Best dog insurance policies 2024

How to choose the best dog insurance

Dog insurance helps cover the cost of treatment if your dog falls ill or gets injured. It will also pay compensation costs if you're taken to court for damages or injury caused by your dog. But not all insurance is equal.

To find the best cover, we've analysed and compared 167 dog insurance policies. We found significant differences between the best and worst policies. The best, we have picked out as Which? Best Buys.

We've also looked more widely at the best pet insurance providers, surveying 1,300 customers to find out about their customer and claims service - click the link to find out more, as well as access detailed reviews of each provider.

Please note that the information in this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of an insurer before committing to any financial products.

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Best Buy dog insurance policies

Agria Lifetime Premium

• 83% policy score for dog cover, joint first of 167 dog policies we reviewed
• 70% customer score, which meant it placed as 1st of the 10 insurers we had customer scores for

We like: this has one of the highest vet-fee limits out of the ones we assessed – £20,000 per year. The cap includes costs for scans and also contributes £750 for therapy provided by a behaviourist.

We don't like: as with most (but not all) policies, medical conditions that existed before the policy was taken out are excluded from cover.

• Read our expert review of Agria pet insurance

Kennel Club Lifetime Premium

• 83% policy score for dog cover. This places it joint first of 167 dog policies we reviewed

We like: this has the highest vet-fee limit among products we reviewed – £25,000. It also included a high liability limit (for compensation related costs should your dog damage any property or cause injury) – £3,000,000 

We don't like: holiday cancellation cover only applied if the dog requires 'lifesaving' treatment or surgery.

• Read our expert review of Kennel Club pet insurance

Best UK dog insurance policies compared

We've divided the tables by the type of policy – see below for explanations – and ranked policies by policy score. 

Only annual lifetime and lifetime per-condition policies can be Best Buys.

How can you save money on dog insurance?

1. Find out the needs of your dog breed

According to the Association of British Insurers, the average pet insurance claim paid in 2022 was £771. Factoring in the possibility of needing to make multiple claims, and the fact that vets' prices are on the rise, we wouldn't recommend a policy that pays out less than £2,000 annually.

But all pets are different, so it's well worth understanding your dog's needs to make sure you get adequate cover.

Dogs are generally more expensive to maintain (and insure) than cats, and certain breeds are more susceptible to chronic conditions than others. For example, Labrador retrievers can be prone to cruciate ligament problems, while dachshunds are prone to getting back problems, both of which can set you back thousands of pounds in treatment costs.

Talk to your vet about common conditions and what level of cover they recommend.

2. Buy insurance when your dog is healthy

This might seem counterintuitive, but as most policies exclude pre-existing conditions, buying early means you're maximising the cover your pet will get.

3. Make sure your dog is up to date on its jabs

Make sure your dog gets the appropriate inoculations and injections, including boosters, to minimise its chance of getting an illness that could lead to expensive premiums.

4. Pay annually (if you can afford it)

Your insurer may charge interest if you pay monthly rather than annually, which can be expensive.

5. Haggle at renewal 

If the insurer increases your dog's premiums without good reason, call them to discuss the premium. They may be open to negotiation.

• Find out more: how to find cheap pet insurance

Do you need dog insurance?

Dean Sobers, Which? insurance expert says:

'For most breeds of dog, you aren't legally required to own pet insurance, so it's ultimately your choice as to whether you want to fork out on premiums.

'With no NHS for pets – and some vets procedures costing thousands of pounds – insurance means you'll have significantly less to worry about should your dog require expensive medical treatment.

'The main downside is pet cover can also be fairly pricey (especially for older pets), and exclusions or high compulsory excesses can chip away at the policy's value.

'One alternative to owning insurance is “self-insuring” – paying for your dog's medical needs from savings. If you put aside regular amounts into a savings account, you'll have a growing fund to help pay for steep vet bills.'

• Find out more: pet insurance alternatives • dog harness and dog food reviews.

 Types of dog insurance

 About Which? dog insurance research

In December 2023, we analysed 167 pet insurance policies covering dogs, examining the amounts they paid out in vet fees, and other benefits they provide, including costs for holiday cancellation, dental cover and advertising and reward costs to help find your dog if it goes missing.

We compared 34 features of the policies, plus the amount each pays in vet fees, to create a policy score. The higher the score, the more comprehensive the cover.

Policies that we've named as Best Buys are all lifetime policies that did well in our analysis of cover, scoring at least 67%. In addition:

• Each will pay out a minimum of £2,000 per year in vet fees.
• Each will pay out a minimum of £1,000 for any single condition in a year, if an annual condition limit applies.
• They all provide dental cover for both accidents and illnesses.