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Like any kind of insurance, you must always read the policy carefully and check that nothing is excluded that you may need. Once a policy has started, you normally can't claim for any illness arising within the first 10 to 14 days.

A big exclusion are dogs bred for their aggressive nature, they often can't be insured; these are typically pit bull terrier types (eg Irish Staffordshire Terriers, pit bulls, Japanese tosa, bull mastiffs). If your dog's own breeding has been crossed with any of these, it also won't qualify. If you know of any insurers that will cover these breeds, please email us.

Another area to be aware of is 'working dogs'. Pets used for commercial purposes - racing, hunting, sheep dogs - are normally excluded from cover.

Also decide if you're happy to pay for so-called 'complementary' or 'alternative' therapy such as physiotherapy, acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine and hydrotherapy as insurers are starting to include this within the policy cover. Some policies can also provide cover for animal behavioural conditions.

Most insurers won't insure your pet for pre-existing conditions or anything that they've already been treated for - cancer, say, or arthritis.

While you might expect this when first taking out an insurance policy, even when sticking with many policies you won't be able to claim again for an illness once you have reached its specified limit - most insurers either cap the amount of time or money you can claim for, for example, cataracts.

Similar to human medical insurance - which usually allows you to continue claiming on the same ailment for life as long as you don't switch provider - switching pet insurer carries the risk of a price hike or exclusions.

The all-important exceptions to the rule

There are a couple of serious exceptions to note. Be very wary and think carefully before switching if...

• You are still claiming for a particular treatment on your current insurance policy, and haven't yet hit the maximum 'amount' or 'length of time' payout, or...

• You have a top-end lifetime policy which does not have these exclusions

The older your pet, the pricier your policy, as an ageing animal is likely to incur injury or illness. Some policies impose an upper acceptable age limit and additional contribution costs should you make a claim.

Therefore, always double-check the small print or ask, as some insurers later restrict the level of cover available once your pet reaches a certain age.

For example, pet policies say you must contribute 20 per cent of any treatment cost - beyond the excess - once your pet dog, or cat, reaches a certain age. The AA says it applies from the age of six, Churchill and Virgin is from seven years of age. At M&S, the threshold is nine years old. Some insurers do not state an upper age limit though death from illness is excluded when the pet reaches a certain age. At Debenhams it is nine years of age for dogs, and John Lewis is at the age of eight.

If your pet is less than eight weeks old, you'll have to wait before getting full cover as a rule, though some insurers will provide full cover for dogs or cats from six weeks old, with the possibility that cover may only be restricted to accidents.

If you've a dog who causes a road traffic accident which ends up hurting other people or is inexplicably keen on destroying property, your pet can be held responsible and an expensive personal injury or liability claim could be lodged against you.

In a worst-case scenario, your pet's behaviour could cost you thousands. If a man in his 40s is badly injured in a crash caused by your dog and unable to work again, a legal claim could see you pursued for 20 years' loss of earnings as well as for injury compensation.

So make sure your insurer provides liability against property damage or injury to third parties, and the cover limit is at least £1m. Most basic policies will insure you for third-party at this level while more expensive lifetime policies will give you £2m.

Another option to look into is if you have a home contents policy. The liability section of the policy normally includes liability cover for your pet, but it's definitely worth a call to your insurer to check.

Changing the amount of excess you pay - the amount you immediately contribute towards any claim - can cut the cost. Pay a higher excess and your willingness to foot a greater part of the bill means the insurer will reward you by charging a lower premium.

To decide on your excess, consider this: 'how much would it have to cost me before I was happy to claim on the policy?' If you wouldn't bother claiming for less than £200, for example, then paying for a £50 excess is pointless.

Though beware of policies where you must pay a share of any claim, usually about 10%, rather than a fixed limit, eg, £200. If your pet gets seriously ill, this can turn very costly very quickly.

Remember, some policies will charge you a share of the claim beyond the excess once your pet reaches a certain age.

With insurance, remember - the golden rule is:

If you've read these tips and thought, 'it's easy to lie about this', then of course you're right. Yet lying on your insurance form is fraud. It can lead to your insurance being invalidated and, in the worst case, a criminal prosecution. Don't do it.

When applying for a policy be sure to disclose EVERY scrap of your pet's medical history. This may well push up your premiums in the short term, but will save you big money in the long term as providers won't pay up if they suspect that your pet's problem already existed.

If you've a posh pooch, certain pedigree breeds are more likely to develop hereditary conditions. For example, some pedigree dogs suffer from hereditary weak joints or hips which require regular support and treatment, due to generations of inter-breeding.

Some policies specifically exclude treatment for hereditary conditions, so check to see whether this is the case. Many insurers also exclude conditions that the animal was born with.

As a rule, buy a pedigree and you'll pay more as insurers factor in their tendency to run a higher risk of long-term conditions, plus their heightened appeal to pet-burglars. Never ever lie about your pet's origin to save money on monthly premiums; declaring a dog as a mongrel when it's anything but can void your claim.

Always ensure your pet has the proper vaccinations, supplied by a vet and you are provided with certificates. If you don't bother or forget to keep your furry friend up to date with its routine jabs, it could mean you aren't covered when you come to claim, or even invalidate your insurance.

Even though your pet does not have to be vaccinated to get a quote, if you claim for a condition which would have been prevented by a 'routine' vaccination, the claim may not be met if your pet has not been given the vaccination.

And remember to keep your vaccination certificates in a safe place as you may need to produce them if you need to make a claim.

Many insurers will often offer a 5 per cent or 10 per cent discount if you take two policies out at the same time. However, don't let such a discount stop you shopping around for the better, cheaper policy elsewhere. After all, a 10 per cent discount is no good if you can get a rival policy elsewhere for 12 per cent less.

Our top comparison sites below don't do this yet, but try Argos*, Aviva*, Direct Line*, Esure, Homebase and Petplan* for multi-quotes, then use the full comparison system for each pet to contrast the overall cost.

Pet cover is like home, car, travel, life or even PPI loan insurance - if the provider goes into default, then the government-backed FSCS scheme kicks in.

There are two main ways in which it protects you.

• If you need to claim from a bust insurer

  The FSCS's main objective is to 'maintain continuity'. If your insurer goes bust, it will try and find another provider to take over your policy, or issue a substitute policy.
  
  However, if you have any ongoing claims, or need to make a claim before a new insurer is found, the FSCS will cover these.

• If it goes bust and you paid upfront

  If you've paid for cover for a year, but the company goes bust after a month or two, then you would lose out.

  To protect you, if the FSCS can't transfer your policy to another provider, you'll be given a period of time to take out alternative insurance, and any money you've already paid will be refunded as compensation via the FSCS.

The limits of the compensation depend on whether the policy is compulsory or not.

Compensation for policies like third party car insurance, which you are required by law to have, are unlimited, so you get 100% of the premium back.

Non-compulsory policies, eg, pet, home, travel, life and PPI, cover 90% of the money paid. So that means it's posssible, in the worst case scenario, you could lose 10% of the money you paid out (though it's more likely you'll be transferred to a new insurer).

To chip or not to chip? Though this is not compulsory, microchipping does help owners get reunited with their favourite pet. A chip is inserted under your pet's fur, then registered. With the use of a scanner, it enables the pet to be returned to its owner if it gets lost and is then found by a stranger.

The average price for this process is £20-£30 per pet, but an increasing number of insurers are starting to give discounts on premiums if your pet has been fitted with one, making it worth bearing in mind.

Currently, if you buy from Homebase, they will pay £15 towards the cost of getting it done.

Think what car insurance covers. Unexpected accidents or your carburettor going up in smoke are protected by insurance, but routine maintenance like replacing old tyres or the MOT aren't.

Pets are similar - the treatments that are required, come rain or shine, are excluded by insurers, but any unexpected accidents or illnesses should be covered.

The following lists aren't exhaustive, and depend on your specific policy, so never assume you're covered - always check...

What's covered?

• Broken bones/ injuries from accidents
• Many illnesses, from cancer to asthma, skin infections to bone diseases and arthritis
• Possibly the cost of overseas emergency vet treatment on a foreign trip or holiday
• The cost of advertising and a reward you fall victim to 'dog/cat-napping'

What isn't covered?

• Routine injections - flu, tetanus, parvovirus, annual booster vaccinations. Plus check-ups
• Worming treatments
• Anti-flea medications
• Welping costs

A dog is for life, not just for Christmas - and unfortunately this is often the case with pet insurance too. The reason? Since most providers exclude pre-existing conditions, this means you can normally only claim for each illness once.

Most insurers won't insure your pet for any ailment or illness that they've already been treated for - cancer, say, or arthritis - unless you pay a huge hike in premiums.

While you might automatically expect this when taking out an insurance policy for the first time, this also means that even when sticking with the same policy you may not be able to claim again for a particular illness once you have reached the specified limit. Most insurers either cap the amount of time or money you can claim for, say, cataracts, although some insurers are now starting to only apply this cap 'per period of insurance'.

Also, it's worth being aware that cancer is a blanket exclusion. This means if your poor pet has had one type, they are excluded from being covered for any other type if they should subsequently get it.

More insurers will pay for your pet to be put down, if that's necessitated by a life-threatening accident or serious illness. A few will also cover the cost of cremation or burial expenses (up to limits, with the most generous using the current market rate for your pet). This latter add-on suits those who have invested a lot of money in an exotic or high-pedigree pet.

These rules allow your cat or dog to travel with you overseas to other EU countries, without any need for quarantine, where some pet insurers extend their cover abroad. If you regularly travel with your pet, it'll be worth considering this add-on offering vets' fees of up to £1,000.

For the cover to be fully effective, you must following the guidelines set out by DEFRA, which changed on 1st January 2012 to bring its procedures in line with the EU. You must get the pet microchipped and obtain a pet passport if travelling with a pet (see full requirements). Some insurers will now cover the costs of a replacement or quarantine costs incurred as a direct result of you losing a pet passport.

It's no surprise that pets pick the choicest moments to get tangled up in an accident or damaging incident - such as before or during a planned holiday! In the event you want to completely cancel your trip or curtail it and come home, a number of policies offer holiday cover to help towards the cost of travel and accommodation expenses.

More and more policies provide loss or theft cover of your pet - often as much as £2,000 towards the cost of advertising a missing pet in local press, flyers and posters, and even to cover the cost of a reward.

A greater number of insurers now provide cover for kennel and cattery fees, with the sums insured ranging from £250 up to £1,500. This can help if you're needed for an emergency - or have to go into hospital, say - and there's nobody else available to look after your pet. Some policies even provide the option to have dog walking cover, if injury or illness mean you can't do this.

Usually your stay in hospital needs to be longer than 4 consecutive days for this to pay out - though some are a bit more lenient.

Cats clawing your furniture to death is a fact of life! Dogs are partial to an expensive bit of chewing - carpets, shoes, you name it - but finding an insurer to provide this cover is difficult.

For instance, the Saga Super Cover Pet policy states that 'accidental damage caused by your pet to personal property that you and your family own' is provided but also states that 'damage caused by biting, scratching, fouling or urinating' is excluded - so most things they'd do aren't covered!

However, you may already be covered for accidental damage on your home contents policy, so give your provider a quick call to check.