Dog Insurance

The price of your Dog Insurance policy will vary as it depends on several factors, such as:

• Breed – Unfortunately, many dogs have breed-specific health conditions due to the act of inbreeding. As you may know, Bulldogs and Pugs now have flatter faces which means they often have breathing difficulties. If your breed is known to suffer from certain ailments, it may make them more expensive to insure.
• Age – Older dogs tend to require more medical attention than their younger counterparts, which can make them more expensive to insure. If your dog is over a certain age, or they have a pre-existing health condition, there may be more restrictions on your policy, and some expenses related to existing ailments will not be covered by your policy.
• Location – Due to varying living costs across the country, vet fees differ too. As such, those living in larger cities might get more expensive vet bills – and this is considered when calculating your premium.
• Purchase price – As different dog breeds vary in value, their purchase price will be considered when calculating your premium. 

Dog Insurance is not a legal requirement. That said, vet bills may be quite expensive for you to cover by yourself. Many dog owners see insurance as a safety net that will help to cover the financial aspect of treating their canine if they have an illness or are involved in an accident. If the possibility of a vet bill raises concern, you might like to consider taking out Dog Insurance. 

More often than not, the insurer will pay the vet directly on your behalf; this is subject to the excess fee being paid to the vet by the policyholder. However, if you have already settled the invoice, the insurer will pay you instead. 

Microchipping is now a legal requirement for all dogs in the UK. Under the microchipping law that came into effect in April 2016, all puppies must be microchipped and registered by the time they’re eight weeks old.

Our Dog Insurance won’t cover the cost of microchipping. Whilst Healthy Pets will aim to find cover for unchipped dogs, the insurer will not cover the cost of getting your four-legged friend chipped.

In some cases, microchipping is a requirement for Dog Insurance. 

• Everyday check-ups and treatments – such as flea treatments, vaccinations, nailcare and grooming, blood or urine tests, and neutering
• Pre-existing medical conditions - this includes anything your pet has, has had symptoms of, or has had medication for or advice from a vet about
• Any treatment that hasn’t been recommended by a vet
• Dental unless caused as a direct result of accident or injury
• Costs associated with pregnancy or giving birth

For full details of all exclusions, please refer to the policy wording. 

If your dog is injured or picks up an illness that requires vet treatment, this will be covered by your Dog Insurance policy (limitations and exclusions apply – please check your policy wording for details).

Your vet fee limit will also cover complementary treatments prescribed by a vet, which may include hydrotherapy, osteopathy and physiotherapy. 

Dog Insurance policies through Healthy Pets will cover dental care for your dog so long as it’s the result of an accident or injury. However, dental treatment due to illness or a lack of routine preventative dental care will not be insured against. Cover limits apply. 

Unfortunately, many dogs suffer from health conditions. Some are hereditary problems, whilst others are more associated with specific breeds. Examples include cruciate disease, arthritis, and respiratory conditions. 

With certain policies through Healthy Pets, your dog will be insured for travel abroad. Included is:

• Vet fees in the EU
• Holiday cancellation or delay
• Maximum trip length per year (varies depending on cover length – check your policy wording)

Please note, the policy will not cover:

• Treatment of illnesses which were known prior to travel
• Accommodation or expenses for more than one person
• Travel outside of the EU

Please be aware that travel abroad is not included in our Select or Accident Only Dog Insurance policies.

Please check your policy before travelling. 

Even though many insurance providers won’t cover pre-existing medical conditions within your policy, this doesn’t mean your dog is prevented from having insurance altogether. That said, any conditions should be declared to avoid the invalidation of your policy.

Dogs with pre-existing medical conditions can be covered for future accidents or injuries through Healthy Pets, but treatments for the pre-existing conditions won’t be included. Please refer to your policy documents for full details. 

Once your dog reaches a certain age, co-insurance payments will come into effect on your Pet Insurance policy. Check your policy wording each year for details.

Paid alongside your compulsory fixed excess, the mandatory co-insurance payment is an amount you will put towards the cost of your insurance claim. Your co-payment amount may change at renewal, so please make sure to check your schedule for the latest figure when the policy renews, and also if you need to make a claim.

Some policies allow you to include co-insurance from birth if you wish, and others let you choose a different excess. Once co-insurance is added to your cover, it will remain for the duration of the policy.

So, how does it work?

1. You put in a claim for £499 to treat your 6-year-old dog for a new condition
2. If you have a Maximum Benefit policy you’ll pay a fixed excess of £125, leaving a vet bill of £374
3. You then pay a co-insurance of 20% from the vet bill after the fixed excess has been deducted of £74.80
4. This means your insurer pays the outstanding balance of £299.20
5. In total, you pay £199.80 (fixed excess plus 20% co-insurance payment)

The idea of adding compulsory co-insurance payments to your Pet Insurance policy is to try and help keep premiums lower. 

Please visit our claims page to request a Dog Insurance claim form by phone, email, or by using our online request form. Please have your insurance documents to hand when you call, as they will contain your policy number and other important information.