All dogs will need to make a visit to a vet at some point in their life, and anyone who owns a dog knows that vet bills can be very expensive. Taking out pet insurance for your dog can help ensure you can cover the vet bills that come with giving your dog the medical care they need.
There are generally 3 types of cover available when it comes to pet insurance.
Accidental Injury: This covers your dog if they sustain an accidental injury, such as motor vehicle incidents, burns, electrocution, allergic reactions and snakebites.
Accidental Injury and Illness: This covers your dog if they sustain an accidental injury, as well as illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes, infectious diseases, gastrointestinal problems and skin/eye/ear conditions.
Accidental Injury, Illness and Routine Care: This covers accidental injury, illnesses, and also provides cover for a range of additional extras such as dental care, de-sexing, vaccinations and preventative care for fleas, ticks and worms.
Some policies do not cover:
-Pre-existing conditions.
-Illness or injury resulting from a deliberate act or gross negligence on the owners part.
-Illness or injury due to lack of care.
-Any diseases that could have been prevented through vaccination.
-Cruciate ligament conditions which occur in the first six months of cover.
-Organ transplant surgery.
-Cell replacement therapies.
-Prosthetics or artificial limbs.
-Ambulance fees and non-essential hospitalisation.
-Unapproved medications.
-Pet food, vitamins and dietary supplements.
-Breeding.
-Behavioural problems
-Training, socialisation, therapy and alternative therapies.
-Grooming or bathing.
-Treatment for dogs being used for commercial purposes, such as greyhounds and guard dogs.
Factors that influence the price of the insurance:
-Age. Older dogs are more expensive to insure as they are more prone to illness. Most policies don’t cover dogs over 9 years old.
-Purebred or crossbred. Purebred dogs are thought to suffer from more health problems making them more expensive to insure.
-Gender. Certain genders may be more prone to certain medical conditions.
-Size. Generally the larger the dog is the more expensive medical treatment will be, meaning insurance for larger dog breeds is more expensive.
-De-sexed or not. Dogs that haven’t been de-sexed are more prone to certain medical conditions, making them more expensive to insure.
-Choice of policy. Generally the less the policy covers, the cheaper it is.
Australian Pet Insurance Companies Comparison
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