Last updated 22nd March 2022
Let’s take a close look at pet insurance in NZ, so you can compare pet insurance policies easily and get the best price and deals available.
This guide is for both dog insurance and cat insurance. 🐱🐶
Pets can be super expensive, especially when something goes wrong. Depending on the owner, they can also be a pretty significant part of your life so when something does go wrong, it can be comforting to have pet insurance to get you through.
Our pet insurance reviews will hopefully help you decide which pet insurance company and plan is best for you. We aren’t finacial advisors, and we haven’t review every pet insurance option on the market, so be sure to do you own research before buying any pet insurance policy. They vary a lot, and the only source of truth is the policy wording providing by the insurance companies – so be sure to give these a quick read before making your final decision.
And also keep in mind that although we have done our best to compare pet insurance in NZ, your fellow Kiwis are a wealth of knowledge and nothing beats word-of-mouth. Also, keep in mind that everyone has different experiences with different pet insurance companies. So although people are eager to recommend Southern Cross, Pet Plan, and Pet-n-Sure in the comments seen below, there are also people who would be very quick to complain that these companies are the ones you should never deal with!
We compare a wide range of products and brands across the insurance industry.
But while the range of insurance products compared is always growing, Compare.org.nz doesn’t compare all products and brands in the market. Visit Google to find a more complete range of products or brands that may be more suitable for you.
Our team endeavors to ensure that the information on this site is accurate but you should confirm any information with the product or service provider and read the information they provide on their own websites, as this will be more accurate and regarded as the ‘source of truth’. If you are unsure you should get independent advice before you apply for any product or service.
Requesting a pet insurance quote doesn’t take long at all. Just like other forms of insurance (such as car insurance) you’ll be asked a handful of question within an online form, and then be presented with your quote.
The two questions I always get stuck on when getting a pet insurance quote is the breed of my cat, and it’s date of birth. All I know if I have a ginger cat, and it leaves it’s fluff everywhere. Sometimes you are presented 30 or so breeds, and I’ve literally go no idea whether mine is a Burmese, Chantilly, Persian, Tabby, or Somali. I guess I’ll have to do a bunch of Google searches to find out, or send a picture of my cat to the vet?!
The pet’s date of birth is also another tough question. Some date 7 or so years ago…
Anyone, enough moaning. Not all questions are tough, and most owners probably know more about their pet’s than I do. AA Pet Insurance goes as far as asking for your pet’s colour. If someone knows why, we’d love to know!
So what’s our advice? Get at least one pet insurance quote online when you first pick up your pet. At this time you’ve probably got a reasonable idea of the date of birth and the breed of the cat. It’ll probably be in the Trademe listing or the SPCA paperwork. Once you’ve done one quote you’ll have the answers to all the questions they ask, so spend another 10 minutes and get a few more quotes. You’ll find that the prices can vary quite a bit, so spending 10 minutes to get cheaper pet insurance, or a betted pet insurance policy, is worth it!
Quick fact: I’ve never purchased a pet insurance policy. I’ve pulled together these pet insurance reviews from scouring the internet and reading the websites of most leading pet insurers, and also reading hundreds of reviews left by customers online. I’ve also got many friends and family who are big animal lovers who have experience with the top few pet insurance companies, so their feedback helped me write these reviews. Since I do own a cat, I’ve had some discussions recently with the local pet store on what to look for when buying pet insurance. I’ve added their advice below!
AA offers pet insurance for both dogs and cats. It’s worth noting that it isn’t AA Insurance (that you know for their home, car and contents) that offers this pet insurance product – it’s the Automobile Association that you know for roadside assistance etc. Small difference – but it’s two different companies.
Cove launched pet insurance in May 2022 following on the success of their car insurance product. They offer three levels of pet insurance policies and are a digitally-focused insurance brand, meaning you can quote, buy, and manage your pet insurance online.
PD is a popular choice for Kiwis – you’ve probably seen one of their many TV commercials recently. They have an accident plan, classic plan, and deluxe plan. Overall their reviews are positive and plentiful.
Pet Cover offers dog, cat, and horse insurance in NZ. Overall their reviews are positive with a rating over 4 stars on Feefo. They are an Aussie company, and their .co.nz now redirects to a .com, which might make some feel a little iffy.
SPCA is the most known brand in the pet industry in NZ, but they are relatively new to pet insurance. Their products are provided by an Aussie company (Hollard), which is the same company behind AA Pet Insurance. SPCA is too new to have a good selection of online reviews just yet.
Tower is also new to pet insurance in NZ, and they are one of the first “big name” insurance brands to offer it here (State, AMI, etc don’t). Tower offers three tiers of cover: comprehensive, essential, and accident only. Like SPCA Pet Insurance, they are too new to have reviews from existing customers.
Pet-n-Sur is one of the larger pet insurance brands in New Zealand, and is 100% NZ owned and managed. They are a brand which has hundreds of very happy customers, but also a quick search online will reveal many disgruntled customers.
The Warehouse made a dash into car, home and contents insurance a few years ago, but has since closed down those lines of business. They do still offer pet insurance however. The offer three plans, and I can’t actually find much content online about them in terms of reviews and feedback. Get a pet insurance quote from them if you are comfortable with one of NZ’s biggest retailers insuring your pet.
Important Note: Please review our transparency statement in the footer of every page on this website. No brands above are a recommendation from Compare.org.nz or an indication that a brand or product is the best in its category. We do not compare all pet insurance brands available in New Zealand, so it is important for you to do thorough research and compare all options and find the right product for you, based on your own personal circumstances.
Dog Insurance Comparison Scenario #1 Get your own quotes as these quotes are only a snapshot in time. Pet insurance prices can change frequently, so you might find different prices for these scenarios if re-done today.
There are two distinct types of pet insurance in NZ: accident only, and accident and illness.
The names are pretty self-explanatory, but let’s take a quick look at these two types of policies:
👉 Accident only pet insurance covers your pets for accidents, as you’d expect. This means things like your cat getting hit by a car, or your dog jumping off the back of a ute. These are sudden events that cause the pet to need medical attention, and your Accident only pet insurance policy is designed exactly for these types of events. However, if your dog developed cancer, or a skin condition, this wouldn’t be covered under an accident only policy, as it falls into the “illness category”
👉 Accident and Illness policies cover everything described above, but they also cover those illnesses which develop over time, which aren’t necessarily related to a single accident. If your dog gets cancer and needs diagnosis and treatment, then this is the type of policy that covers those situations.
Accident only policies aren’t offered by every pet insurance company in NZ, but you’ll find them at both Southern Cross Pet Insurance, and Cove Pet Insurance. At Southern Cross their policy is called AcciPet, and at Cove it’s simply called Accident Only.
Get your own quotes as these quotes are only a snapshot in time. Pet insurance prices can change frequently, so you might find different prices for these scenarios if re-done today.
Our advice is not just to consider price. Yes, you’re probably reading this page because you want to compare pet insurance prices, but we also suggest looking at policy wording of the brands you are considering, and the claims experience of existing customers. After all, there is no point in buying the cheapest pet insurance policy if you find out later that they don’t pay claims easily!
✅ Price: The price of your pet insurance largely depends on the age of your pet, and its breed. So to get the best price on pet insurance you really need to think about the cost of insurance before you actually choose which pet to adopt.
However, if you already have a pet, that’s not really an option, so the best way to get a good price is to shop around. Prices can vary heavily, and what costs $30 per month at one pet insurance brand might cost $55 at another. This is all because insurance is priced with a complex formula, and every brand has a different formula.
✅ Excess: Be sure to look at the excess when you compare pet insurance – it is the other big factor which determines what you pay. For clarity, your premium is what you pay monthly or annually, and your excess is what you pay when you make a claim. Excesses are typically between $200 and $1,000 – and a higher excess means a lower premium.
It’s really a balancing act. If you can afford to pay $1,000 when you make a claim, you might like to choose a high-excess pet insurance policy, and pay a lower premium of say $30 per month.
But if you can’t afford a high excess, you might choose an excess of $200 – but be aware that this will mean your premium goes up to $50+.
When it comes to actually comparing pet insurance in NZ, the process is quite simple. All you’ll need to know is your pets age, breed, date of birth, and gender.
If you’re armed with these bits of information, you can compare pet insurance on most of the leading brands websites. It’ll take 3 or 4 minutes each, and if you’re impatient it will be tedious. But we recommend taking the time to compare quotes, you’ll be saving yourself money and ensuring you get a good deal.
Start by looking for pet insurance deals. Let’s take a look at what brands frequently have some sort of pet insurance deal…
Get your own quotes as these quotes are only a snapshot in time. Pet insurance prices can change frequently, so you might find different prices for these scenarios if re-done today.
No!
We never recommend just buying the cheapest pet insurance you can find. You’ll likely end up with a high-excess, low-cover, accident only insurance policy from a less than ideal brand.
What you should be looking for is the best value pet insurance. This means a policy which actually covers you for all the things you want to be covered for, and it matched with a good price.
You should compare pet insurance prices before you even choose which pet to adopt!
Adopting a cat or dog is no small decision, and the financial side of things should be something you factor into the monthly costs alongside food and routine care.
As with all insurance types, there are a few main levers you can pull to get cheaper pet insurance.
The first is the excess. As always, increasing your excess means you will have to pay more when you make a claim, but it nearly always means your monthly premiums will be cheaper. Choose an excess you can afford, as this is a lump-sum payment you’ll need to make when you make a claim.
Pet insurance, unlike other forms of insurance like car insurance, also often has what is called a co-payment. This is a percentage amount which you must also pay towards a claim, over and above the excess. It typically ranges between 0% and 20%. As with the excess, a higher co-payment means a cheaper monthly premium.
The last, and possibly the best way to get cheap pet insurance, is by shopping around. Every pet insurance company in NZ will be priced differently, and it only takes 15 minutes to get quotes from all brands. It’s all done online, and if you’re just kicking the types, enter a fake email address and phone number for the brands that ask for these details for showing your quote.
Pet insurance is one of those expenses which seems like a burden…until you need it – then it can be a life-saver.
Many vet visits can be reasonably cheap. Getting pet de-sexed, microchipped, or vacinnated isn’t going to cost more than a few hundred dollars – so it’s arguable whether pet insurance is worth it in NZ for these minor day-to-day costs of owning a pet.
BUT, imagine you are in a situation where your family dog runs onto the road and is hit by a car. You take a dog to the vet who, after a $500 consultation, recommends $5,000 to $10,000 be spent carrying out the necessary surgery and ongoing treatment.
You’re now faced with a decision – pay for the euthanasia for your pet, or open your wallet and start spending your holiday fund. 😨
If you had pet insurance, this could all be covered by your insurance company. The premiums that you’ve been paying, which could be as low as $40 per month, would mean you can pass on much of this cost to the insurer when you make a claim. In this situation, having pet insurance is without a doubt worth it.
There are however situations where pet insurance might not have been worth it, in hindsight. You might pay your monthly premiums each year for 10 years and never need to make a large insurance claim. In this case, you’ve paid premiums and got nothing in return.
The question is, are you willing to take the risk that your pet will live an accident-free, healthy life? 🤔
It’s sort of similar to car insurance in that no one really enjoys paying for it, but if you’ve ever written off a $15,000 car and had your insurance company buy you a new one, you’d thank your lucky stars that you had insurance. Or similarly, if you’ve had comprehensive car insurance for your $5,000 Mazda Demio and crashed into a $75,000 Audi S5 – you’d really wished you had car insurance to get you out of paying that hefty repair bill!
Dog Insurance Comparison Scenario #3Get your own quotes as these quotes are only a snapshot in time. Pet insurance prices can change frequently, so you might find different prices for these scenarios if re-done today.
Not really. There is no need for a “pet insurance calculator” to be made to provide estimates, when you can go and get a real pet insurance quote in just a few minutes.
For this reason, the best calculators are actually the quoting tools on the various insurers websites. We find the AA Pet Insurance quote tool easy to use, so perhaps start there if you just want a quick estimate/quote.
The most popular dogs in NZ are the Labrador Retriever, Huntaway,Border Collie, New Zealand Heading Dog, Jack Russel Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and the German Shepherd.
Since these dogs are so common, most pet insurance companies in NZ are well set up to insure them and manage the claims on them.
In saying that, most of the brands have over 500 breeds listed (if you include cross-breeds), so you should have no trouble insuring most breeds of dogs. If your dog isn’t on the drop-down list of breeds you can select, it is probably because it is one of the few excluded breeds.
There is no “best” dog insurance in NZ. All brands have good policies, but it does pay to shop around to ensure you are getting bang for buck. There are many pet insurance reviews all around the web, so take a minute to read not just this site, but to read some social media reviews as well as Google reviews.
For your reference we’ve done a range of quotes and prepared a ‘menu’ of sorts, so you can see what each dogs will cost to insure. We’ve tried to include the most popular and common dogs in NZ, along with some small dogs and large dogs. These quotes are from the pet insurance brands listed on this page – mainly Southern Cross Pet Insurance.
Labrador retievers are the most common dog breed in NZ. They care relatively cheap to insure compared to some other large dogs, and most pet insurance brands in NZ will happily cover them (unless they are too old). Labradors can suffer from a range of hereditary eye disorders, as with many other breeds. They can also suffer from hip and elbow dysplasis which can be both painful for them, and also lead to mobility issues.
The Huntaway is generally a very healthy breed, which is partly why it is such a common dog breed in New Zealand. A few conditions to keep on your radar are hip dysplasia and cancer. You'll find every pet insurance company in NZ is happy to insure a Huntaway, assuming it meets their other underwriting guidelines such as within the age limits.
Border Collies are good safe breeds and generally have few health problems. If you're looking for a breed that won't cost you a fortune in vet visits, then consider a Border Collie. However, as with other breeds, Border Collies can suffer from hereditary eye disorders. Epilepsy is also a bit more common for Border Collies.
The New Zealand Heading Dog was made to be a working dog - so be careful when insuring yours at a pet insurer as many exclude working dogs from being able to be insured in the first place. They are active dogs and will keep you busy with plenty of walks, but keep in mind they can be sound sensitive.
The Jack Russel Terrier is a favourite with many Kiwis - it's a small playful dog which comes in a few varieties. They are energetic and playful, and a favourite with the kids,.
There isn't a huge amount to worry about when considering a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They are a strong breed which have few issues to worry about should you be considering adopting one. There are a few things to keep an eye out for, as with every dog, and these include some hereditary eye disorders.
Overall the Miniature Schnauzer is a healthy breed which you shouldn't have too much trouble insuring. There are a few health issues to keep an eye out for however, such as diabetes and bladder stones. Miniature Schnauzers can also suffer from high blood fat levels.
There are a range of health problems known to affect German Shepherds. These include gastrointestinal diseases and a disease of the spinal cord. When adopting a German Shepherd be sure to have a good talk with the breeder and have a discussion around any DNA testing they have done, or plan to have done.
The Chihuahua has a number of known health issues that you should be aware of before choosing this breed. Due to the shape of their head they can be prone to hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and eye problems. Additionally, as with many small dog breeds, their kneecaps may temporarily slip out of place (patella luxation).
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There are a few things to note if you are looking for insurance for a puppy or kitten, but nothing fundamentally changes in terms of how the insurance works.
Firstly, pet insurance is cheaper the younger your pet is. This is a basic rule of pet insurance that can’t really be avoided. Let’s use the example of a Labrador Retriever. The cheapest pet insurance for a Labrador we could find was $41.67, but this is the price when it is just a puppy. At the pet ages, this price increases to $42.50 in the second year, to $43.74 in the fourth year, then nearly $50 per month in the 6th year.
The same sort of increases applies to cats.
So when you first adopt a pet you might get a nice cheap pet insurance deal, but as it ages, this is without a doubt going to increase – so factory this into pet ownership.
Secondly, kittens and puppies can often get free pet insurance for a number of weeks from some selected brands. Pet insurance companies like luring new pet owners in early own in their pet-parenting journey, and one way they do this is by offering free pet insurance for kittens and puppies. Below are some brands which currently offer this deal.
If you have a puppy or kitten – PD Pet Insurance will offer you three months free if your pet is aged between 6 weeks and 1 year old.
Get your own quotes as these quotes are only a snapshot in time. Pet insurance prices can change frequently, so you might find different prices for these scenarios if re-done today.
Sorry, we simply can’t tell you this without knowing your own personal situation! The best pet insurance in NZ depends on your pets breed and age, amongst a range of other factors.
Take 15 minutes to get pet insurance quotes from all the leading brands and have a read of the policy features & benefits, and you’ll soon get a good understanding of which is the best pet insurance policy for you.
In writing this article we reviewed other websites throughout NZ that also compare pet insurance, social media posts related to pet insurance, and recent news articles about pet insurance. Some of these sources we used are below: