Dog Health Insurance Tested: Which One Is the Best?

There is no single best health insurance for dogs: of 121 dog surgery policies tested, Stiftung Warentest recommends only one in four. What matters are the GOT reimbursement rate, deductible, waiting period and maximum age — this article shows you what to look for when choosing.

The short answer: There is no single best health insurance for dogs

No, it is simply not possible to credibly name the single best health insurance for a dog. In April 2025, Stiftung Warentest tested a total of 121 policy variants for dog surgery insurance and can recommend only around one in four.^[1] That does not mean the cover is pointless. It means: the best policy for your dog depends on age, breed, health status and budget — and exactly these factors determine premium and benefits.

"Test winner" answers are therefore often misleading. A policy that is very good and affordable for a young Jack Russell Terrier can be unsuitable for a seven-year-old Labrador, because insurers classify dogs into risk classes and sometimes do not accept them at all. Add to that policy details such as reimbursement rate and deductible, which change the annual bill more than the difference between two providers.

Instead, this article delivers what an honest guide can offer: clearly named criteria you can apply to your own case, a worked example with real figures, and the distinction from dog liability insurance. No provider is presented as the best — because there is no such thing.

• What the test shows: 121 policy variants examined, only around a quarter rated good or very good, and the majority of policies show sometimes serious weaknesses.^[1]
• What sets the ratings apart: above all, whether the sum insured is capped. Very good and good policies do not limit their sum insured to a fixed amount.^[1]
• What you get here: four assessment criteria, a worked example on cruciate ligament rupture, and a clear look at when taking out a policy is still possible.

What a dog health insurance costs per year

For a young, small dog, according to the Verbraucherzentrale you pay around 160 to almost 550 euros per year for a surgery-only insurance, and roughly three times that for the more comprehensive comprehensive health insurance.^[2] Very good dog surgery policies from the Stiftung Warentest test ranged between 216 and 403 euros per year for a young example dog.^[1]

The premium depends on several factors that can reinforce each other. Age at the start of the contract and breed have the strongest effect: for larger dogs and breeds with a higher health risk, annual premiums are significantly higher than for small, young dogs.

• Age at the start of the contract: the older the dog, the higher the premium, and beyond a certain age the choice becomes thin.
• Breed and size: larger dogs and breeds with a higher health risk cost more.
• Deductible: if you accept a share of the costs yourself, you pay lower premiums; however, the price difference between the variants is often small among recommendable policies.
• Place of residence: with some insurers, where you live also plays a role.

One point deserves particular attention: the maximum age. For a seven-year-old dog, the choice is already significantly smaller — 8 of the 29 very good and good policies in the test refuse to accept the dog, even in a low risk class.^[1] The earlier you take out a policy, the more options remain open and the lower the premium.

How to recognise a good policy: GOT rate, deductible, waiting period

Four criteria decide whether a policy really holds up in an emergency. All four can be checked before you sign, and all four are set out in the insurance terms and conditions.

GOT reimbursement rate

The GOT (fee schedule for veterinarians) is a nationwide legal ordinance that sets out how vets bill their services. It defines a fee framework from one to three times the base rate, valid in this version since 22 November 2022. In practice, many practices bill at three times the rate, while many policies only reimburse up to twice the rate.^[3] You then pay the difference yourself. The higher the maximum GOT rate reimbursed, the more complete the reimbursement.

Deductible

The deductible is the share of the bill that you pay yourself even with insurance. A 20 percent personal contribution is common, and some policies also cap reimbursement at an annual maximum, for example 2,500 euros.^[2] Together, the two can leave a large gap, especially with expensive treatments.

Waiting period

The waiting period is the time after the start of the contract during which the insurer does not yet pay for illnesses. It is usually three months; for accidents it generally does not apply, so cover starts immediately. Anyone who waits until the dog shows symptoms loses exactly that time.

Exclusions and maximum age

Only healthy animals are insurable in principle; pre-existing conditions are often excluded, sometimes also breed-typical illnesses. Also check up to what entry age the policy is open and whether the sum insured is capped.^[1]

To put in perspective what a good dog health insurance actually covers: besides the operation itself, this includes pre-operative examinations, pre- and post-treatment, laboratory and imaging diagnostics, and medically necessary medication. Comprehensive policies can additionally cover a stay at a veterinary clinic for a limited number of days and physiotherapy with a veterinary referral. The exact scope in each case is always determined by the chosen policy.

Worked example: what a cruciate ligament rupture in dogs really costs

A cruciate ligament rupture is one of the most common causes of lameness in dogs and a typical case where the bill runs high. Veterinarians bill every service according to the GOT, and the table below shows the typical items of surgical treatment at the 1x and 3x rate. Depending on the surgical method and the effort involved, it gets expensive: the widely used procedures TPLO and TTA cost around 2,200 to 2,700 euros at a veterinary clinic, while a ligament replacement costs around 1,200 to 1,500 euros.^[4]

A worked example shows the mechanics: suppose the total bill for diagnostics, surgery and aftercare comes to 2,000 euros, billed at three times the GOT rate. That is realistic: the typical items in the table above alone already add up to around 1,180 euros at the 3x rate, and with X-rays, anesthesia, materials and medication, a four-figure amount quickly accumulates. A policy that only reimburses up to twice the rate recognizes only about two thirds of that as reimbursable. With the usual 20 percent deductible, only 80 percent of the reimbursable costs are covered anyway, and the rest belongs to the share you pay yourself.^[2] A policy up to three times the rate without a deductible would reimburse the full 2,000 euros. That is exactly where the difference lies between two premiums that look similar at first glance.

And what if you cannot pay for a surgery? Honestly: once the illness has occurred, taking out a new policy is usually no longer possible. Insurers check the dog's health at application, exclude pre-existing conditions or decline the application altogether, and the waiting period of usually three months prevents quick coverage anyway. Protection only works if it is in place before the emergency.

Your checklist: does the protection fit your dog's age, breed and financial situation? If your dog is young and healthy, you have free choice. If it is older or has pre-existing conditions, the selection narrows. And if you are unsure whether surgery insurance or full protection is the better fit, a structured comparison that puts exactly these criteria side by side helps. To do that, you can start the policy comparison directly.

Does dog owner liability insurance replace health insurance? In short: no

Dog owner liability insurance covers damage your dog causes to third parties, i.e. personal injury, property damage and financial loss. It does not pay any veterinary costs for your own dog. The two types of insurance complement each other, but do not replace one another.

Liability insurance is still worthwhile, and in some federal states even mandatory. In Berlin, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia it is compulsory for all dogs, and in nine other federal states for dogs classified as dangerous.^[5] The consumer advice center (Verbraucherzentrale) calls it an absolute must for dog owners and recommends a sum insured of at least 5 million euros at an annual premium well below 100 euros.^[2]

Remember the distinction like this: liability insurance pays when your dog causes damage to someone else. Health insurance pays when your dog itself is ill or injured. Anyone with only one of the two has a gap that becomes expensive in an emergency.

Outlook and next step: start the policy comparison

Policies, GOT rates and acceptance rules change constantly. What counts today as a premium range or reimbursement rate can shift with the next policy generation. The only reliable figure is therefore the one at the time of your own research — and that is exactly why it is worth checking the current terms and conditions before signing up.

The general rule: compare along the four criteria of GOT reimbursement rate, deductible, waiting period and maximum age. What decides your specific case is your dog's age at the start of the contract, its breed and any pre-existing conditions, as well as your budget for the annual premium. A general article cannot settle that individual case — for that, someone would have to know your dog.

The next step, then, is a concrete comparison. The dog health insurance policies brokered through nextsure reimburse medically necessary veterinary treatments and surgeries up to the agreed maximum GOT rate and can be taken out digitally in several policy tiers. nextsure is a marketplace and broker, not an insurer — coverage always depends on the specific policy, the health declaration and the insurer's acceptance decision. If you would like to check which policies could be right for your dog, start the policy comparison now.