Pet insurance: 7 scenarios that prove it might be worth it

The figures and prices mentioned in this blog are indicative cost ranges based on Australian veterinary practice data and are provided as examples only. Actual costs may vary by location, clinic, case severity, your consultation, and the vet you visit.

To insure or not to insure? That is the question for many Australian pet parents!

Although most pet owners adequately budget for their pet’s day-to-day care costs, unexpected medical expenses can throw a spanner in the works and provoke a significant amount of financial and emotional stress.

Related: How often should you take your dog or cat to the vet?

With no healthcare schemes or government support available to pet-parents, cat and dog owners must bear the full brunt of their pet’s medical fees. Veterinary treatment for severe or long-term illnesses and injuries can rapidly climb into the thousands; particularly if afterhours, specialist, or intensive care is required.

While pet insurance premiums may seem costly in the good times, when it comes to the medical “crunch” with urgent veterinary treatments being required for your beloved dog or cat, the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have the support of a pet insurance policy is priceless!

Here are seven common scenarios when pet insurance could be worth it!

Scenario 1: The Saturday night emergency

Koda the 7-year-old German Shepherd started showing signs of agitation, drooling, and occasional retching on a Saturday afternoon. By that evening, he had gone downhill rapidly, becoming weak and lethargic with a hard belly. His owner rushed him to the local 24-hour veterinary emergency hospital.

Koda was diagnosed with a serious abdominal condition that required urgent veterinary care. This type of condition can progress quickly and may affect normal organ function if not treated promptly.

Koda’s approximate treatment costs were:

• Emergency blood tests and x-rays: $950
• Emergency specialist call-out fee and surgery: $7,970
• Intensive monitoring and hospital care for 4 days: $5,700

Total bill: $14,620

Related: Dog first aid: Essential tips for every pet owner

Scenario 2: The puppy’s curious nature – a foreign body gut obstruction

When Morris the cheeky 8-month-old Labrador puppy vomited up his breakfast one morning, his owner chalked it up to him likely stealing something from his five-year-old human sibling’s plate. However, when the pup’s vomiting persisted throughout the morning, his owner decided to take him to his regular GP vet for treatment.

Morris’s tummy upset didn’t settle with anti-nausea medication, so the next day he underwent sedation for abdominal x-rays. Unfortunately, these indicated that the pup likely had a gut obstruction.

Morris underwent exploratory surgery, and was found to have eaten multiple hair ties, which had caused a blockage.

Morris’s approximate treatment costs were:

• 3 days of hospitalisation for intravenous fluids and medical care: $1350
• An abdominal x-ray series: $780
• Exploratory laparotomy surgery: $3100

Total bill: $5230

Scenario 3: Cruciate ligament rupture in large dogs

After a vigorous play session with his best dog friend at the park, Boof the 4-year-old Rottweiler suddenly started limping on his left hindleg. He looked so sore that his owner booked him into his regular GP vet for the next day.

The veterinarian recommended sedation for a thorough joint examination and x-rays. These showed that Boof had sustained a serious knee injury affecting one of the ligaments in his joint, which required veterinary management.

Boof was referred to a local specialist hospital for surgery to stabilise his knee joint. Boof’s approximate treatment costs were:

• Initial GP consultation, sedation and x-rays: $775
• Fixed price cruciate repair surgery package (which included the specialist surgery, 2 days of 24-hour hospital post-operative care, and a rehab program): $5990

Total bill: $6765

Related: How much does a vet visit cost in Australia?

Scenario 4: The hidden danger – tick paralysis in Australian pets

Max the 3-year-old Ragdoll cat and his family lived on a bushy property on the east coast of Australia, so his owners were aware of the risk of paralysis ticks. Unfortunately, during a particularly busy, stressful time, they forgot to apply his regular tick prevention.

One morning several weeks later, Max was noticed to be unusually quiet. When his owners called him, he tried to get up, and they realised that the cat’s back legs were weak. After searching and finding a tick on Max’s neck (which they removed), one of Max’s owners drove him straight to the vet.

When Max arrived at the vet hospital, he was open-mouthed breathing. The vet team placed him into an oxygen tent and administered sedative medication. Fortunately, Max’s breathing improved within about 30 minutes, and the vet staff were able to proceed with the rest of his tick paralysis treatment. He required three days in hospital on intravenous fluids until he could toilet normally and eat and drink safely again.

Max’s approximate treatment costs were:

• Initial stabilisation and tick treatment: $1500
• 3 days in hospital: $1350

Total bill: $2850

Related: Tick season in Australia: What every pet owner needs to know

Scenario 5: The aging reality – chronic conditions in senior pets

Daisy the 9-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel had been drinking and urinating more and seemed less energetic. Her owner took her into their regular GP veterinary clinic for an assessment.

Blood and urine tests unfortunately indicated that Daisy had diabetes, plus a urinary tract infection (which diabetic dogs are prone to). As Daisy was still otherwise fairly well, she was treated as an outpatient with regular veterinary rechecks every 1-2 weeks to help settle her onto insulin therapy (plus a course of antibiotics for her UTI).

Daisy’s approximate treatment costs were:

• Initial consultation and assessments: $670
• Initial diabetes stabilisation treatment and reassessments: $745
• Long term insulin therapy (plus syringes): $70 per month ongoing
• Long-term diabetic rechecks (including the purchase of a continuous glucose monitor each time and intermittent blood/urine checks): $210-450 per check ongoing (required at least every 6 months)

Estimated total bill: $1,695 - $2,705

Other chronic conditions: Dog arthritis treatment: How to help a dog with arthritis

Scenario 6: When your pet needs specialist care

When Breeze the 7-year-old Border Collie developed a lump on one of her legs, her worried owner sought a prompt veterinary assessment. The vet performed a fine needle aspirate to sample some cells from the lump, and determined that Breeze’s mass was a mast cell tumour.

Mast cell tumours require the removal of a significant margin of surrounding tissue to help ensure clearance of all the local cancer cells. Given the awkward location of Breeze’s lump, her vet recommended that she should ideally be referred for specialist surgery, as advanced reconstructive techniques would likely be required for the best tumour removal and wound closure.

The lump was sent to a lab for testing, which unfortunately indicated that it was the most aggressive form of mast cell tumour. Breeze’s owner agreed to the recommended next step of referral to a veterinary oncologist to assess her organs for potential spread of the cancer and start chemotherapy.

Breeze’s approximate treatment costs were:

• Initial GP consultation and fine needle aspirate: $175
• Specialist reconstructive surgery and post-operative care: $9800
• Oncology diagnostics (including CT scan, lymph node mapping, and ultrasound-guided organ biopsies): $5500
• Chemotherapy (8 doses): $8000

Total bill: $23,475

Related: A guide to lumps and bumps on cats

Scenario 7: The unexpected accident

Bentley the 4-year-old Domestic Shorthair cat’s owners were very worried when he didn’t come home one evening. In the early hours of the next morning, they heard him yowling and ran outside. To their horror, they found Bentley looking very weak, breathing effortfully, and dragging a clearly broken leg.

Bentley’s owners rushed him to the local emergency centre, where he immediately underwent stabilisation procedures for pain and shock. Later, imaging showed that poor Bentley had sustained serious trauma, likely after being run over by a car. He was found to have significant lung bruising/bleeding, a badly broken leg, a broken pelvis, and internal bleeding within his belly (thought to be from damage to his spleen).

Bentley’s approximate treatment costs were:

• Initial stabilisation and diagnostics: $2095
• Blood typing and transfusion: $1400
• 7 days intensive/advanced 24-hour hospital care and treatment: $10,500
• Specialist orthopaedic fracture repair: $6500

Total bill: $20,495.

Related: Autoimmune diseases in pets: A vet-approved guide

When to get pet insurance: Understanding cover before you need it

Did you know that any illness or injury that a pet developed before they were insured is counted as a pre-existing condition and will generally not be covered by pet insurance?

For instance, if your puppy shows symptoms of skin irritations that are consistent with an underlying allergy prior to being covered by pet insurance, future allergic skin issues are very unlikely to ever be covered. This will be the case even if your pet wasn’t officially diagnosed with skin allergies until later, because they were still showing allergy symptoms prior to the start of the policy.

Or, if your adult pet is diagnosed with a lifelong condition such as epilepsy, and then you decide that you’d like to insure them, any future epilepsy-related costs (such as emergency treatment, medications, and recheck blood tests) will not be covered.

Therefore, to ensure the most complete protection for your pet, it’s safest to take out a pet insurance policy as soon as they come into your care.

Related: Why pet insurance matters: Protect your pet and your budget

Pet insurance benefits: what cover do you actually need?

Rather than just looking at insurance premiums, it’s important to compare policies to understand the finer details of the different cover options being offered.

In general, pet insurance policies tend to fit one of three categories:

• Accident-only cover: This covers illnesses or injuries from certain unplanned events, e.g. snake bites, road traffic accidents, wounds, poisoning etc.
• Accident + illness cover: Includes the above accident cover, plus diagnostic testing, medications, hospitalisation and surgical treatment for a wide variety of short- and long-term health conditions.
• Accident + illness + routine care cover: Includes the above accident + illness cover, plus cover of proactive preventative care treatments such as vaccinations, parasite control, teeth cleaning, and desexing.

If you’ve ever debated whether pet insurance is really worth it, you’re not alone. Many Aussie pet parents find themselves weighing up the costs, until an unexpected illness or injury puts things into perspective. Vet bills can quickly add up, especially when specialist or emergency care is needed, and the last thing you want to worry about in those moments is how you’ll afford it.

That’s where Buddy Pet Insurance can make a real difference. Having cover in place means you can focus on your pet’s recovery and wellbeing, knowing you’ve got financial support when it matters most. Because when life throws a curveball, peace of mind is priceless – and with Buddy, you’ve always got a helping paw.

10 Dec 2025