Why should you get pet insurance?

Every pet owner knows the fun you can have with a four-legged friend. But it’s easy to forget about the illnesses and injuries that might affect them – or not think about the veterinary care they might need until it's too late.

Petplan has over 45 years experience caring for pets, and our team has seen first-hand how complex animal health can be. We also know that pet insurance can help you cover the cost of vet bills.

But not all pet insurance is the same so you need to choose your policy wisely. For example, are there any additional limits within the vet bill cover? How long will the insurance cover a behavioural condition? Will you be charged more for claiming? There a number of important considerations when shopping around for pet insurance so you need to look beyond the headlines and look at the detail when thinking about what’s best for your pet’s heath.

Be ready for the unexpected

Did you know that more than half of pet owners have had to make an unexpected trip to the vet? You might think that if your pet isn’t the active type you don’t need insurance – but getting ill is actually much more common than getting injured.

Just like us, pets are susceptible to anything from skin conditions to contracting an auto-immune disease, and everything in between. They need the same level of care as we do, whether that’s an X-ray, an MRI scan, or even chemotherapy to help diagnose and treat their health problems.

Some pet insurance policies have restrictions which can limit the options at your vet’s disposal or result in you having to find money out of your own pocket to fund treatment not covered by your policy. Other policies exclude things like dental treatment or may increase your premium if you make a claim.

We cover things some other policies don't

We'll never charge you more for claiming

We pay 97% of claims

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We'll cover long term conditions

Sadly, some of our animals get illnesses that don’t go away. Developing a condition such as diabetes, epilepsy or allergies might see your companion facing ongoing treatment for many years. Diagnosing these types of conditions can often involve tests such as scans and X-rays which some insurance policies may not cover the full cost of. Other policies have limits on the amount they will pay out for each individual condition – a particular issue if your pet needs treatment for the same illness for many years.

The good news is that our Covered For Life^® plan provides ongoing help with vet bills. You can continue to claim year after year for the same condition up to your chosen yearly limit providing you renew with no break in cover.

Other benefits of having pet insurance

Many owners think that taking out pet insurance is just about covering the cost of veterinary care. While that is important, a good policy will also cover you for some of the other unexpected costs of being a pet owner.

Petplan can help you cover the cost of:

Advertising and providing a reward if your pet goes missing or is stolen.
Legal fees if your dog damages someone else’s property and you are legally liable.
Cattery or kennel fees if you have to go into hospital.

With Petplan you’ll also get the benefit of our 45 years experience protecting the nation's pets. During this time we've worked closely with leading pet health experts so we can offer you the best possible pet insurance and pet advice you can trust.

Types of pet insurance

When shopping around for pet insurance it is important to do your research and look beyond the headlines. There are a number of different types of pet insurance and the range of vet bills covered varies greatly:

Lifetime: Your chosen level of vet bills cover refreshes each time you renew allowing you to continue to claim for the same condition year after year providing there is no break in cover.

Time-limited: Covers vet bills up to a specified amount for a limited time.

Accident-only: Covers vet bills for unexpected injuries.

Maximum benefit: Covers vet bills for each new medical condition up to a certain amount for the length of the policy.

At Petplan we offer two of these policy types, Lifetime and Time-Limited.

Covered For Life® plan

Our Covered For Life plan is a Lifetime product providing ongoing help with vet bills.

You can choose either £4k, £7k or £12k for vet bills every year and can continue to claim year after year for the same condition providing there is no break in cover.

Essential plan

Our Essential plan is a Time-Limited product providing short-term help with vet bills.

It provides 12 months treatment up to £3,000 per illness/injury. Once you reach either of these limits the condition will no longer be covered.

What to look for in a pet insurance policy

How much vet bills cover does the policy provide?

There are two things to look at here. The first is the overall vet bill benefit – what type of cover is it and what is the overall limit. For example, a £4,000 Lifetime policy would allow you to claim up to £4,000 every year for as long as you renewed, where as a £4,000 Maximum Benefit policy would allow you to claim up to £4,000 for each condition and once that limit is reached you would need to cover the cost of continuing to treat that condition yourself.

The second thing to look at is whether there are any additional limits within the cover for veterinary care. For example a limit on how much the insurer will pay towards certain diagnostic tools or towards treating specific conditions.

Are any health conditions excluded?

Some policies don’t cover illness at all, only injury, while others may exclude chronic conditions, for example diabetes or epilepsy.

Many insurers won’t cover you for any condition that your pet already has when you take out the policy. It is important to insure your pet as early as possible before they develop any conditions and to make sure you get the right policy from the start as it can be difficult to switch insurers if your pet has an existing condition.

Does it cover dental treatment?

Regular routine dental checks are important for dogs, however you should check that cover can be provided for non-routine dental treatment, as well as for dental illnesses.

Will your premium increase if you claim?

Some insurers increase the amount you pay for your insurance if you claim. When shopping around it’s important to ask if you will pay more for claiming so you can consider the long term implications of the policy you choose.

Getting the best care for your best friend

We pride ourselves on the quality of cover we provide and are committed to helping our customers get their pets the best possible veterinary care. Not covered with us yet? Get a quote to see how we could help.

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Frequently asked questions

Why choose Petplan?

Petplan has been around for more than 45 years and currently insures 1.3 million pets. That’s more than any other provider. Our years of experience mean we cover a wide range of injuries and illnesses – and we pay out on 97% of claims we receive. We also want to help owners get their pets the best care. We cover things other policies don’t and we don’t penalize customers for claiming.

We are highly rated on Trustpilot, and over 90% of our customers renew with us each year.

How much does pet insurance cost?

Pet insurance policies are as unique as pets themselves. At Petplan, we calculate your premium based on factors such as your pet’s age and breed, and where you live.

What you pay will also depend on which policy you choose. We have a range of options to suit different needs. When picking a plan, you need to look at the cover provided as well as the price.

How does age affect pet insurance?

You can insure a cat, dog or rabbit from the time it is six weeks old.

If you want to take out our Covered For LifeⓇ policy, you need to do so before your pet reaches a certain age. This is ten years for cats, eight years old for most breeds of dogs (for certain breeds this can be up to five years old) and five years old for rabbits.

Don’t worry if your pet is older than this though, you can still take out our Petplan Essential policy, which has no upper age limit.

Are pre-existing conditions covered?

We know that pet health is complex. For this reason we underwrite all policies at the start of cover and will confirm whether any pre-existing conditions your pet has will be covered by your policy or not. You may have seen specific pre-existing condition policies being offered by other insurers, but it’s worth checking the cover provided because in some instances you would actually have more cover for a pre-existing condition on your standard policy.

When you take out a policy with us, you must tell us about any previous or existing conditions, illnesses or injuries, and we will then confirm whether we can provide cover for these on a case-by-case basis. We may tell you that we can only insure a condition when your pet has been free from it for a certain amount of time, for example.

We will be transparent about what is and isn’t covered, and will include this information in your Certificate of Insurance and terms and conditions.

Learn more

How do vaccinations affect pet insurance?

You must keep your pet’s vaccinations up to date for the duration of your Petplan insurance. If you choose not to vaccinate, you will not be covered for conditions that your pet should have been vaccinated against.

Dogs must get injections from the vet to protect against distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus. This usually means a first course of vaccinations at 8 to 10 weeks of age, followed by a booster every year.

Cats must be vaccinated against feline infectious enteritis, feline leukemia and cat flu. Again, this normally starts with a course of two injections at 9 and 12 weeks of age, followed by an annual booster.

See all FAQs

Explore our policies

Dog insurance

Just like their feline friends, dogs need proper care when they're ill or injured. It's sensible to plan ahead and get pet insurance to help cover the cost if your dog needs veterinary attention.

Dog insurance

Cat insurance

Just like their canine counterparts, cats need proper care if sick or injured. It's sensible to plan ahead and get pet insurance to help cover the cost if your cat does need treatment.

Cat insurance

Rabbit insurance

Rabbits may be small, but their vet bills can still accumulate. Petplan's Rabbit Plan provides £4,000 every year to help with vet bills helping you cover the cost of care for your pet.

Rabbit insurance

Multi-pet insurance

Multiple furry friends? Get a £12 discount per pet every year when you insure more than one pet with us. You can tailor your cover for each pet and manage payments in a way that works for you.

Multi-pet insurance

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Pet Care Offers

Petplan customers have access to a range of offers on products and services to help you care for your pet for less.

The importance of diagnostic tools

Supervet Professor Noel Fitzpatrick explains the importance of diagnostic tools in pet care.

Petplan's Claims Pricing Guarantee

With Petplan, you'll never pay more for claiming on your policy.

Hidden vet fee limits explained

Hidden limits are clauses buried in the small print of your policy. Find out what to look for when choosing a plan.

The no-hassle approach to vet bills

At Petplan, we pay your vet directly so you can focus on caring for your pet.

Supervet on choosing pet insurance

Professor Noel Fitzpatrick shares a detailed guide to choosing the best pet insurance policy for your needs.

How cheap pet insurance can limit your pet's care

Cheap pet insurance policies exist, but look beyond promotional offers for better coverage.

What does pet insurance cover?

Knowing what your insurance doesn’t cover is just as important as understanding what it does.

Legal Liability dog insurance

Accidents happen and it’s important to be prepared for any financial claims that may arise.

Pet Expert Chat

Free health, behaviour and nutrition advice for Petplan customers.

Pet insurance for pre-existing conditions

We use our unrivalled knowledge of pet health to review pre-existing conditions on a case by case basis.

Pet dental cover for illness and injury

When shopping around for a pet insurance policy always be sure to ask if dental cover is included.

Pick the right policy for your pet

We provide a Covered For Life® plan and an Essential plan to help with vet bills - but which is right for you?

Types of pet insurance policy cover

If you’re asking ‘What is the right type of pet insurance?’ our handy guide is here to help!

Supporting new pets with 4 weeks free

Providing immediate Petplan cover from day one.

Petplan is a trading name of Pet Plan Limited (Registered in England No. 1282939) and Allianz Insurance plc (Registered in England No. 84638), Registered office: 57 Ladymead, Guildford, Surrey GU1 1DB.

Pet Plan Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Services Register No. 311969. Allianz Insurance plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Financial Services Register No. 121849. Pet Plan Limited is a subsidiary of Allianz Insurance plc. Fitz All Media Limited is an Appointed Representative of Pet Plan Limited.