Pet insurance is becoming more and more popular in Australia. It offers you peace of mind as it covers some or all of the treatment costs if your pet was ever involved in an accident or suffers a sudden illness. There is no equivalent of Medicare for pets, thus often treatment costs exceed what an equivalent problem would cost for a human patient. Did you know that 24 hr emergency care for animals can cost over $1000 per day? Some surgeries such as repair of fractured bones or exploratory surgery can also add up to thousands of dollars and that does not even include the recovery and aftercare treatment. It is a heartbreaking situation to have to choose between the health of your pet and financial constraints, so for peace of mind we strongly recommend that your pet is insured.

There are several companies that offer pet insurance and we can help you find one that best suits your needs and your pet.

What does pet insurance cover?

Individual packages vary in the type of treatment covered. However, they usually include most accidents and unexpected illnesses.

You need to consider the differences between policies, in particular the claim excess amount, proportion of treatment costs covered, annual claim limit, age restrictions, pre-existing illness exclusions and policy costs.

We highly recommend pet insurance and encourage you to discuss it with us at your next visit.

Comparison between Policys of THREE Insurance Companies

Almost daily, I hear horror stories about pet veterinary costs. In the last 30 years the veterinary industry has changed dramatically. For instance, now it is commonplace to take your pet to an after hours emergency clinic. The concern is that, what you might pay $200 at your local vet will cost you $600 or $1000 at the emergency clinic. 

We have two emergency clinics just near us: Animal Accident and Emergency at the Essendon Airport and Advanced Vetcare in Kensington. A visit to one of these emergency or specialist veterinary surgery locations, can cost between $2000 and $10,000. Apart from that, some of the more common surgeries that I perform such as the repair of the ruptured cruciate ligament or a dislocating knee cap will cost you $1200. Mind you, these are advanced orthopaedic surgical procedures. Even having a dog on a drip with or without other diagnostic procedures such as an xray, ultrasound or blood tests can cost $500 or more. 

It makes sense to consider pet insurance, especially to cover the costs of the more serious procedures that can run into thousands of dollars. The ordinary everyday expenses of vaccinations, vomiting or coughing do not worry most people. My suggestion is to obtain a policy with a higher excess that covers you for the big bills, this way you keep the yearly premium to a minimum. The premium will vary according to the age of the dog or cat and the breed. Some breeds such, as King Charles Spaniels are more prone to heart disease when they get to 8 to 10 years of age and as a result you will pay a slightly higher premium. It is best to obtain insurance when the dog is less than 12 months old, even if you start when they are 5 years old you may only pay an extra $50 or so for the annual premium.

All companies offer weekly, monthly or yearly payment plans, although you may pay an extra $1 per entry to pay weekly. They all have websites where you can enter the details of your pet and view an accurate quote. I personally do not think it is worth taking the extras cover, but that is up to you. I have compared the premiums of 3 companies for a range of common breeds that are 6 months old (see the link below). Take note of the maximum claim on each policy. These days it is not uncommon for people to spend $10,000 on veterinary care over the life of a pet.  

ALL PRICES ARE AS OF NOVEMBER 2010 SO THEY MIGHT HAVE CHANGED SLIGHTLY

Pet Secure Pet Insurance

Contact 1300 855 160

www.petsecure.com.au

Cover up to $11000 per condition or injury

Pay a weekly, monthly or yearly premium (Quote for yearly premium)

No extras

Bow Wow Pet Insurance

Contact 1800 668 502

www.bowwowinsurance.com.au

Cover up to $8000 per condition or injury

Pay a weekly, monthly or yearly premium (Quote for yearly premium)

No extras

 RSPCA Pet Insurance

Contact 1300 855 150

www.rspcapetinsurance.org.au

Will pay up to $6800 in one year, but have limits on lifetime for specific conditions e.g. Ruptured Cruciate Ligament maximum lifetime payment $3000

No excess but pay 80% of each claim.

This quote does not include extras (vaccinations or desexing)

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