The vetfone™ telephone service allows you to speak to UK qualified veterinary nurses 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
If you aren’t sure if you need to see a vet, vetfone™ is a convenient first port of call, providing advice you can trust for peace of mind and reassurance. Even if you are not considering a trip to the vets, they are able to provide some tips and advice about general pet care and wellbeing.
Part of the largest vet advice service in the UK, vetfone™ has safely managed more than 250,000 calls to date.
A call to vetfone™ won’t affect your premium or policy excess, however many times you phone.
If it’s the weekend or out of hours, they’ll be able to tell you if you need to urgently go to the vet or if you can wait for surgery opening times, potentially saving you money on unnecessary out of hours trips. If you do need an out of hours surgery, vetfone™ will be able to direct you to the nearest one.
Call the vetfone™ helpline on 0800 316 7119 (24 hours a day).
Table of cover
Essential
Plus
Premier
Vet fees per year
Vet fees are covered in the UK. There is no length of treatment limit as long as you renew the insurance policy and there is no break in cover.
up to £3,000
up to £7,500
up to £12,000
Lifetime cover - as long as the policy is renewed with no break in cover
The cost of looking after your pet’s health doubles every four to five years. That’s why your renewal price increases each year and your excess will increase when your pet turns nine. If a claim is paid, the price you pay next year can double. It’s important that you budget for renewal prices to increase as your pet gets older. There is no limit to how much your renewal price can increase over time.
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vetfoneTM helpline - 24 hour advice from vetinary nurses
If your vet practice isn’t open or can’t offer an appointment for treatment, you can call the helpline for advice any time, any day whether you’re at home or away.
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Behavioural treatment (as part of your vet fees)
We cover the cost of behavioural treatment, provided that this treatment is recommended by a vet and carried out by a specialist.
up to £250
up to £250
up to £500
Treatment food (as part of your vet fees)
We cover the cost of specialist food for treating a condition as long as it is recommended by your vet and covered within the policy terms.
up to £250
up to £250
up to £250
Complementary treatment and physiotherapy (as part of your vet fees)
We cover the cost of physiotherapy if your pet needs it. Physiotherapy has to be performed or recommended by a vet.
up to £250
up to £250
up to £250
Third party liability cover (dogs only)
Provides cover if your dog injures someone or causes damages to their property and as a result you become liable.
up to £1m
up to £2m
up to £3m
Emergency dental treatment due to injury
up to £3,000
up to £7,500
up to £12,000
Accidental damage to other people's property
If you’re visiting someone and your pet accidentally damages this person’s property, we’ll cover the costs of the damage. You don’t have to be legally liable to make a claim in this case.
up to £250
up to £500
up to £750
Lost or stolen
If your pet is stolen or permanently, we’ll cover the costs for the loss.
Our three levels of cover (Essential, Plus and Premier) are all lifetime covers for vet fees, emergency dental care (needed due to an injury) and third-party liability if your dog causes damage to others.
From emergency dental care (needed due to an injury) and cattery fees to treatment of ongoing conditions, our cover for cats helps keep them as happy as they make you.
We provide cover for dogs and cats from eight weeks old, and there is no upper age limit, though benefits do change for pets over nine years old.*
We don't offer cover for the ‘types’ of dogs that should be registered under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the Dangerous Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 or any subsequent amendments (whether pedigree, cross-breed or mixed breed):
Pit Bull Terrier
Japanese Tosa
Dogo Argentino
Fila Braziliero
Additionally, we don't offer cover for:
Wolf or wolf hybrid
Fighting dogs
Guard or security dogs
Dogs used for racing
Dogs used in connection with any profession, occupation or business
Dogs used for breeding
Any breeds not on our breed list unless you have spoken to us and we have agreed to provide cover
*You will not be able to claim for vet fees as a result of an accident in the first 48 hours of cover, or for any changes in your pet's health or behaviour in the first 14 days of cover. Death from illness cover is not available for any pets aged 9 years and above. Excess will increase when your pet turns 9.
Pet Insurance from John Lewis Finance only offers lifetime covers.This means your pet is covered for ongoing conditions as well as one-off mishaps with no limit to the length of treatment, as long as the policy is renewed and there is no break in cover.
Cats and dogs, like humans, are more prone to illness as they get older and their likelihood of needing treatment increases. This means your insurance premium will increase each year even if you haven’t made a claim. Your premium will also increase when a claim has been paid.
Once your pet reaches the age of nine, your excess amounts will also go up.
Dogs and cats, like humans, are more prone to illness and ailments as they get older. Your price will increase at renewal, because of this likelihood and also when a claim has been paid. New developments in diagnosis and treatments have meant that vets can give them even better care, which is great news for your family pet but means an increase in vet costs.
If your pet is aged nine or over, you will be asked to pay extra excess when making a claim. Rest assured, as long as you renew your policy with us and there’s no break in cover, we reinstate your vet fees limits. So, if while insured with us, your pet starts to develop an ongoing illness, like diabetes or arthritis, or a reoccurring illness like an ear infection, you can continue to claim up to your chosen vet fee limit each year.
If you shop around and try to switch providers, you’ll probably find that they won’t cover pre-existing illnesses or injuries (known as pre-existing conditions) and cover for ongoing conditions will be lost.
John Lewis Finance and John Lewis Insurance are trading names of John Lewis plc. The John Lewis Registered office address is: 171 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5NN. Registered in England and Wales no. 233462.
John Lewis plc is an appointed representative (Financial Conduct Authority number 416011) of Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd. John Lewis Pet Insurance is underwritten by Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Ltd (No. 93792). Registered in England and Wales at St. Mark's Court, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1XL. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No. 202323).
