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Protection for your four-legged friend — from the vet bill to liability claims.
Pet insurance is an umbrella term for several specialised insurances relating to your pet. It typically includes pet health insurance, pet surgery insurance and animal owner’s liability insurance. Depending on species and lifestyle you can choose individual modules — modern veterinary medicine with MRI scans, chemotherapy or complex operations can quickly cost several thousand euros. With the right cover, in an emergency you do not have to choose between your wallet and the best possible treatment.
Vet costs have risen sharply in recent years, while thanks to modern medicine our animals are living longer and longer. Pet insurance has several advantages:
Covers the costs of operations, anaesthesia, medication, aftercare and stays at a veterinary clinic.
Comprehensive cover also for outpatient treatment, diagnostics, medication and physiotherapy — depending on the tariff.
Cover for personal injury, property damage and financial loss your animal causes to third parties — often with sums insured in the millions.
Special cover for horse owners, co-users and riders of other people’s horses — with higher sums insured.
Many tariffs also apply on holiday worldwide — both for vet costs and for liability claims.
High-quality tariffs also cover vaccinations, deworming, neutering or dental scaling.
Pet insurance is worthwhile for all owners who want to give their pet the best possible care. It is particularly recommended for:
No, for that you need separate pet health insurance. Home contents insurance at most covers damage your animal causes to third parties, as part of personal liability cover.
Many tariffs accept new animals up to a certain age. The younger and healthier the animal when the policy starts, the easier the acceptance.
Some tariffs include a preventive module for vaccinations and check-ups — but this is not standard with every insurer.
Pre-existing illnesses may be excluded from cover — so it is worth taking out a policy early, while the animal is still healthy.
Many tariffs apply at least within Europe — for stays abroad it is worth checking the exact terms.
Content reviewed by: Agnieszka Valenta, insurance broker · As of October 2026
We compare animal owner’s liability, surgery and health cover for dogs, cats or horses — including the question of what applies to pre-existing illnesses.
Personal advice in Breitenwaida – for clients from the Hollabrunn district, the whole Weinviertel region, as well as Vienna and Burgenland. We advise in English, German, Polish, Serbian and Bosnian.
