While of course you would not hesitate when it came to getting your dog treatment, you can make life quicker by taking out dog insurance which can offset some of the veterinary costs involved.

Recently, Sainsbury's has advised pet cover customers to assess whether the duration of their pet insurance cover product matches their needs. According to the pet insurance cover provider, many such deals are only valid for short periods of time, possibly leaving owners without an adequate policy after 12 months.

Their research found that 37% of dog insurance deals and 35 per cent of cat cover policies did not provide cover for health conditions lasting longer than a year.

The report pointed out that as 30 per cent of claims may last longer than one year, a sizable proportion of pet owners could be facing financial difficulty if their insurance cover product is unsuitable

According to the RSPCA, just 17 per cent of dogs and 11 per cent of cats are covered with pet cover - so a large proportion of animal lovers could find themselves out of pocket in the event of an accident of illness.

"Even basic health checks and things like that - they all cost money," the spokesperson said. "We think it's really imperative that people do take out cover."

While dog insurance would cover any treated for illness and accident it also covers a lot more, for instance if your dog were to be the cause of an accident, for instance if a car swerved to avoid hitting your dog and the car was damaged the cover would product the cost of repairs. Dog insurance cover would also provide any legal costs and liability for damage caused by your pet dog.

What is actually covered in the cover can vary and so it is necessary to not only research online for the cheapest premiums for the insurance cover but also for the best possible deal. Using a specialist website will allow you to get several different quotes from some of the top UK Insurers and all quotes should come with the key facts of the cover attached.

There are many extras which you should look out for that can be included in an insurance product and some of the best quotes for dog cover will payout for such things as boarding fees, rewards to get your pet back if they are lost or stolen and some policies can even payout a death benefit.

When looking for dog insurance the quickest way to get access to the marketplace and so find low cost deal is to go online with a specialist website. A specialist website will be able to find you some of the most competitive quotes which you can then look over at your leisure and they should include the key facts.