What's the Best Puppy Insurance in NZ?

We compare over 20 different puppy insurance plans in New Zealand including their costs, coverage and conditions. Take special note of any sign up bonuses, minimum age requirements and exclusions as all of these are important considerations when choosing your puppy's pet insurance policy.
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Mason Author
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Thibault Editor
Updated May 13 2024
Table Of Contents
Broadly speaking, there are two types of puppy insurance - accident plans and accident plus illness plans. Within these plans other types of claims may be automatically covered or available as add-ons eg. routine care and vaccinations, emergency boarding, third party liability etc.

The costs of your plan will mainly depend on factors you can't change eg. your dogs age and breed and factors you can influence eg. what you conditions and treatments you want covered, your policy limit (the annual amount you can claim), your excess (the fixed amount you need to pay at the vet) and your co-payment (the percentage of your vet bills that you pay after subtracting the excess).

In saying this, every plan is different so we recommend narrowing down your options and then getting and comparing quotes for several puppy insurance companies and plans.

Also be aware of any specific condition limits as these can surprise you when you try to make a claim. These can be found in your policy wording if they are not advertised.

If you're going to buy puppy insurance it's also advisable to buy it as soon as possible to ensure that your puppy is covered for any conditions that may present themselves - if you wait you risk having these conditions excluded from any future policy.

All puppy insurances also have stand down periods meaning you can't make claims on certain conditions for a certain time period.

The Best Puppy Insurance Plan in New Zealand

Select 'Read more' to see our summary of the best puppy insurances NZ has or scroll to see all 20+ puppy insurance plans, their offers, conditions and prices compared.
 
  • The best puppy insurance plan is PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan. It may cost a little bit more than other puppy insurances but with a $20,000 policy limit, full coverage including dental, no co-payment and only a $100 to $200 excess you will likely never have a big vet bill again.
  • The best puppy insurance sign up offer is available at Petnsur. Petnsur's welcome offer gives you six weeks of free insurance worth up to $2,000. Better yet, there's no obligation to continue your plan after the free six weeks.
  • The cheapest puppy insurance plan is Southern Cross's AcciPet Plan which costs as little as $11.09 per month depending on your puppy's breed and if you select the maximum excess and co-payment. PD Insurance's Accident Plan is also very well-priced at $18.97 per month for the same dog considering the maximum excess here is only $200 compared to Southern Cross which has up to a $500 excess and up to a 30% co-payment.
  • The biggest puppy insurance discounts are available at Southern Cross Pet Insurance. Not only can you get 6 weeks of free insurance worth $2,000 but there's 10% in discounts if you insure multiple pets, have a Southern Cross Health membership and pay by direct debit. Cove also has a 10% discount for taking out multiple policies and 10% discount for paying annually alongside their sign up offer worth up to $300.
  • The most comprehensive puppy insurance plan is AA Pet Insurance's only plan. It covers Accidental Injury, Illness, Dental, Pre-Existing Conditions, Hereditary Conditions, Parasite Treatments, Emergency Boarding, and Overseas Treatment and even has a routine care add-on. It also has a flexible excess but a fixed 20% co-payment and $15,000 policy limit. PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan is more comprehensive in that it covers $20,000 in vet bills per year and only has a $100 to $200 excess so you will lower vet bills for the same conditions as at AA.
  • The most flexible puppy insurance plan is Southern Cross Pet Insurance's PetCare Plan. It covers Accidental Injury, Illness, and Hereditary Conditions but has flexibility in that you can choose both your excess and co-payment. There's also add-ons for dental cover, routine care and consultation fees available.
Note that this page is designed to compare and recommend puppy insurances so if your dog is older than 1 year we recommend reading our comparison of New Zealand's best dog insurances instead.

All 20+ NZ Puppy Insurance Plans Compared

Show 13 more plans
*The average monthly cost of dog insurance for policies listed on this page is based on quotes obtained for a 6 month-old female Labrador Retriever named Quoty. She's desexed and we've picked the maximum policy limit, excess and co-payment where we had the option (a moderately expensive option) because she's a good girl. We haven't selected any add-ons. Quotes were last updated in February 2024.

Our Rating Criteria for Puppy Insurances

In order to maintain a fair and honest comparison we've reviewed all of New Zealand's puppy insurance policies based on the following criteria.

Which conditions and treatments are covered and which ones are excluded? 

Most puppy insurance plans cover accidental injury and/or illness but some have hidden exclusions like accidental poisoning or ingestion.

On the other hand, there are common exclusions that certain puppy insurance plans in NZ do in fact cover like third party liability (damage to other people or property), dental, routine care (like vet check ups and vaccinations), pre-existing conditions, hereditary conditions, parasite treatments, emergency boarding (if you need your dog to stay in a kennel) and overseas treatments. 

If you’re looking for the most comprehensive puppy insurance plan then we recommend PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan which covers dental, third party liability, vet consultations, and hereditary conditions or AA Pet Insurance's only plan which covers dental, vet consultations, hereditary conditions, parasite treatments, emergency boarding and overseas treatments.
 
How much do your insurance premiums cost each month and how much of your vet bills are you responsible for paying?

Here we look at the excess (the amount you have to pay before your insurance kicks in), deductible (the portion of your policy limit that you have to pay) and/or co-payment (the percentage of each vet bill you need to pay) associated with each policy. Some NZ puppy insurance policies have no such costs, while others, for example, have both an excess and a co-payment.

It is generally true however that if you bear more of the costs (by having a higher co-pay or excess) then your monthly premiums are also likely to be lower. 

Also be aware of certain exclusions or limits as these things are not covered, or not covered fully with some plans leading to bigger costs. For example, plans that don't cover vet consultations will generally lead to higher bills as this costs is never deducted.

All of PD Insurance's plans have no co-payment and flexible excesses.
 
Each policy has a maximum amount that you can claim each year - the bigger the better.

However, some puppy insurance providers also cap the amount that they will pay per condition or claim. For example, they may pay only $1,000 towards emergency boarding with a $10,000 policy. We prefer policies without condition limits although they tend to be (but are not always) tied to extra cover not offered by other providers.

Petnsur’s Rhodium Plan has no condition limits. Cove and Southern Cross's plans also have minimal condition limits.
 
Nearly every pet insurance policy for puppies has a minimum and maximum age your pup can be when taking out the policy. This means you need to be careful of which plan you choose if you are insuring very young puppies.

For puppies, Petnsur and PD Insurance have a six week minimum age for new policies. All other companies start insuring puppies at 8 weeks.
 
Some policies offer extra cover not typically offered by other NZ puppy insurances. Often these extras have lower condition limits and are missed by most pet owners but it always pays to be aware of what your policy does cover.

Other policies have optional add-ons with their own excesses, co-payments, limits and conditions for things like dental care, third party liability and routine care. This flexibility is always welcome as it lets you personalize your cover.

PetCover’s Superior Plans cover death, funeral costs, advertising and rewards for lost pets, emergency respiration etc. which are not included in most other puppy insurances in NZ. Otherwise, Southern Cross’s PetCare Plan is worth mentioning for the Routine and Dental care add-ons that are also quite unique.
 
Puppy insurance discounts are widely available, even if they’re not massive. This includes but isn’t limited to sign up offers and offers when switching pet insurance that may give you free weeks of insurance or discounted premiums.

Also typical is a multi pet discount if you insure 2 to 3 pets with the same company, or multi policy discounts i.e. if you buy car insurance through Cove then they will discount your dog insurance.

Cove has the best options for those looking to reduce their premiums with up to $100 off for the first 3 months if your dog is less than 6 months old along with a 10% multi-policy discount, 10% discount when paying annually and up to $100 per friend you refer.
 
Last but not least, the reputation, financial rating and customer service including things like claim processing times, responsive support and online reviews are all things that we consider when evaluating puppy insurance plans. 

While these things are harder to compare than policy limits or excesses they do play into our overall ratings of different NZ puppy insurance providers and their plans.

PD Insurance has one of the best online reputations of any dog insurance provider in New Zealand with a 4.3 star rating on Google, Reader’s Digest’s Quality Silver Service Award, and Moneyhub’s Favourite Pet Insurer 2023 (although Moneyhub only lists pet insurance providers that pay them). They also have the fastest claims processing (2 days for most claims).
 
The Comparesies Promise: Unlike other comparison sites, our recommendations are based solely on our own research and opinions - no matter the financial incentives.

How Much Does Puppy Insurance Cost in New Zealand?

On average, puppy insurance costs between of $20 and $150 per month in New Zealand although there are plans as cheap $14 and as expensive as $217 per month.

The cost of your puppy insurance policy is determined by a range of factors including your dog's age and breed, the level of cover you choose, and most of all your excess, co-payment and policy limit.

The more you elect to pay for at the vet i.e. a higher excess and co-payment and lower policy limit, the less you will pay upfront in the form of monthly premiums, and vice versa. This is because pet insurers in New Zealand have less liability when you have a high excess/co-payment so the cost of your plan is reduced to reflect this.

The cheapest puppy insurance plan in New Zealand is Southern Cross's AcciPet Plan when you select the minimum $500 excess and 30% co-payment. However, this plan is $39.60 per month with a $100 excess and 10% co-payment.
Average treatment costs for puppies infographic
Of course, for many new puppy owners the cost of not having puppy insurance, or not having a comprehensive puppy insurance plan is far greater than the financial cost of your monthly premiums and this is why it often pays to take out a comprehensive policy.

Getting a policy early on in your puppy's life is also wise as any treatments/conditions that your puppy develops while insured will be covered for life potentially reducing a lifetime of bills if you get insurance early.

And finally, there are also discounts and sign up bonuses available at all puppy insurance companies:
 
  • AA Pet Insurance: 5% discount for AA members
  • Cove Pet Insurance: Puppies get up to $100 off for 3 months + 10% multi-policy discount + 10% discount when paying annually + up to $100 when you refer a friend
  • PD Insurance: Buy online, get 1 month free + 5% multi-pet discount + $150 per pet when switching to PD Insurance
  • Petcover: 10% multi-pet discount (3+ pets)
  • Petnsur: Six weeks of free insurance (no obligation)
  • Southern Cross Pet Insurance: Puppies get 6 weeks of free insurance worth $2,000 + 5% multi-pet discount + 2.5% Southern Cross Health Society member discount + 2.5% direct debit discount when paying annually
  • SPCA Pet Insurance: 10% multi-pet discount
  • Tower Pet Insurance: 5% multi-pet discount

Puppy Insurance Prices by Coverage

Plan
Monthly Cost (Minimum Cover)
Monthly Cost (Maximum Cover)
AA Pet Insurance Accidental Injuries + Illness
$38.79
$84.93
Cove Pet Insurance Accident Only Plan
$15.93
$15.93
Cove Pet Insurance Major Plan
$39.33
$39.33
Cove Pet Insurance Major + Minor Plan
$47.78
$121.74
PD Insurance Accident Plan
$18.97
$23.41
PD Insurance Classic Plan
$62.41
$77.02
PD Insurance Deluxe Plan
$83.27
$98.50
Petcover Safety-net Plan (Economy)
$51.45
$55.28
Petcover Safety-net Plan (Catastrophe 1 / Catastrophe 2)
$45.45 / $54.08
$57.85 / $67.92
Petcover Mid-range Plan (Core / Vital / Key)
$34.15 / $38.52 / $53.34
$64.41 / $72.79 / $79.37
Petcover Superior Plans (Entry / Mid-Point / Superior)
$67.73 / $75.88 / $90.53
$71.57 / $79.71 / $90.53
Petnsur Surgery / Surgery Plus Plans
$23.91 / $37.46
$23.91 / $37.46
Petnsur Rhodium Plan
$79.92
$79.92
Petnsur Silver / Gold / Platinum Plans
$55.73 / $72.64 / $101.01
$55.73 / $72.64 / $101.01
Petnsur Titanium Plan
$159.01
$159.01
Southern Cross Pet Insurance AcciPet Plan
$13.85
$39.60
Southern Cross Pet Insurance PetCare Plan
$21.26
$217.43
SPCA Pet Insurance Everyday Cover
$78.19
$78.19
SPCA Pet Insurance The Works Cover
$95.00
$95.00
SPCA Pet Insurance Big Stuff Cover
$57.56
$57.56
Tower Pet Insurance Accident Only Plan
$23.53
$23.53
Tower Pet Insurance Essential Plan
$56.49
$56.49
Tower Pet Insurance Comprehensive Plan
$67.23
$67.23

Puppy Insurance Prices By Breed

Plan
Labrador Retriever
Border Collie
Jack Russel Terrier
Miniature Schnauzer
Shih Tzu
AA Pet Insurance Accidental Injuries + Illness
$43.94
$36.67
$34.98
$42.48
$47.90
Cove Pet Insurance Accident Only Plan
$15.93
$13.27
$11.06
$12.17
$13.27
Cove Pet Insurance Major Plan
$39.33
$32.78
$27.31
$30.04
$32.78
Cove Pet Insurance Major + Minor Plan
$47.78
$39.81
$33.18
$36.50
$39.81
PD Insurance Accident Plan
$18.97
$15.18
$15.18
$15.18
$15.18
PD Insurance Classic Plan
$62.41
$49.92
$49.92
$49.92
$49.92
PD Insurance Deluxe Plan
$83.27
$70.24
$70.24
$49.92
$49.92
Petcover Safety-net Plan (Economy)
$51.45
$43.30
$38.78
$42.40
$48.73
Petcover Safety-net Plan (Catastrophe 1 / Catastrophe 2)
$45.45 / $54.08
$38.30 / $45.50
$34.33 / $40.73
$37.51 / $44.55
$43.07 / $51.22
Petcover Mid-range Plan (Core / Vital / Key)
$34.15 / $38.52 / $53.34
$28.89 / $32.53 / $44.88
$25.97 / $29.20 / $40.18
$28.31 / $31.86 / $43.94
$32.40 / $36.52 / $50.52
Petcover Superior Plans (Entry / Mid-Point / Superior)
$67.73 / $75.88 / $90.53
$56.88 / $63.66 / $75.88
$50.84 / $56.87 / $67.73
$55.67 / $62.30 / $74.25
$64.11 / $71.80 / $85.65
Petnsur Surgery / Surgery Plus Plans
$23.91 / $37.46
$23.00 / $35.55
$23.00 / $35.55
$23.00 / $35.55
$23.00 / $35.55
Petnsur Rhodium Plan
$79.92
$75.92
$75.92
$75.92
$75.92
Petnsur Silver / Gold / Platinum Plans
$55.73 / $72.64 / $101.01
$52.82 / $68.73 / $96.19
$52.82 / $68.73 / $96.19
$52.82 / $68.73 / $96.19
$52.82 / $68.73 / $96.19
Petnsur Titanium Plan
$159.01
$131.74
$131.74
$131.74
$131.74
Southern Cross Pet Insurance AcciPet Plan
$13.85
$11.09
$11.09
$11.09
$11.09
Southern Cross Pet Insurance PetCare Plan
$57.97
$46.38
$46.38
$46.38
$46.38
SPCA Pet Insurance Everyday Cover
$78.19
$66.51
$56.46
$70.47
$83.90
SPCA Pet Insurance The Works Cover
$95.00
$81.37
$68.95
$85.79
$101.87
SPCA Pet Insurance Big Stuff Cover
$57.56
$49.67
$42.47
$52.22
$61.54
Tower Pet Insurance Accident Only Plan
$23.53
$19.87
$15.47
$22.95
$17.88
Tower Pet Insurance Essential Plan
$56.49
$47.69
$37.12
$55.10
$42.90
Tower Pet Insurance Comprehensive Plan
$67.23
$56.79
$44.18
$65.59
$51.07

How We Calculate the Cost of Puppy Insurance

The monthly costs above comparing each puppy insurance's minimum and maximum cover are based on our 6 month old desexed female Labrador Retriever Quoty.

For the minimum cover option we selected the highest excess and co-payment and the lowest policy limit possible and didn't include any add-ons. Conversely, for the maximum cover option we selected the minimum excess and co-payment and the highest policy limit plus all available add-ons.

In the table comparing breeds, Quoty is still desexed and gets the maximum available excess, co-payment and policy limit but no add-ons (i.e a plan somewhere in the middle of range).

The idea here is not to show you exactly how much your puppy insurance will cost but rather show you the range of prices that exist for all puppy insurance plans in New Zealand. As you will have seen, depending on the level of cover you want and your breed, comparing puppy insurance prices can result in hundreds of dollars of savings every year.

You can also get your puppy insurance even cheaper with the sign up bonuses and discounts mentioned above.

Common Questions About Puppy Insurance

You can buy puppy insurance online at any pet insurance provider in New Zealand. Click one of the Get A Quote buttons on this page then enter a few details about yourself and your puppy to receive your quote. Then you can select the conditions and plan that suit your needs and apply. You will then receive confirmation of your plan within minutes!

All puppy insurance plans in New Zealand are listed at the top of this page.
There are four different puppy insurance sign up offers available in New Zealand:
No. There are no puppy insurance plans in New Zealand that only cover health claims.

You can either buy a puppy accident only insurance plan, or an accident plus illness (health claims) plan. Often accident plus illness plans also cover additional claims like routine care, vaccinations, emergency boarding, dental, or third party liability although these may be included in accident only plans or as add-ons too.
Puppy insurance plans that cover hereditary conditions in New Zealand include:
 
In fact, all pet insurers in New Zealand cover hereditary conditions except for Petcover, SPCA and Tower.

With these plans it is often the case that hereditary conditions will only be covered if they aren't present in the first years of your dog's life so be sure to check your policy wording if hereditary condition cover is important to you.
 
Pet desexing and other preventative treatments are often not covered by your puppy insurance plan however there are several plans that cover the costs of routine care which includes desexing. 
 
There are four puppy insurance plans that cover the costs of vaccinations. for 3 of these plans you will need to also purchase their routine care add-on.
 
Yes. Puppy insurance premiums always increase with your dogs age, usually every year. This is because it is more likely that your dog will need treatment as they get older i.e. you would also have more expensive dog insurance premiums if you were ensuring the same dog who is ten years old instead of 5 years old today.

Puppy insurance premiums also increase to keep up with inflation - and sometimes your policy limits and excess will too - because a $10,000 policy is not worth he same today as it will in ten years time.

It's also possible for your puppy insurance premiums to decrease with age i.e. if a pet insurance company believes that an older dog is less likely to need treatment although this is very rare.
An excess is a fixed amount of any bills that are covered by your insurance that you are required to pay first i.e. if you have a $5,000 bill and a $500 excess you will have to pay $500 of that bill and your insurance will cover the remaining $4,500 (minus any co-payment).

A co-payment is a fixed percentage of any bills (minus any excess) that are covered by your insurance that you are required to pay i.e. if you have a $5,000 bill and a $500 excess and 10% co-payment you will have to pay the $500 excess plus 10% of the remaining $4,500 bill which is $450. In total you will pay $950 and the insurer will pay $4,050.

As you can see, the higher your excess and co-payment, the less your insurance plan will cover, however if you opt for a higher excess or co-payment you will also get discounted monthly premiums i.e. you pay less each month to have a high excess and co-payment but more when claiming or vice versa.

The largest excess and co-payments are available at Southern Cross Pet Insurance whereas PD Insurance's policies have no co-payment and as low as $100 in excesses.
You can make 24/7 puppy insurance claims online through your pet insurers claim portal. Just go to their website, log in to the portal, and fill in the required information including your policy number and claim details. 

Provided all of the information you have submitted is correct and complete, most pet insurers will pay out within a week although PD Insurance can pay out within 1 to 2 working days.
Only you can answer that question although most vets and breeders recommend having insurance for your puppy.

Insurance can cost anywhere between $10 and $215 a month but can cover up to $25,000 per year in vet bills and other costs. If you don't have the finances to pay for pet insurance than it's probably not a god idea, but if you do and a large vet bill would put too much strain on your financial situation then it's probably worth it.

Do be aware that buying puppy insurance as early as possible will ensure that your dog is covered for life should any conditions present themselves whereas if you buy insurance after your dog needs treatment for injury or illness, these conditions will likely be excluded from future cover.

Summary: Picking the Best Pet Insurance for Puppies

There are over 20 different puppy insurance plans in New Zealand each with different levels of cover, monthly costs and conditions to be aware of.

We think that PD Insurance has the best puppy insurance plans in New Zealand because they are extensive in their coverage, have low excess and no co-payment meaning you will not have to contribute much to your vet bills, because they have very few large condition limits and because they have a fast claim process and a friendly team.

Of course, PD might not be the best insurance company for your puppy so we recommend getting a few different quotes and comparing your options, making sure to check what's covered, what you'll have to pay for your premiums vs at the vet and that there are no surprising condition limits or stand down periods to be aware of.

Go back to the list comparing all NZ puppy insurances.