Pet FAQ

At some point in your cat’s or dog’s life they are going to need veterinary treatment. And as most pet owners know, vet bills can be very expensive, in some cases costing thousands of dollars. A PD Insurance pet cover plan can help you have peace of mind in affording appropriate care for your pets when they need it most.

Via our third party liability cover we can also protect against damage caused by your pets to other people’s property or person.

Compare our PD Insurance pet cover plans today (dog insurance or cat insurance).

You can insure your pets from the following ages:

• Accident Plan: 6 weeks of age to 12 years of age
• Classic and Deluxe Plans: 6 weeks of age to 8 years and 11 months of age

For select breeds, dogs older than 6 years will only qualify for the Accident plan. If your pet (dog or cat) is older than 9 years, they can only qualify for this plan.

Waiting periods are the period(s) stated in your pet insurance policy that must pass from the policy start/inception date before your cover will begin, or from the policy start/inception date that any additional pets are included during the period of insurance.

Our waiting periods are:

• Zero (0) days: Accident
• 21 days: Illness, Poisoning, Intervertebral disc disease, Ingestion of a foreign object
• 180 days: Third Party Liability, Cruciate Ligament(s)/Patella Luxation(s), Hereditary Conditions, Dental Illness

Our pet insurance plans cover the cost of reasonable veterinary expenses incurred as a result of accidental injury and/or illness. They also protect against damage caused by your pets to other people’s property or person.

Check our Dog Insurance Plans and Cat Insurance Plans pages for a list of what’s covered and what’s not. Or, see our PDS for full cover details.

Yes – after all, accidents happen. Especially when you have an unpredictable animal on your hands!

Rest assured each of the PD Insurance pet cover plans includes accident cover. This means our pet insurance covers the cost of treating your beloved pets for injuries sustained in an accident. This includes things like choking, being hit by a car and other unforeseeable incidents. 

Our Deluxe Plan offers $500 worth of dental cover at no extra cost on your policy. This is available after a six-month waiting period. Dental is not covered on your Accident or Classic Plans unless caused by a serious or traumatic accident.

PD Insurance Classic and Deluxe pet insurance plans cover veterinary expenses incurred as a result of illness, including illnesses arising from hereditary conditions, after the required waiting period has passed. Our Accident Plan does not.

An illness means an unexpected sickness or disease, or any change to your pet’s normal healthy state. This could be an upset stomach, a skin condition or an ear infection, or another sickness/disease that is not caused by an accidental injury.

Read more about our coverage in the PD Insurance product disclosure statement here.

Yes. We understand ticks are a major concern for Australian pet parents, so all our dog insurance and cat insurance plans cover veterinary expenses for tick paralysis diagnosis and treatment (after your initial waiting period has passed). Read more about our coverage in the PD Insurance product disclosure statement here.

Remember: tick and flea prevention should always be a part of your routine pet care regime, no matter what your pet’s age.

As long as your vet is fully qualified and registered with all the relevant authorities, we will work with them to cover your eligible costs.

Yes, but you must be referred by your vet.

No, the treatment of any pre-existing condition is not covered. This also applies to any condition diagnosed or discovered during any applicable waiting period.

A pre-existing condition means the condition first occurred or showed clinical signs or symptoms before your pet’s coverage started with PD Insurance. Our policies protect your pets against conditions that arise after you take out the policy.

As for new accidents and illnesses, cover is available for those that occur after applicable waiting period(s).

Congenital conditions are congenital abnormalities or developmental defects present at birth that develop throughout your pet’s life. They may not show symptoms right away.

Congenital conditions are not covered in your policy.

We cover prescribed medications up to a set limit on our plans, with the exclusion of medication for pre-existing conditions. This includes chronic condition medication.

Yes, after the 180-day waiting period we cover hereditary conditions under our Classic and Deluxe Plans, up to the annual limits as stated in your Certificate of Insurance.

As long as the condition was not present prior to commencing your cover, or during any applicable waiting period(s), it is covered. Hereditary conditions are not covered under our Accident Plan.

We cover allergies, but only when they are a result of an external factor (from outside the body).

For example, if your cat acquired a rash from a plant that he brushed up against in the garden and now he needs skin treatment – that would be covered. However, if your cat was born with asthma and has just had an asthma attack that needs treating, that would not be covered.

Out of our three pet insurance plans, the Deluxe and Classic plans give your pets the highest level of cover: accidents and illnesses. Plus, the Deluxe plan has dental cover too.

However, if you’re just looking for accident cover then have a look at our Accident Plan.

Please give us a call on 1800 776 473 or email [email protected] so we can talk you through this.

Select breeds are dogs that present an increased risk of health conditions, which is why they cost more to cover with pet insurance. This is similar to car insurance, where some drivers are considered riskier than others and therefore attract a higher premium.

Select dog breeds include, but are not limited to:

Airedale Terrier, Azawakh, Boxer, Beauceron, Bull Terrier, All Bulldogs (i.e. English, American, Australian, Miniature, etc), Dalmatian, Deerhound, Dogue de Bordeaux, Dobermann, Great Dane, Leonberger, All Mastiff Breeds, Italian Corso Dog, Lhasa Apso, Corinne Mountain Dog, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, St Bernard,  Newfoundland, Original English Bulldogge, Rottweiler, Samoyed, Shar-Pei, Weimaraner.

We can only expect you will let us know anything that you would reasonably be expected to know. We also suggest you get your new fur baby a vet check up ASAP, so you have a better understanding of health problems you may encounter in the future.

Third-party liability provides you with financial cover (up to a limit) if your pet causes loss of or damage to someone else’s property, or death or bodily injury to any person.

With PD Insurance, you can rest assured you’re covered by your pet insurance as long as:

• The injury was not suffered by a family member residing with you
• The property is not owned by you or anyone residing with you (or in a trust held by you or someone residing with you)
• The damage or injury occurs in Australia

Please read the PDS for limits, terms and conditions.

Yes, but only if your friend or family member does not live on the same property as you.

Yes, at the moment we only cover cats and dogs.

We will reimburse 80% of your eligible vet bill subject to any annual claim limit that you may have. Please see our example about Milo’s vet bill here.