Dog insurance – Pet insurance claims for dogs in Australia

How much could your dog’s health realistically cost you?

We know that owning a dog can get expensive. In fact, many pooch parents joke that raising kids can be comparable or sometimes turn out cheaper! But in all seriousness, owning a dog is a big responsibility and just as humans do, dogs will fall ill at some point in their lives—it’s just inevitable.

Sometimes they’ll come down with the equivalent of a virus like the cold or a small bacterial infection and may not need any serious medication. At other times, unfortunately, serious illness can take hold and your dog may need important surgeries, numerous visits to the vet or specialist, and even life-long medications.

As you can imagine (or may even have experienced first-hand), the cost of all this pet health care can quickly add up. We see many dog insurance claims for vet bills here at Bow Wow Meow—we’re processing hundreds of them every day. So we thought we’d share some insights into just how much money is spent on healthcare for our dogs.

Common dog health conditions and costs

Some of the most common healthcare costs for Aussie dog owners in 2022 were for skin allergies, ear infections  and gastritis. Here is the breakdown of some average and highest claim costs for a variety of health conditions experienced by dogs during 2022, according to Petsure’s claim figures.

As you can see from the above table, some of the claims for dog health conditions can be very significant, with the highest claim cost being a hefty $53,331 for tick paralysis*. Other conditions such as IVDD, gastritis and vomiting were also very costly for dog owners in 2022.

What does this mean for our pets and our pockets?

Pets experience accidents or illness at any age, with PetSure research showing the lifetime cost of owning a pet is around $30,000*.

The researchers also revealed the most common health conditions for dogs by age category:

• For dogs aged under 12 months – ear infections
• For dogs aged between 1 and 8 years – skin allergies
• For dogs aged over 8 years – osteoarthritis

Why is dog insurance important?

While the cost of caring for a sick or injured dog can be expensive, especially once you consider the amount you’ll also be spending on food, flea medication and other essentials, most pooch parents agree that having a healthy and happy dog at home is a tremendously rewarding experience.

Unsure how serious it is?

Bow Wow Meow policyholders can get access to trusted vet care anytime, anywhere, at no additional cost. Connect to an experienced Australian registered vet via video call, 24/7. Whether it’s providing vet advice, setting up at-home treatment plans, or confirming if you need to visit a vet in person, you can get help when you need it.

Find out more about our pet insurance cover options.

When is the best time to insure a dog? 

If you are a new puppy owner who is contemplating pet insurance, bear in mind that during early puppyhood they are less likely to have any pre-existing conditions. If they already have existing health conditions (prior to getting a policy or within the 30 day waiting period), these conditions will generally be excluded from cover. Puppies can be covered from 8 weeks of age and as they usually do not have any pre-existing conditions at this time, you may find that it is an opportune time to get pet insurance.

Pet insurance can help you be prepared

Owning a pet is a long-term financial commitment. Knowing what costs could be around the corner can help you to be prepared if your dog does become sick—you’ll most likely need a number of vet visits, maybe even a surgery and ongoing medications. Sadly, these costs can often be too much for people to afford.

Because it is difficult to predict the costs of veterinary care, it can help to have measures in place to help prepare for the unexpected. Pet insurance can help by covering a portion of the eligible vet bill if the unexpected does happen. Find our more about dog insurance.

*Based on PetSure claims data, 2022 calendar year. Reimbursement for these claims under a pet insurance policy, would be subject to limits, such as annual benefit limits or sub-limits, benefit percentage, applicable waiting periods and any applicable excess. Cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or policy wording available from the relevant provider. Please note that values calculated are based on all claims for that condition and medically related conditions in each calendar year.