If the dog injures itself in an accident, the horse breaks the box or the cat scratches the wallpaper, it is not only annoying – such unforeseen incidents quickly become expensive for the owners. Which makes more sense: take out pet insurance or put money aside?
Buying a dog, cat, horse or other domestic animal incurs a lot of costs. The animal itself costs money, of course, as does the basic equipment and care. Many pet owners are quickly put off by the additional costs of animal insurance.
Couldn’t I just save up a nest egg instead of the high monthly or annual contributions? Many people with pets ask this question. With the money saved, they could then pay for the expensive operation or the compensation themselves. But does this really work out?
Do i need animal liability insurance?
To answer that, a distinction must first be made between the different types of animal insurance: On the one hand, there is liability insurance. Cats and other small animals are insured with many providers as part of personal liability. However, owners can take out their own liability insurance for dogs or horses – and sometimes they even have to.
Because in some federal states, dog liability insurance is required by law: in Hamburg, Berlin, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. In Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, there is compulsory insurance for listed or suspicious dogs.
The Consumer advice center advises owners of dogs and horses in any case to take out liability insurance for their animal. Dog liability insurance starts at around 50 euros per year, while horse liability insurance costs at least around 100 euros. Important: Find out what damage is covered and up to what amount insured.
What is the difference between animal health insurance and surgery insurance?
Now your pet can not only break things or cause harm to people and animals, but also get sick or injure itself. Even for preventive check-ups such as vaccinations and worming treatments, there are regular costs. Of course, it becomes particularly expensive if your pet needs long-term treatment or even surgery because of a serious illness or injury.
There are two different options for these cases: animal health insurance and surgical insurance. The latter, as the name suggests, only covers operations, but it should also cover the associated preventive and aftercare and medication. The animal health insurance can also cover other veterinary costs.
While a very high premium is often due for animal health insurance, pet owners usually get cheaper with surgery insurance. That is why many people recommend surgery insurance – it provides animal owners with financial protection if their animal needs an operation. And the costs for this can quickly rise into the four-digit range.
Conclusion: animal insurance almost always makes sense
In most cases it is worthwhile to take out liability insurance and insurance for your pet. When it comes to health insurance for your pet, you should weigh up the following: Do I want to be on the safe side or am I disciplined enough to set aside enough money for the veterinary costs?
If you decide to take out health insurance, you should take it out as early as possible: Many providers only insure dogs that are healthy when the insurance is taken out. In addition, the younger the dog, the cheaper the contributions are.
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