Frequently Asked Questions

My Pet is healthy - why should I buy pet insurance? [ click here ]

While your pet is healthy today, you never know what tomorrow will bring. Accidents such as foreign body ingestions, poison ingestions and motor vehicle accidents occur everyday. We receive many phone calls from pet owners wishing to buy insurance for their now sick or injured dog or cat. Unfortunately pet insurance cannot provide coverage for any accident or medical condition that has developed prior to enrollment. That is why it is important to enroll your pet while it is healthy! Enrolment of a healthy pet allows you to get coverage on any future accidents or medical illnesses. This provides you with the peace of mind that when the unexpected happens to your pet, PetCare will be there!

I love my dog but my friend told me that it may get hip dysplasia what should I do? [ click here ]

It is true that some breeds are more prone to hip dysplasia or other hereditary defects, PetCare offers the MasterCare insurance programs that would cover your dog in the event that hip dysplasia was diagnosed and needed treatment. You may enrol your pet from the age of 8 weeks and if you are concerned you should enrol sooner rather than later – if a problem is diagnosed or symptomatic prior to enrollment or during the 30 day waiting period for illness coverage it will be deemed a pre-existing condition and will not be covered.

I spent thousands of dollars on my last pet’s cancer treatment I want to make sure that my new puppy is covered to the max – what product should I buy? [ click here ]

The MasterCare family of products will provide your new puppy with $3,000, $5,000 or $7,000 of coverage specifically for cancer.

How much money will I actually get back when I make a claim? [ click here ]

The amount of money that you will get back is determined by three things:

a) the amount of coverage that you have purchased for that specific accident or illness,
b) the deductible on the program that you have chosen and
c) the percentage coverage offered by your program choice.

Please go to Selecting the Right Coverage for examples of amount paid by program.

I want to buy pet insurance but I'm worried that I might not be able to afford it. [ click here ]

Don't be concerned, PetCare offers you choice and flexibility. Please call us at 1-877-897-7387 and ask to speak to one of our sales representatives who will make sure that you make the decision that's right for you.

What happens if I find I don't have enough coverage? [ click here ]

You can upgrade your policy at any time by calling one of our customer care representatives at 1-877-897-7387

Is there any restriction on which veterinarian that I can take my pet to? [ click here ]

No. You may go to any licensed veterinarian in North America, traditional veterinarians, alternative therapists or specialists as long as the veterinarian is licensed.

Do your Programs cover the diagnosis as well as the treatment of accidents and illnesses? [ click here ]

Yes our programs cover the diagnosis, testing and treatment of the covered accidents and illnesses, including veterinary visits, laboratory tests, X-rays, MRIs, CAT scans, hospitalization, prescription food and prescription medications.

What kind of Discounts do you Offer? [ click here ]

There are a variety of discounts available on the PetCare Pet Insurance Programs including, multi-pet discounts, microchipping discounts, group benefit discounts and more. When you enrol your pet please make sure that you fill in all the required fields to ensure that you get the appropriate discount.

Do I need EmergencyCare Insurance for my Pet? [ click here ]

Yes, we would advise it - EmergencyCare Insurance is a unique program that provides $3,000 coverage for life-saving treatment for your pet if it gets hurt or ill when it is lost. $19.95 per year is all it costs to give emergency personnel the ability to save your lost pet’s life.

I live in Rental Accommodation and my landlord does not like pets – is there a program for me? [ click here ]

Yes – TenantCare will provide you with selected accident and illness coverage for your pet PLUS up to $700 third party liability coverage to set your landlord’s mind at ease!

After signing up my pet, can I still see my regular veterinarian? [ click here ]

Yes. You can use the licensed veterinarian of your choice.

What are my payment options? [ click here ]

For monthly premiums, we accept Visa, MasterCard or Automatic Deductions from a Checking Account. For annual premiums, we also accept Visa and MasterCard, as well as a check or money order.

What if I want to enrol more than one pet? [ click here ]

Each pet receives its own policy. You can use our online enrolment system to enrol all your pets in one convenient process without having to fill out multiple application forms. If you enrol three or more pets you are eligible for a 10% discount per policy. Maximum discount 10% per pet per policy. If you are insuring two or more pets, and one of the pets enrolled is a cat, you will receive a 5% discount on each premium. If your pet is registered as a 'Medical Service' pet, you will receive a 10% discount on each premium.

How do I make a claim? [ click here ]

Mail or fax in a completed one page claim form completed by yourself & your attending veterinarian along with the detailed receipts. Fill out a claim form.

I have heard pet insurance is expensive? [ click here ]

PetCare offers a variety of insurance products to suit a variety of pet’s needs. Monthly Premiums are affordable and allow you the ability to manage the unexpected veterinary bills you may face. For those pet parents who are looking for a way to budget for their pet’s ongoing wellness costs we have added 2 new programs MasterCare Complete and QuickCare Optimum that include an annual wellness plan. PetCare also offers a range of discounts which can be applied to your product of choice.

How is the premium calculated? [ click here ]

PetCare Pet Insurance Program premiums take into consideration the risk factors associated with your pet experiencing an accident or illness, the required treatment, and the cost of that treatment. The main factors are whether your pet is a cat or dog, and the breed of your pet, as well as the age of your pet. Your level of coverage will also affect your premium, the higher the level of coverage the higher the premium. PetCare Pet Insurance Program premiums, unlike our competitors, will never increase with the age of your pet.

How Does Pet Insurance Work? [ click here ]

PetCare Pet Insurance Programs allows you to visit any licensed veterinarian including veterinary specialists, emergency veterinarians, veterinary chiropractics and acupuncturists. PetCare Pet Insurance also offers coverage while you are traveling on vacation within Canada or the United States of America. Insurance for your dog or cat compensates you for your loss. You pay the treatment costs up front and we reimburse you after applying your deductible and co-payment, up to the maximum benefit amount of your policy.

What is pet insurance for? [ click here ]

Pet Insurance does not operate like our human health insurance benefits. Pet Insurance protects you against the unexpected. Unexpected events are events which are sudden, unlikely to happen, and come without warning. These unexpected events are typically expensive. An example of such an event is, your dog runs out the door into the street and is struck by a motor vehicle. You could not expect this to happen as your dog typically does not run out of the house not on a leash. The motor vehicle accident occurred because typically the driver does not expect to see a dog on the street. The costs to repair the injuries sustained by a motor vehicle accident such as bone fractures, lacerations, abrasions to the skin can be upwards of $3000.00. It is at a time like this where pet insurance could make the decision for you in regards to the lifesaving treatment your dog would need. Please note, pre-existing conditions are not available for coverage on pet insurance policies. These medical conditions are not unexpected. They do not come without warning. The signs and symptoms of medical conditions have already been evident in the pet and the diagnosis is foreseeable.

I have purchased a pet insurance policy - what do I do now? [ click here ]

Congratulations and Welcome to the PetCare Pet Insurance Family of Pet Parents! Once you have enrolled in a policy, a policy package will be mailed to you. This package includes your Document of Insurance and policy Terms and Conditions. We strongly recommend you read through each document carefully. As a condition of your insurance, complete medical records for your pet from the veterinary clinic(s) that treat your pet must be forwarded to us. If there are no medical records for your pet and/or your pet has not attended a veterinary clinic within the past twelve months, please take your pet to a licensed veterinarian for a complete physical exam within thirty days from the coverage effective date and forward that information to us.

What is the waiting period? [ click here ]

The waiting period is the time between your coverage effective date and when the full illness coverage is available. Not every insurance product has a waiting period; some do offer next day coverage for illnesses. Accident coverage will be effective at 12:01 a.m. on the day following enrolment on all products. For our MasterCare, MasterCare Plus, MasterCare Premiere, MasterCare Complete, QuickCare Plus for Dogs there is a 21 day waiting period. Illness coverage will begin on the 22nd day of the policy.

What is a pre-existing condition? [ click here ]

Pre-existing Conditions are medical conditions that are noted, treated and/or symptomatic prior to the coverage effective date of the insurance policy or within the applicable waiting period. Pre-existing Conditions are not available for coverage on pet insurance policies because these medical conditions are not unexpected nor do they come without warning. The signs and symptoms of these medical conditions have already been evident in the pet and the diagnosis is foreseeable.

How does PetCare handle Pre-existing Conditions? [ click here ]

Any medical condition or accident that occurred prior to the effective date of your policy is not available for coverage. This includes illnesses that are existing, symptomatic and/or treated but not necessarily diagnosed prior to the coverage effective date of your policy or during the applicable waiting period. At PetCare we reserve the right to place exclusions on the policy for these medical conditions. These exclusion may be temporary or permanent. Temporary exclusions are eligible for review, at the policyholder’s request, after a 12 month period of time from the effective date of your policy. Permanent exclusions will be applied to the policy for the lifetime of your pet. Permanent exclusions are for chronic recurring conditions which you are aware your pet has such as arthritis, allergies, and some endocrine diseases. At PetCare we want to protect your pet! We will review any relevant medical information provided from your veterinarian in regards to medical conditions excluded on your policy.

Are there any other coverage restrictions I should be aware of? [ click here ]

Due to the complications associated with the following medical conditions, the following restrictions apply: For cats, if Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and/or Feline Leukemia Virus (FELV) has been noted, treated or diagnosed, prior to the coverage effective date, or within the thirty-day waiting period for illness coverage, then no Illness coverage is available. For dogs, if Adult onset Demodex (after age five) has been noted, treated or diagnosed, prior to the coverage effective date, or within the thirty day waiting period for illness coverage, then no Illness coverage is available. Illness Coverage is not available for Chinese Shar-pei’s, or Chinese Shar-pei Crossbreeds.

Help my pet just got hit by a car! Do I have coverage? [ click here ]

Accident coverage will be effective at 12:01 a.m. on the day following enrolment on all products. In order to receive benefits for accidental injury(ies), which occur during the first 24 hours of coverage, proof of time of the accidental injury(ies) will be required.

Why is my vet bill so expensive? [ click here ]

Veterinary medicine is advancing and providing pet parents with life - saving medical alternatives. Pets are now receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy to treat the various forms of cancer. Diagnostic imagining including MRIs and CT scans are being recommended. Less invasive procedures including endoscopy are also more common.

Do you cover Hip Dysplasia, Cruciate Ligament Disease, and Patella Luxation? [ click here ]

Hip Dysplasia, Cruciate Ligament Disease and Patella Luxation are medical conditions available for coverage if not pre-existing. For both cats and dogs, Hip Dysplasia, Cruciate Ligaments and Patella Luxation, despite the cause, are considered to be bilateral conditions (affecting both sides of the body) and are classed under the Musculoskeletal Illness Category of the Policy. Not all policies have the Musculoskeletal Illness Category.

My pet was ill and now I need to make a claim. What do I do? [ click here ]

For a claim to be made payable by us, an authentic PetCare claim form must be submitted to us which has been completed and signed by you and the attending veterinarian. The completed claim form must include the original itemized invoice and receipts indicating the charges have been paid in full. Medical records confirming the medical condition did not exist prior to the inception of the policy will be required to process any claim. Once you have this information collected please forward that to us at: PetCare Pet Insurance Programs 710 Dorval Drive Suite 400 Oakville, ON L6K 3V7 Or fax toll free to: 1-866-369-7387

I received my claims cheque. What is the deductible? [ click here ]

The deductible is the stated dollar amount of each payable claim for which the insured is responsible. This will be deducted from the total insured amount paid by you to the veterinarian for a claimable medical condition. Refer to your Policy Documents for your deductible amount. Deductibles are applied per accidental incident and per medical condition.

What is the co-payment? [ click here ]

Co-payment is the stated percentage of each covered claim for which you are responsible. Co-payment options are dependent on your program of choice. For example our MasterCare 80% program, provides you with 80% coverage, you are responsible for the 20% co-payment.

What is the Maximum Benefit Amount? [ click here ]

The Maximum Benefit Amount it the maximum dollar amount we will pay out for a medical condition, accident, or illness category. The Maximum Benefit Amount for an accident is per incident. The Maximum Benefit Amount for an illness category is for the life of the pet.

We have two Golden Retrievers that are each insured with PetCare Pet Insurance. It is a great thing to have, and definitely helped us with the veterinary expenses for Sierra’s foreign body ingestion treatment. She is doing great, and it is as if the accident had never happened. We have told all of our pet owner friends and family that they should sign up with PetCare Insurance.

Client: Michael Hogan Pet: Sierra, Golden Retriever, age 4 Condition: Foreign Body Ingestion
Claim Paid: $2,000