We cannot offer cover for any dog breed that is noted as dangerous under the UK Dangerous Dogs Act, nor for those on the Portuguese register of dangerous breeds, so there are additional breeds considered dangerous or potentially dangerous in Portugal, so you should check. As an example, in UK a Rottweiler is not listed under the Dangerous Dogs Act, but in Portugal it is considered a “Potentially Dangerous Dog” and as such you need liability cover.

If you have a large dog that may be considered dangerous we will happily verify and if your dog is not classed as dangerous or potentially dangerous, offer an Ibex pet policy but if it is listed as dangerous, we will recommend a liability policy which is available from Portuguese insurers with varying levels of liability cover. Unfortunately, this is purely a liability policy so does not include veterinary fees, and as Ibex cannot offer cover for dangerous dogs, you need to be aware when obtaining such a dog that you will be liable for your veterinary fees yourself.

Our pet policy has three levels of cover with cover for veterinary fees ranging from €2,000 to €8,000 depending on the level selected, and the policy also includes loss through theft or straying, death from accidents and emergency boarding fees (if you have to go into hospital unexpectedly). There is also cover available for reimbursement of advertising costs plus, for the two higher levels of cover, Overseas Travel but you must have a pet passport for this option to be included.

In all policies, any condition that existed prior to the policy starting will be excluded from cover. Leishmaniosis for dogs and Feline Aids (FIV) for cats will not be covered, whenever contracted.

As with most insurance policies, there is an excess for each claim, but the excess will be deducted only once per accident or illness, and any ongoing treatment required will also be covered for up to 12 months after the date of the first treatment.

It is essential that you maintain the annual vaccinations for your pet as if you do not maintain the regular routine of vaccinations, any disease contracted that could have been vaccinated against will not be covered under the policy. The costs incurred with your annual vaccination routine are not covered under this policy.

Because this is a policy to cover injury, loss or death of your pet, the Ibex Pet Insurance policy does not include any liability cover so if your cat or dog causes an accident, bites or scratches someone, or fights with and injures another animal you will not be able to claim on your pet insurance.

Most home insurance policies include some level of Public Liability cover which normally extends to domestic pets including cats, dogs and sometimes even horses, although any dogs designated as dangerous or potentially dangerous are specifically excluded, so as long as you have a contents policy or take a specific liability policy for your dog, you should be covered for any damage or accident caused by your pet.

In the event of any claim you will be required to complete a claim form and for veterinary fees, this must be completed in conjunction with your veterinary surgeon. However, we will also need a separate letter from your vet to confirm the diagnosis and prognosis, plus a list of treatment since your animal was registered - the latter to prove that it is not an ongoing or pre-existing condition that pre-dates the policy.

Many people have complained that if we need that information, we should ask the vet to supply it, but we then run into Data Protection regulations which forbid your vet from disclosing information to a third party (us), and even if they were able to agree, there is no guarantee of how long they will take to respond. As you are visiting the vet, you can ask for the list and letter and submit them with your claim and save time and trauma and they will normally react to the client better than to their insurers.

If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to call into one of our offices in Almancil or Tavira to get the most suitable policy to meet your needs or call us on 800 860 708 / 289 399 774 for Almancil or 281 325 842 for Tavira. Or if you prefer, send an e-mail to ptnews@ibexinsure.com