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Dog insurance
Written by
Madeline Pettet
Edited by
Laura Crowden
Reviewed by
Adrian BennettiSelect does not offer a comparison service for Pet insurance policies at this time. Our advice on this website is general in nature and does not consider your situation or needs. Consider if any advice is appropriate for you before acting on it. Learn more.
What is pet insurance for dogs?
Pet insurance for dogs can help cover the costs of treating your canine companion for eligible accidental injuries and illnesses, as well as some kinds of preventative care. From puppies who’ve played a little too adventurously to older dogs who’ve developed arthritis, dog insurance helps cover some of the important medical care your dog needs.
Why is dog insurance important?
Dog insurance can help make a stressful time, like when your dog is unexpectedly injured or unwell, a little easier, providing some cover for vet expenses. Having dog insurance could mean you don’t have to worry about money as much when your best friend needs you by their side (and making important decisions about their health care).
What are the different types of dog insurance?
Dog insurance products can come with different levels of cover, including just for accidents (like being bitten by a snake or hit by a car), accidents and illnesses, accidents, illnesses and some routine vet care, and extra add-on cover (like dental treatments or help with behavioural problems).
Accident-only dog insurance
If your dog is accidentally injured, an accident-only pet insurance policy can help cover the costs of diagnosing and treating your dog’s injury. For accident-only policies, insurance providers may have different definitions of an ‘accident’, but usually your dog’s injury needs to have been caused by an event that was unforeseen and unintended, like an allergic reaction to an insect or being hit by a car.
Accident and illness dog insurance
Accident and illness dog insurance helps cover the costs of diagnosing and treating your dog’s accidental injuries along with a range of illnesses, like a broken leg or kidney disease. Depending on the policy, some illnesses might be automatically excluded based on your choices about your dog’s care, like not desexing them or not keeping up with their vaccinations.
Comprehensive dog insurance
Comprehensive pet insurance can include cover for accidents, illnesses, and some preventative and routine care, like vaccinations and worming. This level of cover also generally has a higher annual benefit limit, so you can claim more money back on your pet insurance policy.
Optional extras for dog insurance
Depending on your base pet insurance, you may be able to add optional extras on to your policy. These add-ons can help cover more situations, like dental illnesses or behavioural problems. They could include additional therapies as well as emergency boarding.
What’s typically covered by dog insurance?
Dog insurance typically helps to cover vet costs in a range of circumstances, including if your dog is injured or unwell, or needs routine or preventative care. This can include diagnostic costs, as well as treatment costs. What your pet insurance covers depends on your policy.
If your pet insurance includes cover for accidents, you’ll likely see the following listed as inclusions in the policy terms:
- bite wounds
- cuts, grazes and lacerations
- fractured or broken bones
- damaged ligaments and soft tissue injuries
- heatstroke
- burns
- poisoning
- electrocution
- allergic reactions to insects and spiders
- injuries from car accidents
- ingesting a foreign object.
If your pet insurance also includes illness cover, your dog will likely be covered for:
- ear infections
- skin allergies
- conjunctivitis
- diabetes
- gastroenteritis
- heart disease
- cancer
- hyperthyroidism
- common vaccinatable diseases (if your dog is up to date with their vaccinations)
- tick paralysis
- arthritis.
You might be able to add further cover to your dog insurance. This could include cover options for:
- dental illnesses, like gingivitis and periodontal disease
- behavioural conditions, like excessive licking and pacing
- routine care, like health checks and vaccinations
- dental care, like check-ups, and scales and polishes
- alternative therapies, like acupuncture.
What’s typically not covered by dog insurance?
Pet insurance often comes with exclusions. These are situations where you can’t claim for reimbursement and may need to pay entirely out of your own pocket, like for pre-existing conditions, some routine vet care or if your dog is over a certain age. Some policies offer a lower level of cover than others and have more exclusions than others.
Common exclusions across policies tend to include:
- any pre-existing conditions (this is a condition your dog had before you took out the policy, including during the policy waiting period) unless it has been ‘fully cured’ with your pet showing no symptoms of or needing no treatment for the condition for at least 12 months
- injuries or illnesses that desexing your dog could have prevented, like prostate issues and mammary tumours
- injuries or illnesses from parasites that could have been reasonably prevented, like fleas, ticks and heartworm
- illnesses that could have been prevented by staying up to date with your dog’s vaccinations, like canine distemper virus and parvovirus
- routine vet care, like desexing and microchipping
- older dogs (often 9 years or older) starting a new policy (although dogs over this age limit can usually continue to renew their existing cover).
Helpful tip
No one is arguing that puppies aren’t cute, but breeding your dog could mean they’re excluded from pet insurance cover. Many pet insurers won’t cover breeding animals or dogs with jobs (like those used in farming, racing, and guarding and law enforcement).
Even if your dog is only a breeding dog for a litter or two, they can be at greater risk of a range of health conditions. This includes from illnesses and conditions that can be prevented by being desexed, like ovarian cancer; injuries from roaming, like being hit by a car (desexed dogs are less likely to go wandering); and risk from complications when pregnant or giving birth (certain breeds can have a higher risk of a difficult birth, requiring a caesarean delivery).
Desexing your dog also helps to reduce the number of unplanned and unwanted litters that stretch the resources of local animal shelters and rescues.
If you’re hoping to insure your dog and to limit possible exclusions, it might be a good idea to have them desexed sooner rather than later. And while having puppies would be cute, no matter how old your dog gets, it’ll always be your fur baby.
Adrian Bennett
General Manager for General Insurance
How much does dog insurance cost?
On average, Australians spent $916 annually on dog insurance in 2022, according to Animal Medicines Australia. However, only 17% of pet owners had dog insurance,1Animal Medicines Australia – Pets in Australia: A national survey of pets and people, p47 with that figure rising to 24% by the end of March 2025.2Animal Medicines Australia – Pets in Australia: A national survey of pets and people, p62
Although only about a quarter of dog owners had pet insurance at this point, 79% had taken their dog to the vet in the last 6 months.3Animal Medicines Australia – Pets in Australia: A national survey of pets and people, p56 Given the average annual combined vet services and medicines cost for dog owners was $270,4Animal Medicines Australia – Pets in Australia: A national survey of pets and people, p45 many dog owners are likely getting value for money from their dog insurance, particularly if they’re regularly needing to visit the vet for more than routine care.
Having pet insurance might also be helpful for the 30% of dog owners who cited not being able to afford the consultation fees or cost of medicines and procedures as the reason they hadn’t taken their dog to the vet in the last 12 months.5Animal Medicines Australia – Pets in Australia: A national survey of pets and people, p56
How much your pet insurance premium will be varies depending on your policy, as well as factors like your dog’s breed, their age, where you live and if your dog is desexed or not. These different factors reflect the risk or likelihood of you making a claim. For instance, a breed that is more prone to injuries and certain health conditions may be more likely to make an eligible claim and therefore have a higher cost of pet insurance.
Is dog insurance worth it?
Dog insurance can be well worth it to help you to manage the cost of high or unexpected vet bills. It can also help provide invaluable peace of mind from knowing you won’t have to worry as much about your finances if your beloved pooch needs medical care. On the flipside, you may decide dog insurance isn’t worth the cost if your pet is older or already has pre-existing conditions.
Pros of dog insurance
- flexibility in cover options, including routine cover
- different options to adjust premium, like changing excess or benefit percentages
- peace of mind if your pet has an emergency or becomes unwell
- possible improved access to vet care to support preventative care and swift responses when dog first shows symptoms.
Cons of dog insurance
- coverage exclusions, including pre-existing conditions
- as cover increases, so can premium
- might not be able to insure older dogs or update their cover
- might not regularly reach annual benefit limits, including sub-limits, unless a serious or complex condition
- might not use cover during a policy period if pet doesn’t become unwell or injured (if no routine care covered).
At the end of the day, it’s up to you as a dog owner to decide if pet insurance is worthwhile for you and your best friend. This could mean thinking about your unique situation, including your dog’s health history and risks, along with your budget.
What should I look for when comparing pet insurance for my dog?
When comparing dog insurance options, you might find it useful to review each policy based on their benefit percentages, claim limits, excesses and waiting periods to get a sense of how they work and if they could offer you value. Some features might be more important to you than others, depending on your situation.
Benefit percentages
The benefit percentage is how much you’d get back for a successful claim on your dog insurance. A higher benefit percentage means more money back. For example, you might compare two policies, one with a 60% benefit percentage and one with an 80% benefit percentage. If you made a claim on a vet bill of $1,000, the first policy would leave you $400 out of pocket, while the second policy would mean you’re only $200 out of pocket (excluding excesses).
Claim limits
Pet insurance usually comes with a claim limit or how much you can claim back on your cover for that policy period (usually for a 12-month period). Unfortunately, the sky isn’t the limit, but you could find cover options with high annual limits, like $25,000. There might also be sub-limits that apply for specified claims or more expensive treatments, like cruciate ligament surgery.
Excesses
An excess is an amount you pay towards your total bill. For instance, you might have a $100 excess for every claim, so for any vet invoice you intend to claim on, you’ll need to pay that first $100 before your insurer gets involved.
Some pet insurance policies come with a choice of excesses and a higher excess can reduce your premiums. However, you might want to keep in mind what you could comfortably pay out of pocket at any given time before picking a excess amount.
Waiting periods
Waiting periods are how long you’ll need to hold your pet insurance policy for before you can make a claim. For instance, if you want to claim for your dog’s eligible accidental injury, you’ll likely only need to have had your cover for 2 days. More expensive or complex procedures or issues might come with longer waiting periods, like 6 months for cruciate ligament conditions.
What common dog insurance claims do Australian dog owners make?
In 2022, the most common types of pet insurance claims for dogs were for consultations (23%), surgery (14%) and illness (13%), amounting to half of all claims, according to Animal Medicines Australia.6Animal Medicines Australia – Pets in Australia: A national survey of pets and people, p51 This could suggest Australian dogs might have been more likely to be injured than become ill, like being bitten by snakes, hit by cars, or eating foreign objects like socks or tennis balls.
When it came to specific conditions, the most commonly claimed were skin conditions (12%) followed by ear and/or eye conditions (9%). This might reflect Aussies love for certain breeds, despite their higher risks for certain kinds of conditions. At the time of these claims, popular breeds included labradors, German shepherds and the classic staffie (Staffordshire bull terriers).7Animal Medicines Australia – Pets in Australia: A national survey of pets and people, p11 Notably, labs, staffies and German shepherds are more likely to have skin allergies and conditions than many other breeds. Labradors, as well, can struggle with ear issues.
Common dog insurance claims in Australia
| Consultations | 23% |
| Surgery | 14% |
| Illness | 13% |
| Skin conditions | 12% |
| Laboratory and diagnostic tests | 10% |
| Hospitalisation | 9% |
| Ear/eye conditions | 9% |
| Radiology | 8% |
| Gastrointestinal problems | 7% |
| Tick paralysis | 5% |
| Cancer treatment | 3% |
| After-hours emergency visits | 3% |
| Other | 1% |
Note: These figures reflect dog insurance claims in 2022, based on data from Animal Medicines Australia. Accessed April 2025.
Frequently asked questions
When can I get pet insurance for my dog?
Most pet insurers will cover puppies as young as 8 weeks old and offer policies to new customers with pets up to around 9 years of age, but you might want to take out cover for your dog sooner rather than later.
Getting pet insurance when your dog is younger could reduce the likelihood of them having pre-existing conditions, which could be excluded from their policy. Being able to claim on eligible vet appointments might also mean you’re more likely to take your dog to the vet for earlier warning signs, rather than waiting for your dog’s condition to worsen. Additionally, depending on your cover, you might be more likely to keep up with recommended routine and preventative pet care.
Can I get pet insurance for an older dog?
Older dogs can still get pet insurance, however, pet insurers might have age limits for when they will offer policies to new customers, like a cut-off age of 9 years old. However, if you have already taken out cover before your dog reaches this age, you may be able to continue to renew your dog’s insurance each year. However, you’ll likely not be able to make further changes to their cover.
On average, dogs live between 10 and 13 years, with smaller breeds often living longer than larger breeds. Of course, individual circumstances can be different; your dog’s overall care throughout their life, nutrition, genetics and other factors playing a role in their lifespan. Therefore, it’s not unreasonable to expect your dog to live beyond an insurance policy cut-off age of 9 years old.
If you’re concerned about your senior dog becoming too old for pet insurance, it might be worthwhile taking out cover sooner rather than later.
Do some dog breeds need pet insurance more than others?
Yes, certain dog breeds may make greater use of pet insurance more than others due to being more likely to experience certain conditions due to their genetics and breeding, including for certain features and builds. For instance, larger dogs, like mastiffs, can be more likely to have joint problems, while dogs with lots of skin folds, like British bulldogs, tend to have more skin issues than the average dog.
Of course, every dog is different and any breed – even mixed breeds – can develop medical issues or be in an unfortunate accident, and pet insurance could help any dog owners in these situations.
iSelect does not offer a comparison service for Pet insurance policies at this time.
Any advice provided by iSelect on this website is of a general nature and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. You need to consider the appropriateness of any information or general advice we give you, having regard to your personal situation, before acting on our advice or purchasing any policy. You should consider iSelect’s Financial Services Guide which provides information about our services and your rights as a client of iSelect.