One of the UK’s leading pet insurance companies is warning of the oncoming period of kitten sniffles and puppy rashes among other common pet ailments. With the summer set to be a scorcher, the UK is bracing itself for the annual allergy alert. As Simply Pet Insurance discovered, Britain’s pet owners need to start asking the right questions early.

M&S Premier Pet Insurance has sent out the warning, amid fears of record claims for veterinary services in the UK. The British-owned company pays out up to £7,000 a year in veterinary fees and has become a firm favourite among consumers.

Common Complaints

It’s little surprise that many pet owners don’t realise that our pets can contract many of the same skin complaints as us — and like us, these complaints can’t usually be cured. With summer heating up, it’s up to pet owners to consider their pet’s common complaints and get the lowdown on who to talk to.

Skin allergies tend to rise with the increase in pollen, while the annual spawning of fleas adds to the problem facing British pet owners, however experts tell us that most allergies are simple to treat if seen early.

UK Pet Insurance Recommendation

One such service recommended by M&S Premier Pet Insurance is Vetfone™, a 24-hour advice line catering to UK pet owners. Vetfone Operations Manager, Louise O’Dwyer, said: “Allergies in pets can be incredibly frustrating for the owner. The most common allergies we see are those affecting the skin, with the most common symptom being itching. However the respiratory tract can also be affected, leading to wheezing, sneezing or coughing.

“Just like in humans there are also dietary allergies where the digestive system is affected sometimes resulting in the animal having diarrhoea or vomiting.”

Expert Advice for Pet Allergies

Experts are predicting a heated summer, and advice from across the board is to keep an eye out for early signs of allergies in your pets. Handle them often, and use bathing times to examine the most common areas for infection.

While buying good pet insurance will help some way towards the cost of treatment, it’s naturally much fairer to be proactive and look for preventative measures. Keep an eye on Simply Pet Insurance for the latest on the seasonal ailments affecting your pets.

Has your pet suffered from an allergy? What treatment did you choose? Our readers really value good, honest feedback from fellow pet-owners, would you consider sharing your experience with us?

One of Britain’s leading pet charities is calling for the introduction of dog licences, as their call centres struggle to cope with at least one call an hour reporting an abandoned dog. British pet owners are up in arms after the latest figures released by the RSPCA showed a worrying trend among dog owners to dump their pets when times turn tough.

The global financial crisis of 2009 is being cited as a possible catalyst for the widespread abandonment of dogs across Britain, causing the RSPCA to take a stand and request the immediate implementation of a national dog licence.

RSPCA Alarming Stats

In 2009, a total number of 11,574 calls from the British public were handled by RSPCA staff, and the statistics out this month reveal 2010 is destined for similar heartache, with 3,500 calls taken in the first quarter alone.

This is despite the relatively high punishment-by-law that is being threatened by British courts. Owners who abandon their pets can face a fine of up to £20,000 and/or six months in prison. Critics are arguing these measures are rarely enforced, especially in more lenient recent times.

RSPCA Urges Dog License

The RSPCA believe the funding generated from a national dog licence scheme could fund a number of important initiatives such as dog cruelty and abandonment, anti-social dog behaviour, irresponsible breeding and, alarmingly, the risks to human health from dog-related disease.

David Bowes, head of external affairs at RSPCA confirms: “Every year, we sadly see thousands of dogs heartlessly abandoned throughout England and Wales. The RSPCA and various organisations work tirelessly to help the poor animals that are cast aside in such a reckless manner.

“But we believe that a dog licensing scheme could provide a solution to this ongoing problem and help make sure that people who do dump their dogs don’t get away with this criminal offence.

“We hope that an effective licensing scheme providing traceable ownership could help to track down the people who are committing a criminal offence by abandoning an animal.”

Public Support for RSPCA Cause

And it appears the British public are behind the concept. An RSPCA commissioned survey revealed that 76 per cent of people asked believe a dog licence should be enforced in England and 66 per cent of the dog owners asked, would welcome a licence scheme.

The dog licence scheme is set to be one of the hottest topics in the pet industry this year, along with the potential introduction of compulsory dog insurance for Britain’s dog owners. We see a lot of value in introducing the dog licence scheme; we believe it makes dog owners accountable for their dogs’ actions, and equally as important, their own.

What do you think? Is the RSPCA right to suggest a national dog-licensing scheme? Should it be voluntary? Have you seen a different scheme in operation elsewhere? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the issue, and your fellow readers are always open to hearing different points of view.

It’s a dog’s life, right? Lounge around in between long walks in the great outdoors. Regular medical check ups, plenty of cuddles and the love of a good family. Life couldn’t possibly get any better. Until now. One UK charity is offering the nation’s dog’s free holidays. “Woof woof… Woof, take us, woof!”

It’s not often that a deal as sweet as this comes along, but there is method behind the madness. In 2009, Britain began to promote the so-called ‘staycations’, or the practise of holidaying at home. Animal experts were quick to realise the benefits for Britain’s animals, and not least our dogs.

Take your Dog on Holiday

The PDSA charity is best known for providing free veterinary care for the pets of people who need it, so it was no surprise when they announced they’d teamed up with national holiday rental company, cottages4you which offers Britain’s pet owners holiday accommodation in over 5,000 properties across the country.

Senior Veterinary Surgeon for PDSA, Sean Wensley, explains: “We want to encourage dog owners to holiday at home with their pets rather than take them to other countries. Owners are often unaware of the potential disease risks to their pets if they go abroad and many don’t realise that they need to prepare several months in advance to meet the requirements for a pet passport.

“Travelling and unfamiliar climates can also be very stressful for a pet. They will probably have a much better time if they join you for a break in this country.”

Why holiday in Britain?

Simply Pet Insurance believe the partnership is extremely positive. In this economic climate the cost of travelling overseas has seen a steady increase, especially with the coninual downfall of our currency. Britain has worked hard on its image in recent months, and we firmly believe it’s time British pet owners start to celebrate the greatness beyond their own front door.

For more information on PDSA and cottages4you visit www.pdsa.org.uk/cottages. By booking your holiday through the website, you acknowledge the great work being done by the charity with an inclusive 10% donation.

Are you taking your favourite pooch on holiday this year? Where will you be going? Overseas, or closer to home? Have the PDSA hit the right notes with this deal? Sharing your thoughts enables our readers to understand the mindset of British pet owners, please consider adding your point of view to the conversation.

As summer rolls across the country, cat owners are being warned to watch what their feline friends are nibbling on after a Teeside kitty almost succumbed to a deadly flower. Naysayers are often quick to compare cat insurance to a waste of money, but as Britain blooms, a story emerged about one cat that was more than relieved to be fully-covered by the family’s pet cat insurance policy.

A one-year-old Pixie Bob, affectionately known as Bear was rushed into the emergency room by the Reynolds family in Ingleby Barwick after the moggy stuffed his whiskers into a common lily, one of Britain’s most popular houseplants.

The family were alerted when son Oliver (10) saw the distinctive yellow pollen around Bear’s mouth and told his mother, Michelle: “Oliver said ‘why is Bear’s mouth yellow?’ and I realised it was the pollen. At first I didn’t think much of it, and went back to cooking tea, but something kept nagging away at me.

“I went to look on the internet and found that lilies are poisonous to cats, so got him straight to the vets,” said Michelle.

Bear was administered with vomit-inducing drugs by the Copeland veterinary surgery in Ingleby Barwick, and after a turbulent couple of days he recovered well. Now the Reynolds family are urging fellow cat owners to take caution: “We’re so glad he has got better,” said Michelle. “I just want people to know and be on their guard — we got Bear to the vet early and were lucky, but other cats might not be.”

The informative website, Moggies.co.uk has a full list of plants poisonous to cats. It includes other common plants including the beloved poppy, potato and buttercup varieties.

Derek Copeland has 22 years experience as a vet, and treated Bear. He explains what you should do if your cat is caught with his whiskers in the lilies.

He said: “Lilies are fatally poisonous to cats. Eating any part of the plant makes your pet very ill. It causes kidney failure. First your cat will salivate a lot, then wee a lot before the dehydration sets in. Then it is too late.

“If you think your cat has eaten lilies, get them to a vet as soon as possible, where we can give them a drug which causes them to vomit.

“If we get to them early, they can make a full recovery. After a few hours there can be problems, and after that then there is nothing we can do.

“And the best thing to do, if you own a cat, is not have any lilies in your home, and don’t buy them as gifts for people who have cats.”

We certainly learned something from this shocking experience. Did you know cats are allergic to so many common plant species? What flowers have you got in your home? Share your experience with fellow readers.

Two of the finance world’s largest tectonic plates have shifted, and sent ripples through the pet insurance market. Tesco Bank have partnered with RSA (Royal Sun Alliance) to underwrite Tesco Pet Insurance. Experts are predicting that consumers looking to compare pet insurance will be given added benefits, by British-owned businesses.

The upshot of the move will create 230 new jobs within RSA, backed up by an expected £100 million in premium income (income from consumers buying pet insurance policies) in the first year.

Adrian Brown, Chief Executive of RSA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Tesco to provide pet insurance to all of their pet owners. By combining our expertise in underwriting, pricing and strong service delivery with Tesco’s brand and marketing ability, I am confident that this partnership will go from strength to strength.”

Tesco Bank is already the UK’s largest online pet insurer, with over 700,000 pets insured and this latest move can only mean good news for British pet owners; both RSA and Tesco have proven track records in offering consumers competitive packages, and some of the best pet insurance policies in the market. Tesco Pet Insurance customers will migrate to RSA over a 12-month period.

Benny Higgins, Chief Executive of Tesco Bank said: “We are currently the UK’s largest online pet insurer and have ambitious plans to further grow our pet insurance business to develop new products and services that meet our customers needs. RSA understands our customer-focused approach and has demonstrated that it has the capabilities to support and develop our pet proposition.”

This isn’t RSA’s only foray into the pet insurance market, they’re already the fourth largest providers of pet insurance, through their MORETH>N brand, which offers British pet owners, pet cat insurance, pet dog insurance or combined cat and dog pet insurance at competitive rates.

Are RSA spreading themselves too thin? Are Tesco flexing their might too much? We don’t think so. We see this as a positive move for pet owners, and the British economy as a whole.

Creating 230 jobs, and creating added competition in a relatively new marketplace is a good thing. We’ll be keeping you updated on the alliance over the course of the year, but what do you, the consumers think?

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?

Britain’s cat owners are being advised to spay or neuter their kittens, before spring warms their sensitive side. Meteorologists are predicting an early spring in Europe, triggering a countrywide warning from animal experts, especially to those considering taking out cat insurance.

The warmer weather of spring is an annual catalyst for our female cats’ breeding season (often referred to as kitten season) according to the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter who point out: “A female cat’s breeding season is determined by the number of hours of daylight.”

Owners who choose to spay their cats while in heat (sexual receptivity) run the risk of complications, sparking veterinary experts to remind owners to spay their pets before their first heat; thus avoiding accidental pregnancy or reproductive diseases later in life.

British cat owners planning to spay their cats while in heat, run the risk of bleeding during surgery and other complications due to engorged vessels and swelling of the reproductive tract tissue.

This has led many in the industry to highlight the value of pet insurance in the UK. The already high cost of cat surgery soars while the animal is in heat (or pregnant) due to the increased risk.

Cat owners are now being advised to spay and neuter their cats in advance of them entering the season, or to keep them indoors and isolated should they show signs of being in season.

Cats in heat — also known as Queens — will show signs of heightened sensitivity, with an increase in affection and agitation.

The premium risk management method employed by UK pet owners against veterinary costs, is dedicated pet insurance and once again the veterinary sector are recommending cat owners insure their pets, and take sensible steps to avoiding unnecessary costs.

Is your cat showing signs of being in heat, or pregnant? What steps have you taken to quell high veterinary costs this summer?

Police in southwest England are actively warning people buying puppies online, after a number of fraud cases have left would-be pet owners stunned by hidden costs and extortionate dog insurance premiums.

Briton’s have been using the internet to buy low-priced pets, but after paying the asking price they quickly discover it was only the tip of the iceberg.

Hidden costs are commonly including delivery charges, dog kennel fees, and pet insurance.

Earlier this month a Bristol woman agreed to buy two puppies for £290 following an advert on a Scottish website. The money was transferred to an address in Cameroon, central-west Africa where their head office was,but later that afternoon she received an email asking for £1200 towards pet insurance.

After doing some research, the lady quickly realised this wasn’t good value pet insurance, and contacted police to report a fraud.

Police across England and Wales are appealing for extreme vigilance when buying pets online, particularly from places such as Cameroon.

In a separate incident, a Bristol woman responded to an online advert for a Pomeranian dog for sale for £100. After making contact with the seller, she was asked to pay a further £500 for the dog insurance.

She rang the supplied number for the pet insurance company, but suspicions were raised by their unprofessional attitude. She alerted the police but had already transferred £170 to an address in Cameroon.

Speaking about the offences, PC Stephanie Mitchell said: “This is a classic scam and I would urge people to be suspicious of animals offered for sale from abroad.

It is expensive to transport the animals abroad and be wary of anyone who is not upfront about that.

There is also never any mention of quarantine arrangements which animals are subjected to. The pet passport scheme only operates between European countries and, with or without a pet passport, there are inoculations dogs must have before travel is allowed.”

If you have been a victim of a pet insurance scam, or have any information about the people committing them, please contact your local police. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via www.crimestoppers-uk.org – they never ask your name or trace your call.