PDSA Pet Insurance Review 2023
PDSA Pet Insurance Review 2023
Good for
- Older pets (no excess increase plus no age limit on new policies)
- Euthanasia cover
- Prescription food cover
Bad for
- 10% copay in addition to fixed excess
- No dental illness cover
- Only 60 days to claim
- 12-month clock on Time Limited policies starts from when condition first noticed, not when treatment starts
- Out-of-hours cover
The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.
Is PDSA pet insurance any good? Find out if they offer good value for money and read about what PDSA could do better before you sign up.
If you want quotes now from PDSA, Animal Friends and Scratch & Patch, click the blue "Get Quotes" button below to see how much you can save:
Compare Cheap Pet Insurance for Your Dog or Cat
Pet cover can help with vet bills. Compare quotes from 25 providers, including PDSA
In This Review
Choosing the right cat or dog insurance policy for you will depend upon the individual needs of you and your pet. Use the information in this guide to help you understand which features are important to you in order to make the best buying decision. We also advise reading through the policy wording before you buy.
PDSA Pet Insurance Review
We like PDSA as an organization, and we have to say they've improved their pet insurance recently. Bravo! (We weren't big fans before, when they didn't cover dental illness, they had a short period of time to submit claims, and they used to charge everyone a fixed and variable excess, regardless of pet age). Now, they've fixed those problems so their pet insurance offering is better than it was.
Limitations
There are a few specific exclusions that you should be aware of as they may limit your ability to claim successfully. For instance, in order for your policy to remain valid and for your claims to be reimbursed, pets must have a regular annual check-up with the vet, including vaccinations as advised by your vet.
This includes evidence that advice regarding dental health was followed within 6 months, to be eligible for dental illness claims.
PDSA Key Points
- Choice of Time Limited or Lifetime
- Dental cover for accidents and illnesses
- 12 months to submit claims for reimbursement
- Time Limited policies: 12-month clock starts when treatment starts
- Out-of-hours and house call charges not covered unless life threatening or risk of significantly worsen the condition
- Excess increases for older pets with addition of 20% copay
- Prescription food covered up to a limit
- Euthanasia cover
Customer Reviews and Ratings
There are not many online customer reviews for PDSA pet insurance. PDSA the organisation is rated with just 1.9 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, but this rating mostly reflects reviews left for PDSA the organisation, not pet insurance specifically.
We've read through the reviews and pulled out PDSA pet insurance complaints. Unfortunately, most of them are just 1-star ratings. Complaints range from rising premiums to slow processing to claims not being approved. But, there are only a handful of complaints so they're not really statistically significant.
Note: it's common in the industry for pet insurance to go up each year because your dog or cat is more likely to have health problems as they age. But not all pet insurance puts up prices if you've claimed (you can read more about how different companies respond to previous claims, and see the company that says they don't do this here.) Here's what we found:
"I have pet insurance from PDSA for my cat. Her premiums have gone up 23% each year over 4 years so far which represents a renewal quote at an 87% increase on my first year!"
"I had pet insurance through them at £22 a month my pet developed arthritis and had to put a small claim in. I had to pay the first 100 they paid the rest. All was good until it came to my renewal, they think it is quite OK to put my payments up to £48 a month."
"We have had PDSA pet insurance in place for our dog for eight years now. The quote for its renewal has just come through, and the annual premium has all but doubled, to over £1000!! Rang PDSA to discuss, but was told that the quote was 'computer generated' and because we had made one minor one-off claim on the policy, for £116 after excess, in the past year (the first ever) there could be no 'good will' gesture and no referral for review to either underwriter or their 'retention' team."
PDSA Pet Insurance Costs
PDSA Discount Code: PSDA occasionally offers online discounts; most recently "SAVE10" could save you 10% on your pet insurance with PSDA.
PDSA Notable Features
Here is a brief overview of the notable features of PDSA dog and cat insurance. For a complete rundown of the details and exclusions, please refer to the policy documents.
| PDSA Pet Insurance Features | |
|---|---|
| Excess | PDSA imposes both a fixed of £75 - £120 and a variable copay for older pets of 20%. |
| Claiming | You must call (0333 234 0599) for a claims form. All claims must be submitted within 12 months. |
| Cover for Holiday Cut Short | Cover if you have to cancel or curtail your holiday because your pet needs emergency life-saving surgery within 7 days of departure |
| Boarding Cover When You're Unwell | Boarding fees when you're at hospital for more than 96 hours |
| Dental | Cover for dental treatment resulting from accidents and illnesses (so long as pet has had check ups and recommended preventative care) |
| Travel | Cover for up to 90 days in each policy year for travel in EU PETS scheme countries |
| Euthanasia | Covered |
| Cremation/burial | Up to £200 on Lifetime plans only |
Types of PDSA Policies
PDSA offers pet owners the choice between two 12-month Time Limited plans and five Lifetime pet insurance plans. Generally speaking, Lifetime policies are the most comprehensive type of pet insurance. If you'd like to learn more about what's covered by pet insurance in general, please read our article cover.
Time Limited Cover
PDSA's Time Limited pet insurance products cover up to £2,000 or £5,000 per incident (illness or accident), for treatment expenses lasting up to 12 months from first date of treatment.
You may claim for many treatments related to any one incident until you've reached £2,000 or £5,000 of reimbursement or 12 months have passed (whichever comes first). After that time, you can never claim for that incident again (even if the same thing happens on another side of your pet's body, like an ear infection).
One of the largest drawbacks of time-limited policies is that bilateral conditions are counted as one condition—conditions that affect one part of your pet's body of which it has more (e.g., ears or eyes). For example, an infection in one ear would start the 12-month clock ticking for BOTH ears.
You are able to claim on multiple, unrelated incidents at the same time, however.
You will pay the excess once per condition (even if it spans multiple policy years).
Lifetime Cover
PDSA offers five levels of Lifetime insurance, ranging from £2,000 to £8,000 of vet bill cover per year. As lifetime policies, the level of cover resets each year when you renew. Also, there is no time limit on how long you can claim (in contrast to the Time Limited policy), which is useful for treatment costs associated with recurring or chronic conditions.
PDSA Pet Insurance Coverage Amounts
| Product Type | Time Limited | Time Limited | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinary Fees | £2,000 per condition | £5,000 per condition | £2,000 per year | £3,000 per year | £4,000 per year | £5,000 per year | £8,000 per year |
| Fixed excess | £75-£120 (per condition) | £75 (per condition) | £75-£120 (per condition per year) | £75-£120 (per condition per year) | £75 (per condition per year) | £75-£120 (per condition per year) | £75-£120 (per condition per year) |
| Overage excess | 20% co-insurance | ||||||
| MRI cost | Included up to vet fees cover limit | ||||||
| CT scan cost | Included up to vet fees cover limit | ||||||
| Complementary therapy | Physiotherapy | £500 | £750 | £500 | £750 | £750 | £1,500 |
| Physiotherapy | £500 | £750 | £500 | £750 | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,500 |
| Overseas veterinary treatment | Included up to vet fees cover limit | ||||||
| Third party liability (dogs only) | £1million | ||||||
| Third party liability excess | £250 | ||||||
| Death from illness (cost of pet, up to age limits) | £250 | £1,500 | |||||
| Death from accident/injury (cost of pet, up to age limits) | £250 | £1,500 | |||||
| Cremation and burial costs | Not included | £200 | |||||
| Finding your Pet - Advertising & Reward | Not included | £1,500 | |||||
| Theft or straying | £500 | £1,500 | |||||
| Boarding kennel/cattery fees | Not included | £1,500 | |||||
| Holiday cancellation | Not included | £1,000 | £1,000 | £1,500 | £1,500 | £1,500 | £3,000 |
| Overseas Extension of Vet Fees Cover | 90 days | ||||||
| Quarantine costs | £150 | ||||||
| Loss of pet travel documents | £250 | ||||||
| Emergency expenses cover abroad | £500 | £500 | £500 | £500 | £700 | £700 | £1,000 |
| PDSA Petcall (vet helpline) | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
FAQs
How does PDSA Pet Insurance Compare to Competitors?
To better understand the value of PDSA Pet Insurance you need to look at it in the context of other available options. We compared this insurer to other similar insurers so you can see which may be more suitable for you.
PDSA Pet Insurance vs Agria Pet Insurance
Agria Pet Insurance offers comprehensive Lifetime plans for lower-than-average prices and is one of our favourite pet insurers. Many features are offered as extras, which means that you don't need to pay for certain features if you don't want to—if you never take your pet abroad to Europe, then you don't need to buy the Travel cover. Another way that Agria keeps prices lower is through a 10% copay/variable excess so pet owners contribute more towards vet fees—the pet owner is responsible for the fixed excess (£95 or £160 for dogs, £85 or £160 for cats) than another 10% of vet bills. We like that Agria is a specialist pet insurer with a long history, offering some desirable features such as dental, euthanasia and cremation/burial, sensible out-of-hours reimbursement and cover for congenital conditions.
Bottom Line: If you want better out-of-hours reimbursement and to pay a variable excess (this can reduce premiums), Agria can be a good option to consider.
PDSA Pet Insurance vs Animal Friends Pet Insurance
Animal Friends Pet Insurance is a specialist pet insurer, whose plans stand out for lower-than-average premiums (partially achieved through per condition limits, even on Lifetime plans). Those with older pets can insure their dogs and cats with Animal Friends, as there is no upper age limit for new policies, even Lifetime cover—but there is a 20% copay (in addition to the £99 fixed excess) for dogs aged 8+ and cats aged 10+. Animal Friends doesn't have dental cover or a vet line to call with queries, however, plus claims need to be submitted within 90 days. Our price check showed a range of £130 to £390 for Lifetime cover for a healthy, young crossbreed dog, significantly lower than average.
Bottom Line: If you're very price conscious, you might find more options and a lower premium and better value with some Animal Friends plans.
PDSA Pet Insurance vs Asda Pet Insurance
Asda Pet Insurance can be a good option for those with older pets as they're eligible for Lifetime cover with Asda, regardless of age. The excess increases with a 10% copay when dogs turn 5/cats turn 7 (but this is lower than the 20% copay imposed by many insurers). There's a 24/7 vet helpline but no vet cover for tooth decay or tooth/gum disease. Our price check for a young, healthy dog showed a range of £275 for £2,000 of Lifetime cover with a £135 copay up to £490 for £7,500 of cover with a lower £85 excess.
Bottom Line: If you're attracted to PDSA for a new Lifetime policy for your older pet, Asda plans can be another good option.