What's the Best Puppy Insurance in NZ?
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
- 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.
All 20+ NZ Puppy Insurance Plans Compared
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Alternative treatments
- Pre-existing conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Parasite treatments
- Occupational treatments
- Emergency boarding
- Overseas treatments
- 21 days for accidental ingestion
- 21 days for poisoning
- 21 days for illness
- 180 days for third party liability
- 180 days for cruciate ligament injury
- 180 days for patella luxation
- 180 days for dental illnesses
- $200 per visit for vet consultations
- $3,800 for hereditary conditions
- $7,500 for cruciate ligament
- $7,500 for patella luxation
- $7,500 for accidental ingestion
- $7,500 per claim limit
- $10,000 for third party liability
- Covers dental
- Covers illness, injury, liability
- High $20,000 policy limit
- Excess payable for every bill
-
Doesn't cover routine care
-
Long stand down periods
Another key factor was the high $20,000 policy limit although the $7,500 per claim limit was certainly the most off-putting thing about this policy. As were the condition limits for accidental ingestion, cruciate, patella and hereditary conditions - even if these are relatively high. PD insurance also boasts one free month of insurance as a sign up offer, faster than average 2 day claims processing and a competitive 5% multi pet discount.
The other thing to watch out for with this plan is the long stand down periods - you can't claim for accidental ingestion, poisoning and illness in the first 21 days, or third party liability, cruciate ligament, patella luxation and dental illnesses in the first 180 days. So effectively you pay for 3 weeks or 6 months without cover for these conditions (ignoring the sign up bonus).
And even though it is comprehensive, this plan also doesn't cover emergency boarding, overseas treatments or routine care and vaccinations. An alternative plan that covers these conditions is AA Pet Insurance's only pet insurance plan although this plan does have more restrictive conditions limits for certain claims.
Another similar plan is Southern Cross's Pet Care Plan which allows you to add dental cover. This plan has a lower policy limit of $15,000 and a co-payment of at least 10%, but has shorter stand down periods and has optional cover for routine care and vaccinations. It also has very few condition limits.
- Illness
- Dental
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Alternative treatments
- Pre-existing conditions
- Hereditary conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Parasite treatments
- Occupational treatments
- Emergency boarding
- Overseas treatments
- 21 days for poisoning
- 21 days for ingestion
- 180 days for third party liability
- 180 days for cruciate ligament injury
- 180 days for patella luxation
- $200 per visit for vet consultations
- $2,000 for accidental ingestion
- $10,000 for third party liability
- Covers third party liability
- Flexibility to chose excess amount
- Eligibility from 6 weeks to 12 years
- Fast 2-day claims processing
-
Long stand down periods
-
Excess on every claim
PD Insurance also boasts 2 day claims processing, which is a day or two faster than the industry standard. Like most other accident-only pet insurance plans in NZ, PD insurance's Accident Plan covers yearly claims up to $5,000. In terms of costs, there's a variable excess of $100, $150 or $200, which is decided by you when signing up (the bigger your excess the smaller your monthly premiums), and no co-payment. This makes it ideal for bigger vet bills as the most you'll ever pay is determined by your excess. Otherwise, this policy only covers accidental injury and third party liability, so no illness, dental or routine care.
Like other accident-only pet insurances, this plan covers vet bills arising from a single event causing unforeseen (not gradual) physical injury. This cover includes the costs for things like prescribed medication, radiology, pathology, operating theatre costs, hospitalisation and non-elective euthanasia.
One thing to note however is that the stand down periods for this plan are 21 days for ingestion and poisoning, 180 days for third party liability and 180 days for cruciate ligament and patella luxation. There is no stand down period on other accident-only plans like Southern Cross's AcciPet Plan for accidental ingestion and only 90 days for cruciate ligament injuries. So, if this seems like a long time to you then pick a different plan. Southern Cross's AcciPet Plan also has a more flexible excess option, although it also includes a co-pay.
- Third party liability
- Dental
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Pre-existing conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Parasite treatments
- Occupational treatments
- Emergency boarding
- Overseas treatments
- 7 days for accidental injury
- 21 days for medical treatments
- None
- $300 co-payment only
- No condition limits
- Injury, illness and hereditary cover
- Short stand down periods
-
Relatively low policy limit
-
Not for pets over 8 years old
Better yet, there are no condition limits with this plan, so the full $6,000 can go towards one or many different claims throughout a given policy year. The other major highlights of this plan are that hereditary conditions will be covered so long as they aren't present in the pet's first 3 years of life and that there are relatively short stand down periods for this plan - 7 days for accidental injury and 21 days for medical treatments.
And it's worth mentioning the very competitive sign up offer too - six weeks of no obligation free insurance with cover for up to $2,000 is worth nabbing even if you decide that you don't need pet insurance.
If we have to criticize the Rhodium Plan a bit we could say that the policy limit is pretty low and that it doesn't offer much extra cover e.g. third party liability or emergency boarding, but to be fair it's not really built for this with a lower level of cover than the policies like Cove's Major Plan or SPCA's Big Stuff Cover.
- Third party liability
- Dental
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Alternative treatments
- Pre-existing conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Occupational treatments
- Overseas treatments
- 21 days for illness
- 6 months for cruciate ligament injury
- 6 months for intervertebral disc disease
- $1,500 for emergency boarding
- Covers parasite treatments
- High $25,000 policy limit
- 20%+ in discounts available
- Only a condition limit for emergency boarding
-
Pets cannot be older than 5 years
-
Excess AND co-payment
Why? Because it has the highest policy limit available in New Zealand, it covers all expected claims but also parasite treatments, hereditary conditions and emergency boarding and because there's plenty of discounts to take advantage of if you pay annually not monthly and if you buy multiple insurances (pet or car) through Cove.
It's not all good though. Perhaps the most limiting thing about the Major Plan is that you can only take it out if your pet is between 8 weeks and 5 years old. There's not many pet insurances in New Zealand that are so restrictive in this respect. Another, is that you will have to pay a $1,000 excess and 10% co-payment for every claim. Essentially, that makes this plan worthless for smaller vet bills under $1,000 (if there even were such a thing).
Still, with one of the cheapest monthly premiums this all comes out in the wash and is a very affordable option. Another thing to note is that there's a relatively standard 21 day waiting period on illnesses and 6 month waiting period for cruciate ligament and patella luxation injuries.
The reason we also rate other plans like Southern Cross's Pet Care Plan and PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan high are because Southern Cross has more flexibility with monthly premiums and cover because you can choose your excess, policy limit and add-ons and because PD Insurance is more generous with no co-payment for similar, albeit slightly lesser, levels of cover.
- Third party liability
- Dental
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Alternative treatments
- Pre-existing conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Occupational treatments
- Overseas treatments
- 21 days for illness
- 6 months for cruciate ligament injury
- 6 months for intervertebral disc disease
- $1,500 for emergency boarding
- Very high policy limit ($25,000)
- Options to add Dental/Everyday Cover
- Wide coverage including parasite and hereditary conditions
- Reasonable stand-down periods
-
Cover may change as pet ages
-
Low maximum age for new policies (5 years)
-
Low limits on add-ons
That's because the Major + Minor Plan covers all the same claims (Accidental injury, illness, hereditary conditions, parasite treatments, emergency boarding) as the Major Plan with the same stand down periods (21 days for illness, 6 months for cruciate ligament and intervertebral disc disease) and condition limits ($1,500 for emergency boarding).
The only real differences between this plan and the Major plan are the potentially higher costs at the vet (a variable excess and 20% co-payment instead of a fixed $1,000 excess and 10% co-payment) and the fact that you can add Dental and Everyday Stuff Cover. Although these have yearly limits of $500 and and $100 per condition respectively as well as a 6 month waiting period for both.
The other major thing is that the policy wording on Cove's insurances states that they may reduce cover for your pet as it gets older, which is certainly a bit worrying even if you can easily switch to a more comprehensive insurance like PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan at any time before your pet turns 9.
All of these extra conditions put Cove's Major + Minor Plan firmly in the top half of our ranking of NZ pet insurances.
- Third party liability
- Dental
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Vet consultations
- Alternative treatments
- Pre-existing conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Parasite treatments
- Occupational treatments
- Emergency boarding
- Overseas treatments
- 21 days for illness cover
- 90 days for cruciate ligament injury
- 90 days for patella luxation
- 90 days for extra dental care
- $2,500 or $5,000 for cruciate ligament
- Flexible cover (add dental, routine care and consultation fees)
- Flexible policy limits (only pay for the cover you want)
- Up to 10% in discounts for eligible customers
- Flexible excess and co-payment options
-
Doesn't cover third party liability
-
Somewhat low $15,000 maximum policy limit
This may seem less desirable than having a full coverage plan but ultimately it gives you the flexibility to choose the cover that you want. Additionally, you can set your own policy limit of either $2,500, $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 - which is pretty unique and much appreciated if you want to save on monthly premiums by covering only smaller vet bills.
Like Southern Cross's accident-only AcciPet Plan, their PetCare Plan also has a flexible excesses of $100, $250 or $500 and 10%, 20% or 30% co-payment options. This policy also excels because it has no condition limits (except for cruciate ligament injuries).
Overall, our experts agree that Southern Cross's PetCare plan is one of the best pet insurances in New Zealand because it is a flexible insurance policy covering both accidents, illness and even more if you choose the add-ons.
You may want to pick another pet insurance if you want a higher policy limit - like PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan ($20,000 policy limit) or SPCA's Big Stuff Cover ($25,000 policy limit). PD insurance also covers third party liability (when your pet injures someone or damages something) while Southern Cross's PetCare plan doesn't.
It is also important to note that this policy can only be taken out if your pet is between 8 weeks and 6 years old. PD Pet Insurance offers a similar policy for pets up to 9 years old.
- Dental
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Alternative treatments
- Pre-existing conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Parasite treatments
- Occupational treatments
- Emergency boarding
- Overseas treatments
- 21 days for accidental ingestion
- 21 days for poisoning
- 21 days for illness
- 180 days for third party liability
- 180 days cruciate ligament injury
- 180 days for patella luxation
- $200 per visit for vet consultations
- $2,000 for cruciate ligament
- $2,000 for patella luxation
- $2,000 for accidental ingestion
- $2,300 for hereditary conditions
- $5,000 per claim limit
- $10,000 for third party liability
- Covers illness, accident & liability
- Flexibility to chose premiums and excess amount
- Fast claims processing
- Mid-level plan that won't break the bank
-
No routine or dental care covered
-
At least $100 excess for every claim
Notably the Classic Plan doesn't cover dental illness and falls short of competitors like Southern Cross in that it provides no optional cover for routine care and day-to-day treatments like vaccinations. It also has some restrictive but not obscene claim/condition limits for certain conditions.
It does however only have an excess of between $100 and $200 (decided by you) while Southern Cross's PetCare Plan also has a co-payment. Other things to note are that you get $150 towards fees when switching to any PD Insurance plan as well as one free month of insurance when buying online. The industry standard 5% multi pet discount is also available on all PD plans.
And finally because PD insurance has a longer than average stand down period you'll have to be insured for 21 days before making claims for illness and accidental ingestion and 180 days for third party liability and patella/cruciate ligament injuries. Southern Cross, on the other hand, has no stand down period on accidents and only 90 days for patella/cruciate ligament injuries with their PetCare Plan.
- Illness
- Third party liability
- Dental
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Vet consultations
- Alternative treatments
- Pre-existing conditions
- Hereditary conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Parasite treatments
- Occupational treatments
- Emergency boarding
- Overseas treatments
- 90 days for cruciate ligament injury
- 90 days for patella luxation
- $2,500 for cruciate ligament
- No upper age limit
- Flexible excess and co-payment
- No claim limit (except cruciate ligament injuries)
- Up to 10% in discounts for eligible customers
-
Doesn't cover third party liability
-
Doesn't cover illness, dental or routine care
This policy has a flexible excess ($100 to $500) and co-payment (10% to 30%) and it covers up to $5,000 of vet bills per year. A $5,000 policy limit is standard for an accident-only pet insurance plan in New Zealand but this plan stands out as most other plans have a fixed excess and/or co-payment meaning you can't chose how much you want to pay in monthly premiums or when you have to make a claim. When you select the maximum excess and co-payment, this plan is also the cheapest pet insurance in New Zealand.
We've also picked Southern Cross's AcciPet Plan as one of the best accident only pet insurance options because puppies and kittens get a generous 6 weeks of free insurance when signing up and because it has an optional Consult Care Extra option giving you up to $1,000 with a 20% co-pay for regular, emergency and specialist vet consultation fees and alternative treatments.
Alternative plans to consider include Southern Cross Pet Insurance's PetCare Plan which is structured similarly but also covers illness, hereditary conditions, and has options for dental cover and routine care. Or PD Insurance's Accident Plan (our favourite accident-only pet insurance) which has a similar excess of $100 to $200, no co-payment but also covers third party liability (if your pet causes damage to property, or injury to other pets or people) and is cheaper when a similar co-payment/excess is selected.
- Third party liability
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Alternative treatments
- Breeding conditions
- Occupational treatments
- 14 days for illness
- 6 months for cruciate ligament injury
- 6 months for dental
- $300 for vet consultations
- $600 for dental illnesses
- $1,500 for emergency boarding
- $3,200 for cruciate ligament conditions
- $4,000 for intervertebral disc disease
- Covers many claim types
- Flexible excess/policy limit
- Maximum age for new policies is 9 years
- Routine care add-on
-
Several condition limits
-
No multi-pet discount
New policies can be taken out for puppies and kittens aged 8 weeks until your pet's 9th birthday and with flexible policy limits and excesses as well as a routine care add-on this plan is really designed for all types of pets/owners.
A smaller downside of the plan is that the maximum policy limit is only $15,000, which is not ideal if you're trying to cover yourself for one or more very sizable vet bills. A bigger downside is that AA also has a 20% co-payment which when combined with the excess you have to pay still means you'll be liable to pay a decent-sized portion of your pet's treatment costs. But the biggest downside is almost certainly the condition limits on this policy ranging from $300 for consultation fees and $600 for dental illnesses to $3,200 for cruciate ligament conditions and $4,000 for intervertebral disc disease.
Still, with wide ranging cover, a free VetChat membership for online consultations and even the ability to waive the pre-existing condition exclusion if your pet is 18 months symptom free, this is a plan many Kiwis chose. Especially considering the competitive pricing of their monthly premiums. For a higher policy limit consider Cove's Major Plan or SPCA's Big Stuff Cover otherwise PD Insurance's Deluxe Plan has decent condition limits and no co-payment.
- Third party liability
- Dental
- Routine care
- Vaccinations
- Alternative treatments
- Hereditary conditions
- Breeding conditions
- Occupational treatments
- 21 days for illness
- 6 months for cruciate ligament injury (waived with a vet's note)
- $1,500 for emergency boarding
- Very high policy limit ($25,000)
- Pre-existing conditions waived with vet's note
- No condition limits (except for emergency boarding)
- Policy holders support work of SPCA
-
$1,000 deductible AND 20% co-payment
-
Not suitable for smaller bills
The most notable is the removal of all condition limits (except the $1,500 limit for emergency boarding claims). The other big one is that as well as a 20% co-payment, this plan now includes a $1,000 excess per claim. That means that you have to pay for the first $1,000 of each vet bill yourself, essentially making this plan only suitable for mid-size and major vet bills. Your monthly premiums are also reduced to reflect this cost which also makes the plan somewhat more affordable (average $57.56 vs $95.00 for The Works Cover)
Still, with a $25,000 policy limit for all injury, illness, parasite, overseas treatments (in Australia and Norfolk Island) and even pre-existing conditions (when waived with a vet's note) this policy is suitable for owners who want to ensure a comprehensive and high level of cover should any bigger vet bills arise.
The Big Stuff Cover Plan doesn't get a higher rating from us because it excludes dental, third party liability and routine care among other things. And because of the deductible and co-payment this policy won't help that much with your smaller vet bills. A better option is Cove's Major Plan which covers the same conditions (except overseas treatments) but only has a 10% co-payment and $1,000 excess plus up to 20% in discounts when you take out multiple policies and pay annually.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For puppies, Petnsur and PD Insurance have a six week minimum age for new policies. All other companies start insuring puppies at 8 weeks.
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.
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.
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).
How Much Does Puppy Insurance Cost in New Zealand?
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.
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
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. You can read more about the cheapest pet insurance plans, and how to make your pet insurance cheaper here.
Common Questions About Puppy Insurance
All puppy insurance plans in New Zealand are listed at the top of this page.
- Cove Pet Insurance: Puppies get up to $100 off for 3 months
- PD Insurance: Buy online, get 1 month free
- Petnsur: Six weeks of free insurance (no obligation)
- Southern Cross Pet Insurance: Puppies get 6 weeks of free insurance worth $2,000
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.
- AA: Accidental Injuries + Illness Plan
- Cove: Major Plan and Major + Minor Plan
- PD Insurance: Deluxe and Classic Plans
- Petnsur: All Plans
- Southern Cross: PetCare Plan
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.
- Up to $100 with AA's Paw Care Package add-on
- Up to $100 with Cove's Major + Minor Plan
- Up to $50 with PetCover's Mid-Range Plans and Day to Day Care add-on
- Up to $75 with Southern Cross' PetCare Plan and Day-to-Day Care Extra add-on
- AA's Paw Care Package add-on - $100
- Cove's Major + Minor Plan - $100
- PetCover's Mid-Range Plans and Day to Day Care add-on - $30
- Southern Cross' PetCare Plan and Day-to-Day Care Extra add-on - $75
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Mason was born and raised in New Zealand before moving to US and then Sweden. Despite looking so youthful, he worked as a senior website manager for 5 years before founding Comparesies. Mason's expertise in insurance is the most valuable asset for our users. Today he is the primary author/editor on Comparesies.
Thibault has an engineering background from both France and Sweden. Comparesies is his second company after successfully founding a tech scaleup. His experience is vast within insurances and customer satisfaction. Thibault is responsible for maintaining the website and sharing his knowledge through page editing.
Louis has worked in the comparison industry for 5 years in Sweden after founding another company in France. His industry experience, and strong communication skills have been invaluable in building the bridge between our community and our content. Louis is our ideas man and is responsible for sourcing user and specialist opinions.