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Blame it on Rolf

YOU can blame it on Rolf Harris. The image of the Australian weeping as a hamster fights for its life on Animal Hospital has led to an upsurge in people adopting hypochondria on behalf of their pets.

ROLF'S FAULT: More owners are taking their pets to the vet since Rolf Harris's Animal Hospital hit the screens

Veterinary surgeries throughout the country have seen a steady increase in visitor numbers since the programme hit our screens in the mid-90s as they recognised symptoms in their own pets.

But as demand has risen, so too have vets fees, leaving the nation's pet lovers exposed to huge bills when their animal becomes sick.

Former Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons president and current industry advisor Neal King says: 'We are looking at around 11% year-on-year increases in vet fees. Programmes like Animal Hospital have raised consumers' expectations but also their awareness of what can be done for their pets.

'Technology has developed significantly over the past 10 years and we are seeing more advanced surgery, such as transplants and pacemakers, for animals.'

Surprisingly, only 12% of the UK's 13.5m domestic cats and dogs have any insurance to cover them in the event of illness or accidents.

One reason could be that there is no common standard for the industry, with policies varying drastically between the level of cover they offer.

For example, there are currently 192 insurance policies for dogs and 117 for cats, but one-third of policies do not cover vet fees in excess of £3,500, including those offered by Tesco, Lloyds TSB and AXA.

In addition, just under half do not cover long-term illnesses, with most policies imposing a 12-month limit for treatment. Some, including the biggest – PetPlan and Marks & Spencer – set a limit for all claims in any policy year. Renew the policy and the meter is reset to zero.

Two-thirds of policies do not offer death by illness cover of above £500, while a further 64% will not cover the cost of behavioural treatment for aggressive animals.

Typically, the lower the level of cover, the lower the insurance premium. For example, for a two-year old London-based Golden Retriever, Animal Friends charges £6.35 a month but only covers £1,500 in vet fees a year, and fees are limited to £500 per condition.

Sainsbury's charges £9.93 a month, but covers up to £6,500 in vet fees, per condition, with an unlimited time period for treatment. PetPlan's Supreme cover charges £48.25 but offers unlimited vet fees cover.

Sainsbury's pet insurance manager David Pickett claims owners could be putting their pet's health at risk by having inadequate coverage.

He says: 'We have heard of cases of owners asking vets to carry out two operations in a short space of time just to avoid the time limits even though it might be harmful for the dog. It also puts the vet in a difficult position.'

He advises pet owners to shop around and read the terms and conditions of individual policies before choosing insurance.

Contact information

Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons: www.rcvs.org.uk