Pet Insurance FAQs

Buddy Pet Insurance was created to meet the insurance needs of Australian pet-parents and their unique pet-buddies, but we’re more than just insurance. We’re here to protect your four-legged friend while making a real difference in the lives of animals across Australia. Our mission is to help dogs and cats receive the care they deserve while supporting Australia’s animal welfare organisations and charities by committing $1 million in support through our Giving Program – building a happier, healthier animal community.

Many pet insurance policies don’t cover dental conditions, while others may offer it as an optional benefit. With Buddy Pet Insurance, you can opt for Booster Care, which provides you with a $2,000 policy period limit that can be used to cover specified dental conditions and specialised therapies. This provides cover for eligible vet expenses incurred for scaling, polishing, dental x-rays and tooth removal for the following specified dental conditions:

• Gingivitis
• Abscesses
• Odontoclastic resorptive lesions
• Dental diseases arising from infections
• Retained deciduous teeth
• Cavities
• Fractured teeth

Routine desexing is an elective procedure and is a general exclusion under most policies. With Buddy Pet Insurance, you can opt to include Routine Care (non-insurance benefit) in your policy, which provides a $100 policy period limit that can be used towards desexing.

Please note that desexing procedures that are required to treat your pet’s reproductive organs due to inflammation, infection or cancer are generally covered under illness cover, subject to the policy terms and conditions.

Routine Care is an optional (non-insurance) benefit that you can get as part of your policy. It provides a $100 policy period benefit that you can spend towards:

• De-sexing
• FeLV/FIV test
• Flea, tick and worm control
• Heartworm control
• Health checks
• Micro chipping
• Nail clipping
• Prescription diets
• Obedience training
• Vaccinations
• Wellness blood screening

Booster Care is an optional benefit. It has a $2,000 per policy period limit for specified dental conditions and specialised therapies, as set out in the Product Disclosure Statement.

Specified dental conditions

Eligible vet expenses incurred for scaling, polishing, dental x-rays, and tooth removal for the following dental conditions:

• Gingivitis
• Abscesses
• Odontoclastic resorptive lesions
• Dental diseases arising from infections
• Retained deciduous teeth
• Cavities
• Fractured teeth

Specialised therapies

Eligible vet expenses incurred for the following specialised therapies to treat a covered condition:

• Physiotherapy or physical therapy carried out by a qualified animal physiotherapist or vet
• Chiropractic manipulation carried out by a staff member of a vet practice, provided they are a qualified animal chiropractor
• Acupuncture carried out by a vet
• Hydrotherapy carried out by a qualified animal hydro therapist in a pool/water treadmill owned by the vet practice
• Prescribed medication and diagnostic tests for behavioural conditions
• Consultations with a vet behavioural specialist

Yes, you can cancel your Buddy Pet Insurance policy at any time – we’d be sorry to see you go but would love to welcome you and your pet back, should the need arise.

You also get a cooling off period when you take out your policy or when your policy renews. This means, if you decide you don’t want to keep the policy, you can contact us within those 30 days to cancel.

There are some breeds in Australia we don’t insure, including:

• Fila Brasileiro/cross
• Japanese Tosa/Tosa Inu/cross
• American Pit Bull Terrier/Pit Bull Terrier/cross
• Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario/cross
• Wolf/hybrids
• Dingoes/crosses (in QLD and TAS)
• Dogo Argentino (Argentinean fighting dog)