Every policy has a gap between the day you pay and the day you are covered. The length of that gap is where most refused claims begin.
A waiting period is the stretch after you buy a policy during which claims are not paid. Accident cover typically starts within days, illness cover after a couple of weeks, and orthopaedic conditions such as cruciate ligament disease after months — sometimes six or more. Buying cover after a limp has already appeared is the single most common reason a claim is refused.
Waiting periods are the least read and most expensive clause in a pet insurance policy. They are not a scam, and they are not negotiable: without them, people would insure a pet on the way to the vet. But the differences between insurers are large, and the differences between condition types are larger.
Accidents come first, usually within a few days of the policy starting. Illness follows, commonly after a couple of weeks. Then there is a third tier for specific conditions — most often cruciate ligament disease, hip dysplasia and other orthopaedic problems — which can sit at several months. Some insurers will shorten that third tier if a vet examines the pet and certifies it is sound at sign-up.
Local currency, before tax. Figures are the typical range in our index on 2026-09-06, not a quote from any one clinic.
| Country | Typical range | Currency | Highest city | Lowest city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $4,500–$8,000 | CAD | Vancouver $7,190 | Regina $5,440 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $3,825–$6,800 | USD | San Francisco $7,440 | San Antonio $4,675 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | £2,610–£4,640 | GBP | London £4,895 | Belfast £3,080 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | A$4,275–A$7,600 | AUD | Sydney A$7,125 | Hobart A$5,460 |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | €2,790–€4,960 | EUR | Dublin €4,845 | Waterford €3,490 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | NZ$3,690–NZ$6,560 | NZD | Auckland NZ$5,740 | Invercargill NZ$4,610 |
Same procedure, same country, eight Canadian cities. Rent, wages and how many clinics compete locally do most of the work.
Cruciate disease develops over time and the earliest signs are subtle. An owner may notice an intermittent limp weeks before a diagnosis. Insurers use a long waiting period because the condition is common, expensive, and easy to insure against once you already suspect it. The knee surgery that follows is the single largest routine surgical bill most dog owners ever face, which is exactly why it is fenced off.
This is the part that catches people. If a symptom appears during the waiting period — even one you mentioned in passing at a routine appointment — the condition can be treated as pre-existing and excluded permanently, not just until the wait ends. The clock does not reset. That is why the practical advice is always the same: insure before anything is wrong, not once something is.
Moving to a cheaper policy usually means serving every waiting period again with the new insurer, and anything treated under the old policy may now be pre-existing. A modest saving on the premium can quietly cost far more than it saves. Compare before your first claim, not after.
Read four things: the accident wait, the illness wait, any separate orthopaedic or specified-condition wait, and whether a vet exam can waive or shorten it. If the wording is vague, ask in writing. An insurer that will not put the answer in an email is telling you something.
The reason to tolerate a long orthopaedic wait is the size of the bill at the end of it. Look up knee surgery in your own city on our index, in local currency, and decide with that number in front of you rather than a national average.
We build a national typical range from published clinic price lists, veterinary association fee surveys and real bills owners submit to us, then apply a city multiplier for local rent, wages and clinic density. Non-Canadian markets scale the same base by national price level. Figures are estimates in local currency before tax, never quotes. Once three verified bills exist for a city and procedure, the real bills replace the estimate.
Full method and correction policy: our methodology page. Spotted a price that is wrong? Send us the invoice and we will fix it.
The gap between the day your policy starts and the day it will actually pay a claim. It exists so people cannot buy cover on the way to the vet.
Usually a few days. Accidents are sudden and hard to anticipate, so insurers keep this one short.
Commonly around two weeks, though it varies by insurer and market. Read the schedule rather than assuming.
They are common, expensive, and develop gradually, so early signs may exist before you buy. A longer wait protects the pool from claims that were already brewing.
With some insurers, yes. A soundness examination at sign-up can waive or reduce it. Ask before you buy, because it usually has to be done at the start.
Usually not. Anything that shows up during the waiting period is typically excluded permanently as pre-existing, rather than covered once the wait ends.
Almost always yes, and anything already treated may become pre-existing with the new insurer. Weigh that against the premium saving.
No. They differ by market and by insurer within each market. Check the policy sold where you live rather than a figure you read on an overseas site.
Not usually, provided cover is continuous. A lapse in payment can restart them, which is one reason a missed premium is worth chasing quickly.
Our own city-level index, in local currency before tax. It rebuilds nightly and is free to read and cite.
90% reimbursement, no payout limits, pays the vet directly at many Canadian clinics.
Get a quote →Covers exam fees, dental disease and behavioural therapy; flexible deductibles.
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