Insurance covers your pet's health

VARIOUS companies offer assurance santé pour les animaux - pet health insurance.

Its usefulness depends on whether or not you feel it could be difficult for you to pay vet’s bills should your pet fall ill: €40-€60 for a consultation, €50-€100 for laboratory analyses, €50-€200 for antibiotic treatment, €500-€1,500 for an operation etc.

The policies cost about €20 a month or more. They are not suitable if your pet is already ill and typically do not insure for conditions considered almost inevitable for certain races, like hip dysplasia in Alsatians.

Cheap options, just for surgery, can cost less than €10 a month.