Pet Insurance in India

Every product we could find, read from the insurers’ own brochures and filed policy wordings rather than from brokers.

Last checked 2026-08-09

The short answer

Indian pet insurance in 2026 is real but thin. Premiums are low because cover is low. The headline prices insurers advertise, INR 169 at Bajaj and INR 200 at HDFC ERGO, buy surgery-only cover of INR 10,000 on a young dog, which is less than a single fracture repair. Realistic comprehensive cover runs INR 2,899 to INR 9,999 a year and caps out between INR 25,000 and INR 2 lakh, with co-pays of 10% to 30%, compulsory deductibles, per-day hospitalisation limits below the real cost of a hospital day, waiting periods of 1 to 4 years on the expensive conditions, and reimbursement rather than cashless in practice.

The arithmetic nobody puts on the product page

Bajaj's hospitalisation per-day limit options top out at INR 2,500. Reported emergency hospitalisation runs INR 2,500 to 5,000 a day and ICU INR 3,000 to 10,000 a day. The cover runs out on day one of the event you bought it for.
Bajaj applies a compulsory deductible of 10% of the claim, minimum INR 1,000, on every claim, on top of an elected co-pay of 10%, 20% or 30%. On a INR 5,000 claim with a 20% co-pay the owner pays INR 1,000 deductible plus 20% of the rest, and receives around INR 3,200.
GuavaSure at INR 2,899 a year buys INR 25,000 of hospitalisation and INR 7,500 of OPD. One parvo hospitalisation at INR 15,000 to 40,000 can exceed the annual hospitalisation limit outright.
Vetic at roughly INR 4,745 a year buys INR 60,000 of medical cover. A cruciate ligament repair at an indicative INR 30,000 to 1,00,000+ can exceed it.
Mellow at INR 4,499 to 9,999 a year caps OPD and hospitalisation at INR 40,000 combined, with a INR 2,500 per day hospitalisation limit and a co-pay of 10% or INR 1,000, whichever is higher.
Against all of this, routine care that insurance does not cover is INR 2,000 to 4,500 a year (HDFC ERGO's own figure), and a sensible self-insurance buffer is in the INR 25,000 to 50,000 range.

On cashless claims

Plan on paying the vet upfront and claiming the money back. Cashless exists on paper at one insurer but is network-restricted, pre-authorisation-heavy, and no insurer publishes a network vet list.

How to read these products

There are two different products sold under the same words in India, and telling them apart matters more than any premium comparison. A mortality policy pays out if the animal dies. A health policy pays vet bills while the animal is alive. Public sector insurers have historically sold the first, newer private products sell the second.
Waiting period is the gap between buying and being able to claim. It is usually different for accident and for illness, and pre-existing conditions are typically excluded permanently rather than after a wait.
Co-pay is the share of an approved claim you pay yourself. A 20% co-pay on a 40,000 rupee surgery leaves you 8,000 out of pocket after the claim succeeds.
Sub-limits cap what the policy pays for a particular thing regardless of your total sum insured. A policy with a 3 lakh sum insured and a 10,000 OPD sub-limit pays 10,000 for outpatient care, not 3 lakh.
Entry age and exit age decide whether you can start and whether you can keep renewing. Buying young matters, because a policy you cannot enter at eight is no help at eight.
Breed exclusions and vaccination conditions are where claims fail. Several policies exclude death from distemper, rabies, leptospirosis and viral enteritis unless the animal was vaccinated and you hold the certificate.
Ask for the full policy wording before paying, not the brochure. Every number that matters lives in the wording.

Read the brochure and policy wording, not the product page. On Bajaj the marketing page omits the compulsory 10% minimum INR 1,000 deductible, gets the third party liability ceiling wrong, and describes 'OPD Cover' in a way the brochure does not support.
Check the per-day and per-claim sub-limits before the headline sum insured. A INR 3,00,000 surgery limit sitting next to a INR 2,500 per day hospitalisation cap tells you where the real ceiling is.
Add up the cost sharing. Compulsory deductible plus elected co-pay plus sub-limits, applied to a realistic bill, is the number that matters.
Check whether the lump sum covers pay more than once. Bajaj's terminal disease and long-term care covers, and Digit's critical illness and chronic illness covers, each pay ONE claim in the pet's lifetime. Bajaj and Digit both additionally require the dog to survive 30 days from diagnosis before a terminal or critical illness claim pays.
Ask what happens at renewal, since entry age and exit age are different numbers and several covers switch off at 4 or 7 years even while the policy continues.
If buying from a pet brand rather than an insurer, find out who the underwriter is. Pawtect and GuavaSure are Go Digit. Mellow and Vetic are Universal Sompo. Pawteckt is HDFC ERGO. mypetinsurance.in is Bajaj. You are comparing four insurers, not eight products.

The insurers

These companies carry the risk themselves. Where a field is blank, the company publishes nothing we could read, and we have left it blank rather than fill it.

Bajaj General Insurance (formerly Bajaj Allianz General Insurance)

Bajaj General Pet Insurance / Dog Insurance

IRDAI UIN IRDAN113RP0065V01202223

What it covers

Section 1 Surgery Expenses (incl. fracture medical expenses without surgery, pre/post surgery expenses 7 days before)
Section 2 Hospitalisation Cover (in-patient, min 24 hours)
Section 4 Terminal Diseases Cover - lump sum, but ONLY 6 named conditions for dogs (all types of cancer, chronic kidney failure, coagulation disorders, cardiac dysfunctions, canine distemper, leptospirosis), requires the dog to SURVIVE 30 days from diagnosis, and pays only ONE claim in the pet's lifetime
Section 6 OPD Cover up to INR 30,000 - NOT general outpatient cover. Pays only for a closed list of named illnesses: meningitis, hepatitis/liver dysfunction, pneumonia, peritonitis, inflammation of prostate glands, pyometra, vestibular disorder, eye related problems except glaucoma, parvo virus, and bodily injury from accidents. Excludes any claim arising out of a surgery.
Section 5 Long Term Care Cover - lump sum, ONLY 8 named conditions for dogs (epilepsy, pancreatitis, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, ascites, Cushing's syndrome, glaucoma, inflammatory bowel disease), and pays only ONE claim in the pet's lifetime
Section 3 Mortality Benefit (death due to illness or accident, including euthanasia to alleviate incurable and inhumane suffering), plus an additional INR 3,000 for cremation, burial and disposal over and above the mortality sum insured
Theft / Straying / Lost Cover
Section 7 Third Party Liability, including legal expenses, payable even where the insured is absolved of liability by a court

What it does not cover

Pre-existing conditions
Skin diseases (excluded under surgery/hospitalisation section)
Removal of warts, abscesses, benign and malignant tumours - exclusion waived only after 2 consecutive renewals
Hip dysplasia unless specifically covered on payment of additional premium at first inception of policy
Dental surgery
Spaying, castration, hysterectomy (unless treating complications arising from the procedure)
Pregnancy, giving birth, whelping, breeding, pet grooming
Cosmetic/elective/aesthetic surgery: tail docking, declawing, ear cropping, removal of eyelashes, experimental surgery
Vaccination and micro-chipping (only complications arising from them are covered)
Congenital defects where clinical signs were apparent before policy or in the 14 days prior to commencement
Glaucoma related claims
Racing, coursing, commercial guarding, organised fighting, occupational/professional/business use of the pet
Artificial body parts / prosthesis
Treatment advised by a vet before policy commencement where preventive measures were not taken
Any restriction opted under the Restricted Cover Option

Premium

Published Figure: Annual premium for a small dog aged 1 year for surgery cover of INR 10,000 starts at INR 169
Depends On: Sum insured opted per section, breed size category (small/medium/large/giant), age of pet, co-pay opted, covers selected, policy term
Unverified: No full premium rate card is published. The brochure refers to a 'pricing matrix' but does not reproduce it. Only the INR 169 teaser rate is public.
More Realistic Figure: A Bajaj agent site, mypetinsurance.in (agency code BAG21080009), advertises the same product from INR 796 per year, which is a more realistic entry point than the INR 169 headline.

Sum insured

Surgery Expenses: INR 10,000 to INR 3,00,000
Hospitalisation Aggregate Annual: INR 5,000 / 10,000 / 12,000 / 15,000 / 20,000 / 30,000 / 50,000
Hospitalisation Per Day Limit: INR 250 / 500 / 1,000 / 1,500 / 2,500
Opd: up to INR 30,000
Long Term Care: INR 5,000 / 10,000 / 15,000 / 20,000 / 30,000 / 40,000 / 50,000
Third Party Liability: Brochure options: INR 10,000 / 25,000 / 50,000 / 1,00,000 / 3,00,000 / 5,00,000 / 10,00,000 / 15,00,000
Discrepancy: The marketing page states third party liability of INR 10,000 to INR 1,50,000. The brochure sum insured table runs up to INR 15,00,000 and the brochure summary says 'Sum Insured options up to INR 1500000'. The brochure is the authoritative document. Flag this to any reader relying on the web page.

Age limits

Entry Min: 3 months (90 days)
Entry Max Small Medium Large: 7 years
Entry Max Giant: 4 years
Exit Age Small Medium Large: 10 years with continuous renewal
Exit Age Giant: 6 years with continuous renewal
Note: Insurer may at its discretion permit higher entry/exit age subject to proof of good health and additional special conditions. Mortality, Long Term Care, OPD and Theft/Lost/Straying covers are not available for giant breeds over 4 years and all other breeds over 7 years, except on unbroken renewal.

Waiting periods

Initial: 20 days for Sections 1, 2, 3 and 6, and for Sections 4 and 5. Nil for Section 8. Waiting not applicable to claims arising out of an accident.
Specific: For a fresh proposal on a pet over 4 years old, the company may either call for medical test reports from the last 7 days, or impose an initial 3 month waiting period from inception for any sickness/illness claim. Pre-existing diseases identified through those tests are not covered. No reports required for pets under 4 years.
The90 Day Rule Resolved: The marketing page's '90-day waiting period' and the brochure's '20 days' are both correct and refer to different things. The Bajaj agent site mypetinsurance.in publishes the reconciliation: 30 days initial waiting on claims, plus 90 days on 29 listed illnesses for dogs over the age of 4 years. Those 29 are: liver dysfunction, ascites, kidney dysfunction, parvo virus infection, pancreatic dysfunction, distemper, Cushing's syndrome, canine leptospirosis, diabetes, upper respiratory tract infection, thyroid dysfunction, urinary tract infection, all types of cancers and tumours, vestibular disorder, meningitis, pneumonia, epilepsy, pyometra, peritonitis, inflammation of prostate gland, venereal granuloma, coagulation disorders, insulinoma, cardiac dysfunction, haematoma in ear, otitis, all eye related problems, hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis. Source: https://mypetinsurance.in/ verified 2026-08-09.

What you pay yourself

Compulsory Deductible: 10% of the claim amount, subject to a minimum of INR 1,000, applicable on each and every claim
Co Pay Options: 10%, 20% or 30% (policyholder-elected, reduces premium)

Claims

Advertised: Product page states 'Choose cashless or reimbursement mode for your claim'
In Policy Wording: The Pet Insurance Policy Wordings PDF contains no occurrence of 'cashless', 'network', 'network provider' or any network veterinary hospital provision. The documented process is intimation to the call centre within 24 hours and submission of claim documents within 15 days, i.e. reimbursement.
Network Vets: None defined in the policy wording
Contact: 1800 202 5858 / careforyou@bajajgeneral.com

Breeds: Pets of indigenous origin, cross-breed and exotic breeds are all covered. Breeds are categorised Small / Medium / Large / Giant; the category drives entry and exit age, not eligibility. Annexure-I of the brochure lists example breeds including Pug, Pomeranian, Beagle, Dachshund, Chihuahua, Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu, Pekingese, Spitz, Spaniel, Siberian Husky, Labrador, Rottweiler, Golden Retriever, Boxer, Doberman, Dalmatian, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Mastiff, St. Bernard, Maltese, Belgian Malinois, Chow Chow, Collie, Yorkshire Terrier, Poodle, Pitbull, American Bully, Dogo Argentino, Tibetan Terrier and Jack Russell Terrier. Notably it also names Indian Mongrel and Indian Bloodhound, so indies are explicitly covered, and it names Pitbull, American Bully and Dogo Argentino, which several Indian municipalities have sought to restrict. NOTE: the annexure table is column-misaligned in the PDF, so individual breed-to-category assignments should be re-checked with the insurer before being published as fact.

To buy, they ask for: Proposal form; video of the pet walking and colour photos from all sides with a newspaper showing the proposal date in frame, or an RFID tag photo; vaccination certificates at claim stage; purchase proof if sum insured above the pricing matrix maximum; pedigree certificate if pedigree lineage claimed

bajajallianz.com now 301-redirects to bajajgeneralinsurance.com following the Allianz exit and rebrand. Older articles citing 'Bajaj Allianz Pet Dog Insurance' refer to this product.

The compulsory 10% / minimum INR 1,000 deductible on every claim is in the brochure but not on the marketing page. On a small claim it can erase most of the benefit.

The hospitalisation per-day limit tops out at INR 2,500 per day, which is well below the daily cost of intensive care at a metro private veterinary hospital.

Tumour removal is excluded for the first two renewals, so cover for the most expensive common condition only begins in year three.

Skin disease exclusion is significant in India where tick-borne and allergic dermatitis are among the most common presenting complaints.

The INR 169 headline buys surgery-only cover with a INR 10,000 limit on a one-year-old small dog. It is not comprehensive cover.

The brochure carries reference BGI-O-0246/13-11-2025, dating it to 13 November 2025, so it is current as at this research.

Annexure-II lists the illnesses eligible under the illness-based sections and does include Venereal Granuloma (TVT) and Parvo Virus Infection, both common and expensive in India.

Both lump sum benefits, Terminal Diseases and Long Term Care, pay only once in the pet's lifetime, and Terminal Diseases additionally requires the dog to survive 30 days from diagnosis. A dog that dies quickly after a terminal diagnosis produces no terminal disease payout.

A Restricted Cover Option lets the buyer trade away cover for a discount, for example removing death by kidney failure after age 5 for giant breeds or age 7 for others. Anything restricted this way is then excluded, so a cheap quote may be cheap because cover was removed.

Their page, which is the one that binds

HDFC ERGO General Insurance

HDFC ERGO Paws n Claws Pet Insurance

IRDAI UIN IRDAN146RP0001V01202324

What it covers

Illness, injury and surgery expenses
Diagnostics and medications
Hospitalisation
OPD expenses and emergency care, injections
Third party liability (base coverage)
Illness or injury arising from commercial activities
Trip cancellation (domestic travel)
Funeral expenses
Mortality benefit
Veterinary consultation: 4 vet-on-call services and 2 video consultations annually

What it does not cover

Pre-existing conditions
Routine check-ups
Vaccinations
Cosmetic procedures

Premium

Published Figure: Starts at Rs 200 per year for small pets under 2 years with surgery cover at a sum insured of INR 10,000
Depends On: Pet size, age, sum insured, covers selected under the 'Make Your Own Plan' structure
Unverified: No full rate card published. Only the INR 200 entry figure is public.

Sum insured

Range: Customisable. The only figure published is the INR 10,000 example used for the entry premium.
Unverified: Full sum insured band not published on the product pages.

Age limits

Entry Min: 6 months
Entry Max: 5 years
Max Renewal Age: 8 years

Waiting periods

Initial: 30 days
Specific: Not published on the product pages. The policy wording PDF could not be retrieved (see notes).

Claims

Mode: Reimbursement basis
Network Vets: No network restriction. Treatment can be taken from any licensed veterinarian.
Intimation: Within 24 hours for mortality benefit or major illness; within 72 hours for other sections
Settlement: Within 7 days of receipt of all documents

Breeds: Not published on the product pages

HDFC ERGO is explicit that pet claims are reimbursement only. There is no cashless facility and no vet network, so the owner funds the whole bill and claims it back.

The upside of having no network is that any licensed vet qualifies, which matters in Indian cities where corporate vet chains are concentrated in a few localities.

Entry age closes at 5 years and renewal stops at 8 years, so this cannot be bought for a middle-aged dog and drops the dog before the years when claims are most likely.

Pet insurance appears in HDFC ERGO's policy-wordings index but not in its prospectus index. The policy wording PDF URL published on that index returned HTTP 404 on 2026-08-09, so section-level exclusions, co-pay and sub-limits could NOT be verified at wording level. Everything above is from the insurer's own product pages.

The INR 200 headline is a surgery-only, INR 10,000 sum insured quote for a pet under 2 years.

Their page, which is the one that binds

Go Digit General Insurance

Digit Pet Insurance Policy

IRDAI UIN IRDAN158RP0006V01202223

What it covers

Section 1 Hospitalisation Cover
Optional Cover 1: Complications during and after giving birth
Optional Cover 2: Behavioural Illness Cover (capped at 1% of sum insured)
Optional Cover 3: Dental Treatment Cover
Optional Cover 4: Insect / Vector Borne Diseases
Section 2 Specific Illness Cover
Section 3 Critical Illness Cover
Section 4 OPD Cover
Optional Cover 5: Telemedicine Cover
Section 5 Chronic Illness Cover
Section 6 Recovery and complimentary care
Section 7 Expense for External Aids and Appliances
Section 8 Mortality Cover
Optional Cover 6: Cremation Expenses
Section 9 Theft or Straying
Optional Cover 7: Lost Animal advertising cost
Section 10 Third Party Liability

What it does not cover

Pre-existing conditions and any disease that existed before policy start
Congenital defects where clinical signs were apparent before purchase
Routine vaccinations
Any claim for diseases for which preventive medicines or vaccines have not been taken
Elective, preventive or owner-chosen treatment unrelated to injury or illness
Cosmetic or preventive surgery including anal sac removal, prophylactic gastropexy, declawing, debarking, ear cropping, nail trimming, tail docking
Any endemic disease as declared by Indian local, state or central government authorities
Participating in events, contests, competitions, racing, organised fighting, or occupational/professional/business use
Injury or condition due to abuse or persistent neglect by the owner or household
Cost of equipment, machinery, animal housing or cages, even if a vet advises it (e.g. home glucose monitors, paw protectors, heat pads)
External devices and prosthetics not implanted internally by surgery
Medication or treatment not recommended by a vet, and drugs of unproven efficacy or under clinical trial
Claims arising outside the territorial limits of India
Animals covered by the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
Non-medical expenses: telephone, internet, foodstuffs, cosmetics, hygiene articles, clinical waste disposal, pet care products, grooming
Treatment of a third party for zoonotic disease transmitted from the animal to a human
Mortality cover does not apply to pets that were adopted or gifted, only to pets that were bought
Theft or straying cover likewise does not apply if the pet was adopted or gifted
Warts, cysts, polyps, nodules, undiagnosed growths or swellings and benign tumours are not covered (stated in the IRDAI-filed prospectus)
Third party liability pays only where liability has been decided by a competent court, tribunal or forum in India, and not where the injury was caused by deliberate acts or negligence of the owner, family, staff or the pet's caretaker, nor where the injured person is family, lives in the home, or is paid to look after or train the pet, nor to vets, trainers, kennel employees, breeders or pet shop owners injured in the course of their occupation

Premium

Unverified: NOT VERIFIED AND NOT PUBLISHED. No premium figures appear on godigit.com, in the policy wording, or in the prospectus.

Sum insured

Unverified: NOT VERIFIED AND NOT PUBLISHED. No sum insured band is given. Both documents refer only to the sum insured 'specified in your policy schedule'.
Known Sub Limits: Vet consultation inside hospitalisation is capped at 2% of that section's sum insured, up to INR 3,000 per claim. Specialised therapy is capped at INR 50,000 per claim. Lost animal advertising is capped at 2% of the section sum insured, up to INR 2,000.

Age limits

Unverified: NOT VERIFIED AND NOT PUBLISHED. Neither the policy wording nor the IRDAI-filed prospectus states an entry or exit age. Both defer to the Policy Schedule. No age eligibility table appears anywhere on godigit.com. Both documents were retrieved and searched in full on 2026-08-09.

Waiting periods

Initial: Stated only as 'the initial (First) number of days as mentioned in Your Policy Schedule'. The one hard figure in the wording is 30 days from policy start, applied to death by illness or injury under the Mortality Cover.
Pre Existing: As per the number of months stated in the policy schedule. Not fixed in the wording.
Specific: Specific waiting periods (duration per schedule) apply to a long orthopaedic list including cranial cruciate ligament rupture/tear, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, IVDD, patellar luxation, arthritis/osteoarthritis, disc herniation, OCD, Legg-Calve-Perthes, panosteitis, spondylosis; plus cataract, disorders of the retina, entropion/ectropion, hernia of all sites, radial nerve paralysis; plus behavioural disorders including aggression, coprophagia, pica, separation anxiety.
One Year Items: For tumours, cataract and hip dysplasia the waiting period is 1 year unless specifically agreed otherwise.
Chronic Illness: 12 months from policy start, and only ONE chronic illness claim is payable in the pet's lifetime.

What you pay yourself

Co Pay: A percentage of co-payment as opted, specified in the policy schedule, applies to Section 1 and Section 4
Sub Limits: Cataract: up to 60% of the admissible claim amount. Specialised therapy such as stem cell therapy and dialysis: up to 40% of the admissible claim amount. Behavioural Illness optional cover: limited to 1% of sum insured.

Claims

Mode: Both cashless and reimbursement are provided for in the policy wording
Cashless: Available at network veterinary hospitals only, facilitated by Digit or its assistance service provider, with direct payment to the network hospital. Notice required at least 72 hours before planned treatment or within 24 hours of admission in an emergency. Digit reserves the right to modify, add or restrict any network provider at its sole discretion.
Reimbursement: Available at any registered veterinary hospital in India of the insured's choice
Contact: 1800-258-5956 / hello@godigit.com

Breeds: None stated in the policy wording. Breed is defined but not used to exclude.

The single largest gap for a buyer: Digit's public policy wording pins almost nothing down. Age limits, sum insured, initial waiting period, pre-existing waiting period and co-pay are all deferred to 'your Policy Schedule', which you only see after you are quoted. You cannot compare this product on paper.

Mortality cover excludes adopted and gifted pets. In India, where a large and growing share of pet dogs are adopted indies, this removes death cover for many owners.

Cover is void for any disease against which a preventive vaccine exists but was not given. Lapsed vaccination records can invalidate exactly the claims most likely to arise, such as parvovirus and distemper.

Chronic illness cover pays once in the pet's lifetime, which makes it close to useless for the long-running conditions it names.

The 'endemic disease declared by government' exclusion is broad and undefined in scope.

Digit's pet insurance product is not listed in the godigit.com policy-wordings and downloads index alongside its other lines, and https://www.godigit.com/pet-insurance/dog-insurance returns HTTP 404. The marketing page at /pet-insurance is live. Treat as a low-priority product and confirm it is actually being written before relying on it.

The policy wording PDF is headed 'This is for IRDAI Information Only' and states that sections not opted for will not appear in the issued wording.

Third party liability is close to theoretical in Indian conditions: it pays only if a court or tribunal establishes liability, and Indian dog bite incidents are overwhelmingly settled informally.

One genuinely positive feature: after 3 continuously renewed and claim-free policy years, Digit reimburses a health check-up at the third renewal, up to 1% of the Section 1 or Section 2 sum insured, without deducting it from the sum insured.

Digit is the underwriter behind several consumer pet brands, including Pawtect (Vetina) and GuavaSure, which sell as Group Managers on Digit paper. A buyer comparing those brands is comparing packaging of the same policy.

Their page, which is the one that binds

The New India Assurance Co. Ltd.

Dog Insurance (listed under the Rural insurance line)

What it covers

Death of the dog due to accident
Death of the dog due to diseases contracted during the period of insurance

What it does not cover

Diseases contracted prior to, and within 15 days of, commencement of risk
Distemper, rabies, viral hepatitis, leptospirosis and viral enteritis, unless the dog has been vaccinated against them
Malicious injury, wilful neglect, or unskillful treatment
Transport by air or sea
Risks of shows, breeding and whelping
War perils and nuclear weapons related incidents

Premium

Unverified: No premium rate or rate schedule is published on the product page. NOT VERIFIED.

Sum insured

Value: INR 25,000
Note: Stated as a fixed figure on the product page

Age limits

Entry Min: 8 weeks
Entry Max: 8 years

Waiting periods

Initial: 15 days from commencement of risk for disease (diseases contracted prior to and within 15 days of commencement are excluded)

Claims

Mode: Reimbursement / indemnity on death. Application form and claim form are downloadable from the product page as .rtf and .docx files.
Network Vets: None

Breeds: Pets of indigenous origin, cross-bred and exotic breeds are all accepted

To buy, they ask for: Veterinary fitness certificate obtained within 30 days prior to policy start, stating age, gender, breed, identification marks and the identification method (tattooing, nose print or photographs); pedigree record and kennel club record; municipal corporation certificate obtained within 1 year prior to policy start

This is the most commonly mis-described product in Indian pet insurance write-ups. It pays out if the dog DIES. It does not pay vet bills. Aggregator pages that list New India Assurance alongside health products are misleading.

The INR 25,000 sum insured is a death benefit, not a treatment budget.

The paperwork burden is unusually heavy for the sum involved: a vet fitness certificate, kennel club and pedigree records, and a municipal corporation certificate. Many Indian owners of adopted or non-pedigree dogs cannot produce kennel club records at all.

Cover for the five named killer diseases is conditional on prior vaccination.

No premium is published, so the value of the product cannot be assessed from public information.

Their page, which is the one that binds

Universal Sompo General Insurance

Pet Assure

What it covers

Death due to accident, lump sum up to declared pet value
Death due to illness, per sum insured
Hospitalisation expenses, in-patient with minimum 24 hour admission
Specific Illness Cover, in-patient treatment for defined illnesses

What it does not cover

Pre-existing conditions
Illnesses or accidents occurring before policy start
Conditions for which preventive vaccines exist but were not given
Experimental or cosmetic procedures
Routine dental cleaning
Working or service dogs

Premium

Unverified: No premium figures or illustration published on the product page, and no UIN displayed. NOT VERIFIED.

Sum insured

Range: INR 10,000 to INR 2,00,000

Age limits

Entry Min: 3 months
Exit Max: 10 years, with breed-specific exit ages
Weight Limit: Maximum 50 kg

Waiting periods

Initial: 30 days from policy start
Pre Existing: 48 months

Claims

Mode: Reimbursement. No cashless facility or vet network is described on the product page.
Intimation: Notify within 24 hours on 1800-22-4030 / 1800-200-4030
Settlement: Claims assessed within 30 days of final document submission, settled in Indian rupees

Breeds: Breeds categorised Small, Medium, Large and Giant; the category drives the exit age. Working and service dogs are excluded.

The 48 month pre-existing disease waiting period is the longest found among the insurers checked. A condition that existed at policy start is not covered until the policy has run for four continuous years.

The base policy is thin: two death benefits plus hospitalisation and a defined-illness cover. Nearly everything a dog owner would actually claim for, including surgery and OPD, sits in the 17 optional add-ons, each of which carries additional premium.

Hospitalisation requires a minimum 24 hour admission, so day treatment does not qualify.

No premium and no UIN are published, so the product cannot be priced or checked against the IRDAI filing from public information.

Their page, which is the one that binds

Sold by companies that are not the insurer

These arrange cover underwritten by somebody else, usually as a group policy. The distinction matters, because the underwriter is who pays a claim and who the regulator holds responsible, and because a brand can stop trading while your cover sits with a company you have never dealt with.

Pawtect (Vetina Healthcare LLP)

not the insurer

Pawtect Red Ribbon / Yellow Ribbon / Blue Ribbon

Risk carried by: Go Digit General Insurance Ltd, UIN IRDAN158RP0006V01202223

In their words: Vetina is acting as a Group Manager to enable customers to enroll for insurance cover arranged through Go Digit General Insurance Limited

What it covers

Critical Illness
Specific Illness
OPD
Third Party Liability

Premium

Unverified: NOT PUBLISHED. Site says premium is 'based on your dog's age and breed'. Third-party figures of INR 2,000 to 7,000 a year, or INR 449 a month, are uncorroborated and were not accepted.

Sum insured

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Age limits

Entry: 12 weeks to 6 years
Renewal To: 10 years
Note: Tightened since the 2020 launch spec of 8 weeks to 8 years renewable to 12

Waiting periods

Initial: 30 days for illness
Specific Illness: 2 years
Pre Existing: 4 years

Claims

Unverified: Not disclosed anywhere on the site. Cashless status, network vets and breed restrictions are all undisclosed.

Co-pay: 20% on OPD claims

Launched June 2020, Pune, founder and CEO Prakash Khaire

The parent company site vetina.com fails TLS certificate validation and could not be loaded

A 4 year pre-existing waiting period is among the longest in the market

Their page, which is the one that binds

GuavaSure

not the insurer

Complete Plan

Risk carried by: Go Digit General Insurance Ltd, IRDAI Reg No. 158

In their words: GuavaSure is not an insurer, agent, broker, or insurance intermediary

Premium

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Age limits

Unverified: NOT PUBLISHED ANYWHERE. /plans, /pricing and /about all return 404. The site is a single page plus a blog.

Waiting periods

Unverified: NOT PUBLISHED ANYWHERE

Claims

0: A
1: n
2: y
4: l
5: i
6: c
7: e
8: n
9: s
10: e
11: d
13: v
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18: n
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21: n
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29: r
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33: r
34: i
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40: .
42: P
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60: b
61: u
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63: s
64: e
65: m
66: e
67: n
68: t
69: .
71: W
72: e
73: l
74: l
75: n
76: e
77: s
78: s
80: c
81: l
82: a
83: i
84: m
85: s
87: h
88: a
89: n
90: d
91: l
92: e
93: d
95: b
96: y
98: G
99: u
100: a
101: v
102: a
103: S
104: u
105: r
106: e
107: ,
109: i
110: n
111: s
112: u
113: r
114: a
115: n
116: c
117: e
119: c
120: l
121: a
122: i
123: m
124: s
126: b
127: y
129: D
130: i
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Breeds: Mixed breeds and Indies covered. Operates in 50+ cities.

This is the clearest published price-to-cover ratio in the Indian market: INR 2,899 a year buys INR 25,000 of hospitalisation and INR 7,500 of OPD.

Publishing no age limits and no waiting periods while selling insurance is a significant transparency gap.

Their page, which is the one that binds

Mellow Care

not the insurer

Mellow Pet Wellness (Universal Sompo Pet Assure Policy)

Risk carried by: Universal Sompo General Insurance Co. Ltd, Pet Assure Policy, arranged with Bharatsure

What it covers

Accident and surgeries up to INR 2 lakh
OPD and hospitalisation up to INR 40,000
Fractures up to INR 5,000
Annual vaccinations free, INR 2,000 limit
OPD INR 10,000 per year across 20+ named conditions

What it does not cover

Cosmetic surgery
Pregnancy, birth, breeding
Grooming and preventive care
Dental surgery
Spay or neuter unless complications
Hospitalisation under 24 hours
Racing and commercial guarding injuries
Abuse or neglect

Premium

0: I
1: N
2: R
4: 4
5: ,
6: 4
7: 9
8: 9
10: t
11: o
13: I
14: N
15: R
17: 9
18: ,
19: 9
20: 9
21: 9
23: p
24: e
25: r
27: y
28: e
29: a
30: r

Sum insured

0: I
1: N
2: R
4: 8
5: 0
6: ,
7: 0
8: 0
9: 0
11: t
12: o
14: I
15: N
16: R
18: 2
19: .
20: 5
22: l
23: a
24: k
25: h
27: t
28: o
29: t
30: a
31: l
33: c
34: o
35: v
36: e
37: r
38: a
39: g
40: e

Age limits

Entry: 3 months to 7 years
Exit: dogs 10 years, cats 12 years
Note: Described as breed and age agnostic, all breeds including Indies

Waiting periods

Initial: 30 days for accident and illness, OPD, vaccinations, hospitalisation and fractures
Pre Existing: 2 years

Claims

0: C
1: a
2: s
3: h
4: l
5: e
6: s
7: s
9: O
10: N
11: L
12: Y
14: f
15: o
16: r
18: v
19: a
20: c
21: c
22: i
23: n
24: a
25: t
26: i
27: o
28: n
29: s
31: a
32: t
34: p
35: a
36: r
37: t
38: n
39: e
40: r
42: c
43: l
44: i
45: n
46: i
47: c
48: s
49: .
51: E
52: v
53: e
54: r
55: y
56: t
57: h
58: i
59: n
60: g
62: e
63: l
64: s
65: e
67: i
68: s
70: r
71: e
72: i
73: m
74: b
75: u
76: r
77: s
78: e
79: m
80: e
81: n
82: t
83: ,
85: c
86: l
87: a
88: i
89: m
90: e
91: d
93: a
94: t
96: 2
98: t
99: o
101: 4
103: w
104: o
105: r
106: k
107: i
108: n
109: g
111: d
112: a
113: y
114: s
115: .
117: C
118: l
119: a
120: i
121: m
122: s
124: m
125: u
126: s
127: t
129: b
130: e
132: f
133: i
134: l
135: e
136: d
138: w
139: i
140: t
141: h
142: i
143: n
145: 7
147: d
148: a
149: y
150: s
152: o
153: f
155: t
156: r
157: e
158: a
159: t
160: m
161: e
162: n
163: t
164: .

Co-pay: 10% of claim or INR 1,000, whichever is higher

WARNING: https://www.mellowcare.in and https://mellowcare.in/plans both returned HTTP 402 Payment Required on every attempt, on both apex and www. The asset CDN still serves files. HTTP 402 typically indicates a suspended or unpaid hosting deployment. Treat the business as possibly stalled.

Launched in Bengaluru around August 2025, press gives a New Delhi HQ, claims 5,000+ pet parents.

The brochure is a 16 page Canva file with metadata language es-ES and an author string containing a student roll number. Instagram following around 396. Early stage at best.

The 7 day claim filing deadline is unusually tight.

Their page, which is the one that binds

Pawteckt (Pawzeeble Infosol Pvt Ltd)

not the insurer

Pawteckt Lite (NOT insurance) and Pawteckt Protect Plan

Risk carried by: HDFC ERGO. The site says 'IRDAI Approved' but publishes no UIN and no intermediary licence number.

Premium

0: P
1: a
2: w
3: t
4: e
5: c
6: k
7: t
9: L
10: i
11: t
12: e
14: I
15: N
16: R
18: 3
19: 9
21: p
22: e
23: r
25: m
26: o
27: n
28: t
29: h
30: ,
32: d
33: i
34: s
35: c
36: o
37: u
38: n
39: t
40: s
42: o
43: n
44: l
45: y
46: ,
48: N
49: O
50: T
52: I
53: N
54: S
55: U
56: R
57: A
58: N
59: C
60: E
61: ,
63: a
64: l
65: l
67: a
68: g
69: e
70: s
71: .
73: P
74: a
75: w
76: t
77: e
78: c
79: k
80: t
82: P
83: r
84: o
85: t
86: e
87: c
88: t
90: I
91: N
92: R
94: 1
95: ,
96: 9
97: 9
98: 9
100: p
101: e
102: r
104: y
105: e
106: a
107: r
108: .

Sum insured

0: I
1: N
2: R
4: 5
5: 0
6: ,
7: 0
8: 0
9: 0
11: t
12: o
13: t
14: a
15: l
16: :
18: s
19: u
20: r
21: g
22: e
23: r
24: y
26: I
27: N
28: R
30: 3
31: 0
32: ,
33: 0
34: 0
35: 0
36: ,
38: i
39: l
40: l
41: n
42: e
43: s
44: s
46: I
47: N
48: R
50: 1
51: 0
52: ,
53: 0
54: 0
55: 0
56: ,
58: i
59: n
60: j
61: u
62: r
63: y
65: I
66: N
67: R
69: 1
70: 0
71: ,
72: 0
73: 0
74: 0
75: ,
77: m
78: o
79: r
80: t
81: a
82: l
83: i
84: t
85: y
87: b
88: e
89: n
90: e
91: f
92: i
93: t
95: 1
96: 0
97: %
99: o
100: f
102: s
103: u
104: m
106: i
107: n
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110: r
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115: t
116: h
117: i
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122: a
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128: i
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130: b
131: i
132: l
133: i
134: t
135: y
137: I
138: N
139: R
141: 1
143: l
144: a
145: k
146: h

Age limits

Entry: 6 months to 5 years for the insured plan
Note: All breeds, dogs and cats

Waiting periods

Unverified: NOT PUBLISHED ANYWHERE. A red flag on a live insurance sale.

Claims

0: A
1: n
2: y
4: l
5: i
6: c
7: e
8: n
9: s
10: e
11: d
13: v
14: e
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18: c
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20: o
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22: s
24: I
25: n
26: d
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28: a
29: ,
31: c
32: l
33: a
34: i
35: m
37: p
38: a
39: i
40: d
42: i
43: n
44: t
45: o
47: b
48: a
49: n
50: k
52: a
53: c
54: c
55: o
56: u
57: n
58: t
59: .
61: C
62: l
63: a
64: i
65: m
66: s
68: a
70: '
71: 9
72: 7
73: %
75: s
76: u
77: c
78: c
79: e
80: s
81: s
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84: a
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Marketing says 'starting at just INR 45/month' which maps to neither the INR 39 Lite tier nor the INR 1,999 a year plan.

Kothrud, Pune. info@pawzeeble.com

The Lite tier is a discount card, not insurance. The distinction is not made prominent.

Their page, which is the one that binds

Vetic

not the insurer

Vetic Pet Health Shield

Risk carried by: Stated as 'Powered by Universal SOMPO', almost certainly the same Pet Assure Policy

What it covers

43 complex illnesses
35 minor illnesses
18 surgeries covering spine, bone and soft tissue
Accidents, fractures, dislocations, burns, bites
Dental surgery arising from accident
Leukaemia and non-malignant tumours

Premium

0: I
1: N
2: R
4: 1
5: 3
7: p
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9: r
11: d
12: a
13: y
14: ,
16: r
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24: I
25: N
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28: 4
29: ,
30: 7
31: 4
32: 5
34: p
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36: r
38: y
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Sum insured

0: T
1: o
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4: l
6: I
7: N
8: R
10: 1
11: .
12: 6
14: l
15: a
16: k
17: h
18: :
20: m
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22: d
23: i
24: c
25: a
26: l
28: u
29: p
31: t
32: o
34: I
35: N
36: R
38: 6
39: 0
40: ,
41: 0
42: 0
43: 0
45: p
46: l
47: u
48: s
50: t
51: h
52: i
53: r
54: d
56: p
57: a
58: r
59: t
60: y
62: l
63: i
64: a
65: b
66: i
67: l
68: i
69: t
70: y
72: u
73: p
75: t
76: o
78: I
79: N
80: R
82: 1
84: l
85: a
86: k
87: h

Age limits

Entry: up to 6 years

Waiting periods

Unverified: NOT PUBLISHED

Claims

Unverified: NOT PUBLISHED. Cashless status and breed rules also not published.

The page is an enquiry form, not a checkout. /pet-insurance-plans and /pet-health-shield both return 404.

Vetic raised USD 40 million (Business Standard, June 2026), making it the best capitalised of the vet-chain-linked plays.

Because Vetic is also the treating vet chain, the discount benefits are effectively self-referential.

Their page, which is the one that binds

mypetinsurance.in (Cowpact Solutions)

not the insurer

Bajaj pet insurance sold through an agent

Risk carried by: Bajaj Allianz / Bajaj General Insurance

What it does not cover

Cosmetic surgery
Congenital defects
Vaccination and microchipping
Dental and skin treatment unless accident-related

Premium

0: F
1: r
2: o
3: m
5: I
6: N
7: R
9: 7
10: 9
11: 6
13: p
14: e
15: r
17: y
18: e
19: a
20: r

Sum insured

0: H
1: o
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3: p
4: i
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10: a
11: t
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14: n
16: I
17: N
18: R
20: 5
21: ,
22: 0
23: 0
24: 0
26: t
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29: 1
30: 0
31: ,
32: 0
33: 0
34: 0
36: w
37: i
38: t
39: h
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43: m
44: a
45: x
46: i
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48: u
49: m
51: o
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54: I
55: N
56: R
58: 2
59: ,
60: 5
61: 0
62: 0
64: p
65: e
66: r
68: d
69: a
70: y
71: .
73: S
74: u
75: r
76: g
77: e
78: r
79: y
81: I
82: N
83: R
85: 1
86: 0
87: ,
88: 0
89: 0
90: 0
92: t
93: o
95: 3
96: ,
97: 0
98: 0
99: ,
100: 0
101: 0
102: 0
103: .
105: A
106: c
107: c
108: i
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110: e
111: n
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114: l
116: f
117: r
118: a
119: c
120: t
121: u
122: r
123: e
124: s
126: I
127: N
128: R
130: 5
131: ,
132: 0
133: 0
134: 0
135: .
137: P
138: r
139: e
141: a
142: n
143: d
145: p
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147: s
148: t
150: s
151: u
152: r
153: g
154: e
155: r
156: y
158: I
159: N
160: R
162: 1
163: 0
164: ,
165: 0
166: 0
167: 0
169: t
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172: 3
173: ,
174: 0
175: 0
176: ,
177: 0
178: 0
179: 0
180: .

Age limits

Entry: 3 months to 4 years for giant breeds, 3 months to 7 years for small, medium and large
Exit: 6 years giant, 10 years others

Waiting periods

Initial: 30 days on claims
Specific: 90 days on 29 listed illnesses for dogs over the age of 4 years
The29 Illnesses: Liver dysfunction, ascites, kidney dysfunction, parvo virus infection, pancreatic dysfunction, distemper, Cushing's syndrome, canine leptospirosis, diabetes, upper respiratory tract infection, thyroid dysfunction, urinary tract infection, all types of cancers and tumours, vestibular disorder, meningitis, pneumonia, epilepsy, pyometra, peritonitis, inflammation of prostate gland, venereal granuloma, coagulation disorders, insulinoma, cardiac dysfunction, haematoma in ear, otitis, all eye related problems, hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis

Co-pay: 10% applicable on each and every claim

This agent site is more transparent about the Bajaj product than Bajaj's own marketing page. It is the source that resolves the discrepancy between Bajaj's advertised '90 day waiting period' and the 20 day figure in the brochure waiting period table: the 90 days applies to 29 named illnesses for dogs over 4.

The INR 796 a year figure is a far more realistic entry point for the Bajaj product than the INR 169 headline on Bajaj's own site.

Entity: Cowpact Solutions, F-46 Pankaj Central Market, IP Extension, Patparganj, New Delhi 110092. GST 07AEWPG7425B1ZG.

No copyright year and no last-updated date on the site.

Their page, which is the one that binds

Named everywhere, and we found no product

These companies are widely listed as selling pet insurance in India. We could not confirm a current product from any of them. That is worth knowing before you spend an afternoon chasing one.

Future Generali India Insurance

UNVERIFIED - WEBSITE UNREACHABLE

general.futuregenerali.in and www.futuregenerali.in resolve in DNS to a name but return no A record
The apex domain futuregenerali.in resolves to 180.179.141.10 but refuses connections on port 443 (ECONNREFUSED)
web.archive.org and archive.ph are not fetchable from this environment, so no archived copy could be checked
generalicentral.in and general.generalicentral.in, tried as possible rebrand successors, do not resolve

ICICI Lombard

UNVERIFIED - SITE BLOCKS AUTOMATED ACCESS

https://www.icicilombard.com/pet-insurance returned HTTP 403 Forbidden

Kotak General Insurance (Kotak Mahindra General Insurance)

UNVERIFIED - SITE BLOCKS AUTOMATED ACCESS

https://www.kotakgeneral.com/pet-insurance returned HTTP 403 Forbidden

The Oriental Insurance Company

UNVERIFIED - SITE RETURNS EMPTY SHELL

orientalinsurance.org.in loads but returned only the company name with no product content, navigation or catalogue

United India Insurance

UNVERIFIED - SITE BLOCKS AUTOMATED ACCESS

https://uiic.co.in/en/dog-insurance returned HTTP 403 Forbidden

National Insurance Company

UNVERIFIED - CONNECTION FAILED

https://nationalinsurance.nic.co.in/en/dog-insurance-policy failed to return any response

What treatment actually costs

A policy is only worth its premium against the bill it replaces, so here are the published costs we could source. Compare these against the sum insured and the per day limits above.

Treatment	Published cost	Source
Basic vet consultation	INR 500 to 1,000	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
Core vaccinations (Rabies, DHPPiL)	INR 1,500 to 3,000	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
Deworming	INR 300 to 800	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
Annual wellness visit, all in	INR 2,000 to 4,500 per year	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
Diagnostics: CBC blood test	INR 800 to 1,500	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
Diagnostics: X-ray or ultrasound	INR 1,200 to 4,000	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
Emergency consultation	INR 1,000 to 2,500	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
IV fluids and supportive care	INR 2,000 to 5,000	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
Surgery, minor to major	INR 5,000 to 50,000 and above	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
Overnight hospitalisation	INR 1,500 to 5,000 per night	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
Dental cleaning	INR 3,000 to 8,000	HDFC ERGO, Dog Vet Costs in India 2025, 2025-09-05
Spay, female dog	Government clinics and NGOs INR 500 to 2,000. Private clinics INR 6,000 to 15,000. Multispeciality pet hospitals INR 8,000 to 20,000 and above.	Vetic (national veterinary chain), Puppy Spay Cost vs Adult Dog Spay Cost, 2026-04-13, updated 2026-04-20
Neuter, male dog	INR 2,500 to 8,000	Vetic, spay and neuter price guide FAQ, 2026-04
Entropion (eyelid) surgery	INR 15,000 to 40,000 and above	Vetic, Entropion in Dogs, 2026-04-13, updated 2026-06-02
Tick fever (ehrlichiosis) diagnostics	PCR test INR 1,500 to 3,500. Full diagnostic panel INR 3,000 to 7,000.	Supertails, medically reviewed by Dr Anees Ibrahim, 2026-05-21
Tick fever (ehrlichiosis) full treatment episode	Diagnostics INR 2,500 to 4,500. Hospitalisation with IV INR 1,000 to 5,000 per day. Blood or platelet transfusion INR 8,000 to 25,000 per unit. A severe week can total INR 40,000 to 50,000 and above.	PomPets India, 2026-07-15 and HiGoodHealth, 2026-05-02
Parvovirus hospitalisation	Mild or early outpatient INR 2,000 to 10,000. Hospitalisation 3 to 5 days INR 15,000 to 40,000. Severe ICU care INR 40,000 to 80,000 and above.	Dogylover.in, 2026-04-26
Parvovirus hospitalisation, second independent estimate	INR 5,000 to 35,000 by severity. Inpatient INR 4,000 to 8,000 per day, so a 5 day stay is INR 20,000 to 40,000.	PomPets India, 2026-07-15
Cruciate ligament repair (TPLO / ACL)	INR 30,000 to 1,00,000 and above. Metro multispecialty INR 60,000 to 1,00,000+, metro mid-tier INR 40,000 to 70,000, tier-2 city INR 28,000 to 55,000.	Critzo, Dog Surgery Cost in India 2026, 2026-07-12, and DodoDoggy, 2026-01-31
Fracture repair (plating)	Metro mid-tier INR 20,000 to 40,000. Metro multispecialty INR 30,000 to 55,000. Tier-2 city INR 14,000 to 30,000. A separate source gives simple fracture repair at INR 8,000 to 35,000 private and INR 3,000 to 8,000 at government facilities.	Critzo, 2026-07-12 and DodoDoggy, 2026-01-31
GDV / bloat surgery	INR 25,000 to 1,20,000 and above depending on tier of hospital	Critzo, 2026-07-12 and DodoDoggy, 2026-01-31
Tumour / mass removal	Simple INR 8,000 to 30,000. Complex INR 12,000 to 60,000 depending on tier.	Critzo, 2026-07-12
Canine cancer care, chemotherapy or radiation	INR 40,000 to 60,000 depending on treatment cycles	ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai
TVT (transmissible venereal tumour) treatment	NOT FOUND	No source located
Emergency hospitalisation and ICU, per day	Regular hospitalisation INR 1,500 to 3,000 per day. Emergency hospitalisation INR 2,500 to 5,000 per day. ICU INR 3,000 to 6,000 per day regular, INR 5,000 to 10,000 per day emergency. IV fluids INR 500 to 2,000 per day.	DodoDoggy, Vet Costs India 2026 Price Guide, 2026-01-31, updated 2026-04-08
Consultation by city (private clinic)	Mumbai INR 500 to 800. Delhi NCR INR 400 to 700. Bangalore INR 400 to 600. Chennai INR 300 to 500. Pune INR 350 to 600. Kolkata INR 300 to 500. Multi-specialty hospitals roughly double. Government hospitals free to INR 100.	DodoDoggy, 2026-01-31
Annual all-in cost of owning a dog	Puppy INR 15,000 to 25,000. Adult INR 12,000 to 20,000. Senior INR 20,000 to 40,000. Suggested emergency buffer INR 25,000 to 50,000.	DodoDoggy, 2026-01-31

These are published ranges rather than quotes. Actual cost varies by city, clinic and the animal.

Worth it for

Owners of a young, already-healthy, fully vaccinated dog who intend to hold the policy continuously for many years

Every meaningful benefit in these policies is gated behind time. Bajaj waives its tumour exclusion only after 2 consecutive renewals. Digit applies a 1 year wait to tumours, cataract and hip dysplasia. Pawtect applies 4 years to pre-existing conditions and Universal Sompo 48 months. Entry ages close at 5 to 7 years and renewal stops at 8 to 10. The only way to reach the years when claims actually happen with cover intact is to start early and never lapse.

Owners of large and giant breeds prone to expensive orthopaedic disease, if and only if they buy before the waiting periods bite

Cruciate ligament repair, hip dysplasia and fracture plating are where Indian vet bills genuinely reach INR 30,000 to 1,00,000 and above. These are also precisely the conditions carrying the longest waits and, at Bajaj, an outright hip dysplasia exclusion unless extra premium was paid at first inception. Bought early, this is where the maths can work. Bought at the first limp, it cannot.

Owners who would genuinely struggle to find INR 40,000 to 80,000 in a week

The case for these policies is cash-flow smoothing on a catastrophic event, not overall savings. If an unplanned INR 50,000 bill would mean debt or a decision to decline treatment, transferring part of that risk has value even at poor ratios. Note the cover is reimbursement, so the owner still has to find the money first and wait to be repaid.

Owners who specifically want third party liability cover

This is the one place where the sums insured are genuinely large relative to premium. Bajaj's third party liability options run up to INR 15,00,000 per its brochure. The catch is that Digit, and by implication others, only pay where liability has been established by a competent court or tribunal in India, which is rare for dog bite incidents that are settled informally.

Not worth it for

Owners of a dog that already has a diagnosed condition

Pre-existing conditions are excluded everywhere, and the waiting periods before they can ever be covered run 2 years at Mellow, 4 years at Pawtect and 48 months at Universal Sompo. Buying after a diagnosis buys nothing for the thing you are worried about.

Owners of a middle-aged or older dog

You largely cannot buy it. HDFC ERGO closes entry at 5 years, Vetic at 6, Bajaj at 7 for small, medium and large and 4 for giant breeds, Universal Sompo entry from 3 months with exit at 10, Pawteckt at 5. Where entry is still open past 4 years, Bajaj either demands recent medical tests or imposes a 90 day waiting period on 29 named illnesses, which is most of what an older dog actually gets.

Owners who want help with everyday vet visits, vaccinations and routine care

Routine care is excluded by design. Vaccination is excluded by Bajaj, Digit, HDFC ERGO and others. Bajaj's 'OPD Cover up to INR 30,000' is not general outpatient cover at all, it pays only for a closed list of roughly eleven named illnesses and excludes anything involving surgery, and the 10% minimum INR 1,000 deductible applies to each OPD claim. For routine care a vet chain membership is the honest comparison, not insurance.

Owners of adopted or gifted dogs, which in India is a very large group

Digit's mortality cover and its theft or straying cover both state they do not apply if the pet was adopted or gifted, only if it was bought. Buyers of Digit paper, which includes Pawtect and GuavaSure customers, should check what they are actually being sold. New India Assurance's death policy separately requires pedigree and kennel club records that most adopted indie owners cannot produce.

Owners whose vaccination records are incomplete or lapsed

This is the single most common way a claim fails and it is universal. Digit excludes any claim for diseases for which preventive vaccines were not taken. New India Assurance excludes distemper, rabies, viral hepatitis, leptospirosis and viral enteritis unless vaccinated. Universal Sompo excludes conditions for which preventive vaccines exist but were not given. Bajaj requires vaccination certificates at claim stage. Parvo and distemper, the illnesses most likely to produce a INR 15,000 to 80,000 bill in an Indian puppy, are exactly the ones that go uncovered.

Owners who assume cashless treatment

Plan on paying upfront. HDFC ERGO states plainly that claims are reimbursement. Bajaj advertises a cashless option but its actual policy wording contains no cashless provision and defines no vet network. Digit's wording does provide cashless, but only at network hospitals, with 72 hour pre-authorisation for planned treatment, and no public network list could be found. An IRDAI-licensed broker, Ethika, states flatly that cashless settlement is not available in Indian pet insurance.

Owners looking to insure a working or service dog, or a commercially used dog

Universal Sompo excludes working and service dogs outright. Bajaj and Digit both exclude racing, commercial guarding, organised fighting and any occupational, professional or business use.

The biggest unknown

Digit publishes neither age limits nor premiums nor sum insured bands in its policy wording or its IRDAI-filed prospectus. Everything is deferred to 'your Policy Schedule', which you only see after being quoted. Universal Sompo publishes no premium and no UIN. New India Assurance publishes no premium rate. Pawtect and Vetic gate premiums behind an enquiry form. GuavaSure, Vetic and Pawteckt publish no waiting periods at all. For most of this market, a buyer cannot compare products on paper before handing over their contact details.

Questions people ask

Is pet insurance worth it in India?

It depends almost entirely on when you buy. Every meaningful benefit in these policies is gated behind time: waiting periods run from 20 days to 48 months depending on the condition and the insurer, entry ages close between 5 and 7 years, and renewal stops between 8 and 10. The only way to reach the years when claims actually happen with cover intact is to start young and never let it lapse. Buying at eight, or after a diagnosis, is close to pointless because pre-existing conditions are excluded everywhere.

Why is pet insurance so cheap in India?

Because the cover is small. The headline prices insurers advertise, around 169 rupees at Bajaj and 200 at HDFC ERGO, buy surgery-only cover of about 10,000 rupees on a young dog, which is less than a single fracture repair costs. Realistic comprehensive cover runs roughly 2,899 to 9,999 rupees a year and caps between 25,000 and 2 lakh, with co-pays of 10 to 30 percent and compulsory deductibles on top.

Can I get cashless pet insurance in India?

Plan on paying the vet yourself and claiming the money back. A formal cashless process exists in one insurer's filed wording, but it is restricted to network hospitals, heavy on pre-authorisation, and no insurer publishes a list of network vets. Treating cashless as available is the most common way buyers are disappointed.

What does pet insurance not cover in India?

Pre-existing conditions everywhere, and usually elective procedures, breeding and whelping, and cosmetic work. Several policies exclude death from distemper, rabies, leptospirosis and viral enteritis unless the animal was vaccinated and you hold the certificate. Skin disease is excluded under some surgery sections. Read the wording rather than the product page, because the marketing page routinely omits the deductible.

What is the difference between the insurer and the brand selling me the policy?

Six of the eleven live products in India are sold by companies that do not carry the risk. They arrange cover underwritten by an insurer, usually as a group policy. It matters because the underwriter is who actually pays a claim and who the regulator holds responsible, and because a distributor can stop trading while your cover sits with somebody else. Each card here names the underwriter where the seller discloses it.

Are mortality and health cover the same thing?

No, and telling them apart matters more than any premium comparison. A mortality policy pays out if the animal dies. A health policy pays vet bills while the animal is alive. Public sector insurers have historically sold the first, and newer private products sell the second. Buying a mortality policy expecting it to cover a cruciate surgery is a common and expensive mistake.

How many pets in India are insured?

The figure repeated everywhere is under 1 percent, and it is worth knowing that the trail behind it ends in unattributed industry estimates rather than an IRDAI publication or a named insurer disclosure. The direction is almost certainly right. The precision is not something we can stand behind.

This is not a recommendation

This is deliberately not a recommendation of any specific policy. The figures above are what the insurers and their documents state as at 9 August 2026. Premiums, limits and exclusions change, several figures could not be verified at all, and the right answer depends on the dog's age, breed, health and vaccination record and on the owner's ability to absorb a sudden bill.

The bills insurance does not reach

Most of what an apartment dog costs is not surgery. It is the daily routine, and the flooring, and the arguments with the society. An indoor coir pad removes one of those.

How the coir pad works What it costs against the alternatives

SniffSociety makes the coir pad. Everything else on this page is free and always will be.