Most bad experiences with pet insurance come not from a company failing to pay, but from an expectation that was never in the contract. Knowing what a policy does not cover matters as much as knowing what it does, and it is what separates an informed decision from disappointment six months later.
No insurer covers absolutely everything. The sensible approach is not to hunt for one that does, but to understand where the limits sit and check that they fit your situation.
1. Anything that already existed
This is the most important exclusion and the one that causes the most upset. Any illness, injury or symptom present before the policy start date is treated as pre-existing and falls outside cover, whether or not there was a formal diagnosis.
The condition does not need to have had a name. If the animal was already limping, had already been seen for recurrent vomiting, or already had abnormal blood work, the insurer may treat that as relevant history.
The practical conclusion is always the same: take out cover while the animal is healthy. Declaring the history accurately is not bureaucracy, it is what protects the validity of the contract.
2. Prevention and routine care
Health insurance is built for the unforeseen, not the plannable. Vaccinations, worming, routine check-ups, elective neutering, preventive dental cleaning, nail clipping and grooming therefore fall outside standard cover.
That is not a shortcoming of the product; it is its definition. These costs are predictable and belong in your budget alongside food.
Some companies offer optional add-ons for part of the prevention. Petplan has a vaccine plan that reimburses vaccines prescribed by your vet, including the leishmaniasis vaccine, up to €90 a year. It is a voluntary extra, not part of the health policy.
3. Waiting periods
For the first days or weeks after the policy starts, certain cover is not yet active. At Petplan the waiting period is 15 days for accidents and 30 days for illness.
Anything that happens inside that window is not covered, even if the animal was healthy at the point of purchase. It is not hidden small print: it is a standard mechanism across the sector, there to prevent policies being bought once a problem is already suspected.
4. Cosmetic, behavioural and non-medical
Procedures carried out for cosmetic reasons are excluded, as are training, non-veterinary services, and supplements or diets not prescribed for a covered condition. Do not confuse training with behavioural disorders, though: Petplan does list those among its veterinary expenses cover.
Also excluded are injuries or illnesses caused deliberately by you or by someone living with you, and any amount arising from a breach of Spanish or EU law, including animal welfare rules, along with the uses the policy expressly rules out, such as working dogs used for security or guarding and dogs used for racing and competition.
5. The limits that are not exclusions but feel like them
Three figures determine how much you actually get back, and they deserve more attention than the price.
The reimbursement percentage says what proportion of covered costs comes back to you. The annual limit caps the total available in each policy year. And the excess is the part you carry. At Petplan reimbursement can reach 100% of covered costs, the annual limit goes up to €3,100 and the excess is €45 per illness rather than per visit.
That last distinction matters a great deal. An excess charged per visit multiplies across any condition needing follow-up; one charged per illness is paid once for that condition.
How to read the conditions in ten minutes
Find four sections and read them in full: definitions, exclusions, waiting periods and limits. That gives you 90% of what you need.
Then check three concrete things: what documentation is required for a claim, the deadline for submitting one, and whether you can choose your own vet. A reimbursement model, where you pick the clinic, pay and then claim, leaves you that freedom.
If anything is unclear, ask in writing before signing. A saved reply is worth far more than the memory of a phone call.
A good policy is not the one that promises to cover everything, but the one whose limits you know in advance. When you know exactly where you stand, the policy stops being a source of doubt and becomes what it was meant to be: backing that lets you decide with the animal in mind.
