01
Health insurance, not liability insurance
Petplan pays back 100% of every bill minus €45, for illness or accident. Reale Mascotas is third-party liability insurance: for any illness, it pays €0.
Pet insurance comparison 2026 · Spain
Petplan or Reale Mascotas: which one pays when your dog is ill?
We compare Reale Mascotas, with its optional Pack Mascotas, against Petplan: price, what each one pays, and what you pay out of your own pocket, using Reale’s official documents and a real quote.
Updated · Sources
Your dog falls ill: who pays the bill?
Vet bill
Gastroenteritis with a hospital stay (example)
- Emergency consultation€80
- Full blood test€120
- X-rays (2 views)€90
- Abdominal ultrasound€90
- Hospital stay with IV fluids (2 days)€360
- Medication€110
- Check-up€40
Total€890
Petplan
You only pay
€45
We pay you back €845
100% reimbursement with a €45 excess per illness, at any vet.
Reale
You pay
€890
They pay you back €0
No reimbursement: Reale does not cover illness, not even with the Pack Mascotas. Over the whole year you pay about €989 with Reale (€99 + €890) against €339 with Petplan (€294 + €45).
How much would you pay on a bill for an illness?
Choose the amount of the bill at your own vet.
Example: gastroenteritis with a 2-day hospital stay.
With Petplan you pay
€45
We pay you back €845
With Reale you pay
€890
They pay you back €0
With Petplan you save €845 on this bill.
One illness, outside the waiting period. Petplan: 100% minus a €45 excess, up to €3,100 a year. Reale does not pay anything for illness; with the Pack Mascotas it only pays accidents, up to €1,000 a year.
The 3 differences you will notice in your pocket
02
Accidents: €1,000 a year at most
With the optional Pack Mascotas, Reale pays vet bills after an accident up to €1,000 per claim and year. On a €2,380 broken leg, you pay at least €1,380; with Petplan, €45.
03
Any vet, and time to claim
With Petplan you keep your own vet and have 12 months to report a claim. With Reale you have 7 days to report a claim, and you are only covered in Spain.
Petplan vs Reale Mascotas: full comparison table
| Cover | Petplan | Reale Mascotas |
|---|---|---|
| Price per yearChihuahua, 28 October 2026 (Petplan: under 1 year old) | €294Pays back 100% | €99 |
| What it is | Pet health insurance | Third-party liability insurance (as its IPID says), with an optional Pack Mascotas |
| Vet bills for illness | 100%, minus a €45 excess | Not covered |
| Vet bills after an accident | 100%, minus a €45 excess | Only with the Pack Mascotas: up to €1,000 per claim and year |
| Annual limit for vet bills | €3,100 | €1,000, accidents only |
| Conditions typical of the breed | Covered | Not covered (they are illnesses) |
| Euthanasia | Euthanasia and remains, up to €200 | Euthanasia and disposal of the body for illness, up to €150 |
| Theft or loss | Theft, up to €600 | Adverts and collection costs, up to €300 |
| Time limit to report a claim | 12 months | 7 days |
| Third-party liability | Optional: from €25 a year, up to €300,000. You only pay for it if you need it | Compulsory: €100,000, even though many home insurance policies already include it |
| Where you are covered | European Union and United Kingdom | Spain only |
| Species | Dogs, cats and rabbits | Dogs and cats |
| Who provides it | Petplan, a pet specialist with more than 25 million pets insured since 1976; risk underwritten by Telefónica Seguros (Spain) | Reale Seguros, a general insurer with more than 180 years of history |
What happens in the most common situations
Gastroenteritis with a hospital stay
€890 bill: with Petplan you pay €45; with Reale you pay the €890.
A broken leg
Real case, €2,380 bill: with Petplan you pay €45; with Reale's Pack Mascotas you pay at least €1,380.
Hip dysplasia
Petplan covers conditions typical of the breed. For Reale it is an illness: it pays nothing.
A holiday in France
Petplan covers you in the EU and the UK. Reale only covers you in Spain.
When might Reale suit you?
So you can decide with all the facts:
- Reale only makes sense if you are only thinking about accidents and your dog is joining at between 7 and 9 years old: Petplan takes new policies up to 7 years, and Reale's Pack Mascotas covers accidents, up to €1,000 a year, until 9.
Reale Mascotas is not health insurance: do not take it out expecting it to pay your vet bills when your dog falls ill, because it does not. Petplan does.
Thermometer for your vet
What happens to your usual vet if you choose Reale?
There are more than 7,000 vet clinics in Spain. Some insurers only work with a few hundred of them. Reale pays back no vet bills for illness at any clinic: only accidents, up to €1,000 a year and only with the optional Pack Mascotas.
Your vet loses the client Reale
Policies with a vet network and set prices: they pay nothing back at your usual clinic, so the client ends up at their network clinics.
Your vet will almost certainly lose the client
At their partner clinics the client pays nothing; at the usual clinic they pay upfront and get 80% back. They will go where they do not have to pay.
Your vet will lose the client sooner or later
They pay 80% at any clinic but 100% only at their own. With the first expensive bill, the client switches.
Your vet keeps the client Petplan
Reimbursement at any vet. The client stays with their usual vet, and the insurance helps the clinic keep them.
Petplan classification based on how each insurer reimburses vet bills for illness outside its own clinic network.
Frequently asked questions
Is Reale Mascotas pet health insurance?
No. Its own product information document (IPID) describes it as a general third-party liability policy. Third-party liability is the core, compulsory cover; vet bills are only paid after an accident, and only if you add the optional Pack Mascotas.
Does Reale pay for my dog's illnesses?
No. Reale does not pay back consultations, tests, medication, surgery or hospital stays for any illness. The only illness-related cost the Pack Mascotas pays is euthanasia and disposal of the body, up to €150. Petplan pays back 100% of the bill for illness or accident, with a €45 excess, up to €3,100 a year.
How much does each policy cost?
For a Chihuahua, Reale costs about €99 a year (€98.77): €26.32 for the compulsory third-party liability, €32.45 for the Pack Mascotas and €40 for its tele-vet service, Mi Televeterinaria (quote of 28 October 2026). Petplan costs €294 a year for a Chihuahua under 1 year old (28 October 2026). Reale is cheaper because it is not health insurance.
How much would I pay for gastroenteritis with a hospital stay?
On an example bill of €890 (emergency consultation, blood tests, X-rays, ultrasound, 2 days in hospital, medication and a check-up), you pay €45 with Petplan and we pay you back €845. With Reale you pay the whole €890: it does not cover illness.
Which is cheaper over a year with one illness?
With the gastroenteritis in the example, with Petplan you pay €339 for the whole year (€294 for the policy plus the €45 excess). With Reale you pay about €989 (€99 for the policy plus the €890 bill).
What if my dog breaks a leg?
A broken leg is an accident. On a real €2,380 bill you pay €45 with Petplan. With the Pack Mascotas, Reale pays at most €1,000 per claim and year, so you pay at least €1,380.
Does the Pack Mascotas have an age limit?
Yes. It only covers dogs and cats older than 3 months and younger than 9 years, and it excludes hunting and sporting dogs.
Do I have to pay for third-party liability?
With Reale, yes: €100,000 of third-party liability is the core, compulsory cover, even though many home insurance policies already include it. With Petplan it is optional: from €25 a year, up to €300,000.
Am I covered when I travel with my dog?
Reale only covers you in Spain. Petplan covers you in the European Union and the United Kingdom.
How long do I have to report a claim?
7 days with Reale and 12 months with Petplan.
Can I insure my rabbit?
With Petplan, yes: we insure dogs, cats and rabbits. Reale Mascotas insures dogs and cats.
Who is behind each insurer?
Petplan has insured pets since 1976: more than 25 million pets insured, and it specialises in pet health insurance. Reale Seguros is a general insurer with more than 180 years of history; its pet product is third-party liability insurance.
Can I deal with Petplan in English?
Yes. You can get your quote online in English in under a minute, and our team is happy to help you in English by WhatsApp, email or phone.
What our customers say
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Figures as of October 2026.
Sources and methodology
We have compared the official documents currently in force for each insurer. We review this page every quarter or whenever the conditions change. The official documents are in Spanish.
- Petplan IPID (PDF, Spanish)
- Reale Mascotas IPID and pre-contract information note, and a Reale quote of 28 October 2026 (Spanish)
Reale is a trademark of its respective owners. This comparison is made by Petplan using public information; always read the full conditions before taking out a policy.
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