Compare pet insurance cover with SPCA Pet Insurance

As you admire the animals staring back at you in need of a home, you face the impossible task of deciding which one will be your friend for life. It’s a decision that every pet owner recalls but never regrets. It’s hard at first, but you always feel it was the right choice in the end.

Deciding which pet insurance policy to go for isn’t quite as demanding, but it’s still a big call that can be the difference between success or frustration for you and your pet. Every option has something unique to offer which means you could miss out on some great features that you need. Are you a fast claims type of pet owner who needs things settled quickly, or are you simply after the highest benefit rate on the market?  

Comparing different pet insurance policies can help you figure out what’s on offer and avoid missing out on the perfect deal, but that’s a lot easier said than done. One common mistake that many people make is getting caught up on the price and not considering the long-term value of a pet insurance policy. Here’s why that’s a risky move and what else you should look for when comparing pet insurance options.    

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Comparing pet insurance in New Zealand

When comparing pet insurance cover options from different providers, you might want to consider not only the price (premiums) of each policy, but also other features like the benefit amount, the annual limit of your cover, what types of conditions are covered, and more. This is important when comparing both dog insurance cover options and cat insurance cover options. To help you see how each policy stacks up, we compared SPCA Pet Insurance (The Works Cover) to four other policies in New Zealand.

The table below highlights the common benefits and features to consider when comparing pet insurance policies.

Product Feature

SPCA Pet Insurance

Policy A

Policy B

Policy C

Policy D

Excess

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

$150 per claim, plus a % of bill as pet ages

Benefit rate

80%

80% or 100%

80%

80% (higher co-pay for specialist treatments, dogs over 10 years and chronic conditions)

100% (reduces to 80% at age 8 and 65% at age 10)

Overall annual limit

$20,000

$15,000

$11,000

$6,000 illness

$3,000 accident

$15,000 cats

$20,000 dogs

Lifetime limits on chronic conditions

Non-chronic pre-existing conditions covered if symptom-free

Congenital conditions covered

Hereditary conditions covered

Not if occurs before pet age 3

Not if occurs before pet age 4

Endo & ectoparasites covered

Max eligibility age

9 years

6 years

9 years

11 years

9 years

Average claims turnaround time

1-2 business days

10 days

14 days

10 days

Online claims portal

Lifetime cover

This information is accurate as at April 2021. This table compares a sample of policy features but does not compare all aspects of each policy. There are also other policies available that have not been compared. Maximum Cover amounts available are dependent on your age at time of application.

Compare key pet insurance benefits

Show your pet some love

Dog sitting down and looking back

Dog insurance

Every dog has its day. We’ll cover yours for all sorts of issues or mishaps such as arthritis, foreign ingestion, and more.

Cat insurance

Stay one step ahead of your feline with cover for bites, falls, illnesses, and the consultations that follow. No need to worry about their adventurous climbs or leaps.

What to consider when choosing pet insurance cover

Medical care for animals has come a long way which means there are more options than ever for sick or injured pets. With the right care, your cat or dog’s quality of life can be massively improved, but the downside is that treatment can be expensive.

If you look at the costs and fees associated with owning a pet, the total cost of dog care is estimated to be around $1,686 a year1, while your cat’s care will cost you around $670 a year.2 And that’s just for the expected costs – if your pet was to be hurt in an accident or to develop a condition later in life, you can expect to face additional costs. This is when pet insurance can make owning a cat or dog much more affordable for some owners. Without cover, you’ll need to budget for expensive vet bills on top of the ongoing standard costs of pet ownership. That’s why it may be worth considering pet insurance in case you’re unable to pay for your cat or dog’s essential treatment.

When considering pet insurance, there’s a few things you should consider looking into before signing up:

Pet insurance consideration checklist

  • Does your pet meet the age eligibility?
  • Have you compared different policies for level of cover, excess, exclusions and other features?
  • How much will the policy cost you over time?
  • Which features and benefits are most important for your breed?
  1. Owning a dog - New Zealand Now
  2. Owning a cat - New Zealand Now
  3. Companion Animals in New Zealand 2016 Report - Companion Animals NZ


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