In a crackdown, firms are barring dog and cat owners from payouts for vital surgery or treatments if it emerges in the animal’s medical records that the pet is too heavy
When those doleful eyes stare up at you, it’s all too easy to give in and treat your dog to a bit of your custard cream or a couple of chips.
As has been well documented, such misplaced kindness is fuelling an obesity epidemic among the nation’s pets.
But now owners have another reason to think twice before handing over a treat – insurers are rejecting claims for sick animals if they are found to be overweight.
In a crackdown, firms are barring dog and cat owners from payouts for vital surgery or treatments if after probing the animal’s medical records it emerges that the pet is too heavy.
An estimated 45 per cent of dogs and 40 per cent of cats are overweight, putting them at greater risk of major illness.
Insurers fearful of rising obesity-related claims have been offering incentives such as fitness trackers for pooches in order to encourage owners to keep their animal’s weight in check.
But some firms are now taking a more hardline approach and throwing out claims if they find the animal is not a healthy size and owners failed to declare this.
Having a claim rejected means the owners face an agonising battle with their insurer or have to dip into savings to cover vet bills.
Campaigners warned that in the worst cases some hard-pressed families may be forced to put their beloved pet to sleep.
Alyson Taylor-Smith, 49, struggled to find cover for her chocolate labrador Rolo because of hip problems caused by weight issues
Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today said: ‘It is incredibly worrying that insurers are now going through dogs’ medical records to try to find evidence that the animal is overweight in order to refuse a claim. Insurance is something pet owners trust will be there, not something that won’t pay out on a technicality.’
The controversy has emerged following a surge in complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Most of the cases revolve around Allianz, which provides cover for Petplan, Britain’s biggest pet insurer.
In one case, a dog owner had her claim refused after her four-year-old pet injured its leg in a collision with two other dogs. She put in a claim to Allianz to pay for surgery. However, after examining the dog’s records Allianz found a vet had previously told the woman the animal should lose weight.
The insurer said if the woman had declared this its cover would have excluded leg disorders, which can be caused by obesity.
The ombudsman said Allianz was wrong to reject the claim and ordered it to pay out. But it allowed the firm to continue to refuse to cover a range of conditions until the dog lost weight.
Petplan said: ‘Petplan does not automatically place exclusions on a policy if an owner tells us their pet is overweight.’ It said owners were asked to declare their pet’s health conditions to ensure correct cover.