Dog Insurance Costs Explained

Dogs are among the most loyal companions, but in Switzerland the costs of caring for these loyal companions can be high. Just the cost of dog food can easily come to 100 francs per month for a single dog.

The cost of dog ownership in Switzerland

In addition to the cost of food, paying for toys, training, collars, grooming and grooming products, medication, dog taxes, anti-parasite prophylactics, and veterinary consultation and treatment all add to the cost of owning a dog. All expenses considered, the basic costs of keeping dogs can easily total 1500 francs per year and dog.

Expensive vet visits

Having your dog treated by a veterinarian can be one of the biggest expenses which you will face as a dog owner in Switzerland. A blood test can cost anywhere from 300 to 1000 francs. Repairing a broken bone may cost as much as 3000 francs. If your dog swallows an inedible object, having the object removed from their digestive system may cost anywhere from 1000 to 2500 francs. Treating a torn ligament will cost 1500 to 2500 francs and radiation therapy for cancer costs around 3000 francs.

Cost structure of dog insurance policies

The older the dog, the higher the premiums you will pay for veterinary insurance. Apart from this basic rule, the costs of Swiss dog insurance policies can be confusing. You can choose from many different insurance deductibles for each individual insurance policy. The deductible you choose affects how much you pay in premiums.

An insurance deductible is the portion of covered expenses which you must pay out of your own pocket. Only expenses above that amount are covered by the insurance company. Dog insurance policies also require a coinsurance payment – a portion of each bill which you must pay out of your own pocket – that amounts to 10 percent of covered medical expenses which exceed your deductible.

Most dog insurance policies do not have a cap on the sum insured. That means that there is no limit to how much the insurance company will pay towards covered expenses (minus your deductible and coinsurance payments). The rule of thumb: the lower the deductible and the higher the sum insured, the higher the premiums.

Is dog insurance worth it?

Getting dog insurance doesn’t always pay off. As with all insurance, you will only be able to judge whether or not it was a good investment at some point in the future – based on how many covered expenses you incur in the meantime.

The premiums charged for dog insurance vary significantly between insurance providers, policies, deductible models, coinsurance models and the age of your dog. Comparing dog insurance offers ahead of taking out a policy can help you save money.

The easy way to compare Swiss dog insurance policies

The moneyland.ch pet insurance comparison makes it easy to find out whether or not veterinary insurance policies will benefit you based on your criteria and anticipated veterinary expenses (the green thumbs-up and red thumbs-down). The comparison accounts for the deductibles, premiums, copayments and coverage of each insurance policy and clearly shows which policies can benefit you the most financially.

Pet insurance premiums increase as your dog becomes older, and each insurance provider uses its own fee schedule to determine the premiums for each year of your dog’s life. The drop-down above the search results lets you select the term over which you expect to insure your dog. Results adjust automatically to show the cheapest policy for the full insurance term selected.

More on this topic:
Swiss dog insurance coverage guide
Interactive pet insurance comparison