Most Expensive Pet Insurance Claims for 2023
No one wants their furry friends to get sick or injured. But if the worst happens, having pet insurance can help to ease the pain.
Vet costs can add up quickly – especially when you remember that, unlike human healthcare in New Zealand, animal healthcare isn’t subsidised by the government. Luckily, with pet insurance, your animals can get the care they need, and you can get help with any big bills.
Sometimes it takes a lot to get your pet back to living their best life and that’s why pet insurance is so important.
For our most expensive claims for 2023, dogs topped the list with their owners claiming $14,119 and $13,149 – both for traumatic injuries.
In third place was a claim for $12,652 for a Labradoodle with Hemangiosarcoma. This aggressive cancer tends to affect older dogs, starting in the blood vessels and spreading to the spleen, heart and liver. It's hard to detect, especially as they can't tell you how they're feeling.
Other claims included $11,091 for a Golden Retriever which had eaten something it shouldn’t. Golden Retriever pet parents will relate to this as they know how much these dogs love to gobble up stuff, especially things we don’t want them to eat!
Cats were also in the wars last year. Like dogs, four out of the top ten are from traumatic injuries, such as car accidents. The top claim was for $12,023 for just that. But illnesses also played a part, with Azotaemia (a blood disorder) and Cholecystitis (a gallbladder infection) making the list.
Our most expensive claims for dogs and cats in 2023.
| Dog breed | Claim | Claim paid amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pug | Traumatic injury (Hit by a car causing severe head trauma and wounds) | $14,119 |
| Border Collie | Traumatic injury (Hit by a car causing a fracture) | $13,149 |
| Labradoodle | Tumours/ cancer that develops from blood vessels (Hemangiosarcoma) | $12,652 |
| English Springer Spaniel | Fracture | $11,444 |
| Golden Retriever | Foreign Body - Ingestion | $11,091 |
| German Shepherd | Tumour | $10,733 |
| Leonberger | Kidney stones (Urolithiasis) | $10,202 |
| Dalmatian | Urinary bladder disorder | $10,192 |
| King Charles Cavalier Spaniel | Hepatic (liver) failure - acute | $10,000 |
| Cat breed | Claim | Claim paid amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ragdoll | Traumatic injury occurring while missing | $12,023 |
| Domestic Medium Hair | Buildup of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine in the blood (Azotaemia) | $9,965 |
| Domestic Short Hair | Traumatic injury (Suspected hit by a car causing complete derangement of the left stifle) | $9,577 |
| Domestic Short Hair | Inflammation of the gall bladder (Cholecystitis) | $8,604 |
| Birman | Foreign Body - Ingestion | $8,224 |
| Birman | Traumatic injury (Hit by a car causing multiple fractures) | $8,200 |
| Ragdoll | Traumatic injury (Hit by a car causing severe head trauma, prolapsed right eye, multiple fractures and degloving.) | $7,823 |
| Birman | Cancer | $7,218 |
| Domestic Short Hair | Foreign Body - Ingestion | $6,990 |
| Birman | Foreign body - Injury | $6,734 |
How important is pet insurance in 2024 and beyond?
Such costly claims are food for thought when weighing up the cost of pet insurance.
We never know what is going to happen to our furry family – accidents can happen in an instant. But many of our claims are the result of illnesses needing on-going treatment.
Large or small, it’s all about helping you focus on what your furry friend needs without stressing about the cost. Spending a little on health insurance now, could end up being a lifesaver later.
References
Pet MD
https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cancer/hemangiosarcoma-dogs
https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/urinary/c_multi_urolithiasis_cystine
https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/urinary/c_ct_azotemia_uremia
