What is dog insurance?
Dog insurance covers your pet’s critical healthcare costs. Dog or puppy insurance can cover some or most of the cost of serious conditions, such as a broken hip or surgical operations. If you choose a higher level of cover, your policy may also help pay for the treatment of illnesses, or your dog’s routine care.
How much does dog insurance cost?
You can choose between different levels of cover, depending on your needs.
- Accident Only Cover ($20 p/month, avg)^. This type of pet insurance is cheapest – as it only covers unforeseen accidents where your pet is injured.
- Accident & Illness Cover ($35-55 p/month, avg)^. You may prefer this mid-level cover, which covers both accidents and illnesses.
- Comprehensive Cover ($60 p/month, avg)^. This type of policy covers accidents and illnesses. Additionally, it may have higher claim limits and subsidise routine care (e.g. checkups, vaccinations, deworming).
Additionally, the cost of your pet insurance policy may differ depending on your dog’s health, age, and more.
Is pet insurance worth my money?
Are you prepared to pay thousands of dollars for emergency pet care? Could you do it at any time, without warning? Accident Only Cover ensures that an expensive vet bill following an accidental injury isn’t a problem; that your pet can get the care they need – when they need it.
Furthermore, illness cover may prevent a healthcare condition from becoming unaffordable to treat; and comprehensive cover can provide hundreds of dollars worth of additional value as your pet ages. Did you know it costs (on average) $256 per year to pay a dog’s vet fees? Just think: higher levels of cover could reduce these costs.
Just remember: a pet insurance policy is unlikely to cover all your pet care expenses. Ensure you check your PDS so you know (i) how much of the treatment cost your insurance policy covers, and (ii) if you are required to pay an excess or co-payment.
Can I cover older pets or certain breeds?
You can cover your pet with an Accident Only insurance policy at any age. If, however, you wish to cover them with Accident & Illness Cover, or a Comprehensive Policy, your dog will most likely have to be insured from an early age. Dogs nine years and older may not be insurable by Illness Cover.
Finally, while all dogs can be covered, certain breeds may be more expensive to insure than others.
Does pet insurance cover the cost of my dog’s vaccinations?
Pet insurance can indeed cover the cost of vaccinations, although it is typically a featured benefit on comprehensive policies. When you compare using our service, we’ll show you which products cover vaccinations and how much you can claim back. It’s a major upside to this product, so keep an eye out for this feature when shopping for insurance.