Bow Wow Meow vs PetSure vs Woolworths vs Knose Pet Insurance 2026

Seven hundred thousand insured pets generated an average of A$1,047 in vet claims per dog in 2024, a French Bulldog averaged A$1,641 and a Border Collie A$771, and the single largest tick paralysis claim topped A$57,000. Those figures come from PetSure's 2025 Pet Health Monitor, built on PetSure's own claims data as at April 2025, and they matter here for a reason beyond the numbers: PetSure is the insurer behind two of the four brands in this comparison. Bow Wow Meow and Woolworths Pet Insurance are both PetSure-issued policies. Knose is not. So this is really a two-and-a-half-way: the PetSure stable in two different shopfronts, and the one brand built on a different underwriter.

This article explains what each of the four actually is, how annual limits, benefit percentages, excess and waiting periods combine into what you get back at the vet counter, what Finder's March 2026 survey says Australians pay, and which of them to pick for a new puppy, a two-cat apartment, a senior Labrador and a high-risk breed.

The four at a glance

Persona for the table: a two-year-old desexed Cavoodle in a Sydney apartment, the owner wanting an 80 percent benefit and a mid-range annual limit. No premiums are quoted because every brand prices on breed, age, postcode and the exact options chosen; the Finder March 2026 national average of A$143 a month across all pets is the yardstick, and a healthy two-year-old Cavoodle on 80 percent would typically sit under it.

	Bow Wow Meow	PetSure	Woolworths (Everyday Insurance)	Knose
What it is	Retail brand, distributed by Bow Wow Meow Pty Ltd as PetSure's authorised representative	The insurer and administrator behind 20-plus brands including Bow Wow Meow and Woolworths; does not sell direct	Retail brand of Woolworths Group, Total Paw Protection product from 29 January 2026	Independent brand, Knose Financial Services
Issued by	PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd (policies from 14 June 2023; Hollard before)	PetSure itself (from 8 May 2023; Hollard before), part of the Hollard group	PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd (policies from 17 July 2023; Hollard before)	Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd
Annual limit options	A$10,000, A$20,000 or A$30,000	Set by each partner brand	Up to A$35,000	A$7,500, A$12,500 or A$25,000
Benefit percentage	70, 80 or 90 percent	Set by each partner brand	70, 80 or 90 percent	70, 80 or 90 percent
Excess	Optional annual excess, A$250 or A$500	Set by each partner brand	Flexible excess options per PDS	A$0, A$100 or A$200, charged once a year
Waiting periods	2 days accidents, 30 days illness (plan page); 6 months cruciate, some sudden accidents from day one	PetSure standard applied by partner brands	PetSure structure; PDS names the cruciate ligament waiting period	1 day injury, 14 days illness, 6 months specified conditions (14 days if under 12 months)
Sub-limits	Advertised as zero sub-limits on core cover; dental via Booster Care add-on up to A$2,000	Varies	Per PDS; optional routine care add-on up to A$120	Dental illness add-on for pets under 3 at inclusion
On-the-spot claims	GapOnly at participating vets	GapOnly is PetSure's system	GapOnly at participating vets	No; claim via app after paying
Telehealth	24/7 Live Vet	Via partner brands	VetAssist video and chat	Not a published inclusion
Multi-pet discount	10 percent on second and subsequent policies	Set by brand	Per PDS	5 percent
Extras	Routine Care add-on		10 percent off one Woolworths shop a month in-store for Everyday Rewards members	Separate stand-alone pet care plans, 60 days cover in NZ and Norfolk Island
Exit	Cancel any time, pro-rata		Cancel any time, pro-rata	Cancel any time, pro-rata
The catch	Highest ceiling, but same engine as Woolworths	Not a retail choice; it is what you are choosing when you pick either of the two above	Grocery perk is only valuable if you shop at Woolworths weekly	Lower top limit, smaller multi-pet discount, dental add-on age-gated

Sources: PetSure's corporate site and 2025 Pet Health Monitor release, the Bow Wow Meow plan pages, the Everyday Insurance pet insurance documents page (Total Paw Protection PDS 29 January 2026), Knose's product page and Mozo's Knose review updated 17 July 2026, all read in September 2026.

What each brand actually is

PetSure, the one you cannot buy directly

PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd calls itself Australia's only general insurer solely dedicated to pets. It is part of the Hollard group; until 8 May 2023 its partner brands' policies were issued by The Hollard Insurance Company and administered by PetSure, and since then PetSure issues them in its own name. It says it issues or administers the policies of more than 20 partner brands and supports more than 7,000 customers a day, and its annual Pet Health Monitor draws on claims from 700,000 insured pets. Brands commonly understood to sit on the PetSure platform include RSPCA Pet Insurance, Medibank, Bupa, Petbarn and HCF alongside Bow Wow Meow and Woolworths.

Why this matters: the claims assessors, the pre-existing condition rules, the GapOnly on-the-spot claims system and the broad waiting-period architecture are shared across the stable. Two PetSure brands can differ on limits, percentages, excess, add-ons and perks, and on price, but they cannot differ on who ultimately decides your claim. If you are shopping for a second opinion on underwriting, a second PetSure brand is not one.

Bow Wow Meow

Bow Wow Meow Pty Ltd is one of the longest-running Australian pet insurance brands and operates as PetSure's authorised representative, promoting and distributing a PetSure-issued policy. Its current product is Nose-to-Tail cover with three annual limits (A$10,000, A$20,000, A$30,000), three benefit percentages (70, 80, 90) and an optional annual excess of A$250 or A$500 that is charged once a policy year regardless of how many conditions you claim for. Bow Wow Meow advertises zero sub-limits on the core cover, which is a real differentiator against older products that capped tick paralysis or cruciate claims separately. Dental illness is excluded from the core and available through the Booster Care add-on up to A$2,000 a year, and a Routine Care add-on covers a small amount of vaccinations and check-ups. Claims can be processed on the spot through GapOnly at participating clinics, every policy includes 24/7 Live Vet online consults, and the second and subsequent pets get a 10 percent discount. The brand's plan pages publish a 2-day waiting period for accidental injuries and 30 days for illness, with sudden events such as motor vehicle incidents, burns, bites and fractures covered from commencement.

Woolworths Pet Insurance (Everyday Insurance)

Woolworths sells pet insurance under its Everyday Insurance banner, and the policies are issued by PetSure (from 17 July 2023; earlier policies by Hollard). The product was rebuilt as Total Paw Protection with a PDS dated 29 January 2026, replacing the old Basic, Standard, Comprehensive and Comprehensive Plus ladder that topped out at A$30,000 on an 80 percent benefit. Total Paw Protection goes up to A$35,000 a year, the highest ceiling of the four, with a choice of 70, 80 or 90 percent benefit, flexible excess options and an optional routine care add-on worth up to A$120. Every policy includes VetAssist video and chat consults with a licensed Australian vet, and Everyday Rewards members get 10 percent off one Woolworths supermarket shop a month in-store. Claims run through GapOnly at participating vets.

The catch is the one that applies to every supermarket-branded financial product: the perk is only worth something if you already shop there, and the policy underneath is the same PetSure engine as Bow Wow Meow.

Knose

Knose is the only non-PetSure brand of the four. Its policies are underwritten by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd, a licensed Australian general insurer, and sold by Knose Financial Services. The product is deliberately simple: annual limits of A$7,500, A$12,500 or A$25,000, a 70, 80 or 90 percent benefit, and an annual excess of A$0, A$100 or A$200 paid once per policy year. Its waiting periods are the shortest here: injuries from day one, illness from day 14, and six months for specified conditions (cruciate ligament, hip dysplasia, dental, behavioural), reduced to 14 days for pets under 12 months at purchase. Cover includes hereditary and congenital conditions, paralysis tick treatment, emergency boarding and up to 60 days of travel cover in New Zealand and Norfolk Island. Dental illness is an optional add-on only for pets under three when added, the multi-pet discount is 5 percent, and routine care is not part of the insurance but is offered through separate stand-alone care plans. There is no GapOnly: you pay the vet and claim through the Knose app.

Which policy is best for a new puppy?

An eight-week-old Cavoodle in Sydney. Insured now, before the first vet visit of consequence, this puppy has no pre-existing conditions and the fewest exclusions it will ever have.

Knose is the strongest fit, and the reason is the waiting periods. Illness cover starts at day 14 rather than day 30, and the six-month wait for cruciate ligament and hip dysplasia conditions collapses to 14 days because the puppy is under 12 months at purchase. For a breed that will grow into a soft-tissue risk, that is a five-and-a-half-month head start. Choose 90 percent with the A$100 annual excess and the A$12,500 limit; PetSure's data shows the typical dog claims roughly A$1,047 a year across all breeds, so A$12,500 is a comfortable ceiling for a small dog in its first years.

Bow Wow Meow is the close second, and the right choice if the household plans a second pet (10 percent off the next policy) or wants the A$30,000 ceiling and zero sub-limits from day one. Woolworths Total Paw Protection wins for the household that genuinely does a weekly Woolworths shop and values VetAssist for the 2am "is this normal" moments of puppy ownership.

Which policy is best for two indoor cats?

Two desexed domestic shorthairs in a Melbourne apartment, aged one and three, indoor only.

Indoor cats claim less often than dogs but not for nothing: PetSure's data puts urinary conditions in cats aged one to eight at an average of A$1,519 per episode, with severe cases above A$33,000. Two cats means the multi-pet discount matters, and Bow Wow Meow's 10 percent on the second policy beats Knose's 5 percent. On a modest premium the dollar difference is small, so the decider is coverage shape. Bow Wow Meow at 80 percent with the A$10,000 limit and no optional excess keeps each cat's policy simple. Knose at 80 percent with the A$100 annual excess and the A$7,500 limit will often be cheaper per cat and is the better pick if the three-year-old has never been to a vet for anything that could be read as a symptom, because the 14-day illness wait brings cover on sooner. Woolworths is a sensible third quote with the A$35,000 ceiling, which is more than two indoor cats are likely to need.

Which policy is best for a senior Labrador?

A nine-year-old Labrador in Brisbane, already insured elsewhere since puppyhood, owner wondering whether to switch to save money.

Almost always: do not switch. Every condition in this dog's vet history is now pre-existing at any new insurer, and at nine a Labrador's history usually includes something orthopaedic, dermatological or both. The premium has risen with age because the claims risk has, and the brands here price that the same way. If the current premium is unaffordable, the lever is inside the existing policy: lower the benefit percentage from 90 to 80, or add or raise the annual excess (A$250 or A$500 at Bow Wow Meow, A$100 or A$200 at Knose), both of which cut the premium without resetting the pre-existing history. If the dog has somehow never been insured and is healthy, Knose will accept a new senior pet, as will the PetSure brands, but expect age-related conditions already in the notes to be excluded and the premium to be at the high end of Finder's A$143 a month average or above it.

Which policy is best for a French Bulldog?

A two-year-old French Bulldog in Sydney. PetSure's 2025 Pet Health Monitor puts the French Bulldog at A$1,641 in average annual claims, more than double the Border Collie, and the average cost of treating brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome at more than A$3,100, with severe surgical cases approaching A$30,000.

This is where the annual limit and the benefit percentage both earn their keep. Take 90 percent, take the highest limit you can fund (A$30,000 at Bow Wow Meow, A$35,000 at Woolworths, A$25,000 at Knose), and insure before the first note about noisy breathing appears in the vet record. Woolworths' A$35,000 ceiling is the highest, Bow Wow Meow's zero sub-limits mean the BOAS surgery is not quietly capped, and Knose's inclusion of hereditary and congenital conditions is explicit. Among the three, the deciding factor for a flat-faced breed is usually the premium at 90 percent on the highest limit, which is exactly the quote to run at all three.

What actually moves the premium

Breed. The single biggest input. PetSure's 2024 claims data ranges from A$771 (Border Collie) and A$776 (Cavoodle) to A$1,428 (Beagle) and A$1,641 (French Bulldog), and premiums follow that curve.

Age at sign-up and age now. Premiums rise every year as the pet ages. A policy that costs A$60 a month at age one will not cost A$60 a month at age eight anywhere.

Postcode. Vet fees differ by city and suburb, and Finder's March 2026 survey shows the state spread: A$142 a month in New South Wales against A$102 in South Australia.

Benefit percentage. 90 percent costs more than 70 percent, and it is the setting that changes your out-of-pocket on every single claim, large or small.

Annual limit. Matters only for the big year. Going from A$10,000 to A$30,000 at Bow Wow Meow adds less to the premium than going from 70 to 90 percent, because most claims never approach the ceiling.

Excess. An annual excess (Bow Wow Meow A$250 or A$500, Knose A$100 or A$200) trims the premium and is paid once a year, not per claim.

Add-ons. Dental, routine care and alternative therapy add-ons are rarely worth their premium for a young, healthy pet and often worth it for a breed with known dental problems.

Paying monthly. Pet insurance is usually sold on a monthly premium, so there is no instalment loading to avoid, unlike car and home insurance.

When should you buy, and when should you review?

Buy in the first fortnight of ownership. Review at every renewal, but review the settings, not the brand. The one scenario where switching makes sense is a young pet with a clean vet history and a premium that has risen more than the market: a two-year-old with no claims can move from a PetSure brand to Knose or back without losing anything, provided the new policy starts before the old one ends so there is no gap in which a condition could become pre-existing. After a claim of any size, stay where you are.

Verdict by buyer type

New puppy or kitten: Knose for the 14-day illness wait and the 14-day specified-conditions wait under 12 months. Bow Wow Meow if a second pet is coming.

Two or more pets: Bow Wow Meow for the 10 percent multi-pet discount and zero sub-limits.

Weekly Woolworths shopper: Woolworths Total Paw Protection, where the monthly 10 percent shop discount offsets a slice of the premium.

High-risk breed (French Bulldog, Pug, Beagle, Rottweiler): 90 percent on the highest limit at whichever of Woolworths (A$35,000), Bow Wow Meow (A$30,000) or Knose (A$25,000) quotes lowest.

Senior pet already insured: stay, and adjust percentage or excess instead.

Anyone wanting a second underwriter in the mix: Knose, because it is the only one here not issued by PetSure.

Where cashback fits

Cashback on pet insurance works like cashback on any other online purchase, with a longer confirmation window. Open the ShopBack app or the Cashback Buddy browser extension, go to the insurer's ShopBack merchant page, click through, and complete the quote and purchase in that same session so the sale is tracked. The cashback is calculated on the premium and moves from pending to confirmed once the insurer reports the policy as active, which for insurance can take several weeks.

Knose is a ShopBack Australia merchant as of September 2026, so a new Knose policy taken out via ShopBack earns cashback via ShopBack at whatever rate is published on the Knose merchant page at the time. Bow Wow Meow and Woolworths Pet Insurance are not ShopBack merchants in the insurance category (the Woolworths listing on ShopBack is the supermarket), so they are discussed editorially only here. Cashback does not alter the premium, the waiting periods or the claims process, and it should break a tie between two quotes that are already close on cover, not pull you toward a policy with the wrong benefit percentage for your pet.

FAQ

What is PetSure and why does it matter which pet insurer uses it?

PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd describes itself as Australia's only general insurer solely dedicated to pets. It is part of the Hollard group, and since 8 May 2023 it has issued pet insurance policies in its own name; policies written before that were issued by The Hollard Insurance Company and PetSure administered them. PetSure says it issues or administers the policies of more than 20 partner brands and supports more than 7,000 customers a day, and its Pet Health Monitor draws on claims data from 700,000 insured pets. Bow Wow Meow and Woolworths Pet Insurance are both PetSure-issued, which means the same underwriter, the same claims system, the same GapOnly on-the-spot claiming and broadly the same waiting-period structure sit behind two different shopfronts. If you want a genuinely different underwriter as a second quote, you have to go outside the PetSure stable, which is what Knose is.

How much does pet insurance cost in Australia in 2026?

Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker survey of March 2026 found Australians with pet insurance pay an average of A$143 a month, roughly A$1,716 a year. By state it ranges from A$142 a month in New South Wales to A$102 a month in South Australia, with Queensland around A$123, Western Australia around A$129 and Victoria around A$133. That is a self-reported average across every breed, age and cover level, so a one-year-old desexed domestic shorthair cat on a 70 percent plan sits far below it and a six-year-old French Bulldog on a 90 percent plan sits well above. The premium also rises every year as the pet ages, which is the part most people do not price in at sign-up.

How do the benefit percentage, annual limit and excess work together?

The benefit percentage is the share of each eligible vet bill the insurer pays back after the excess: Bow Wow Meow, Woolworths Total Paw Protection and Knose all offer 70, 80 or 90 percent. The annual limit is the most the insurer will pay in a policy year: Bow Wow Meow offers A$10,000, A$20,000 or A$30,000; Woolworths Total Paw Protection goes up to A$35,000; Knose offers A$7,500, A$12,500 or A$25,000. The excess is what you pay first. Knose charges its A$0, A$100 or A$200 excess once per policy year, not per claim, and Bow Wow Meow's optional A$250 or A$500 excess is also annual. On a A$5,000 cruciate surgery with a 90 percent benefit and a A$100 annual excess already paid, you receive A$4,500 and pay A$500; at 70 percent you receive A$3,500 and pay A$1,500. The percentage matters more than the limit for most pets, because most claims are in the hundreds, not the tens of thousands.

Is Woolworths pet insurance cheaper than Bow Wow Meow if they are the same underwriter?

Not necessarily, and the premium is not the only thing to compare. Both are issued by PetSure, but each brand sets its own product design and pricing. Woolworths Total Paw Protection (PDS dated 29 January 2026) goes up to A$35,000 a year and bundles VetAssist video and chat consults with an Australian vet, plus 10 percent off one Woolworths supermarket shop a month in-store for Everyday Rewards members. Bow Wow Meow Nose-to-Tail caps at A$30,000, advertises zero sub-limits on the core cover, includes 24/7 Live Vet consults and gives a 10 percent discount on second and subsequent pets. For a household that does a A$250 Woolworths shop every week, the grocery perk alone is worth around A$25 a month, which can swing the comparison. Quote both on the same benefit percentage, limit and excess and look at the total value, not just the monthly figure.

Is Knose cheaper than Bow Wow Meow for a puppy?

Often competitive on price, and structurally different in ways that favour a young pet. Knose is underwritten by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd, not PetSure, with a 1-day waiting period for injuries and 14 days for illness, against the 2-day accident and 30-day illness periods Bow Wow Meow publishes. Knose's 6-month waiting period for specified conditions such as cruciate ligament and hip dysplasia drops to 14 days for pets under 12 months at the time of purchase, which is a material advantage for a puppy of a large or dysplasia-prone breed. Knose's top annual limit is A$25,000 versus Bow Wow Meow's A$30,000, its multi-pet discount is 5 percent versus 10 percent, and its dental illness add-on is only available to pets under three at the time of inclusion. For a single puppy insured early, Knose's shorter waiting periods are usually worth more than Bow Wow Meow's higher ceiling.

When is the best time to take out pet insurance?

The week you bring the animal home, and in any case before the first symptom of anything. Every policy here excludes pre-existing conditions, and anything a vet notes before the policy starts or during a waiting period becomes pre-existing. A puppy or kitten insured at eight weeks with a 90 percent benefit has the fewest exclusions it will ever have. The second-best time is before a known breed risk appears: PetSure's 2025 Pet Health Monitor puts the average cost of treating brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome in flat-faced breeds at more than A$3,100, with severe cases approaching A$30,000, and once a French Bulldog has been seen for noisy breathing that condition is gone from cover. Signing up a healthy 9-year-old is possible with these brands but the premium will be high and age-related conditions already in the vet notes will be excluded.

When do the waiting periods start and can I claim in the first month?

Waiting periods run from the policy start date, not the application date, and they differ by claim type. Knose: injuries from day 1, illness from day 14, specified conditions including cruciate ligament, hip dysplasia, dental and behavioural at six months (14 days if the pet is under 12 months). Bow Wow Meow publishes 2 days for accidental injuries and 30 days for illness on its plan pages, and PetSure-issued policies in this comparison apply a six-month period to cruciate ligament conditions, with some sudden accidental events such as motor vehicle incidents, burns, bites and fractures covered from commencement. Woolworths Total Paw Protection follows the same PetSure structure and its PDS names a specific cruciate ligament waiting period. So yes, an accident in week one is claimable at all three, an illness in week two is claimable only at Knose, and a torn cruciate in month three is claimable at none of them unless the pet was under 12 months at Knose.

Can I get cashback via ShopBack on pet insurance?

Yes, for the pet insurers that are ShopBack Australia merchants. Knose is listed on ShopBack Australia as of September 2026, so a new Knose policy taken out after clicking through from the ShopBack app or the Cashback Buddy browser extension earns cashback via ShopBack at the rate shown on the Knose merchant page at the time. Bow Wow Meow and Woolworths Pet Insurance are not ShopBack merchants in this category (the Woolworths listing on ShopBack is the supermarket, not the insurance product), so they are discussed editorially only. Insurance cashback is calculated on the premium and confirmed once the insurer reports the policy as active, which can take several weeks.

Does GapOnly mean I pay nothing at the vet?

No, it means you pay only your share at the counter instead of the whole bill and waiting for a refund. GapOnly is PetSure's on-the-spot claims process, available on Bow Wow Meow and Woolworths policies at participating vet clinics: the clinic submits the claim while you are still there, PetSure assesses it in minutes, and you pay the gap, which is the excess if applicable plus the 10, 20 or 30 percent the policy does not cover, plus anything excluded. If the clinic does not use GapOnly, you pay in full and claim online afterwards. Knose, as a non-PetSure insurer, does not use GapOnly; you pay the vet and submit the invoice through the Knose app, and Knose pays its share to your account.

What happens to my premium and cover when my dog turns nine?

The premium keeps rising with age at every brand, because the claims data behind it does: PetSure's 2025 Pet Health Monitor shows the cross-breed average annual dog claim at A$1,047 in 2024, and the average climbs steeply in the senior years. Cover itself does not stop. Bow Wow Meow offers lifetime renewal for the pet's life as long as the product continues to be offered, and the same applies to Woolworths and Knose for existing customers. What changes is that any condition diagnosed in the meantime is now pre-existing at every other insurer, so switching a senior pet to save on premium usually means losing cover for exactly the conditions it is most likely to claim for. The practical move is to choose a benefit percentage and limit you can afford at age nine when the pet is one, and stay put. If the premium becomes unaffordable, lowering the benefit percentage or raising the annual excess at the same insurer keeps the pre-existing history intact.

Key takeaways

Bow Wow Meow and Woolworths are the same insurer in two coats; Knose is the only different underwriter on this page. Buy in the first fortnight, at 90 percent if you can afford it, with the highest limit a flat-faced or large breed warrants. Knose's day-14 illness cover and 14-day specified-conditions wait for pets under 12 months make it the puppy pick; Bow Wow Meow's 10 percent multi-pet discount and zero sub-limits make it the multi-pet pick; Woolworths' A$35,000 ceiling and monthly shop discount make it the pick for a Woolworths household. Never switch a pet with a vet history to chase a cheaper premium. And when the two best quotes are within a few dollars, cashback via ShopBack on a new Knose policy is the tiebreaker, never the reason.