Does pet insurance cover illness?
It’s a sad but unavoidable part of the pet parent journey. During their lifetime, your pet will get ill — and it’s highly likely this will happen multiple times over the years, especially as your dog or cat enters their senior years. 1
As the parent of a pet, illness is something you should always be prepared for, whether it’s a common illness such as diarrhea or an eye infection, or a chronic condition like heart disease or cancer.
Many illnesses need veterinary intervention to treat and cure. Does pet insurance provide coverage for illnesses? It can, depending on the type of coverage you choose.
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Why do I need pet insurance with illness coverage?
Pet insurance can help meet the cost of vet bills — but if you don’t have a policy, it’s bad news. If your dog or cat is unwell and needs treatment, there’s an expensive bill heading your way.
Not all pet insurance policies have illness coverage. There are two main types of pet insurance — accident and illness, and accident-only. Accident-only is typically less expensive but the clue’s in the name – it doesn’t provide coverage for illnesses. This can leave your pet — and your bank balance — exposed and vulnerable if your dog or cat is diagnosed with an illness that needs treatment.
Some pet insurers offer the choice of accident and illness, and accident-only policies. Others — Pumpkin Pet Insurance is one example — simply provide one full coverage policy that includes coverage for accident and illness treatment.
Select an insurer for more info on how they provide coverage for illnesses
How much can treatment for illnesses cost?
Cancer. Arthritis. Allergies. Skin conditions. Pancreatitis. Parvovirus. Diabetes. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). The list of potential illnesses your pet could be diagnosed with in their lifetime is long, and so the cost of treatment varies massively.
For an illness that’s commonplace and simple to treat, the expense is a minor one. Treatment for an eye infection typically involves a veterinary exam, a diagnosis, and then a course of prescription medication. Depending on your deductible, you may not even choose to claim those expenses on your pet insurance.
At the other end of the scale, a serious and chronic condition like cancer can require treatment that costs thousands of dollars, including scans, testing, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or surgery, post-treatment examinations, and rehabilitation. Treatment for a serious illness can last a few months. Those can be expensive months, too.
| Illnesses | Example vet bills 2 |
| Boxer puppy with parvovirus | $7,331 |
| Mixed breed dog with pancreatitis | $4,311 |
| Great Dane with bacterial pneumonia | $13,137 |
| Cat with feline asthma | $1,390 |
| French Bulldog with intervertebral disc rupture | $7,794 |
| Cat with diabetes | $4,131 |
Signs your pet is living with an illness
Pets are very good at hiding pain and discomfort. Dogs and cats can be stoic characters who simply learn to adapt to being in pain instead of making it obvious, and they can’t tell us when something’s wrong – although they have their own ways of vocalizing a problem.
Even so, there are signs that your pet is ill, or living with an illness. Some of these are obvious, some more subtle. The key is to observe your pet for any changes in their usual behavior. You know your pet better than anyone else.
Classic signs that your pet has an illness include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Behavioral changes — becoming withdrawn or aggressive
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Stiffness, difficulty walking, reluctance to exercise
- Skin issues, licking or chewing fur
- Frequent urination, increased thirst
- Loss of appetite
- Coughing or breathing issues
- Pale gums
- Discharge from the eye area
If you have any concerns about the health of your pet, the golden rule is to visit your vet as soon as possible.
Preventing illnesses
Your pet can become ill at any time — as puppies or kittens, as adults, and as they reach senior age… Some illnesses and conditions are caused by genetics or are breed specific. Sometimes, it’s just sheer bad luck.
So, is there anything you can do to prevent pets from becoming ill? Yes, there is. Tips to help prevent illnesses in your dog or cat include:
- Maintaining regular vaccinations, including annual boosters
- Maintaining a regular anti-flea and de-worming routine
- Keeping your dog groomed regularly
- Checking your pet regularly for signs of illness – look for any signs of ear or eye infection, for example
- Managing your pet’s weight to prevent obesity
- Visiting a vet at the first sign of a possible illness
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How to find pet insurance with great illness coverage
To find a pet insurance policy with illness coverage, compare multiple providers to assess what kind of coverage is available for the budget you have. Remember, you need to look at accident and illness coverage — some pet insurance providers may include both in a standard plan, but any policy titled ‘accident only’ won’t have coverage for illnesses.
Look over any pet insurance quote to check what’s covered, and more importantly, what’s excluded. The cheapest pet insurance isn’t always your best option. Coverage will vary across providers — some insurers may include dental illness (periodontal disease is a type of gum disease) while others may not. Exam fees might be included by some pet insurance providers — others may offer it for an extra charge.
Check coverage levels. Most insurers offer a choice of plans, with a choice of annual limits (the amount you can claim for annually) and deductibles.
Support Pet Illness Insurance Coverage FAQs
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Coverage can be different with every pet insurer, so check details carefully. But, conditions and illnesses commonly covered by pet insurance include cancer, kidney disease, arthritis, diabetes, ear, eye and skin infections.
Some pet insurers may also cover dental illnesses and epilepsy, though some may charge extra for these. -
Pet insurance isn’t mandatory and some dog and cat owners may choose not to have it. But, pet insurance can help you to cover the costs of treatment your pet might need during their lifetime. While an accident-only policy is generally cheaper than an accident and illness policy, without illness coverage you won’t be able to claim any treatment costs related to common conditions like cancer or diabetes.
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No. When you take out a pet insurance policy, a waiting period always applies. This is the period of time between taking out the policy and when coverage becomes effective. During this period, if your pet becomes ill, you won’t be able to make a claim. The waiting period details will be confirmed by your pet insurer and can vary by insurance company. An example waiting period can be 14 days.
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The cost of pet insurance varies, which is why it’s always advisable that you compare quotes from multiple providers. Insurance companies use a range of factors to calculate your insurance price — including the age and breed of your pet, your location (insurers will look at the typical price of vet treatment in your area) and your level of coverage.
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No. If your pet has been diagnosed with an illness or specific health condition before you take out pet insurance, you won’t be covered for any treatment relating to that illness. It’s considered a pre-existing condition. Pet insurance companies won’t provide coverage for pre-existing conditions, though some may include coverage for certain ‘curable’ pre-existing conditions.