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Like any kind of insurance, always read the policy carefully and check nothing you may need is excluded. Once a policy has started, you normally can't claim for any illness arising within the first 10 to 14 days.

Dogs bred for their aggressive nature often can't be insured, such as Irish Staffordshire bull terriers, pit bulls, Japanese tosa and bull mastiffs. If your dog's own breeding has been crossed with any of these, it also won't qualify. If you know of any insurers that will cover these breeds, please email us.

Another area to be aware of is working dogs. Pets used for commercial purposes - racing, hunting, or sheep dogs - are normally excluded from cover.

Also decide if you're happy to pay for complementary or altenative therapies such as physiotherapy, acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine or hydrotherapy, as insurers are starting to include them. Some policies also provide cover for animal behavioural conditions.

Most insurers won't insure your pet for pre-existing conditions or anything they've already been treated for, such as cancer or arthritis.

You might expect this when first taking out an insurance policy. But if you stick with many policies, you won't be able to claim again for an illness once you've reached its specified limit - most insurers cap either the time or money you can claim for conditions such as cataracts.

Just as with human medical insurance - which usually allows you to continue claiming on the same ailment for life as long as you don't switch provider - switching pet insurer carries the risk of a price hike or exclusions.

The all-important exceptions to the rule

There are a couple of serious exceptions to note. Be very wary and think carefully before switching if...

• You are still claiming for a particular treatment on your current insurance policy, and haven't yet hit the maximum amount or 'length of time' payout, or...

• You have a top-end 'lifetime' policy which does not have these exclusions.

The older your pet, the pricier your policy, as an ageing animal is more likely to incur injury or illness. Some policies impose an upper acceptable age limit as well as additional contribution costs should you make a claim.

Therefore, always double-check the small print or ask, as some insurers restrict the level of cover available once your pet reaches a certain age.

For example, many pet policies say you must contribute 20 per cent of any treatment cost - beyond the excess - once your dog or cat reaches a set age. The AA says it applies from the age of six, Churchill and Virgin are from seven. At M&S;, the threshold is nine years old. Some insurers don't state an upper age limit, although death from illness is excluded when the pet reaches a certain age. At Debenhams it's nine for dogs, and John Lewis is at the age of eight.

If your pet is less than eight weeks old, you'll have to wait before getting full cover as a rule, though some insurers will provide full cover for dogs or cats from six weeks old, with the possibility that cover may only be restricted to accidents.

If you've a dog who causes a road traffic accident which ends up hurting other people, or he or she is inexplicably keen on destroying property, your pet can be held responsible and an expensive personal injury or liability claim could be lodged against you.

In a worst-case scenario, your pet's behaviour could cost you thousands. If a man in his 40s is badly injured in a crash caused by your dog and unable to work again, a legal claim could see you pursued for 20 years' loss of earnings as well as for injury compensation.

So make sure your insurer provides liability against property damage or injury to third parties, and the cover limit is at least �1m. Most basic policies will insure you for third-party at this level while more expensive 'lifetime' policies will give you �2m.

Another option to look into is if you have a home contents policy. The liability section of the policy normally includes cover for your pet, but it's definitely worth a call to check. There is additional information in our Cheap Home Insurance Tricks guide.

Changing the amount of excess you pay - the amount you immediately contribute towards any claim - can cut the cost. Pay a higher excess, and your willingness to foot a greater part of the bill means the insurer will reward you by charging a lower premium.

To decide on your excess, consider this: "How much would it have to cost me before I was happy to claim on the policy?" If you wouldn't bother claiming for less than �200, for example, then paying for a �50 excess is pointless.

Though beware of policies where you must pay a share of any claim, usually about 10%, rather than a fixed limit such as �200. If your pet gets seriously ill, this can turn very costly very quickly.

Remember, some policies will charge you a share of the claim beyond the excess once your pet reaches a certain age.

With insurance, remember - the golden rule is:

If you've read these tips and thought, "it's easy to lie about this", then of course you're right. Yet lying on your insurance form is fraud. It can lead to your insurance being invalidated and, in the worst case, a criminal prosecution. Don't do it.

When applying for a policy, be sure to disclose EVERY scrap of your pet's medical history. This may well push up your premiums in the short term, but will save you big money in the long term as providers won't pay up if they suspect your pet's problem already existed.

If you've a posh pooch, certain pedigree breeds are more likely to develop hereditary conditions. For example, some pedigree dogs suffer from hereditary weak joints or hips due to generations of inter-breeding. These can require regular support and treatment.

Some policies specifically exclude treatment for hereditary conditions, so check to see whether this is the case. Many insurers also exclude conditions that the animal was born with.

As a rule, buy a pedigree and you'll pay more as insurers factor in their tendency to run a higher risk of long-term conditions, plus their heightened appeal to pet-burglars. Never lie about your pet's origin to save money on monthly premiums; declaring a dog as a mongrel when it's anything but can void your claim.

Always ensure your pet has the proper vaccinations, supplied by a vet, and you are provided with certificates. If you don't bother, or forget to keep your furry friend up to date with routine jabs, it could mean you aren't covered when you come to claim. It could even invalidate your insurance.

Your pet doesn't have to be vaccinated to get a quote, but if you claim for a condition which would have been prevented by a routine vaccination, then it may not be met if your pet hasn't been given that vaccination.

Remember to keep your vaccination certificates in a safe place - you might need to produce them if you need to make a claim.

Many insurers will often offer a 5%-10% discount if you take two policies out at the same time. However, don't let it stop you shopping around for a better, cheaper policy elsewhere. After all, 10% off is no good if you can get a rival policy elsewhere for 12% less.

Our top comparison sites below don't do this yet, but try Confused.com* which will let you get quotes for up to five pets. It allows you to combine cats and dogs on to one policy, and includes any multi-pet discounts.

We are not saying you will be guaranteed the cheapest premium by using this system, but it will help to make like easier.

Others to try - who give multi-quote discounts - are Argos*, Aviva*, Direct line*, Esure, Homebase and Petplan*, then use the full comparison system for each pet to contrast the overall cost.

Pet cover is like home, car, travel, life or even PPI loan insurance - if the provider goes into default, then the government-backed FSCS scheme kicks in.

There are two main ways in which it protects you.

• If you need to claim from a bust insurer

  The FSCS's main objective is to 'maintain continuity'. If your insurer goes bust, it will try to find another provider to take over your policy, or issue a substitute policy.
  
  However, if you have any ongoing claims, or need to make a claim before a new insurer is found, the FSCS will cover these.

• If it goes bust and you paid upfront

  If you've paid for cover for a year, but the company goes bust after a month or two, then you would lose out.

  To protect you, if the FSCS can't transfer your policy to another provider, you'll be given a period of time to take out alternative insurance, and any money you've already paid will be refunded as compensation via the FSCS.

The limits of the compensation depend on whether the policy is compulsory or not.

Compensation for policies like third party car insurance, which you are required by law to have, are unlimited, so you get 100% of the premium back.

Non-compulsory policies, such as pet, home, travel, life and PPI, cover 90% of the money paid. So that means it's posssible, in the worst case scenario, you could lose 10% of the money you paid out (though it's more likely you'll be transferred to a new insurer).

To chip or not to chip? It's not compulsory, but microchipping does help owners get reunited with their favourite pet. A scannable chip is inserted under your pet's fur, then registered. It means the pet can be returned to its owner if it gets lost and is then found by a stranger.

This usually costs �20-�30 per pet, but an increasing number of insurers are starting to give discounts on premiums if your pet has been fitted with one, making it worth bearing in mind.

Currently, if you buy from Homebase, it will pay �15 towards the cost of getting it done. Also, you may be able to get your pooch microchipped for free at Dogs Trust Rehoming Centres.

Think what car insurance covers. Unexpected accidents or your carburettor going up in smoke are protected by insurance, but routine maintenance like replacing old tyres or the MOT aren't.

Pets are similar - the treatments that are required, come rain or shine, are excluded by insurers, but any unexpected accidents or illnesses should be covered.

The following lists aren't exhaustive, and depend on your specific policy, so never assume you're covered - always check.

What's covered?

• Broken bones/ injuries from accidents
• Many illnesses, from cancer to asthma, skin infections to bone diseases and arthritis
• Possibly the cost of overseas emergency vet treatment on a foreign trip or holiday
• The cost of advertising and a reward you fall victim to dog/cat-napping

What isn't covered?

• Routine injections - flu, tetanus, parvovirus, annual booster vaccinations. Plus check-ups
• Worming treatments
• Anti-flea medications
• Whelping costs

A dog is for life, not just for Christmas - and unfortunately, this is often the case with pet insurance too. The reason? Since most providers exclude pre-existing conditions, this means you can normally only claim for each illness once.

Most insurers won't insure your pet for any ailment or illness they've already been treated for - cancer, say, or arthritis - unless you pay a huge hike in premiums.

You might automatically expect this when taking out an insurance policy for the first time. But even if you stick with the same policy, you may not be able to claim again for a particular illness once you've reached the limit.

Most insurers either cap the amount of time or money you can claim for a condition - eg, cataracts - although some are now starting to only apply this cap for each period of insurance.

Sadly, cancer is a blanket exclusion. This means if your poor pet has had one type, they are excluded from being covered for any other type should they subsequently get it.

More insurers will pay for your pet to be put down, if a life-threatening accident or serious illness means this is the kindest option. A few will also cover the cost of cremation or burial expenses (up to limits, with the most generous using the current market rate for your pet). This latter add-on suits those who have invested a lot of money in an exotic or high-pedigree pet.

These rules allow your cat or dog to travel with you overseas to other EU countries, without any need for quarantine, where some pet insurers extend their cover abroad. If you regularly travel with your pet, it'll be worth considering this add-on, which offers vets' fees of up to �1,000.

For the cover to be fully effective, you must follow guidelines set out by Defra. You must get the pet microchipped and obtain a pet passport (see the full requirements at Gov.uk).

Some insurers will also cover the cost of a replacement or quarantine costs incurred as a direct result of you losing a pet passport.

It's no surprise pets pick the choicest moments to get tangled up in an accident or damaging incident - such as before or during a holiday! In the event you want to completely cancel your trip, or curtail it and come home, a number of policies offer holiday cover to help with the cost of travel and accommodation expenses.

More and more policies provide loss or theft cover - often as much as �2,000 towards the cost of advertising a missing pet in the local press, making flyers and posters, and even to cover the cost of a reward.

A greater number of insurers now provide cover for kennel and cattery fees, with the sums insured ranging from �250 up to �1,500. This can help if you're needed for an emergency - or have to go into hospital, say - and there's nobody else available to look after your pet.

Some policies even provide the option to have dog walking cover, if injury or an illness means you can't do this yourself.

Usually your stay in hospital needs to be longer than four consecutive days for this to pay out - though some policies are a bit more lenient.

Cats clawing your furniture to death are a fact of life! Dogs are also partial to an expensive bit of chewing - carpets, shoes, you name it - but finding an insurer to provide this cover is difficult.

For instance, Saga's Super Cover Pet policy states "accidental damage caused by your pet to personal property that you and your family own" is provided. But it also says "damage caused by biting, scratching, fouling or urinating" is excluded - so most things they'd do aren't covered!

However, you may already be covered for accidental damage on your home contents policy, so give your provider a quick call to check.