With coronavirus restrictions making it harder for owners to access practices for their pets’ routine care, some puppies and kittens are being left unprotected. So, Agria Pet Insurance has devised some unique solutions specifically to safe-guard pets through these unprecedented times.
Crucially, to continue supporting pets and owners through this period, Agria has relaxed their usual rules around vaccinations. Pets that haven’t received primary vaccinations due to the coronavirus outbreak and develop an issue that would have been prevented by a vaccination they were unable to access, will now have that condition covered under their Agria policy.
Additionally, pet owners can set up their own four weeks’ free Agria Pet Insurance policies, ensuring they don’t miss out from cover they would usually get at their practice. This is available for all UK practices to offer their pet owners, not just those partnered with Agria.
Agria has developed these solutions working closely with their Vet Lead, and practice owner, Robin Hargreaves: “Times are pretty tough in practice right now, and operating on a restricted basis isn’t ideal for us or the pets registered with us.
“One thing that would make life even harder would be if the percentage of uninsured pets was to rise. In just the past week, my practice has needed to refer four cases for specialist treatment, further evidencing how vital insurance can be.
“It’s great news that Agria has made it possible for owners to activate their own four weeks’ free policies at this time, so even if they’re not seeing you as usual, their pets can still be protected with insurance should they need it.
“They’ve also relaxed their restrictions around cover for unvaccinated pets, so any that have missed primary vaccinations or gone past their booster date due to current restrictions will still be insured.”
Four weeks’ free insurance from Agria is now available for cats and dogs up to the age of five for owners to set up themselves online. This is designed to step in for cover that would usually have been activated at their veterinary practice.
As the owner is setting up their own cover, this is an unregulated activity as far as vets are concerned. Therefore, practices do not need to be affiliated with Agria Pet Insurance to share the initiative with their customers.
These initiatives amend usual protocols and are designed to support owners and vets to ensure that pets are not adversely affected during the pandemic. In both cases, it is essential that the pet owner has made contact with you (their vet) and that the guidance you will have given to help keep their unvaccinated pets as safe as possible has been followed.
Simon Wheeler, managing director of Agria Pet Insurance, says, “We have introduced these additional products during the pandemic to ensure that pets remain covered despite new and significant challenges faced by vets and owners. We hope that they alleviate a little of the pressure faced by veterinary staff and worry felt by owners.”
The following links have been put together by Agria Pet Insurance for veterinary teams in the UK:
- A “how to” guide for you and your team to explain the changes
- Agria’s blog for you to share with your pet owners which includes guidance on how to keep unvaccinated pets safe and an easy link to set up the free insurance
