What the words mean
- Excess
- The part of each claim you pay yourself. With a £99 excess and a £500 vet bill, the insurer pays £401.
- Co-payment
- A share of every claim you pay on top of the excess, often 10% to 20% once a dog is 8 or 9.
- Vet fee limit
- The most the policy pays for vet bills, usually per year or per condition.
- Pre-existing condition
- Anything your dog had, or showed signs of, before the policy started. Usually not covered.
- Premium
- What you pay for the insurance, monthly or once a year.
The four types of dog insurance
| LifetimePays vet fees up to a limit every year, and the limit resets each year. Long-term conditions stay covered as long as you renew. | Best cover |
|---|---|
| Maximum benefitPays up to a set amount for each condition. Once it’s used up, that condition isn’t covered again. | Middle |
| Time-limitedPays for each condition for 12 months only, then stops. | Cheaper |
| Accident onlyPays for injuries, not illness. | Cheapest |
The cheaper types are fine for one-off accidents. They fail on the thing that costs most: an illness that needs treating year after year, such as allergies, arthritis or a heart problem.
Compare lifetime cover
Use the vet fee limit and excess above when you compare. Check what each policy says about co-payments and pre-existing conditions.
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Watch out for these
- The breeder’s free cover. It usually lasts 4 or 5 weeks. If your puppy gets ill in that time and you then switch insurer, the new one can treat it as a pre-existing condition and refuse to cover it.
- Pre-existing conditions. Anything your dog had before the policy started is usually excluded. That’s why it pays to insure young and stay put.
- Co-payments. Many policies add a 10% to 20% co-payment once a dog reaches 8 or 9.
- Rising premiums. Prices go up as your dog gets older. Check the renewal price each year, but think hard before switching if your dog has had any illness.
Questions
Is pet insurance worth it?
For most people, yes. The average claim was £685 in 2024, and surgery can cost thousands. Two-thirds of owners say they couldn’t pay for unexpected surgery. If you could pay any vet bill from savings, you could skip it, but a long-term illness can cost thousands every year.
What vet fee limit do I need?
At least £4,000 a year for a small dog, and more for big dogs or breeds with known health problems. Knee surgery alone can cost £2,000 to £3,000, before scans and aftercare.
How old does a puppy need to be?
Most insurers cover puppies from 8 weeks old.