If you’ve just got a puppy, then you’ll want to take all steps you can to make sure it has a happy and healthy life. A big part of this is regular vet visits. Unfortunately these vet visits can be costly, particularly as your dog gets older and may develop health issues that require treatment. Luckily, getting insurance that covers these costs is never cheaper than when your dog is still a puppy.
Some of the key benefits of puppy insurance are:
- Lifetime cover for your dog
- The best treatment if/when your puppy needs it
- Flexible payment methods
- Quick and easy quotes
A guide to puppy insurance
Puppies bring a lot of joy to their owners and taking care of them can be tough but is also very rewarding. Having puppy insurance in place will give you peace of mind that if they needed treatment at the vet, it would likely be covered by your policy.
Getting puppy insurance quotes is very quick and easy. You can get quotes now by simply clicking the green button and supplying the required information.
If you’re not sure what type of policy to get, then read on to find out more about puppy insurance, including what’s usually covered, the things that affect cost and some great ways to save money.
Did you know?
How much is puppy insurance?
The cost of taking out a policy for your puppy will depend on a few key things. The main things that insurance providers look at are:
- Age – Once your puppy is over 5 weeks old, most insurers will offer cover. The earlier you get puppy insurance, the cheaper it will usually be, so don’t be tempted to put it off as you might pay considerably more when your dog is fully grown.
- Type of policy – The type of policy you take out (see more below) is another big factor that affects the cost of puppy insurance.
- Breed – The breed of your puppy will also be taken into account by insurance providers. Some breeds are more susceptible to health problems, so if you own such a breed, this will be reflected in the price of your policy.
- Pre-existing conditions – Most puppies are healthy and don’t have any serious pre-existing conditions but this isn’t always the case. As you would expect, if your puppy has any conditions that require medical treatment, this will be reflected in the cost of your cover.
- Location – Your location will affect what you pay for puppy insurance too, particularly if the breed of dog you have is rare and could potentially attract thieves.
What types of policies are available?
- Lifetime insurance – A lifetime insurance policy will cover your puppy for the entirety of its life, assuming you continue to pay the premium each year of course. It will cover most health conditions and accidents and health conditions won’t be excluded even if you claimed for them previously, which is not always the case with other types of policies.
- Accident only insurance – This type of cover is usually much less expensive than a lifetime or annual policy but it will only cover your puppy if it needs treatment due to an accident. It will not cover any treatments for health conditions.
- Annual insurance – Annual insurance will cover your puppy for a 12 month period. The advantage to this is that you’re not as committed as you are with a lifetime policy and can shop around for insurance that you might be able to get cheaper elsewhere every year when your current policy expires.
Did you know?
What’s covered?
Exactly what’s covered by puppy insurance will vary depending on the insurance provider and the type of policy you take out. Some of the things that are typically covered in most policies include:
- Treatment for medical conditions – If your puppy develops any health conditions after the policy was taken out, then the treatment costs will usually be covered by your insurance. Sometimes they’ll be an excess to pay for certain types of treatments.
- Treatment for accidents – If your puppy was involved in an accident where it was injured and required treatment at the vet, the associated costs would be covered by most policies.
What isn’t covered?
Routine vet visits aren’t usually covered by puppy insurance. This includes things like:
- Neutering/spaying
- Grooming
- Nail clipping
- Worming
- Vaccines
- Boosters
Additional types of cover
As well as cover for medical treatment for health conditions and accidents, you can also get additional cover included in your puppy insurance policy. Some of these types of cover include:
- Loss or theft – If your puppy is lost or stolen, then certain policies can provide cover for the advertising and reward costs.
- Liability claims – If your puppy were to bite someone or cause damage to their property, you would be covered for the cost of any liability claim you might face as a result.
- Overseas emergency treatment – If you’re likely to travel overseas with your dog, then a policy with this insurance option would cover you for any emergency vet treatment they might need.
- Kennel fees – If you were to be hospitalised and needed your puppy to be taken to a kennel, the costs associated would be covered after a certain number of days (usually it’s around 4 but it can vary depending on the insurance provider).
Are there any ways to save money on puppy insurance?
Generally speaking, puppy insurance is the cheapest type of cover for dogs since most puppies are healthy and don’t have any serious medical conditions that require treatment. That said, there are still steps you can take to avoid overspending on your insurance. These include:
- Take out the policy as early as possible – Most insurers will allow you to take out a policy for your puppy when they reach 5 weeks of age. The earlier you take out the policy, the less it’s likely to be.
- Increase excess – For certain types of claims, such as operations, you’re likely to have to pay an excess. By increasing the excess on your policy, you can lower your monthly payments.
- Limit cover options – There are quite a few additional types of puppy insurance you can get, as covered earlier. You should think about whether you’re likely to need them and limit your insurance to only the things that are most important. This will certainly help to keep costs down.
- Shop around for quotes – Lastly, you should shop around and get quotes from many different insurance providers to ensure you get the best deal possible.
In summary: Buying puppy insurance
Getting insurance for your dog when they’re still a puppy is by far the best option. If you wait until your dog’s older and starts developing health problems, it will be much harder to find insurance at a reasonable rate.
Get tailored puppy insurance quotes now!
To get puppy insurance quotes that are tailored to your needs, simply click the green button. Once you’ve provided the necessary information, you’ll then be able to compare your quotes and pick the best one!
Puppy Insurance FAQs
Is it best to get a lifetime insurance policy for my puppy?
This comes down to your own personal preference and budget. If you are going to get a lifetime policy though, it’s much better to get one when your dog is still very young since it will be considerably cheaper than getting it later on.
Are behavioural problems covered?
Some policies will provide cover for behavioural problems that your puppy may develop, this isn’t usually included as standard though, so always check the details of any policies you’re considering.
Are dental issues covered by puppy insurance?
General dental work, such as cleaning and tooth extraction isn’t usually included. However, dental work that’s required due to an accident or emergency is covered by most policies.
What if my puppy has pre-existing conditions?
If your puppy has any health conditions, then you should still be able to find cover although it will be more expensive.