Pet insurance with no waiting periods
Pet insurance with no waiting periods exists for accidents, but that's about it. Illnesses or long-term health conditions all have 1 to 6 month waiting periods, and pre-existing conditions are never covered.
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Key takeaways
- Pet insurance with no waiting periods is only available for accidents, such as a bone fracture or fight wound.
- For illnesses, you'll have to serve a 1 to 6 month waiting period before you can claim.
- Pre-existing conditions can never be covered - you need to have coverage before any issues occur.
Waiting periods for pet insurance
Waiting periods vary depending on the ailment and the provider offering pet insurance. Generally cover for accidents have a waiting period of either zero days or just a couple of days, while illnesses have waiting periods from a couple of weeks to about 6 months.
Below is an outline of how long you will likely have to wait for specific conditions and illnesses.
Typical waiting periods for pet insurance
Accidents: 0 days
Generally, accidents have no waiting period but in some cases, you may have to wait a day or two. Typically, accidents you can claim for include:
- A motor vehicle incident
- A burn or electrocution
- Allergic reaction to insect or spider bite excluding flea bites
- A traumatic ligament or tendon injury other than cruciate ligament condition
- Snake bite toxicity
- A bone fracture
- Bite wound or fight wound abscesses
- Lacerations or abrasion of tissue, skin or mucous membrane due to external violence
Routine care and illnesses: 14 - 30 days
Routine treatments and most illnesses usually come with a 14-30 day waiting period. These treatments might include:
- Eye trauma
- Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV)
- Heat stroke
- Ingestion of foreign object
- Poisoning
- Soft tissue injury
- Tick paralysis
- Torn nail
- Trauma-induced respiratory impairment
- Traumatic spinal disc rupture
Specified conditions: 6 months
Most pet insurance policies have a 6 month waiting period for certain serious conditions. These can include:
- Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS)
- Cherry eye
- Cruciate ligament condition
- Ectropion
- Elbow dysplasia
- Entropion
- ​​Hip dysplasia
- Intervertebral disc disease
- Lumps
- Osteochondritis dissecans
- Patella luxation
Our expert says
"If you're in a sticky situation where your pet needs help but you don't have insurance, or your insurance hasn't come into effect yet, talk to your vet about a payment plan. Given treatments are often quite expensive, many vets offer payment plans that allow you to get access to the treatment or surgery and pay for it later. It'll likely come with interest fees so be sure to understand what you're getting into before you sign the dotted line."
Does switching policies reset waiting periods?
It's common to take out one pet insurance policy when your dog or cat is young and switch to a different policy when your pet gets older. This can save you money, but it will generally reset your waiting periods. It might still be worth it, depending on your situation. You might be able to negotiate it with a new insurance provider, but you'll need to give them a call first.
If you upgrade your policy with the same company, for example, from accident and illness cover to comprehensive, you may still have to re-serve the waiting periods, depending on your provider and what you're being covered for. Your best bet is to call them and chat through your options.
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