India has a very large pet population reaching approximately 42 million in 2024 and is projected to exceed 51 million dogs alone by 2028, according to Euromonitor International. Today, pet ownership is growing fastest in metro cities, but the financial reality of pet ownership and healthcare is significant. Urban households are now spending ₹5,000 or more per month on pet care, including food, grooming, veterinary visits, and healthcare.

And a single one-time health checkup can cost ₹5,000-₹10,000, and the annual cost of routine care, including vaccinations, grooming, tick treatment, diagnostics, and accidental injury care, can exceed ₹60,000. A surgery, such as fracture repair, can cost over ₹60,000 on its own. Despite this, as of 2025, only 2-3% of Indian pets are insured, underscoring how underserved this market remains.

Pet insurance is the financial tool that bridges this gap, but only if you understand precisely what it covers and what it does not.

Did You Know? Bajaj General Insurance was the first company in India to introduce pet insurance, establishing the category before any other insurer entered the segment.

What Does a Standard Pet Insurance Policy Cover?

Pet insurance in India is structured similarly to human health insurance. A standard base policy covers unexpected, medically necessary events, not planned or preventive care.

Standard coverage under most pet insurance policies in India includes:

• Accidental injuries: Surgery, fracture treatment, anaesthesia, post-operative care, and drugs resulting from an accident

• Illness-related hospitalisation: Inpatient treatment at a registered veterinary hospital when your pet is admitted for at least 24 hours

• Surgical expenses: Medically necessary surgeries certified by a licensed veterinary practitioner

• Mortality cover: Financial benefit if your pet dies due to illness, accident, or humane euthanasia

• Terminal disease cover: Treatment costs for specific terminal illnesses (subject to a waiting period)

• Theft, loss, or straying cover: Financial assistance and search and recovery support if your pet goes missing

• Third-party liability: Legal and compensation costs if your pet causes injury, death, or property damage to a third party

Bajaj General Insurance's pet insurance policy covers dogs between 3 months and 10 years of age and cats between 3 months and 7 years of age, with no mandatory pre-policy medical tests required even for older pets or higher-value breeds.

Do Pet Insurance Policies Cover Vaccinations?

The direct answer is: not under most standard base policies.

Vaccinations are classified as preventive care. Because they are planned, recurring, and not the result of an accident or illness, standard indemnity-based pet insurance does not reimburse vaccination costs by default.

There is one important exception: if a disease claim is filed for a condition that vaccinations could have prevented, and your pet's vaccination record is not up to date, the insurer may reject that claim. Bajaj General Insurance's policy wording explicitly excludes claims for diseases for which preventive medicines or vaccines have not been administered. This means maintaining your pet's vaccination schedule is not just medically responsible; it is a policy requirement that protects your ability to make valid claims.

Vaccinations to keep current for dogs in India typically include:

• Rabies

• Canine Parvovirus

• Canine Distemper

• Leptospirosis

• Bordetella (Kennel Cough)

For cats, core vaccinations include Feline Panleukopaenia, Feline Herpesvirus, and Feline Calicivirus.

Keeping up with these is both a health necessity and a coverage prerequisite.

Do Pet Insurance Policies Cover Routine Checkups?

Standard base policies do not cover routine checkups either. Routine consultations with a veterinarian for a healthy pet, annual wellness exams, weight checks, or general health assessments are considered preventive care and are excluded.

However, this changes when your pet is unwell. If your dog develops a fever and requires a vet consultation, blood tests, and prescribed medication, that visit qualifies as treatment for an illness. This is where the OPD cover becomes relevant.

What Is OPD Cover and How Does It Work?

OPD (Out-Patient Department) cover is an add-on or inclusion that reimburses veterinary expenses for treatments that do not require overnight hospitalisation.

Under OPD cover:

• Covered: A vet consultation, diagnostic blood tests, and prescribed medication for a pet showing symptoms of illness, such as fever, infection, or digestive issues, where no overnight hospitalisation is required.

• Not covered (by default): A routine annual vaccination appointment for a healthy pet. Most OPD policies exclude this unless the policy specifically includes wellness or preventive care benefits.

The distinction is medically straightforward: OPD cover is for treating illness without hospitalisation, not for scheduled preventive appointments.

There is also a 20-day waiting period for illness-related claims under Bajaj General's pet insurance, including OPD claims. Accident-related claims, however, are covered from the moment the policy is issued with no waiting period. Continuous renewals carry forward without any new waiting period.

What Does the Best Pet Insurance Coverage Include Beyond the Basics?

When evaluating the best pet insurance coverage for your pet, look beyond the base plan to understand the full range of protection available:

• Hospitalisation Cover pays for inpatient treatment when your pet stays at a veterinary clinic for at least 24 hours. In metro cities, daily hospitalisation costs for pets can run into several thousand rupees. This cover handles those costs directly.

• OPD Cover (Add-On): As described above, covers outpatient consultations, diagnostic tests, and prescribed medications for the treatment of illness without hospitalisation. Bajaj General Insurance provides this up to ₹30,000.

• Long-Term Care Cover covers treatment costs for chronic or long-duration conditions that require sustained veterinary management. A 90-day waiting period applies from policy inception.

• Terminal Disease Cover: Covers the cost of managing diagnosed terminal illnesses during the policy period. A waiting period applies.

• Mortality Cover pays a lump sum benefit if your pet passes away due to illness, accident, or medically certified euthanasia.

• Theft, Lost, or Straying Cover covers advertising costs, reward payments, and search assistance if your pet is stolen or goes missing.

• Third-Party Liability Cover covers your legal liability if your dog bites, injures, or causes property damage to a third party.

What Is Excluded From Pet Insurance in India?

Understanding exclusions is as important as understanding what is covered. Common exclusions across most pet insurance policies in India include:

• Routine vaccinations and preventive care (unless wellness rider is purchased)

• Grooming, bathing, and cosmetic procedures

• Dental treatment not resulting from an accidental injury

• Congenital or hereditary conditions (may vary by policy)

• Pregnancy, whelping, and birth-related costs

• Experimental procedures and alternative treatments

• Obesity treatments

• Costs incurred from events that occurred before the policy start date

• Claims for diseases where vaccinations were not administered as required

• Employee or caretaker-caused injuries (deliberate acts)

The Bottom Line

Pet insurance in India does not cover vaccinations or routine checkups under standard base plans. These are preventive care activities and fall outside the scope of an indemnity-based policy. However, with OPD cover, available as part of Bajaj General Insurance's pet insurance policy, you can claim reimbursement for illness-related consultations, diagnostic tests, and medications that do not require hospitalisation.

The right pet insurance policy is one that covers the high-cost, unexpected events, surgeries, hospitalisations, accidental injuries, and terminal illness, while you continue to manage routine preventive care costs directly. Keeping vaccinations current is not just medically important: it is a condition of coverage that protects your ability to claim when it matters most.