Investigating dog and cat owners' uptake of pet health insurance and spending on veterinary treatment.

Emotional attachment drives treatment spending more than insurance; cost barriers limit coverage.

This cross-sectional study examined pet health insurance uptake and owners' willingness to spend on veterinary treatment across Austria, Denmark, and the UK (N=2,117). Only 41.7% of owners had insurance, with significant geographic variation (Austria 21.3%, UK and Denmark higher). Income disparities were evident in the UK, where high-income owners were twice as likely to have insurance (65.6%) versus low-income owners (34.4%). Primary motivations for insurance purchase included avoiding difficult financial decisions during pet illness (35.5%), while high policy costs represented the main deterrent (34.7%). Notably, emotional attachment to pets was the strongest predictor of willingness to spend on life-saving treatments, independent of insurance status. The findings suggest that financial constraints significantly limit insurance adoption, yet emotional bonds with pets drive treatment spending decisions regardless of coverage. Limitations include self-reported data bias, potential social desirability bias, and hypothetical scenario formulation. These results have important implications for veterinary practice, indicating that client education should address both financial planning through insurance and the realistic costs of emergency/critical care.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.