Study on pet care and insurance services
Have you ever decided not to treat your pet because of the cost? How much are you prepared to spend on pet insurance? What expenses are covered by your insurance?
Have you ever decided not to treat your pet because of the cost? How much are you prepared to spend on pet insurance? What expenses are covered by your insurance?
To mark the launch of our partnership with Santé Vet, France's leading provider of insurance services for dogs and cats, Weenect looked into the veterinary care provided to pets and the use of pet insurance services by their owners, seeking to answer a number of key questions.
The survey was based on a poll of 404 Weenect customers in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, of whom 220 were dog owners and 184 cat owners. The survey gathered detailed information about their profiles, opinions and experiences of pet care and insurance services.
It enabled us to gain a better understanding of the use of pet insurance services and veterinary expenses, providing valuable information about respondents' behaviours and expectations.
Of the respondents, 62.6% had pets between 2 and 7 years old, 23.5% had pets older than 7 years, and 13.9% had younger pets under 2 years old.
Discover the detailed results of our study, through a series of lessons learned illustrated by graphs.
According to our survey, 65.3% of owners take their pet to the vet once or twice a year. More frequent visits (3 to 4 times a year) are more likely for dogs (24.1%) than cats (14.1%).
10.7% of owners of pets under 2 years old visit their veterinarian more than 4 times a year, in particular for growth monitoring, basic vaccinations or sterilisation. Similarly, 11.6% of owners of pets over 7 years old report frequent visits due to the increase in age-related health problems.
Over the past 12 months, the vast majority of pets (91.8%) have been vaccinated, and 46% have received anti-parasite treatment. Specific treatments, such as dental care (10.1%) and surgery (10.9%), are less frequent.
Dental care is given mainly to animals over 7 years of age (22.1%). Surgery is more common in animals under 2 years of age (17.9%) and over 7 years of age (13.7%), reflecting common procedures in young animals (sterilisation) and complications associated with advanced age.
Spending on pet care varies widely. The majority of owners (29.7%) spend between 100€ and 250€ a year, 23.3% between 250€ and 500€, and 22.3% between 50€ and 100€. Young and old pets often cost more, with 48.2% of young pets and 53.7% of pets over 7 years old costing more than 250€.
The higher budgets (over 500€) concern owners who consult more often: around 19.4% of respondents consult 3 to 4 times a year, and 25% more than 4 times. Often for more complex care.
6.2% of pet owners have had to give up treatment for their pets for financial reasons. This figure rises to 7.1% for those without insurance, compared with 4.7% for those with insurance.
Our survey shows that over a third of pets are insured, with dogs (41.4%) more frequently covered than cats (32.1%). Younger pets are more often insured (43.2% for those under 2 years old, compared with 28.8% for those over 7 years old), which may be explained by the difficulty of insuring an older animal. Insured owners also consult their vets more often.
43.5% of insured persons have between 70% and 89% cover. German respondents have higher levels of cover than the French, with 44.8% benefiting from 100% cover, compared with 3.4%.
Consultations for illnesses or accidents are covered for 73.3% of insured persons, followed by vaccinations (72%), prescribed medicines (68%), imaging (55.3%) and emergencies (54%).
31.4% of owners are not insured because the cost is too high. Other reasons include not feeling the need for insurance (24.8%), the pet's advanced age (19.3%) and lack of information (14.9%).
41.1% of owners are prepared to pay between 15€ and 30€ per month, while 38.6% prefer a cost of less than 15€. The majority of uninsured people prefer a budget of less than 15€ (72.3%), as do cat owners (42.3% compared with 36.3% of dog owners).
93.8% of owners believe that pet care cover is crucial, followed by cost (66.8%) and speed of reimbursement (50.7%).
This survey shows that the cost of pet care and insurance cover are major concerns for pet owners, influencing their choice of insurance. Young animals and dogs are more often covered, but the high cost remains a barrier for many.
Faced with these needs, the partnership between Weenect and SantéVet, the French leader in insurance for dogs and cats, offers a complete solution. This partnership enables owners to combine the security of Weenect GPS trackers with effective cover for pet care. Find out more about this new offer.
