For example, if your approved vet costs come to $1,000, you can claim 80% on these costs. This equals $800 less any relevant excess. If, for example, your excess is $100 we will pay you $700 and you will still have $11,300 of your annual limit available for any future claims in the period of insurance.

What is covered

• Vet costs to treat your dog if it suffers an illness or injury during the period of insurance after any waiting period that applies.
• Vet costs to treat your dog for an illness or injury that was covered under an earlier policy with us and continues to require treatment during the next period of insurance, as long as we continue to offer this pet insurance product, and you renew your policy each year.

What is not covered

• Distemper, adenovirus (infectious canine hepatitis), parvovirus, parainfluenza and all forms of kennel cough for your dog (but we will cover your dog for those illnesses if it was regularly vaccinated against them).
• An illness that your dog gets during a waiting period.
• A treatment your dog receives during a waiting period.
• The general exclusions shown on pages 19-24. of the PDS.

What is not covered:

• If you are in hospital to have an elective surgery, or because of something that happened, or you knew about, before your policy started.
• If someone who lives with you is able to look after your dog while you are in hospital.

You don’t have to pay an excess when you make a claim under this benefit.

Guide dogs and assistance dogs get the same award winning, extensive cover as pet dogs.

View the PDS for the full cover details.

We’ll cover 80% of vet costs to euthanise your dog if a vet recommends that, on the basis of your dog’s illness or injury, it should be euthanised.

We pay this benefit as a part of your illness and injury cover up to the annual limit of $12,000.

What is not covered:

• Your dog to be euthanised as a result of an illness or injury not covered by this policy – see pages 17-18 of the PDS.
• The costs for an autopsy on your dog.
• The costs to dispose of, bury or cremate your dog.

What is a pre-existing condition?

Any illness or injury or symptoms or signs of an illness or injury that your dog suffered or had in any form before your first RAC Pet insurance policy started or any symptoms or signs of the condition, that occur during any applicable waiting period – whether or not a vet has diagnosed or treated it before your first policy started.

Waiving a pre-existing condition for your dog

We don’t cover your dog for a pre-existing condition it had before your first policy started, or during any applicable waiting period for your dog. However, you may ask us to waive a pre-existing condition for your dog as long as your dog has been free of that condition for the last 18 months and the condition is not lifelong with no cure.

To waive a pre-existing condition:

• your vet needs to certify and provide (at your expense) records confirming that your dog has been free of clinical signs, symptoms or recurrence of the pre-existing condition for at least 18 months and to certify the condition is not lifelong with no cure, and
• you need to complete a ‘Pre-existing Condition Waiver Form’, you can get a copy of the form here Waiver forms.

We will waive the pre-existing condition if your vet certified your dog has been symptom free for 18 months and the condition is not lifelong with no cure. We will send you written confirmation agreeing to cover your dog for that condition under your policy and an updated Schedule.

If your dog is with you while you are in New Zealand or Norfolk Island, we will temporarily provide the same cover for your dog, as if it was within Australia.

You are covered for:

• ‘Illness and injury to your pet’ – see page 15 of the PDS
• ‘Emergency boarding costs’ – see page 16 of the PDS
• ‘Euthanasia costs’ – see page 17 of the PDS

You are not covered for:

• If you or your dog live permanently outside Australia.
• If something happens to your dog while it isn’t in your direct care.
• For any costs to return your dog to Australia.
• If your dog is out of Australia for more than 60 consecutive days.
• For anything not covered under ‘Illness and injury to your pet’, ‘Emergency boarding costs’ and ‘Euthanasia costs’.

Limit:
Up to the limits shown under each part of your cover in Australian $ at the exchange rate that applied on the day you paid for the vet or other costs.