Glossary
Last updated · VetExpenses Editorial Team
- Annual limit
- The most a pet insurance policy will pay in a policy year. Some policies use per-incident or lifetime limits instead.
- Deductible
- What you pay toward eligible vet bills before insurance starts paying. It may apply per year or per incident.
- Reimbursement rate
- The share of an eligible bill (after the deductible) that a pet insurance policy pays back, such as 70%, 80% or 90%.
- Premium
- The monthly or yearly price of a pet insurance policy.
- Pre-existing condition
- A health problem that started or showed signs before coverage began; often excluded by pet insurance.
- RER (resting energy requirement)
- The calories a pet needs at rest, calculated as 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75; daily needs are RER times a life-stage factor.
- Methylxanthines
- The group of compounds in chocolate, coffee and caffeine — mainly theobromine and caffeine — that are toxic to pets.
- Theobromine
- The main methylxanthine in chocolate; dogs eliminate it slowly, which makes chocolate dangerous to them.
- Allium
- The plant family that includes onions, garlic, chives and leeks; it can damage red blood cells in cats and dogs.
- Xylitol
- A sugar-alcohol sweetener in sugar-free gum, candy and some peanut butters that can cause low blood sugar and liver failure in dogs.
- NSAID
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Human NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can be dangerous to pets; only give pain medicine your vet prescribes.
- Decontamination
- Steps a vet team takes to limit absorption of a poison, such as inducing vomiting under supervision or giving activated charcoal.