Everything you need to know about puppy insurance

Dog ownership is an expensive business, even if you go steady on the luxury treats for Fido and swerve trips to the grooming parlor.

According to PDSA, the veterinary charity, the financial commitment to owning a dog is significant. Depending on a dog’s breed, size and its longevity, the cost can vary between just shy of £5,000 to a figure in excess of £30,000.

Estimates such as these assume that your canine companion stays fit and well. If a dog is injured, becomes ill, or develops a chronic condition, the bills for treatment by a vet can put a sizeable dent in your finances.

For example, the pet insurer Animal Friends says it costs £714 to treat an eye ulcer in a Bichon Frise, or £2,894 to put right cruciate ligament damage in a Japanese Akita.

Consider puppy insurance

To avoid wallet-busting bills like these, puppy insurance can be a smart investment straight from the off.

As well as covering the cost of treatment if they’re ill or injured, many policies also provide owners with third party liability cover if a puppy causes an accident, injures someone, or damages property.

Insurance policies may also contain extras such as financial help to find a missing pet, dental cover, kennel fees, holiday cancellation cover (if, say, you have to cut short a trip due to your dog’s illness or injury), plus advice helplines.

According to the Association of British Insurers, the average pet insurance claim was £817 in 2020, while the most expensive claim received stood at £8,377.

Insurers also recognize the pressures of being a new puppy parent. For example, Petplan provides free advice to policyholders, including a puppy checklist, while Animal Friends includes a package including advice, puppy first aid training and vet video calls to help owners through the first year.

Types of covers

Depending on how much you’re prepared to pay for your puppy insurance, there are four types of cover.

The cheapest is accident-only. Don’t be confused by the description. Rather than protect you from the inevitable little ‘accidents’ your puppy may have around the home as it gets used to being house trained, this sort of cover pays out for treatment should your pet be involved in an accident.

Premiums are comparatively low. An online search shows that you can take out accident-only cover from around £5 a month. But policies at this level don’t provide any financial cover against vets’ fees for any illness or conditions your puppy might develop.

Next step up the price bracket come time-limited and maximum benefit policies, both starting from around £8 a month. accident-only, both of these types of policy do cover treatment costs if your puppy gets ill, albeit with restrictions attached.

In essence, these plans either cap the amount you can claim for a condition either by time (typically 12 months), or they impose a financial limit. Once your pup’s claim hits that limit, you’ll have to pay for any further treatment as the need arises.

Opportunity of a lifetime

The most comprehensive version of puppy insurance is called lifetime cover. Premiums are steeper, starting at around £12 a month, but this insurance could save you a small fortune in the long run. Providing an owner renews the policy each year, any conditions that a puppy develops will be covered up to any annual limits on the plan.

This can be particularly valuable if your dog is still a puppy and hasn’t (yet) developed any health conditions. No one can predict what health issues animals might experience as they grow older. A chronic condition, such as diabetes or a kidney problem, can be expensive if you’re having to cover that sort of treatment entirely out of your own pocket.

How are premiums calculated?

As well as the type of policy you select, a variety of factors will affect how much you pay for your puppy insurance. For example, how much cover you desire, your puppy’s breed and, as it affects vets’ fees, even where you live will all have a bearing on the cost.

For example, figures from Bought By Many show that while the average cost to insure a Patterdale Terrier was £275 in 2020, French Bulldog owners saw an average premium of £698, due to the increased risk of respiratory problems.

Premiums increase each year so you will need to budget for this. You may also find that once your puppy becomes a ‘senior’ dog, defined as five years of age for larger breeds, but can extend to the age of 10 for smaller canines, your insurer will impose an excess.

The excess is the amount a policyholder agrees to pay on a claim before the insurance policy takes over. It means you can potentially expect to pay more for the cost of any treatment as your dog gets older.

How to keep costs down

To prevent it from creating an excessive hole in their pocket, owners can consider various options to keep down the cost of puppy insurance. For example, reducing the level of cover or adding a larger excess will bring down the premium. Do your sums first and balance what you’re trying to achieve. There’s no point choosing a larger excess if you can’t afford it and doing so could even compromise your puppy’s wellbeing.

Most pet insurers will let you take out a policy for your puppy once it has reached six to eight weeks of age. It’s worth shopping around to get the best deal. Approach a handful of insurers yourself or use a comparison site to do the legwork for you.

Prices can vary considerably, so make sure you compare the level of cover provided, rather than just focusing on the premium payable. Features such as a large excess or a 12-month limit on treatment can transform what appears to be a low premium into an expensive series of vets’ bills over the course of your puppy’s life.