Best pet insurance for King Charles Cavalier Spaniels – Because your cuddle buddy deserves the best
Don’t let your royal furball royally bankrupt you — let us help you find the perfect pet insurance cover without the drama.
Key takeaways
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are predisposed to a few different, serious issues.
- Without pet insurance, these costs can add up quickly.
- There are a few things to keep in mind when looking for the best pet insurance for your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Do I need pet insurance for my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel?
When it comes to insuring a pet, there are a few things to consider:
Is your dog predisposed to any specific conditions?
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are known to be predisposed to a few medical problems.
- Syringomyelia: This is when the skull is too small for their brain. The disorder causes them to experience pain after sudden changes in posture and often leads to them scratching excessively. It's a life long illness that can't be cured.
- Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome: This is because King Charles Spaniels are breathing impaired so doing basic things like running and chasing a ball can become difficult.
- Mitral valve disease: This disease begins as a heart murmur and progresses to heart failure. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are 20 times more likely to develop this disease than any other breed of dog.
- Hearing impairments: This breed is predisposed to ear infections because of the shape of their skull, resulting in poor drainage. Severe cases can result in the need for surgery.
- Hip dysplasia: This occurs when the femur and pelvis grow at uneven rates and can result in arthritis. PETA estimates that around 15.5% of cavaliers suffer from this.
Could you afford surgery out of pocket?
With these conditions in mind, it's important to consider if you could afford surgery out of pocket, should your dog require it. Here's an idea of how much each surgery can cost. Keep in mind though, these prices are approximate and your actual cost will depend on your dog's condition and your vet.
- Syringomyelia: This condition can cost around $2,000 to treat and may require ongoing treatment or surgery, meaning it's not a one-off cost.
- Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome: This is treated with a soft palate surgery and can cost between $1,500 and $1,850. Keep in mind though, this is to address the primary problem of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. If your dog is suffering other illnesses related to this, like lung issues, that can cost substantially more.
- Mitral valve disease: Access to this surgery is extremely rare and therefore expensive. It can cost between $50,000 - $70,000.
- Hearing impairments: Costs for this vary hugely, it's impossible to give a range as it really depends on the severity of what's happening.
- Hip dysplasia: Costs vary between around $500 - $5,000.
What can pet insurance cover for a King Charles Cavalier?
What your pet insurance policy covers will come down to what level of cover you choose and the provider specifics. We've broken this down below.
Accidents, illness and injuries - coverage options
There are basic, mid-level and comprehensive or 'elite' pet insurance policies available. Usually, coverage is grouped by the following:
- Basic: Base level coverage is often referred to as 'essentials' or 'accident only' cover. This tends to be the cheapest type of pet insurance and covers the bare minimum, like accidents. That'd mean coverage for things like snake bites or being hit by a vehicle. It wouldn't help cover costs for the illnesses mentioned above.
- Mid-level: Every provider calls their mid-level coverage something different but it tends to cover accidents, illnesses and injuries. It usually has an annual limit of between $12,000 to $30,000. Don't worry if you don't know what an annual limit is yet, we'll get into that further below. This level of cover would help cover the illnesses and disorders we mentioned above.
- Comprehensive or Elite: This is the highest level of cover the provider offers. It tends to cover accidents, illnesses and injuries but with a higher annual limit. It can also include other optional add-ons like routine care. Routine care includes things like vaccinations and teeth cleaning. These higher limits can come in hand with a King Charles Cavalier as the prices of treatment and surgery can add up quite quickly for the more serious illnesses and disorders.
Compare pet insurance options for your King Charles Cavalier
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How to choose the best pet insurance for your King Charles Cavalier Spaniel
There are a few factors to consider when you're choosing a pet insurance policy. The product disclosure statements (PDS) can be full of jargon so we've broken down what everything means and if or why you should care about it when looking for King Charles Cavalier insurance.
- Waiting periods: This is the period of time you have to wait between when you start paying for a policy and when you can claim on it. If your dog needs immediate surgery for something like hip dysplasia, that won't be covered until the waiting period is up. If your dog has been bitten by a snake, then you'll probably be covered either immediately or within 1 day of taking out cover.
- Reimbursement options: This refers to how your insurer pays you once a claim has been approved. When you take out your policy, you can nominate what percentage of the bill your vet will pay. This typically ranges from around 70%-100%. The higher the percentage, the more expensive the policy.
Additionally, some providers have GapOnly claims — this is when you're paying the bill at the vet and you only need to pay the gap between what your insurer will cover and what the bill costs (if it's higher than what your insurer covers). GapOnly means you don't need to wait to be reimbursed.
Other insurers require you to pay at the vet in full, process a claim with the receipt and then wait to be paid shortly after once the claim is approved.
- Annual limit: This refers to the maximum amount your insurer will pay within the year. So if your pet insurance policy has an annual limit or maximum cover amount of $30,000 - you cannot make more than $30,000 worth of claims throughout the year. This is typically only an issue if you pick a policy with a lower limit. For example, if you take out a policy with an annual limit of $15,000 but then your pet requires a surgery costing $20,000 - you'll have to pay the difference of $5,000.
- Sub-limits: These refer to limits that are specific to certain treatments. This is different to your annual limit. Typically, sub-limits apply to things like treatment for a paralysis tick. Let's say for example, the sub-limit is $3,000. If the treatment costs $5,000 then you'd still be accountable for the remaining $2,000. This happens even if you haven't hit your annual limit, because the sub-limit is applicable.
- Hereditary condition coverage: Some insurers will exclude cover for certain hereditary conditions. Some may only include cover if symptoms of the condition only became apparent after you bought the pet insurance policy. For example, mitral valve disease is usually covered, as long as you took out the pet insurance policy before your dog showed signs of having the disease. Be sure to check your product disclosure statement or ask your insurer directly if there's a condition you're particularly concerned about and want to ensure coverage is included.
So, what's actually best for your King Charles Cavalier Spaniel? I'd suggest looking for a policy with:
- High annual limits: Because treatments for these breeds can get expensive.
- High sub-limits or no sub-limits: Because the annual limit doesn't matter if the sub-limits for expensive treatments are low.
- High reimbursement: The higher the percentage, the more of your bill will be covered. However, opting for a lower reimbursement can be ideal if you are wanting to save money on your policy.
Cost of pet insurance for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in Australia
The cost of pet insurance for your dog will vary by their age, sex and if they have any pre-existing conditions. We've gotten quotes for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels to give you a rough guide of what to expect between insurers.
| 1-year-old | 5-year-old | Apply today | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | $73.76 | $86.45 | Get quote |
 | $188.17 | $241.12 | Get quote |
 | $156.42 | $212.47 | Get quote |
 | $80.32 | $117.73 | Get quote |
 | $73.50 | $105.37 | Get quote |
 | $135.43 | $247.65 | Get quote |
 | $141.32 | $262.45 | More info |
 | $140.67 | $183.23 | More info |
 | $128.47 | $187.87 | Get quote |
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