When a dog or a cat is recovering from surgery or living with a mobility problem, the vet may prescribe physiotherapy sessions. It is a treatment that stretches over weeks, which is exactly where the question comes up: does the insurance pay for this?
Physiotherapy is on the list of covered treatments
At Petplan, physiotherapy sits among the covered veterinary expenses, alongside surgery and nursing, hospitalisation, prosthetics and hip dysplasia. It is not an extra you have to buy separately: it is part of the health policy.
If your vet prescribes physiotherapy to treat an illness or the consequences of an accident, the cost of those sessions goes into your claim like any other veterinary expense.
How much Petplan pays back
Petplan reimburses 100% of the invoice, up to a maximum of 3,100 € a year. There are no partial percentages: some policies on the market cover only 50%, 70% or 90% of the bill, and that is worth checking when you compare.
The process is simple. You pay the vet, you send us the invoice together with the vet’s report, and we transfer the amount to your bank account.
The excess is per illness, not per session
This matters a great deal with physiotherapy, because it is rarely resolved in a single visit. Petplan’s co-payment (excess) is 45 € per illness, not per visit to the vet.
In other words, one condition that needs several sessions carries a single 45 € excess, not one per session. It is worth checking how this clause is worded in any policy you are weighing up.
The waiting periods
Cover does not start on day one in every case. At Petplan the waiting period is 15 days for accidents and 1 month for illnesses.
So physiotherapy following an accident that happens after those 15 days is covered, while a condition that begins as an illness inside the first month would not be yet.
What is not included
No pet insurer in Spain covers pre-existing conditions, meaning anything your dog or cat already had before the policy started. Petplan does not cover them either, and that extends to physiotherapy linked to them.
Routine or preventive visits, deworming and neutering or spaying are also outside the cover. Physiotherapy is covered when it responds to an illness or an accident.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to buy physiotherapy cover separately?
No. It is included in the Petplan health policy, within the covered veterinary expenses, with no optional plan to add.
Do I pay an excess for every session?
No. The excess is 45 € per illness and not per visit, so the same condition does not trigger a new excess each time.
Can I choose the vet myself?
Yes. With Petplan you go to the vet you decide on; there is no panel of approved vets you are obliged to use.
What is the most I can get back in a year?
Up to 3,100 € a year, at a 100% reimbursement rate, counting physiotherapy together with the rest of your covered veterinary expenses.
