Owners should not blame vets if their pet needs medical treatment and they have no insurance, an expert has said.
Debbie Connoly, an animal behaviourist and founder of safepets.co.uk, said that even in these times of austerity, pet insurance is essential.
She said that the internet is logged with stories about people leaving animals to suffer or abandoning them because they need treatment.
"Some vets do weekly instalment schemes just in case you do ever have an emergency, yet I still see people online with very sick pets complaining they can't afford a vet and people blaming the vet. Your pet is your responsibility," Ms Connoly said.
She explained that the PDSA offers treatment for pets owned by people on benefits, but they still fail to register for the service as they are required to, and end up dumping their pet.
Bill Lambert, the Kennel Club's health and breeder services manager, recently said that there are many pet insurance policies around, so owners should look carefully at what they are buying to ensure they get the cover they need.
