FAQs

The earlier, the better. You can start a policy with us when they turn eight weeks old.

Various factors determine how much your vet bills cost. Your pet's breed, treatment type, required medication, and your location can affect this. 

Veterinary medicine can heal or rehabilitate your pet, but costs could be expensive. Having insurance in place could mean that the risk of financial problems is lessened.

Here are the average costs for what treatment could cost as a John Lewis Pet Insurance customer.

Average costs are taken from all cat and dog claims to John Lewis Pet Insurance between 1 January 2022 - 31 December 2023. Prices can vary depending on the pet practices and location.

A range of factors that affect your premium and cover are considered, including:

Your pet’s breed

Where you live (vet prices may vary across the country)

The age of your pet. Older pets are more likely to need medical treatment. Whereas very young animals may not have fully developed immune systems.

Claims on your policy

With us, your pet receives lifetime cover. This means they’re covered for ongoing conditions, as well as one-off mishaps. And like most things, the cost of this is likely to increase over time. 

According to our claims data, the cost of looking after your pet’s health doubles every four to five years. The age increase also becomes a factor in your insurance rating. So, to keep giving them the care they need, it’s normal to expect the cost of your premium to increase as your pet ages.

How much they go up varies for everyone and depends on various factors like your pet’s breed, age and health. Make sure you check whether a new policy covers pre-existing conditions, and if it has any exclusion periods. These can include the following:

Health issues

Health concerns

Illnesses and injuries which developed or are showing signs of developing, which you or your vet were aware of before taking out the policy. 

If you already have a policy and want to discuss ways to reduce your premiums, please contact us.

We provide several ways to help reduce your premium without any loss of cover:

Choose a lower vet fee level if it suits your pet’s needs. Our six levels of cover range from £2,000, £3,000, £5,000, £7,500, £9,000 and £12,000. 

Increase your excess. Options for increases range from £60 to £200 (or £500 for vet fee levels of £5,000 and above) for accident or illness treatment in each policy year. 

Co-pay a portion of the vet fees if your pet is under 9 years-old, with the option to pay between 10% and 20% of the claim. 

These options may be available up to 21 days before your renewal date. They can’t be changed during your policy term.

Excess is the set amount of money that you agree to pay towards a claim on your insurance. It's agreed at the beginning of your policy. 

Depending on your level of vet fee cover, you can choose the excess amount in your policy year to pay per claim for an accident or illness. Options range from £60 to £200, or up to £500 for vet fees of £5,000 or more.

If you’re looking to keep your costs down, increasing your excess may help to reduce your premium. Please be aware it also increases the amount you pay when you need to make a claim. 

Co-payments allow you to reduce premium costs by paying a percentage of the veterinary care. For each claim you make, you’ll pay a percentage of the vet fees remaining after your excess is deducted. 

For pets aged under nine, you can pay a voluntary co-payment of 10% or 20% towards the rest of the vet treatment costs. This is in addition to your chosen standard excess. 

For pets aged nine years or over, you must pay a co-payment of 20% on the rest of the vet’s treatment costs. This is in addition to your chosen standard excess.

You can only make changes to your cover level or excess when you renew your policy. For any other changes, please contact our Customer Services team:

Over the phone on 0330 102 2745. Calls may be recorded or monitored, and charges will vary. Please check our Contact us page for opening hours. 

Over email: enquiries@johnlewis-petinsurance.com

With our live chat

To cancel your policy, please contact us.

Please visit our policy documents page.

We understand that financial circumstances can change unexpectedly, and for many different reasons.

So, if you’re looking to lower the cost of your pet insurance policy, the first step could be to review the level of cover you have in place. You may find a lower level of cover still meets your needs. See our different cover levels.

You can also increase the excess amount at your policy renewal. Increasing your excess may reduce your payment. But, in the event of a claim, you’ll pay more towards it.

Please get in touch as there may be other payment options that better suit your current situation. See our Contact us page.

If you decide to make a change, please make sure your pet insurance policy meets your needs.

If you’d like free, independent advice, support is available at no cost to help you take control of your finances. These trusted organisations offer free, confidential advice. They know different ways to help - including options you might not be aware of:

National Debtline
nationaldebtline.org
0808 808 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm and Saturday 9.30am to 1pm)

Step Change
stepchange.org
0800 138 1111 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm and Saturday, 8am to 2pm)

Money Helper
moneyhelper.org.uk
0800 138 7777 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)

If your cat or dog is at least eight weeks old, they could be eligible for John Lewis Pet Insurance. 

There is no upper age limit, but there could be other circumstances where we can’t provide cover. Please find the dog breeds we are unable to insure below. 

Once you've taken out a policy, you’re not able to claim for vet fees as a result of an accident in the first 48 hours. You also can't claim for any changes in your pet's health or behaviour in the first 14 days of cover.

Legally there are some, whether pedigree, cross or mixed breed, we’re unable to cover.

These are the ‘types’ of dogs, whether pedigree, cross or mixed breed, we’re unable to cover: 

Pit Bull 

Japanese Tosa  

Dogo Argentino  

Fila Braziliero  

American Bulldog 

XL Bully

We also can’t offer cover for: 

Wolf/wolf hybrid

Fighting dogs 

Guard or security dogs 

Dogs used for racing 

Dogs used in connection with any profession, occupation or business

Dogs used for breeding 

Dogs that have had complaints made about their behaviour (aggression, biting or attacking) 

Dogs that have been the cause of an incident or legal action

If you aren't sure if your dog’s covered, you’re welcome to call us on 0330 102 2745. Calls may be recorded or monitored, and charges will vary.

We don't cover pre-existing illnesses or injuries that you or your vet were aware of before your policy’s start date, or those which occur within the first 14 days. Additionally, we don’t cover accidents that happen within the first 48 hours of your policy’s start date. In both cases, we don’t cover any illness or injury that develops from these. This includes diagnosed illnesses or signs or symptoms of undiagnosed ones.

We define illnesses as either diagnosed or undiagnosed, for example your pet having any signs or symptoms of illness.

It's important to consider taking out pet insurance as soon as your pet comes home, and to avoid any breaks in cover.

Pet insurance helps to protect you from unexpected vet bills, including: 

Consultations 

Treatments 

Complementary therapies 

Treatment foods

Your policy can cover unforeseen expenses whilst taking care of your pet when ill or injured. However, cover doesn’t include routine treatments, like vaccinations or neutering.

If your cover has a £200 excess, there are cases where that won’t cover the cost of consultation and treatments. For example, if your pet has an ear infection, consultation and medication usually comes to £98. Your insurance wouldn’t cover this for being under the chosen excess.

Dog owners should consider the legal costs or damages they'd be liable to pay if their dog causes an accident or injury. Fortunately, with a policy with us, you’re covered for up to £2m in third-party liability. £250 excess applies to loss or damage to property. 

Please note that XL Bully dogs are not covered by this policy.

Lifetime cover means your pet is covered for ongoing conditions, as well as one-off mishaps. There’s no limit to the length of treatment, as long as the policy is renewed and there’s no break in cover. 

A lifetime policy offers more comprehensive cover than maximum benefit or time-limited. You’re able to claim for treatment each year that you have your policy up to your chosen vet fee amount. 

That’s why it’s the only cover we offer!

Yes. We cover up to £300 towards treatment food if your vet recommends it. This could supplement or replace a course of medication — like a special diet developed to dissolve urinary crystals or stones, or to treat renal or thyroid conditions.

Yes. We cover up to £300 towards the costs of treatments for behavioural problems. Animal conduct experts can identify and help with self-destructive or unhealthy patterns. 

Yes — our insurance offers up to £1,500 each year for alternative treatments and holistic care. This type of care is done by either your vet or a specialist under a vet’s direction. Such therapies include: 

Acupuncture

Hydrotherapy 

Laser treatment 

Massage 

Physiotherapy 

John Lewis comprehensive pet insurance provides cover for accidental dental care and illness. This includes tooth decay, gum disease and post-illness teeth removal.*

If you are an existing customer, check your policy document to see if this benefit is included.

*For dental care up to your chosen vet fee limit we will pay;

1) For teeth or gums damaged in an accident,

2) If an underlying illness causes tooth decay or gum disease, or

3) To remove teeth as treatment of an illness which is not gum disease or tooth decay.

If your pet has a dental check every 12 months or after they've had their first check and your vet has done any necessary work, we'll additionally pay;

1) If your pet suffers from tooth decay or gum disease before the next 12 month check.

2) If tooth decay or gum disease is found at the time of the next check.

No. Vaccinations are considered routine treatments and aren’t covered under our policy. It’s important to keep on top of your pet’s jabs. If your pet's vaccinations are not up to date, we won't cover illnesses that could've been prevented by them. 

No. These routine procedures don’t involve treating your pet for illness or injury, so aren't covered by our policy.

In the unfortunate event that your pet passes away, if they were under nine years old we’ll cover up to £150 for their cremation or burial as part of your vet fee limit.

Our standard policy exclusions apply. For example, you will not be covered if your pet passes from an illness that you or your vet were aware of in the first 14 days of cover. We will not cover your pet passing from pre-existing conditions or an accident within the first 48 hours of your policy start date. For a full list of exclusions search "saying goodbye" or "cremation" in your policy wording document.

As part of your policy, you'll have access to our counselling helpline for 24-hour support, 365 days a year. Ring 0800 316 7119 for support and advice.

For further information, read about what our pet insurance covers following the loss of a pet.