How to save on pet insurance

As a prospective pet owner, you may be considering whether the cost of pet insurance is actually worth it, but there are some ways that you can save to make that decision easier.

With Budget Direct Pet Insurance, you can minimise costs and still receive an ample amount of coverage for eligible vet expenses, helping you to save while providing peace of mind at the same time.

Below is a list of other ways you can save on your pet insurance.

Choosing a crossbreed – that’s less prone to breed-specific health concerns – will often be cheaper to insure.

For instance, hardy dog breeds like Border Collies and cat breeds like Domestic Shorthairs will usually cost significantly less to insure compared to popular breeds like French Bulldogs or Persians (which can be prone to particularly costly health issues). The cost of pet insurance may be worth it when you consider how much you’ll spend on vet bills over your pet’s life.

Larger dog and cat breeds are also more expensive to treat and incur a higher cost for medicines, treatment, and surgery. This is usually reflected in the premium, with bigger pets costing more to insure too.

When you first bring your pet home, their curiosity can get the better of them and this can sometimes lead to injuries or illnesses. Whether they’ve suffered a physical injury, or accidentally ingested a toxic food or plant, it’s during the early years where you may be making more trips to the emergency vet, which can leave you with a big bill.

The benefit of taking out insurance while your pet is young is that they will have fewer pre-existing injuries or illnesses. And as long as you renew or avoid breaks in your pet insurance cover, then any new conditions that may arise when your pet is young will not be excluded as a pre-existing condition.

This means that premiums are likely to be cheaper when your pet is young because they are less likely to have serious health issues at a young age. Over time the premium will usually increase as your pet gets older as well as your chance of claiming on larger vet bills, including those related to ongoing health issues.

Depending on circumstances, increasing the excess to a policy can decrease the premium significantly. The amount of excess is what you pay when you make an insurance claim, as well as the percentage of vet expenses that you (as a pet owner) will need to pay towards the claim.

If you’re purchasing pet insurance primarily for large, unexpected vet bills, then having a higher excess may be more economic. However, if you’re expecting to make smaller visits more often, a lower excess may be a better way to save. It really depends on the cover you take out and the excess options your insurer provides under the policy.

Paying annually instead of by monthly instalments can help you pay a lower premium and avoid instalment processing fees. While this option may not be suitable for all insurance customers, it may be worth it to those who can afford a one-off payment each year.

Budget Direct provides cover for all orthopaedic conditions, including ones not covered by some other insurers (sub-limits, waiting periods, and exclusions apply). This means that you won’t need to worry about having to cover the entire surgery bill, as Budget Direct will reimburse you, up to the limits and terms stated in your Pet Insurance policy.

With Budget Direct you can get a discount on your first year’s premium for a new policy purchased online. To qualify for our 15%^{^} online discount you must start your pet insurance quote online. T&Cs apply.