Visiting the vet can be an expensive business, so Working Lunch viewer Ruth Brooks took out what she thought was comprehensive insurance for her cat, Killer.

When Killer became ill with an abscess in his mouth, Ruth presumed he was covered.

Her insurance company, though, refused to pay.

Dental work

Ruth pays an annual premium of �155.99 to More Than Insurance, part of Royal and Sun Alliance. The policy includes �5,000 for veterinary bills.

But More Than wouldn't pay out because of the nature of Killer's problem.

Chris: "We don't cover pre-existing conditions"

To treat the abscess, a tooth had to be removed and More Than say Killer's policy doesn't include dental work.

"We don't cover pre-existing conditions," says Chris Pratt from More Than. "The risk with covering dental conditions is that many of these take a long time to reach a point where symptoms are visible."

Had the abscess been on another part of Killer, it's likely he would have been covered.

Ruth was told that if she'd brushed Killer's teeth it would have lessened the risk.

But she still would not have been covered for what the company refer to as 'natural wear and tear'.

Costly

The bill for Killer's treatment came to �323, which Susan had to find out of her own pocket.

Killer is much better now after �323 of treatment

There are many different pet insurance products on the market with varying premiums and under some Killer would have been covered.

The only way to make sure your pet is covered, for as many eventualities as possible, is to scour the market place and make sure you read the small print.

You may also want to invest in a pet-size toothbrush - just in case!