Dog Insurance

Dog insurance is as much about peace of mind as it is about finances: whilst you might pay premiums for years and not have to claim, could you afford a substantial vet bill if your pet fell ill or had an accident? On average, a first dog insurance claim will cost well over £500, so compare this with the cost of your premiums and the likelihood that you'll make a claim. 

There are a variety of benefits available through different levels of dog and puppy insurance policy, so research the one that best suits your pet's needs. Some of the most common features available are:

Vet fees – Dog insurance covers you for veterinary bills for illness and injury, up to a certain sum yearly or over the life of your pet (depending on your policy).

Advertising and recovery costs – In the particularly stressful situation where your pet is lost or stolen, dog insurance can help by covering costs for an advertised reward and promotional materials.

Boarding kennel fees – Should you, or a member of your family permanently living with you, have to be kept in hospital on medical advice and unable to care for your dog or puppy, most dog insurance policies will cover the cost of boarding your pet in a kennel until you return home.

Holiday cancellation costs – If you have to cancel your holiday because your pet has fallen ill and you have to remain at home to care for it, dog insurance policies can include cover for costs incurred.

Overseas travel – Policies can be extended to cover a period when your dog is abroad in a listed country or territory under the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS).

Multi-pet insurance – If you have more than one animal, you can usually also purchase multi-pet insurance, covering all your pets under one policy.

Dental insurance - Dental cover for accidents and injuries may be offered as a standard benefit on some dog insurance policies, or an additional feature with others.

Yes, by law your dog must be microchipped in order to be eligible for our dog insurance policies.

This is a safe and quick procedure which inputs a tiny chip the size of a grain of rice into the animal, making it possible to trace the owners through a nationwide database.

This can be carried out by a vet or trained microchip implanter in a pet store and will last a lifetime. It is important to remember that if you change address you should contact your microchipping company to update this information. 

As soon as your puppy is old enough to be eligible (usually at about six weeks) you should look to get it insured against injury, illness, theft and loss. As well as protecting your puppy, it means that it is very unlikely to have any pre-existing conditions that would be excluded from your insurance and therefore not eligible for financial cover in respect to vet bills.

Our Maximum Benefit policies can pay up to the policy limit (£1,000, £4,250 or £7,500) for each condition, dependent on the cover selected. There is no limit on the number of conditions you can claim for over the policy lifetime. There is also no time limit on claiming for a condition, however cover for a condition will cease once the Maximum Benefit for it has been reached.

Our Lifetime dog insurance policies can pay up to the annual limit (£2,000 or £4,250) in each period of insurance. The Lifetime Extra policy is subject to a maximum limit of £1,000 for each condition in each policy year. The Lifetime Premier policy is subject to a maximum of £3,250 for each condition in each policy year. There is no limit to the number of conditions you can claim for over the policy lifetime.

Our Accident Only policy can pay up to the policy limit (£1,000) per accident over a 12 month period, subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date. Cover for an accident will cease once the financial limit has been reached or after 12 months from the date of the first treatment, whichever comes first. There is no limit on the number of accidents you can claim for over the policy lifetime.

• Dogs and puppies aged less than five-years-old pay a fixed excess: £99.
• Dogs between the age of five and six years pay a fixed excess of £99 as well as a 15% co-insurance fee.
• Dogs aged six years or above pay a fixed excess of £100 excess plus a 20% co-insurance fee.

Co-insurance is a common feature in dog insurance, designed to lower the cost of premiums for aging dogs. You pay this as a contribution towards any amount claimed that is above the fixed excess.

For all dog insurance claims, you pay the excess for each illness or injury in each policy year. If one of your dogs receives treatment for the same injury or illness in separate policy years, Healthy Pets will deduct the fixed excess from the first claim(s) for each condition in each policy year.

Yes. Our Maximum Benefit policies will cover your dog for its lifetime up to the maximum amount of benefit for each separate condition (£1,000, £4,250 or £7,500), subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date.

Our Lifetime policies will cover your dog for its lifetime up to the maximum annual limit (£2,000 or £4,250) and the condition limit of £1,000 per condition pet policy year on the Lifetime Extra or £3,250 per condition per policy year on the Lifetime Premier.

Dog and puppy insurance policies vary in cost and are based on five key factors:

1. Dog pedigree and breed - Certain breeds of dog are more susceptible to specific illnesses and injuries than others, for example hip dysplasia is more common in Retrievers than some other breeds.

2. Where you live - Your location will influence the prices charged by your local veterinary practice, and thus the premiums required. London vets have a higher ground rent than elsewhere and therefore are likely to need to charge more.

3. Gender - There is a significant difference in the risk or costs of illness between male and female dogs, dependant on breed. Male dogs may get into a few more scraps and scrapes than female dogs which can increase the premiums.

4. Age - Dogs and puppies have a greater risk of becoming ill as they get older. Insuring your pet earlier will usually result in lower premiums.

5. Your level of dog and puppy cover - Lower or more basic levels of cover will keep your premiums lower, while higher levels of cover will have fewer limitations, therefore increasing your monthly cost. For example, accident only cover will not provide cover for any illness, thus lowering your premium.

Insurance is important whatever breed of dog you have chosen. Insurance for older dogs and pedigree dogs is often more expensive, because they are more likely to require medical attention; or, in the case of pedigrees, be stolen. Larger dogs, meanwhile, are more likely to suffer from joint problems, while bulldogs can develop respiratory difficulties.

Bronze, Silver and Gold Maximum Benefit policies will cover you for eligible ongoing conditions that start after the inception of your policy, up to the maximum benefit of your chosen level (£1,000, £4,250 or £7,500) and subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date.

Our Lifetime policies will cover you for eligible ongoing conditions that start after the inception of your policy up to the annual condition limit of £1,000 on the Lifetime Extra cover or £3,250 on the Lifetime Premier cover with an annual limit of £2,000 or £4,250 dependent on your chosen level. The limits reinstate when the policy is renewed subject to the premiums being paid up to date.

Accident Only Cover provides £1,000 per accident for treatment costs for up to 12 months from the date of the first treatment after your pet is hurt in an accident, subject to you renewing your policy with us and premiums being paid up to date. Please see our Policy Benefits for more details.

Healthy Pets' Bronze, Silver and Gold Maximum Benefit dog insurance policies will cover your dog for eligible ongoing illnesses or injuries that occur after your policy starts, up to the maximum benefit of your chosen cover level.

Healthy Pets' Lifetime Reinstatement dog insurance policies will cover your dog or puppy for eligible ongoing illnesses or injuries up to the annual limit. At renewal the limit is fully reinstated and the condition will continue to be covered.

If you have Accident Only Cover you are eligible for £1,000 per accident for your dog’s or puppy’s treatment costs, for up to 12 months from the date of the first treatment.

in all cases, cover is subject to you renewing your policy with Healthy Pets and premium payments being kept up to date.

Healthy Pets will cover your dog’s veterinary fees throughout its lifetime and that of the policy.

Pre-existing injuries or illnesses – Unfortunately, Healthy Pets cannot cover illnesses or injuries which your dog has suffered symptoms of, or received treatment, medication or advice for, before your dog insurance came into force. However, any pre-existing conditions will not affect your premium.

Routine dog healthcare – Most policies will exclude standard healthcare such as grooming, flea treatments, vaccinations, wormers, bathing or de-matting, spaying or neutering.

Age limits – Dog insurance providers usually have a maximum age above which you cannot begin a policy. However, if you have already insured your dog before the maximum age, cover will usually be renewable for your dog’s remaining lifespan. 

Waiting period – There will typically be 10 to 30 days between when you take out your dog insurance policy and when your cover begins. During this period, you will not be able to claim for any incidents, and if your dog suffers an injury or illness, it will count as a pre-existing condition and not be covered by your policy.

If your dog or puppy is known to be aggressive, or has any third-party prosecutions pending, Healthy Pets are unable to offer insurance. Also, Healthy Pets cannot offer cover for any dogs that have been involved in commercial guard, security or racing activities.

Healthy Pets do not provide pet insurance for any breed that is not listed on the breed selection options when quoting. These include, but are not limited to, the following, including any dog crossed with one or more of these breeds:

Yes, if the alternative remedies are a feasible option recommended by your vet to help your dog's health, then Healthy Pets will cover the cost, up to the complementary medicine limit of your chosen cover level.

Insure your dog or puppy from a young age - Dogs grow more susceptible to ill-health as they get older, so if your pet is healthy at the moment you should insure it as soon as possible to avoid an unexpected illness being classed as a pre-existing condition.

Look after your dog's day-to-day health - Most policies do not cover standard healthcare. Ensure your dog or puppy has received any vaccinations required, and you have taken all reasonable steps to maintain its health and avoid injury, illness, loss or theft, in order to fulfil your policy requirements.

Pick the right dog insurance first time  - Consider what you need from your policy to suit you and your dog’s needs, and make sure the cover offered is sufficient for any anticipated vet’s fees: especially when your dog is older. If you need guidance, speak to one of our specialist advisers.