Species, breed, age and the three dials that set your premium

The common Canadian menu is 70%, 80% or 90% reimbursement after a $0-$1,000 annual deductible, up to caps commonly between $5,000 and $15,000 (one major insurer offers no cap). The honest rule: set the deductible at the biggest bill you could comfortably absorb, and economize on the cap last - a low cap surfaces exactly when the bad year arrives.

In four provinces, yes, right on the bill: Ontario adds 8% RST, Quebec about 9%, Saskatchewan 6% and Manitoba 7% on insurance premiums. The other provinces and territories add no retail sales tax to the premium (insurer-paid premium taxes are already baked into pricing everywhere). Always compare quotes tax-included.

Canadians split honestly: in Angus Reid polling, 22% of insured owners called their coverage a lifesaver, 34% said it helped, and about 10% called it useless. Pet insurance is not an investment; it is protection against the $2,000-$5,600 bad year you could not otherwise absorb. If your savings could take that hit, self-insuring is rational too - only about 3.7% of Canadian pets are insured.

Yes - as ordinary property-casualty insurance under each province's Insurance Act, overseen by provincial regulators (FSRA in Ontario, the AMF in Quebec, BCFSA in British Columbia and so on). No province has a pet-specific statute. Complaints go to your provincial regulator - the link is on this page's provincial-rules section.

Accident-only costs a fraction (about $251 a year for the average dog) and covers the broken-leg and swallowed-toy scenarios - but not the far more common illness claims: allergies, infections, cancer. If the full premium fits your budget, accident-and-illness is what the coverage debate is actually about; if not, accident-only still caps your worst single day.