Pet insurance cover and benefits

What does pet insurance cover? Which benefits are included? Comparis tells you what you need to know about the cover and benefits offered by pet insurance.

Pet insurance: benefits and cover

Pet insurance generally covers accidents and illness. Some insurers offer the option of taking out accident insurance and health insurance individually.

Your insurance premiums are the price you pay for cover and benefits. Pet insurance prices are given in the form of annual premiums.

With pet insurance, you can usually choose the following benefits:

  • the cost of treatment by an accredited vet

  • surgical operations

  • pharmaceutical treatment and prescription drugs

  • radiological examinations

  • physiotherapy, acupuncture, homoeopathic and osteopathic treatment

  • costs of accommodation and food in the veterinary practice or clinic

  • emergency transportation by animal ambulance. Some insurance companies have an upper limit per claim for this.

  • cost of putting down/euthanasia: medical act with the purpose to end an animal’s suffering or avoid keeping it alive artificially.

Check the insurance policy’s terms and conditions for the exact scope of benefits.

The policyholder is the person who has taken out a contract with the insurance company and pays the premiums. The policyholder is usually the owner of the pet.

Before and after a claim, the policyholder has to do everything in their power to help prevent or reduce any damage and also clarify the situation.

You must provide the insurer with all necessary information and hand over all documents needed to handle the claim. The insurer may otherwise refuse to pay out.

When making a claim, report it to your insurer straight away, either in writing or online. If you don’t make your claim within the set period, your pay-out may be reduced. An exception applies when the pet owner is not responsible for the delay.


Some insurance companies grant a quantity discount if insurance policies are taken out for several animals together. Therefore, it’s usually worth using the same provider if you have several pets.

If the insured animal is sold or donated, you must notify the insurance company within 14 days. Normally, the rights and obligations from the existing contract are transferred to the new owner.

Some pet insurance companies set age limits pet insurance admission. Contact your insurer to find out if your pet is too old to insure.

The qualifying period is a period of time that starts after the contract takes effect. During this time, the insurance company will not pay in the event of an accident or illness.

Accidents are usually not subject to a waiting period or only a very short one (e.g. 10 days). For illnesses, the qualifying period is usually longer (e.g. one month).

Homeopathy is suitable for animals as well as humans. Some pet insurance companies cover homoeopathic treatment by a vet. You can find the cover details in the General Conditions of Insurance.

Osteopathy is a holistic form of medicine that serves to prevent and heal medical conditions using manual techniques. It’s based on the principle that health is dependent on the functional balance between all structures of the body. Some pet insurance companies cover osteopathic treatments for your pet.

Physiotherapy helps through external stimuli. This mainly includes manual stimuli such as massage or active movement. Medications are not used.

Physiotherapy costs are usually covered by the animal insurance companies on a pro rata basis. You can find the cover details in the policy’s general conditions of insurance.

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Illness and accident

Any impairment of physical health that is not caused by an accident and results in a medical examination or treatment by a vet. Neutering, sterilization or pregnancy are not insurance-related illnesses.

A disease is considered chronic if it is specific, long-lasting and incurable. Some insurance companies have defined a certain period in which an illness must be cured. If this period is exceeded, the illness is considered chronic. Examples include renal insufficiency or diabetes.

Hereditary diseases or congenital diseases are medical conditions that are passed on through families. This means that the affected individual is already born with a genetic predisposition. The illness either already exists at birth or the individual will suffer from it later in life.

Most insurance companies don’t cover hereditary diseases.

An accident is the occurrence of an unusual external factor with sudden, unintended detrimental effects on the animal’s body leading to a reduction of its physical well-being or making a medical examination or treatment by a vet necessary.

Swallowing objects, poisoning and their consequences are not considered accidents.

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