What Does Dog Insurance Cover in Ireland? A Complete Guide

Getting hit with a €3,000 vet bill is bad enough. Discovering your insurance won't pay out is worse.

Vet costs across Ireland went up 9.1% in the last year, but loads of people are buying the wrong type of cover and only copping on when they go to make a claim. This guide breaks down what dog insurance actually covers, what it doesn't touch, and how to avoid getting caught out.

What Dog Insurance Covers in Ireland

Vet Bills for Accidents and Illnesses
This is what you're actually paying for. If your dog gets hit by a car, develops cancer, or needs surgery, the insurance sorts out the treatment costs. You can claim anywhere from €1,500 to €4,000 a year, depending on which policy you go for. Most claims come in around €685, though cancer treatment can easily hit €4,000 or more.

Third-Party Liability (Dogs Only)
If your dog bites someone, wrecks their property, or causes an accident, you're covered up to €250,000, legal costs included. This matters especially if you've got one of the restricted dog breeds in Ireland.

Emergency Boarding, Lost Dogs, and Other Bits
If you end up in hospital for more than four days, the insurance covers kennel fees (€500-€1,000). Lost or stolen dog costs like ads and reward money, are covered too. Death from accident or illness gets you the purchase price back (€500-€1,000), and there's holiday cancellation cover if emergency surgery scuppers your trip.

What Dog Insurance Doesn't Cover

Routine Healthcare
Check-ups, vaccinations, flea treatments, worming, nail trimming, teeth cleaning, and microchipping are all on you. Microchipping is the law anyway, and some insurers knock a bit off your premium if you've got it done.

Neutering, Spaying, and Dental
Elective procedures don't count unless there's a medical emergency involved. Most policies won't touch dental treatment either unless it's from an accident.

Pre-Existing Conditions
Anything your dog had before you bought the policy is out. About a quarter of pet owners put off going to the vet because of the cost, which means conditions can develop before insurance is sorted.

The First 14 Days and Breeding
There's always a waiting period for illnesses. Anything to do with pregnancy or breeding is excluded too.

The Three Types of Dog Insurance 

Only 2% of dogs here have insurance, compared to 90% in Sweden. Part of that is down to people buying the wrong type.

1. Accident Only

Covers injuries from accidents and nothing else. No cancer treatment, no diabetes meds, nothing long-term. It's cheap but fairly useless when skin issues, stomach problems, and ear infections are the most common claims.

Skip it.

2. Time-Limited (12-Month Cover)

Covers accidents and illnesses for 12 months from when the condition shows up. After that year, the condition is out.

Say your dog develops arthritis at 3. You can claim for the first year, but from year two on, you're covering the €800-€1,500 annual treatment yourself.

Skip this too.

3. Lifetime Cover

Covers accidents and illnesses, with the limit starting fresh every year when you renew. If your dog develops diabetes (roughly €1,300 yearly) or hip dysplasia, you keep claiming year after year.

It costs more up front but it's the only one that actually protects you. Research shows 63% of pet owners struggle with surprise vet bills, and 42% would go into debt to cover them. If "lifetime" isn't on the policy, give it a miss.

This is the one.

The Hidden Cost That Shows Up at Age 5

Every insurer in Ireland uses what's called a percentage excess for older dogs. It sits on top of your normal excess and catches people out if they're not expecting it.

When your dog is young (under 5), you just pay a fixed excess per claim, usually around €100-€150.

Once your dog hits 5 (or 8 for cats), you're paying the fixed excess PLUS 15-20% of whatever's left on the bill.

Here's how it works:
Your 6-year-old Lab needs surgery that costs €2,000.

• Fixed excess: €125
• What's left: €1,875
• Percentage excess at 15%: €281.25
• You're paying: €406.25
• Insurance covers: €1,593.75

It's not a scam or anything, just how insurers balance the books as dogs age and need more care. Worth knowing that dogs are living longer now, too—average lifespan has gone from 10.5 years to 11.8 years over the past couple of decades, so you'll be dealing with senior dog costs for longer than your parents' generation did.

Your Dog's Breed Makes a Big Difference

Pedigree Dogs Cost More
Purebreds like Labs, Bulldogs, and German Shepherds cost more to insure because they're prone to breed-specific problems. Rottweilers average about €88 a month, while Chihuahuas only cost around €38. Mixed breeds usually fall in the middle.

Large Breeds Have a Deadline
Insurers will only take on large or giant breeds (Great Danes, Mastiffs, St. Bernards) for a new policy up until they're 5. After that, you can't get cover unless you've already got lifetime insurance sorted.

If you've got a large dog who's 4 now with no insurance, get lifetime cover straight away.

Restricted Breeds Have Legal Requirements
If you've got a dog on Ireland's Restricted Dog Breeds list, your third-party liability only counts if you're following the law: muzzle when out, short lead under 2 metres, and someone over 16 who can control the dog.

Break these rules and the insurer can refuse to pay out. This covers German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermanns, Akitas, and a few others.

Age Limits and Legal Requirements

Most insurers will take on dogs from 8 weeks to 8 years old for a new policy. After 8, you can't buy a new cover (large breeds cut off at 5).

Get lifetime cover sorted when your dog is young, and you can keep renewing it for the rest of their life, regardless of how old they get.

You'll also need a dog licence, which costs €20 a year or €140 for the lifetime of the dog. Your dog has to be microchipped too (it's been the law since 2015), and loads of insurers knock a bit off your premium if you've got it done.

How to Get the Right Cover

1. Only go for lifetime cover. The other types are fairly useless once chronic conditions show up.
   
   
2. Get it sorted before your dog turns 5 (especially if you've got a large breed who'll hit the cut-off earlier).
   
   
3. Pick the highest vet fee limit you can manage. The difference in what you pay monthly is usually small, but the protection is massive.
   
   
4. Make sure your dog is microchipped and licensed. It's the law anyway, and you'll get a discount on the insurance.
   
   
5. Read through the exclusions before you buy anything. Know what's not covered.
   
   
6. Compare properly. Check what the excess is, make sure it's lifetime cover, and understand what the percentage excess will be when your dog gets older.
   
   

Get this right while your dog is young and you'll have proper cover for their whole life. Vet costs are going up by double digits every year, so it's better to sort it now rather than wait until something goes wrong.