Pet insurance in New Zealand: what it costs and covers
63% of New Zealand households own a pet, according to the Companion Animals NZ 2024 Pet Data Report. Source
Free, no obligation. A licensed adviser compares cover across New Zealand pet insurers and calls you back. Craig Smith Business Services Limited, FAP FSP712931.
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Pet insurance is worth pricing against a real household number: 63% of New Zealand households own a pet (Companion Animals NZ, 2024 Pet Data Report, retrieved 17 September 2026), yet only an estimated 15 to 20% of pets are insured, with one comparison site putting it at around 17% (compare.org.nz, retrieved 17 September 2026), most owners are self-insuring against a bill that is getting more expensive every year. NZ vet costs rose 40.3% over five years, against 25.6% general CPI inflation over the same period (NZ Herald, citing Stats NZ, 27 August 2026). Southern Cross Pet Insurance, the largest NZ underwriter by disclosed scale, paid an average claim of $404 for dogs and $310 for cats in the 2025 calendar year, across $30.2 million paid on 78,649 claims and more than 65,000 insured pets (1News, 26 July 2026). Whether cover is worth it for your own pet depends on its age, breed and the excess and co-payment you choose, which is why this page compares what every New Zealand pet insurer actually publishes, rather than telling you which one to pick.
Pick a guide
Compare and choose
Compare pet insuranceAll seven NZ pet insurers side by side in one sourced table.
How much is pet insurance?The seven inputs NZ pet insurers use to price a policy.
Vet bill calculatorEnter a vet bill and see your share under each insurer's published terms.
Pet insurance costWhich NZ pet insurers publish an example premium, with the pet, plan and date.
Cheap pet insuranceThe choices that change a pet insurance premium before you ask for a quote.
Pet insurance quotesWhat each insurer's quote form asks for, and what to have ready.
Pet insurance reviewsRegulator findings, dispute history and published claims figures for NZ's seven pet insurers.
Vet costsWhat NZ vet clinics publish for consultations, desexing, x-rays and surgery, each dated.By pet
4 guides
Dog insuranceDog cover compared: annual limits, cruciate and hip sub-limits, breed and age rules.
Cat insuranceCat cover across the seven NZ insurers, including blocked bladder and kidney disease wording.
Puppy insuranceMinimum puppy ages by insurer, and the free introductory offers some run.
Kitten insuranceWhen you can insure a kitten, the age cutoffs, and what stays excluded.By insurer
6 guides
Southern Cross pet insuranceSouthern Cross Pet's PetCare, AcciPet and FreeCover plans, limits and entry ages.
PD pet insurancePD Insurance's three plans, limits, excess, waits and how claims are paid.
Petcover pet insurancePetcover's nine plans in three families, their limits and who the insurer is.
AA pet insuranceHow AA's pet plan works: excess, benefit percentage, annual limit and claims.
SPCA pet insuranceSPCA's three tiers, who underwrites them and how claims are paid.
Tower pet insuranceTower's three pet plans, limits, co-payment and what its policy wording says.Insurer vs insurer
4 guides
Southern Cross vs AA pet insuranceSouthern Cross Pet and AA Pet compared on excess, waits and limits.
Southern Cross vs PD pet insuranceSouthern Cross Pet and PD Insurance compared on limits, co-payment, excess and waits.
Southern Cross vs Petcover pet insuranceSouthern Cross Pet and Petcover compared on excess, co-payment and waiting periods.
PD Insurance vs PetcoverHow PD and Petcover entry plans differ on excess, co-payment, waits and limits.What vets charge
15 guides
Vet visit costWhat a standard vet consultation costs at NZ clinics that publish prices.
Emergency and after-hours vet costWhat after-hours vets charge, and which cities publish a fee.
Low-cost vet careWhere to find subsidised desexing, payment plans and other ways to spread a bill.
Pet euthanasia and cremation costWhat NZ home euthanasia and cremation providers charge, and what insurers put toward it.
Pet chemotherapy and cancer treatment costWhat NZ clinics publish for pet chemotherapy and cancer surgery costs.
Dog dental cleaning costWhat a dog scale and polish costs in NZ, and which insurers cover it.
Dog tooth extraction costWhy dog tooth extraction is quoted case by case, and what dental limits cover.
Dog desexing costWhat NZ vets charge to desex a dog, and the schemes that subsidise it.
Dog x-ray, ultrasound and MRI costWhat is published for dog x-ray, ultrasound, CT and MRI, and insurer treatment.
Cruciate ligament surgery for dogsCruciate surgery prices from named NZ clinics, plus each insurer's waiting period.
Hip dysplasia surgery cost for dogsHip dysplasia surgery options and prices in NZ, and how insurers treat the condition.
Luxating patella surgery costWhat two NZ clinics publish for luxating patella surgery in dogs.
Cat dental costPublished NZ prices for cat teeth cleaning and extractions, and insurer dental rules.
Cat desexing costWhat NZ vets charge to desex a cat, and how the SPCA scheme helps.
Cat blocked bladder treatment costWhat treating a cat's blocked bladder costs in NZ, and what insurance pays.Seven NZ pet insurers, compared
The table below lists every currently-sold NZ pet insurer in alphabetical order, on what each insurer's own policy document or policy wording publishes. Figures vary by plan tier within each insurer, where an insurer sells more than one plan, the table shows the full published range and links to that insurer's own policy document. "Not published" means the insurer does not state that figure anywhere we could find.
| Insurer | Annual limit | Excess / co-payment | Illness wait / cruciate wait | Entry age (new policy) | Pays vet directly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 AA Pet Insurance |
$5,000–$15,000, selectable | $0–$500 excess + 20% co-payment (80% benefit percentage) | 14 days / 6 months (waiver possible with a vet-certified form) | 8 weeks to 9 years | No, reimbursement only; GapOnly settles some claims at participating vets | AA Pet Insurance Policy Document, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
 Cove |
$5,000 (Accident Only) to $25,000 (Major, Major + Minor) | $500–$1,000 excess + 10–20% co-payment | 21 days / 6 months | Not published | No, reimbursement via MyCove | Cove pet insurance, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
 PD Insurance |
$5,000–$20,000, by plan | $100 / $150 / $200 excess, selectable; no percentage co-payment | 21 days / 180 days | 6 weeks to 8 years 11 months (Classic, Deluxe); to 12 years (Accident) | No | PD NZ Pet Insurance Policy Wording, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
 Petcover NZ |
$5,000–$20,000 across nine named plans | $0–$900 excess by plan, plus a 10–30% co-payment (Mid-Range) or optional percentage share-excess (Superior) | 21–30 days depending on plan / 6 months on Mid-Range and Catastrophe plans, not stated on Superior or Economy | 8 weeks to 8th birthday (5th for select breeds); Economy has no published maximum | Yes, opt-in, subject to the vet's agreement | Petcover NZ Superior PDS, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
 SPCA Pet Insurance |
$11,000–$25,000 across three tiers | $0 excess (Everyday, The Works) or $1,000 (Big Stuff), plus a 30% / 20% / 10% co-payment by tier | 21 days / 6 months | 8 weeks; The Works states under 9 years as a maximum, the other two tiers publish none | No | SPCA Pet Insurance policy documents, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
 Southern Cross Pet Insurance |
$2,500–$15,000 (PetCare, 4 tiers) or a fixed $5,000 (AcciPet) | $100 / $250 / $500 excess + 10% / 20% / 30% co-payment, both selectable | 21 days / 90 days | 8 weeks to under 7 years for a new PetCare policy; AcciPet has no maximum | Yes, through the Pet Easy-Claim vet network only; otherwise reimbursement | PetCare Policy Document, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
 Tower |
$5,000–$15,000 across three tiers | No dollar excess; a mandatory 20% co-payment on every tier | 14 days / no separate cruciate wait published, cruciate instead carries a lower dollar sub-limit | 8 weeks to 8th birthday (5th for select breeds) | No | Comprehensive & Essentials Policy Wording, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
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QuoteHub does not sell these policies on this page. Its licensed advisers may receive commission from an insurer if you take out cover through them.
A few things are worth reading past the headline limit. Petcover sells nine separate named plans across three product families, so its own range spans the lowest-limit and the highest-limit policy on this whole table. Tower and PD Insurance don't use a percentage co-payment the way the other five do, Tower charges a flat 20% on every claim instead of a dollar excess, and PD Insurance charges a flat dollar excess with no percentage on top. Direct-to-vet payment, where the insurer settles with the clinic instead of reimbursing you afterwards, is confirmed for only three of the seven, and even then it's conditional: Southern Cross Pet's Pet Easy-Claim network, Petcover's opt-in arrangement, and AA's vet-dependent GapOnly feature. For how each of those mechanics actually works, see how pet insurance waiting periods work, how the excess and co-payment stack together, and pet insurance that pays the vet directly.
What vets actually charge
Most NZ vet clinics don't publish a price list at all, which is part of why pet insurance is hard to shop for on price alone. Where a clinic does publish its fees, the range is wide even for the same procedure:
| Treatment | Published price example | Where the figure is from |
|---|---|---|
| Standard consultation | $39.00 to $78.50 | Great South Vets, Papatoetoe and New Plymouth Vet Group, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
| Urgent or after-hours consultation | $110.00 | New Plymouth Vet Group, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
| Cat desexing (castrate / spay) | $59.00 to $208.00 | Great South Vets and New Plymouth Vet Group, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
| Dog desexing (castrate / spay, weight-dependent) | $169.00 to $520.00+ | Great South Vets and New Plymouth Vet Group, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
| Home euthanasia (small dog or cat) | from $420.00 | Sunset Vet Care, retrieved 17 September 2026 |
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For the full picture of what pushes a vet bill higher, imaging, surgery, specialist referral, out-of-hours loadings, see the NZ vet costs overview, or work out what a specific bill would cost you under each insurer's published excess and co-payment with the vet bill calculator.
How QuoteHub advisers help
A licensed adviser can't change what an insurer's policy document says, but they can read all seven side by side against your pet's actual age, breed and health history, and point out which waiting period or sub-limit would matter most for a claim you're likely to make. Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.
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Questions people ask
Is pet insurance worth it in New Zealand?
That depends on your pet's breed, age and your own tolerance for an unplanned bill. Only an estimated 15 to 20% of NZ pets are insured (compare.org.nz, retrieved 17 September 2026), while vet costs have risen 40.3% over five years against 25.6% general inflation over the same period (NZ Herald, citing Stats NZ, retrieved 17 September 2026), the comparison table above is the starting point for working out whether a given policy's excess and co-payment make sense for your pet.
Do all NZ pet insurers cover pre-existing conditions?
No insurer on this table covers a condition your pet already had, or showed signs of, before the policy started or during its waiting period, that is a standard exclusion across all seven. See pre-existing conditions in pet insurance for how each insurer defines and reviews that exclusion.
Which pet insurers pay the vet directly in New Zealand?
Southern Cross Pet Insurance (through its Pet Easy-Claim network only), Petcover NZ (opt-in, subject to the vet's agreement) and AA Pet Insurance (via GapOnly, at participating vets) are the three with a published direct-to-vet mechanism. The other four reimburse the policyholder after the vet bill is paid. See pet insurance that pays the vet directly for the full detail.
A licensed NZ adviser can compare the pet insurers on your pet's details. Get pet cover quotes.
Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Reviewed annually, or sooner if the rules it describes change. Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name. QuoteHub compares what New Zealand's pet insurers publish about limit, excess, co-payment and waiting periods; it does not rank them or say which one is best for your pet.
Get pet cover quotes from a licensed NZ adviser
A licensed adviser compares New Zealand pet insurers against your pet’s details, then calls you back.
Free, no obligation. A licensed adviser compares cover across New Zealand pet insurers and calls you back. Craig Smith Business Services Limited, FAP FSP712931.
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