Pet insurance covers you for any unforeseen accident or illness your pet may suffer from in the future. Just like you insure your own health in case of a future condition, your pet can get insurance the same as you can. Pet insurance though doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions except in special circumstances – see below question ‘Does any insurance company cover pre-existing conditions?’ This means you ought to be insuring them as young as possible as there’s much less chance they will have a pre-existing condition versus when they are older.

Sure, pet insurance covers accidents such as poisoning, sprains, or ACL ruptures. It covers illnesses such as ear infections, vomiting and diarrhea, or more serious illnesses such as cancer, heart disease or diabetes. It covers chronic illnesses such as allergies, arthritis and skin conditions, hereditary conditions such as hip dysplasia, eye and blood disorders. Additionally x-rays, MRI’s and CT scan testing is covered along with other diagnostics such as ultrasounds and blood tests. On the more expensive scale, surgeries and chemotherapy are covered, as well as alternative therapies including acupuncture, chiropractic and laser therapy treatment. Hereditary and congenital conditions are also covered.

As you would expect, each insurer is different and the best place to see what’s covered on each plan is to go to the ‘What’s covered’ section which you can find in the ‘View full policy information’ area under any result when you get a quote.

A hereditary condition is passed down from your pet's parents. Pure breeds are particularly susceptible. Examples include: elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia and epilepsy.

A congenital condition is a symptom that your pet was born with. Examples include a heart defect or liver disease.

There are a few factors that affect the cost of pet insurance. Your pet’s breed, where you live and your pet’s age are the main ones, and then it’s down to the type of plan and coverage levels that you choose. The policy limits, level of deductible and reimbursement % are also big variables. It’s possible to get pet insurance for under $10 per month, but you ought to make sure that you’re getting the best coverage you can afford combined with what’s appropriate for your pet’s breed, age and health level.

Policy limits are the maximum amount you can claim for annually on the policy you choose. It’s important to remember that vet bills can be really expensive. Bills over $1,000+ just for exams are common and surgery can be really expensive. For example, surgery on a broken elbow or hip can easily be close to $10,000. Being underinsured is a position you don’t want to find yourself in.

A deductible is the first amount of a claim that you pay. If you have an annual deductible then you will only pay up to that figure annually, regardless of how many times you go to the vet. If your policy comes with a per-incident deductible then you’re responsible for the deductible amount for every claim you make for a different incident. You don’t actually pay the deductible, rather the insurance company pays your reimbursement, less the deductible.

The reimbursement % is the % of the claim amount you get back after your deductible. For example, if you have a 90% reimbursement and a $250 deductible and then you make a claim for $3,000, you will get back $3,000 less $250 which = $2,750 multiplied by 90% which comes to $2,475.

Yes, dental trauma is covered which includes having their teeth out and reconstruction if necessary. This is covered under the Accident section of your policy. Additionally, your policy will also cover other dental issues such as gingivitis and periodontal disease.

If you have insurance then you’ll be glad you bought it. This can run up a big bill, think $8,000+ for TPLO surgery (the best surgery). Included in this cost will be pre-surgery bloodwork, anesthesia, the surgery itself, post surgery care and medications.

If you don’t have insurance, we feel for you as this is one of the most expensive surgeries your pet can have. Ask your vet about Care Credit, a service that is only available via licensed vets than let’s you spread payments, usually interest free, over a couple of years. Interest kicks in after that but it’s well worth investigating.

The sad fact is that cancer is the no.1 disease related killer of pets. Cancer can very easily run to well over $10,000 in costs and often up to $30,000. Unless you choose an accident only policy, your policy will cover cancer, up to the annual limits of the policy you choose. Certain breeds of pet’s are more susceptible to cancer (talk to your vet if you’re unsure) and so you really want to make sure you have enough coverage to protect against the financial consequences of not having coverage in place.

Just because your pet is only 2 or 3 years old and looks healthy now, they can be in a vehicle accident, get cancer, a broken leg, swallow a toy, have allergies or any other condition that’s expensive to treat at any age. Imagine if your pet gets in trouble with any of these conditions, or indeed anything else and you can’t afford the $$$$ to treat him, how are you going to feel knowing that you could have protected him for as little as $1 per day?

If you’re pet is a dog and you’re unsure, select ‘Mixed Breed Small/Medium/Large’, depending on how much you think they’ll weigh as an adult.

The minimum age you can insurer a pet is 2 months old. Congratulations when you do this, you’re the most responsible pet owner as there is way, way less chance of a condition being pre-existing compared to a more senior pet.

The maximum age you can insure a pet is 18 years old. In our experience, pet insurance doesn’t really go up after 10 years old, so don’t be too worried!