Poor dental health and gum disease are so common in cats and dogs that the British Veterinary Dental Association states that the majority of those over three years old have gum disease requiring treatment. The RVC says that periodontal disease affects over 70 percent of adult cats and 90 percent of adult dogs.
With such serious implications in store for pets with untreated oral health problems, getting the message out to owners about the importance of dental care for their pets is crucial. As well as providing dental checks at every preventative care appointment, helping owners to look after their pets’ teeth and learn how to spot problems is crucial.
But when a problem is identified, how many clients have an insurance policy that will cover treatment? Surprisingly few. While many insurers will cover dental accidents, what’s different about dental cover from Agria Pet Insurance is that dental treatment for disease, illness and injury is covered.
Nick White, Head of Veterinary Channel at Agria, explains why: “At Agria, we have long recognised the importance of including cover for dental care within our policies. By doing so, our aim is to help raise awareness of the need for good oral pet health, and help owners access any treatment their pets might need to address any problems that arise before they become more serious.
“We’ve seen the impact of this, as our specialist cover has allowed customers to have their pet treated by dental specialists who can save their teeth rather than extracting them. All we ask for is that customers have regular check-ups and that any treatment that’s recommended is carried out within three months, to ensure the disease doesn’t progress and cause the pet more issues.”
Furthermore, as there’s no limit on cover for dentistry, providing treatment costs fall within the annual vets’ fees limit of up to £12,500, cover is there. While this level of cover is unusual, it is something that is supported by the vets that work with Agria Pet Insurance, and championed by their Vet Lead, Robin Hargreaves: “Education of owners, which can easily be addressed in practice, is crucial. This, along with lifetime pet insurance that covers dental treatment for disease – not just accidents – gives owners an effective umbrella to maintaining good oral health for their pets.
“With these two approaches combined, we hope to continue to address issues with oral health before they develop into a more advanced disease which is not only painful, but may lead to damage to other organs. By focusing on education and prevention, we can reduce the incidence of dental disease and discomfort felt by so many pets.”Enabling older pets to also access the dental care they might need, Agria’s Age Amnesty continues until the end of November. During this time, usual upper age limits applied to new lifetime insurance policies are removed, enabling dogs, cats and rabbits of all ages to access a policy to cover them throughout their retirement years.
Agria has also made the importance of promoting good dental health a focus at London Vet Show this year. Delegates visiting the specialist Agria Vet Team will have the opportunity to put their surgical skills to the test – for a chance to win one of two iM3 P6 Piezo Ultrasonic Scalers, worth £585.
Hosting a giant game of Operation, the Agria stand is once again set to challenge steady-handed surgeons, with the most accurate each day winning a scaler to treat the pets in need of dental care at their practice.
Award-winning Agria Pet Insurance provides lifetime policies only and works with vets to provide pets with 5 Weeks Free Insurance. Read more at Agria’s website.
If you’ll be at this year’s London Vet Show, visit stand F50 where the Agria Vet Team can tell you more and you can test your steady hand to win an iM3 P6 LED Ultrasonic Scaler for your practice
Agria’s Age Amnesty ends on 30 November 2019. To help your clients find out more about insuring their older pets, get in touch with the Agria Vet Team by contacting your local Business Development Manager, or calling 03330 30 83 90
