Canine calamity: 4 in 10 pet insurance policies don’t cover dental illness
Experts warn pet owners to check their policy details for dental cover
For pet owners, getting pet insurance means peace of mind - but the experts at Go.Compare Pet insurance are warning people to take a close look at their policies, as new data reveals that many don’t include cover for dental fees caused by an illness.
Analysing 591 pet insurance products*, the comparison site found that 258 (44%) don’t offer any cover for dental fees caused by illness. Of the policies that do include this type of cover, 85 have a limit of less than £2,000, 125 offer between £2,000 and £4,999, and 123 offer £5,000 or more of cover for dental illness.
Meanwhile, dental fees caused by an accident or injury are much more likely to be covered by your insurance - with 97% of policies offering some form of cover, with limits ranging from below £2,000 to more than £5,000.
Rhys Jones, pet insurance spokesperson at Go.Compare, said: “None of us like going to the dentist, and that’s true for our pets, too. However, sometimes it’s unavoidable - and the costs can really add up, particularly as with pet dental procedures, you have the added complication of expensive anaesthesia.
“There are two main types of pet dental cover to be aware of. Cover for accidents and injuries will protect you against any sudden mishaps - like fractured teeth from chewing on hard objects or cuts and scrapes to the gums.
“Dental illnesses - such as gingivitis and plaque build-up - are more common, and would only be included in your pet insurance if you have dental illness cover. As our research shows, there are many policies that exclude this protection - so it’s vital you take a look at the fine print and know exactly what you’re covered for.
“We always recommend comparing policies side by side on a comparison site, as this way you can work out which offers the best cover at the best price.”
To learn more about the types of pet insurance available and which is right for you, visit: https://www.gocompare.com/pet-insurance/.
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Contact Information
Rosie Johns
Notes to editors
*Source: Defaqto Matrix of 591 pet insurance products – instant and unbiased market and competitor intelligence, from independent financial researcher Defaqto (24th March 2025). Percentages are rounded up to the nearest whole number.
For further information please contact:
Lynsey Walden on lynsey.walden@gocompare.com, or Kath Chadwick on Kathryn.chadwick@gocompare.com.
About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.