Pet Cost FAQs
How much does a dog cost over its life?
PDSA-style estimates: £15,000-£20,000+ across a ~12-year life for dogs (large breeds top end), £12,000-£15,000 over ~15 years for cats · food, insurance, vet care, boarding and kit. The purchase price is a rounding error against the running total this page computes.
Why do premiums rise so steeply with age?
Claims risk climbs with age, so premiums typically rise ~10% a year · doubling every 7-8 years. The £35/month puppy policy quietly passes £100/month in old age, exactly when you cannot switch because a new insurer would exclude every pre-existing condition. Price the WHOLE curve before choosing, which is what this calculator shows.
Is self-insuring better?
It wins if the pet stays healthy · and loses catastrophically to one £8,000 cruciate or chemo bill in year two, before the pot has built. Honest framing: insurance buys certainty against five-figure shocks; the savings route keeps the money with luck. The only wrong answer is drifting along with neither.
What do big treatments cost?
Cruciate surgery £4,000-£5,000 · chemotherapy £5,000-£10,000 · fractured leg £2,000-£4,000 · MRI ~£2,500 · dental £500-£1,500. Veterinary medicine now does most of what human medicine does, at private-hospital prices.
Lifetime or annual policy?
Lifetime policies renew cover for ongoing conditions every year · the only type that truly protects against chronic illness (arthritis, diabetes, skin conditions). Annual and max-benefit policies stop paying for a condition after 12 months or a cap, abandoning you at the expensive part. If you insure at all, lifetime with a £7,000+ annual vet limit is the meaningful product.
For informational purposes only · Cost defaults are PDSA-style estimates; premiums and vet prices vary by breed, postcode and insurer · Not financial or veterinary advice