal as ever, that pet owners need to consider insurance to stabalise the cost of pet ownership.

Andrew Goodsell, Executive Chairman of Saga Group Ltd, said: “As vet bills are vastly surpassing inflation, pet insurance is therefore a vital tool to help owners budget for unforeseen costs.”

However, we discovered that 90% of all animals in the UK remain uninsured against third party claims.

Your dog doesn’t have to have actually bitten someone for people to make a claim against you. Recent cases Petplan has dealt with include an incident where a border-collie chased a postman.

Although the dog did not cause any actual injury, in his rush to escape the postman fell over a low wall, injuring his back. Damages for personal injury, loss of earnings and the legal fees amounted to £60,000.

Pet owners across the country, are asking themselves, can they afford not to insure. What’s your view?

We talk a lot here at Simply Pet Insurance about vet bill increases but it seems as if our warnings are being backed up by research from around the pet insurance world with yet another insurer suggesting that average bills are now reaching almost £600 a year!

Data from Saga Pet Insurance reveals that the average annual vet bill is now £598, double that of 2006 and increasing at twice the rate of inflation since 2008.

And even worse is the news that the prices can be even worth if you live in the North of the UK, with vet bills then reaching almost £650 a year on average.

The findings by Simply Pet partner Saga back up similar findings by Sainsbury Pet Insurance, who went on to say that some pet owners are being forced to put their beloved dogs and cats down because of a lack of money to pay for operations.

Andrew Goodsell, chief executive of Saga, said: “As vet bills are vastly surpassing inflation, pet insurance is therefore a vital tool to help owners budget for unforeseen costs of care for their cat or dog that may arise in the future.

“Especially for those aged over 50, whose income is already being squeezed at both ends in the current climate.”

Vet fees were said to be rising by more than 12 per cent every year.

To compare cat insurance or compare dog insurance follow these links now.

It may seem like a very unlikely occurance but incredibly a poll of vets has revealed that 56% of them have had to put pets down because their owners could not afford the vets bills to save them, a new survery has found.

Furthermore, a staggering 88 per cent of vets claim that they have experienced situations where owners have rejected a recommended course of treatment or operation because they could not afford to pay for it.

Speaking about the findings, commissioned by Sainsbury pet Insurance their manager Joanne Mallon said: “It should be an essential item on a prospective owner’s list when weighing up whether to purchase an animal or not. Doing without insurance is simply false economy and worse still could result in some heart breaking family decisions being made later down the line.

“Advances in veterinary science mean that our pets can get the best treatment possible these days, but these improvements including everything from more sophisticated scans to cancer treatments come at higher costs and the financial burden is being felt by pet owners. Despite this, the vast majority of our pets are not insured so their owners have no protection against large veterinary bills.

“Vet fees are increasing by around 12% a year, and as a result of this we may see more animals needlessly being put down because their owners cannot afford it.”

The research from Sainsbury’s Finance revealed that 63 per cent of vets believe that the cost of treating a skin tumour on a cat or dog has increased over the past year alone.  Vets were found to report increases in the cost of treatment for a number of other conditions also. These include dental trauma, for which 53 per cent of vets report an increase in the cost of treatment, gastroenteritis (65%), lameness (61%) and diabetes (57%).

As well as taking out pet insurance to ensure there is help to pay for any surprise veterinary bills, the findings reveal that some owners could also be doing more to improve the overall health of their pets.  The vets surveyed said that nearly one in ten (9 per cent) of the cats they see are obese and an additional 29 per cent are slightly overweight.  The corresponding figures for dogs are 12 per cent and 33 per cent.

Pet owners are today being warned to steer clear of so called ‘unproven remedies’ after concerns were raised by a top vet about things such asraspberry leaf tablets.

Dr Wedderburn said to exercise caution, because his colleagues who specialise in herbal pet remedies have some reservations about raspberry leaf.

“Apparently a researcher in the United States has noted a possible connection between raspberry leaf and the need for a Caesarean section,” he explained, adding that keeping the pooch at a healthy weight and ensuring she has a good diet and exercise may be a more effective plan of action.

Sources appear to be divided when it comes to the effectiveness of raspberry leaf and its ability to induce labour in humans.

Accidents and dietary indiscretion are among the top reasons why pet owners spend Christmas Day at the veterinarian’s office, according to Veterinary Pet Insurance, which analyzed claims submitted in 2008 for pets treated on Dec. 25.

More than 200 of VPI’s policyholders spent the holiday at the clinic. The top five reasons: gastritis or enteritis, lacerations or bite wounds, soft tissue trauma, foreign body ingestion and chocolate poisoning. Other claims submitted with a Dec. 25 treatment date included broken bones, gastric torsion, gastric ulcers, torn nails, allergic reactions and cruciate ruptures.

“Christmas Day is the last day most pet owners want to spend at an emergency clinic with a sick or injured pet,” said Carol McConnell, DVM, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. “Fortunately, many of the claims we receive for conditions treated on Christmas Day can be prevented.

“Pet owners can enjoy a safe holiday by keeping pets away from treats intended for humans, refraining from introducing their pets to new or unfamiliar foods and making sure foreign objects such as ornaments and decorations are kept out of pets’ reach.”

VPI noted that the data, mined from more than 475,000 of its insured pets, reveals that that claims treated on Christmas Day skew towards accidents requiring emergency treatment, perhaps because most regular veterinary clinics are closed on Dec. 25.

An online article at USA Today’s web site raised the question of whether or not pet health insurance was run more effectively than human health insurance. Their argument was that health insurance companies could learn a lot from the companies running most of the pet insurance programs available on the market.

For starters, pet insurance policies are created to encourage pet owners to provide necessary treatment even when it does cost more. Compare that to human health insurance which is designed to knock people out of coverage when they need it the most or to deny them access to the more costly procedures even when they might save the patient’s life.

Costs are also much more affordable and people have access to a wider range of options. You can shop around, get quotes for the coverage you want, and choose the most affordable options. This also means that companies have to compete for business and are going to keep plans patient-focused.

Of course, part of the savings can be traced back to the more streamlined medical processes and smaller offices operated by vets compared to human physicians.

Pet insurance provides protection for your pets in the way you would want your health insurance to provide protection for you and your family. The only difference is that costs are usually more reasonable. You still have to shop around a great deal to ensure that you are getting the best deal possible but at least you have that option.

For many, it can be difficult to select and provide a gift that is needed and will be cherished for a long time. As the abundance of holiday giving is upon us, Simply Pet Insurance suggests providing the gift of good pet health. It could be the very best gift for a family member, your parents or your children with pets. Purchase a year of pet insurance coverage for those you love.

Today most pets are truly regarded as members of the American family. Over 60 percent of households have at least one dog, cat, bird, or other companion animal. Many have more than one. There are more than 75 million pet dogs in the U.S. and Canada and nearly 85 million pet cats.

According to a recent national survey by pet retailer PetSmart; of 1,000 dog and cat pet owners, 95 percent of pet owners say they’ll give their pet a gift or special treat this holiday season. Also, pet retailer PETCO, reports that for many pet owners, their animal companions are a big part of their holiday plan. Out of nearly 800 pet parents who responded to a 2008 survey, more than 90 percent said they include their pets in holiday celebrations; 67 percent said they would include their pet in a holiday photo session, 62 percent sign holiday cards on behalf of their pets; two-thirds said they will wrap gifts for pets; and more than a third said they will dress up their pet for the holidays – and plan to prepare a special holiday meal for their pet.

Pet health insurance provides a financial safety net for pet owners, and often gives them the ability to provide a higher level of care to their ill or injured pets. Every day, pet health insurance spares pet owners the excruciating decision to limit veterinary care for beloved pets, or even to euthanize them, due to economic limitations.

According to Simply Pet Insurance’s in house expert: “The current economy makes pet insurance critically important for pet health and the financial wellbeing of all pet owners. Many pet owners simply don’t have the disposable income to cover emergencies or even routine pet health care. As we choose special gifts for those we love, pet health insurance should be considered as a most special gift that can provide a critical need throughout the year.”

Simply Pet Insurance also reminds all pet owners to be mindful of the following cautions during this festive time of the year:

Do not provide any forms of chocolate.

Do not provide table scraps or foods not specifically prepared for our pets.

Secure or remove garbage and food scraps from the kitchen before sitting down to dine.

Adjust your pets’ feeding time to occur as you are serving dinner for special occasions and add a special pet treat as part of the pet meal.

Plan and provide short periods of special one-on-one time for walks and just providing focused attention during special occasions.

Our pets will adjust better to the additional activities taking place in the home, if a little bit of special attention is provided.

Other cautionary “tails” to share during holidays include avoiding poinsettias and tinsel, especially with cats in the house. Dogs can become ill after consuming Christmas tree standing water, though generally not life threatening. On the other hand, there are many positive examples of great things pet owners can do to correctly spoil their pets. Provide a special holiday trip to the groomer or provide a nice shampoo wash and dry at home. Hang a stocking with correct treats and toys. A new toy with a bit of cat nip is okay for our feline friends. Just remember, pets are aware it is a special time of the year and all of the festivities can cause our pets to get into mischief and potential painful trouble. Also check with your veterinarian for the preferred 24 hour emergency pet hospital in your area for care after hours and have the phone number with your other important emergency information.

To ensure you pet is covered during the Christmas break use our unique Compare Pet Insurance tool to select the very best and most cost effective pet insurance for you now.