Pet (Dog and Cat) and Equine Insurance Claims Guide
If your horse or pet is unwell and needs vet care, our claims team are here to help.
For most people needing to claim is a new experience, the first time that they will have thought about their insurance policy and tested the product that they had hoped never to have to call upon.
For information about NFU Mutual’s pet (dog and cat) and equine claims process, here are the answers to some of your frequently asked questions.
We’re sorry to hear they need vet care, your animal is our priority so please make sure they get the care they need, even if this is outside of our business hours and you’re unable to contact us. If you need to claim for the fees you can:
Submit your claim online (24/7):
Call us on 01904 683645 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday)
If your animal has any tests or receives treatment before you can speak to us this doesn’t mean we can’t consider your claim, however please contact us as soon as possible so that we can give you the correct advice to progress your claim.
We understand that sometimes your animal needs to be referred for more tests or treatment. If this happens then you don’t need to submit another claim form. We’ll ask the referral practice for their report and invoices so we can fully understand the treatment that’s been provided and consider the fees.
If your animal is going to have more treatment, please send us the invoices so that we can review them.
You can send them to our email or postal address which are below. Please include your claim reference number on all correspondence, that way we can sort everything out for you without unnecessary delay.
We are so sorry to hear your animal has passed away, it can be a very difficult time and we’re here to help you through the claims process if you need us. Whilst claiming on your insurance may be the last thing on your mind, it’s important to let us know as soon possible so we can give you the correct advice as there are some things you need to think about:
Cancelling your policy
Make sure you notify us of the animals passing by contacting where you bought your policy from, this will be listed on your policy document, or the Pet & Equine Claims Team. We’ll cancel your policy from the date you notify us.
Making a claim
If you want to make a claim for the loss of your animal you can:
Submit your claim online (24/7):
Call us on 01904 683645 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday)
We’ll need your vet to identify your animal and tell us the suspected cause of death. Please be aware post-mortem costs are not covered under the terms of your policy.
We’ll send a claim form to your vet which they need to fill out and send back to us with your animal’s clinical history. If your animal has been seen by multiple vets, we’ll ask for the clinical history from each vet directly. Once we have this all the required information from your vets, we’ll be in touch to update you.
Like most insurance policies, there are some things we don’t cover. These fall into two types:
- General exclusions – These apply to everyone and are listed in your policy documents.
- Specific exclusions – These are unique to your policy, like pre-existing conditions or known issues.
It’s always a good idea to read through your documents and get in touch if anything’s unclear — You can call us on 01904 683645 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday) and we’ll talk you through it.
The excess on your policy is the amount you pay per claim and needs to be paid to your vet. If you are paying your vets directly, we’ll take this off the first payment we make to you. To see how the excess is on your policy please check your policy schedule.
The loss date is an insurance term that means the start date of your claim. This is the date you first noticed any symptoms.
If your dog or cat has permanent health cover this means:
- we’ll cover your vet’s fees up to your sum insured (that’s the maximum amount we’ll pay for any condition that is covered and is listed in your policy schedule) for that illness, injury, or condition, from the date you noticed any symptoms. The maximum duration of any claim period is 52 weeks.
- we’ll reset your vet’s fees cover limit for that illness, injury, or condition once the first claim has reached 52 weeks, however we’ll be in touch nearer the time to talk about what you need to do.
If your animal’s treatment is complete, please let us know and we can close your claim for you. We’ll send you confirmation of this.
Yes, it is. This includes treatments like acupuncture, physiotherapy, osteopathy, and hydrotherapy. For horses and ponies, it can also cover remedial farriery and dentistry. The key thing is that the treatment needs to be recommended by your vet and carried out by a qualified, registered practitioner as stated in the policy wording. We recommend you refer to your policy wording and schedule for full terms and limits or contacting us directly for full details.
You can call us on 01904 683645 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday) and we’ll talk you through it.
Yes, we can cover changes in your horse or pony’s management if they’re needed because of a condition they’re being treated for — as long as your vet recommends it. For example, if your horse develops a respiratory issue and your vet advises moving them to a dust-free stable with rubber matting, that could be covered. We recommend you refer to your policy wording and schedule for full terms and limits or contacting us directly for full details.
You can call us on 01904 683645 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday) and we’ll talk you through it.
If your animal is on Veteran cover, it means they’ve reached an age where they’re no longer eligible for standard cover, but we still offer protection tailored to their needs. This usually includes limited benefits, like cover for accidental injury, but may not include illness cover. It’s designed to give older animals continued support, just with a few more limitations.
If you’re unsure what’s included in your specific policy, feel free to reach out. You can call us on 01904 683645 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday) and we’ll talk you through it.
If you have any questions about your cover or if we can help you with anything else, please let us know. You can:
- Phone: 01904 683645(8am-6pm Monday to Friday)
- Email: claims@nfumutual.co.uk
Note: These inboxes aren’t actively monitored, so to make sure your message reaches a claims handler, please include your claim reference number in the subject line. - Post: NFU Mutual (Claims Correspondence), PO Box 6808, Bilston, WV1 9WN.