The Dachshund is the most expensive dog to treat, reveals research by Sainsbury's Finance.
Claims for this breed in 2009 were 61 per cent above the average claim and 210 per cent higher than the lowest average claim for any breed covered by Sainsbury's Pet Insurance.
The average cost of a Sainsbury's Pet Insurance claim for a Dachshund was around £543 in 2009, whilst the average claim across all pedigree dogs was around £337.
The lowest average claim of any breed – whippets - covered by the Sainsbury's Pet Insurance was around £175.
Sainsbury's Finance is urging pet owners to ensure that they have quality cover to help pay for any treatment their pet may need, as veterinary costs are rising; the average value of a claim received for a dog in 2009 was over 14 per cent higher than 2008.
On a sadder note, Sainsbury's Finance’s research revealed that 56 per cent of vets interviewed claimed that over the past five years, they have had to put down cats and/or dogs because their owners could not afford the treatment costs.
Similarly, 88 per cent of vets said 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.
"For most of us it would be unimaginable to take the decision not to go ahead with a course of treatment or worse still to end a much beloved pet's life,” said Lucy Hunter, Sainsbury's Pet Insurance Manager.
“Unfortunately though, finding ourselves in a position where we might struggle to pay for treatment doesn't take much imagination. The only way to ensure peace of mind and to be better able to deal with un-expected vet bills is to purchase good quality pet insurance."
Most and least expensive dogs per treatment
|
Dog breed
|
Average treatment cost
|
Percentage difference to average treatment cost
|
|
Top 3
|
|
|
|
Dachshund
|
£543
|
61%+
|
|
Chow Chow
|
£518
|
54%+
|
|
Italian Spinone
|
£506
|
50%+
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bottom 3
|
|
|
|
Yorkshire Terrier
|
£231
|
32%-
|
|
Greyhound
|
£199
|
41%-
|
|
Whippet
|
£175
|
48%-
|
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