Insurance for your dog or puppy is recommended to keep the medical costs of owning a dog to some predictable level. In all cases we strongly recommend you (carefully) read the terms and conditions in your policy. We estimate that 20-30% of pet owners currently have a policy in Ireland. In France it's as low as 10% while Sweeden it's as high as 90% for dog insurance.
Irish pet insurance companies
There are really only 4 main providers (Agria, Allianz, Blue Insurance, AnPost Insurance), you maysee some other brands or brokers offering insurance, but the cheapest quotes will generally be available directly from the providers themselves. The main providers are listed below, in no particular order.
- www.Allianz.ie - provides home, auto, boat and travel insurance as well as pet insurance.
- www.BlueInsurance.ie - provides home, auto, travel and car hire excess insurance products as well. Also operates www.Petinsurance.ie.
- www.AgriPetinsure.ie - formally PetInsure.ie, launched in 2023.
- www.AnPostInsurance.ie - offers car, home, life, pet and farm insurance. Previously OneDirect Insurance. Provided by BlueInsurance.ie.
Secondary insurers (who offer insurance through partners)
- www.LifeAndProvide.com - new Irish startup offering insurance through partners, but not directly.
- www.FirstIreland.ie - also offers car, pension & life assurance. Pet insurance is through BlueInsurance.
Terms to look out for in insurance policies
Here are some key terms to keep an eye out when it comes to comparing insurance policies for your dog or puppy.
- 💶 Excess - understand what first portion of the vets bill you will need to cover first.
- % Percentage Excess - some providers, like BlueInsurance, only reimburse a certain percentage of the total bill, after the excess is taken into account.
- 📈 Yearly Increases - ask for a typical rate of coverage for your dog in year 1,2,3,4,5 to guage how prices may increase.
- 🚗 3rd Party coverage - does it cover any damage your dog may do, and not just medical bills?
- 🥶 Cooling off period - does it take some days / weeks before the policy will cover your dog?
- 🔝 Maximum Benefit - this is the maximum payout you can recieve (in a 12 month period).
- 🐶 Existing conditions - terms around pre-existing conditions that are known before the insurance begins.
- 📆 Annual requirements - most policies require an annual vet checkup and up-to-date vaccinations. Failure to maintain this may render your policy null and void.
- 🐾 Breeding - some companies (BlueInsurance) have specific clauses about not being allowed to breed your dog.
What does your pet insurance not cover?
It's important to know what costs are not covered e.g. most insurances don't cover general trips to the vets for checkups, nail clipping gland cleaning, etc. These are often referred to as "well pet" visits. Note some insurance companies (e.g. BlueInsurance) may not cover your dog if it's on the restricted breed list of dogs.
What might your insurance cover?
Things to keep an eye out for policies that may include, holiday cancelation, theft, euthanasia, as added features, these might save some costs in the long run too.
How much does pet insurance it cost?
Costs vary greatly based on excess levels & coverage options, you should budget for €150 - €400+ per year. Costs can vary based on the breed, age, pedigree, home location of the pet. We do recommend that you get quotes from all 4 key providers and understand the differences in coverage that's offered.
Get an insurance quote
It really does pay to shop around before committing to one insurance company or another. Make sure you compare like with like. If one policy has a feature, for example a holiday cancelation coverage and another doesn't, it can make comparisons tougher to do (this is what insurance companies want !). It's best to seperate out these additional features and classify them as "nice to have" or "must have" in your policy comparison. Do check that items may be covered by your other policies, for example:
- your holiday insurance may already cover cancellation due to a pets illness
- and pet 3rd party cover, it may already be coverered under your home / house policy
Our tips for pet insurance
- 📆 Yearly cost - Think of the costs of the policy over a year. Some providers show weekly (AgriPetInsure), monthly (AnPost) or yearly (Allianz) pricing in their quotes and it can be harder to compare. This will also help you budget for this expense.
- 🚙 🏡 Expand policies - Generally it's cheaper to get a pet policy if you have your car or home insurance policy with the provider, and most companies offer discounts if this is the case. Ask about bundling insurance plans together.
- 🐩🐕🐈⬛ Multiple policies - Homes with multiple pets will also tend to get discounts on a 2nd or 3rd pet policy. Do you have another dog, cat, horse or other pet that you would like covered ?
What is a health plan / vet pet plan?
Some veterinary practices offer plans where you can pay monthly and get unlimited vists to the vet. Pet Plans like this can be great for first time dog owners who may be nervous about their new dog. Note they are not an insurance policy , but can be another good way of keeping costs down. These tend to include regular vaccinations, blood tests and checkups. Some offer discounts on food, medicine, flea & tick treatments and medical procedures. Enquire with your vet if they offer this. Here are some examples from Kilcoo Vets in Wicklow and Applewood Vet Clinic in Dublin.
