Last Updated: 07/05/2025
Why Should I Get Pet Insurance for my Dog?
Considering pet insurance? Check out our Vet-written guide for all the information you need to consider.
Author: Dr Teagan Lever BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 30 minutes - long read
Last Updated: 07/05/2025
Considering pet insurance? Check out our Vet-written guide for all the information you need to consider.
Author: Dr Teagan Lever BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 30 minutes - long read
You may have just acquired a new puppy, or your dog may have just been at the vets with a sickness, or you may be organising your own health insurance and wondering if you should get pet insurance for your dog? With nearly 70% of all Australian households owning a pet there is a growing consideration for the need of pet insurance.
As much as dogs enrich our lives, they do come with both personal and financial commitments. We need to set aside money to cover for their food, general health care and then often unexpected treatments for injuries and illnesses. And of course we cannot predict when our dog may get hurt or sick! Many pet parents do not realise the costs of unexpected veterinary bills especially if their dog needs after hours emergency treatment, surgery, or costly medical intervention and of course there is no medicare for pets!
Contents:
What are pre-existing conditions?
What type of pet insurance should I get?
Additional points of consideration for acquiring pet insurance
Further reading
Pet insurance is there to help cover the cost of unexpected veterinary expenses up to an agreed amount. This may happen in cases of unexpected illness or injury. It is often specifically designed for those unexpected events that are challenging to budget for. Some examples could include: your dog getting bitten by a snake, your puppy eating something it should not have and getting a foreign body obstruction which requires surgery, and a middle aged dog becomes unwell and is subsequently diagnosed with diabetes. It may be useful to ask yourself the question âWould I be able to afford unplanned large veterinary expenses if my beloved dog becomes sick or injured?â Pet insurance can help give you the ability to consider all treatment options without being overwhelmed by the cost. It can also be very handy for conditions which may be ongoing such as allergies and skin conditions as well as ear infections and sensitive digestive issues. These often require a costly work up and ongoing diagnostics, treatments and preventative measures.
An additional way to think about pet insurance is that it resembles car insurance. The premium you pay correlates to your petâs risk of incurring expenses such as age and the breed of your dog. Another similarity is that pet insurance covers for unexpected veterinary expenses (like a car crash for car insurance) rather than routine, expected health maintenance such as vaccinations, health checks and parasite preventatives (just like how routine servicing of your car is not covered by car insurance). Although, there are many different pet insurance products, so it is advisable to always check the product disclosure statement (PDS) to see what is covered and what is excluded as some insurers do offer routine care cover.
A very important aspect to take note of is that pet insurance does not cover for pre-existing conditions. This means that any illness, injury, or a condition that occurred prior to purchasing the policy, or within an applicable exclusion period, will not be covered for. Therefore, the younger your pup is when you get pet insurance, the better the chance that your pet will have fewer pre-existing conditions.
There are also different types of pre-existing conditions such as temporary and permanent conditions. For example, if your dog breaks a bone, this would be considered temporary as it is only present for a period of time. A permanent pre-existing condition is one that is present before the starting date of the policy, including exclusion periods, and is an ongoing lifelong illness, such as diabetes. Some temporary pre-existing conditions may be able to be included in the policy with a health check from the veterinarian declaring the condition is fully cured. Depending on the temporary condition, and the particular policy, it may be able to be removed but usually after a certain determined asymptomatic period and confirmed cured by the vet. This may differ among different insurers and policies and is best to determine before a policy is taken out or within the cooling off period.
You really need to do your homework when considering a policy that is suitable for your dog. There are some basic options as well as more comprehensive coverage policies. Do be aware that some policies may have sub-limits for certain items so even though there is an annual limit, there may be a sublimit for treatments such as tick paralysis or cruciate ligament surgery (knee surgery).
An accident-only policy is the most basic level of cover and then the next step up would be accident and illness coverage. Do check the PDS to confirm exactly what is covered. Some insurers will also offer extra covers which may cover some routine care expenses or additional options like dental and behavioural coverage.
Decide what coverage you want for your dog
Check out the options for the benefit percentage (how much money you can get back from an eligible claim)
Check if the excess is annual or per condition
Find out which policies have the highest annual limits
Research if there are sub-limits per condition
Make sure your dog is an eligible age
Don't forget to review the product disclosure statement to understand what is and isn't covered
Pet insurance will require you to pay a premium (usually monthly) to receive a coverage that you choose and is best suited for your dog. You will then be reimbursed for part of your eligible vet bills. The benefit percentage (which means the portion of the claim that you will receive back) is again chosen by you and usually covers 70-90% of the eligible veterinary expense.
Some insurers may reimburse you after you pay your local vet upfront and submit a claim which meets the eligibility criteria. While other insurers may even pay your vet directly.
There may also be the option of an annual excess which is the amount that you pay towards a claim. Once you have paid your excess, then any future claims during the same period of insurance (ie a 12 month period) will not have the annual excess deducted. Some insurers may have an excess for each claim or condition so again important to do your research to understand the different policies and conditions.
There is usually a minimum and maximum age for entry, and this will vary for the different insurers and their policies. It averages a minimum of 6-8 weeks and a maximum entry age of 8-9 years.
There are waiting periods which again may vary so check the policy details, but usually accidental insurance coverage has a shorter waiting period than illnesses and specified conditions.
A few other things to be aware of with pre-existing conditions is for bilateral conditions and related conditions. Firstly, with bilateral conditions, if there is an issue with your dogâs right knee, the same issue happening in the left knee will be considered as a pre-existing condition due to the bilateral link. Then there are also related, secondary or as a result of the initial condition. In this case the dog would be determined to have a pre-existing condition for say diabetes and then later may develop cataracts, but this would also be seen as pre-existing as it is directly related to the diabetes.
Alternatives to pet insurance are available and may be suited for people who have a pet with excluded conditions, those that donât want to pay monthly fees or have pet insurance policy concerns. Although pet insurance is a great way to receive financial protection for unexpected accidents and illnesses, it isnât for everyone. An alternative option are some online companies that provide 24/7 vet advice for a more affordable monthly fee. Additionally some vets may offer a veterinary discount plan which can offer discounts off routine and even non-routine medical services and treatment. There is also the option of opening a savings account which can serve as a fund for unexpected veterinary care. And with this option you can save as little or as much as you like, still gain interest and if you pet does not get sick or injured, the funds will remain yours.
In the last few years in Australia, a number of insurers have launched pet insurance products. This gives pet parents many more options to choose from, so you really can choose the best option for your dog.
There is no wrong or right answer to if you should get pet insurance for your dog. The important factors to consider include the age of your dog, the breed, the different policies available and any pre-existing conditions which will likely not be covered.
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