In this guide
Health conditions Border Collies are prone to
On both measures that matter, Border Collies come out best in Australia. PetSure's 2025 report gives them the lowest average annual claim of any breed at $771, against $1,047 across all dogs, and Canstar's 2025 comparison makes them the cheapest to insure. They are a working breed with a sound structure and few conformational problems. What they do carry is a set of inherited conditions, several of which are congenital, and congenital is the word that decides whether a claim gets paid.
| Condition | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hip dysplasia | $5,000 to $12,000 | Affects roughly 15 to 20% of the breed, surgical in severe cases |
| Idiopathic epilepsy | $1,200 to $3,000 per year ongoing | Around 5 to 10% of the breed, lifelong medication once diagnosed |
| Collie eye anomaly | $500 to $1,500 to diagnose | Congenital, present from birth, affects 10 to 15% of the breed |
| Progressive retinal atrophy | $500 to $1,500 | Inherited, leads to blindness, no treatment available |
| MDR1 drug sensitivity | $100 to $200 for the test | Not a claim itself, but changes which drugs are safe |
| Allergic skin disease | $800 to $2,500 per year | Skin is the leading reason Australian dogs see a vet |
| Cruciate ligament rupture | $4,000 to $7,000 per knee | Athletic breed, injury rather than conformation |
What insurance costs for a Border Collie
Border Collies are the cheapest breed in Canstar's 2025 comparison at an average $1,250 a year, against a $1,359 market average. That is a genuinely low-risk profile rather than a discount, and it means the gap between a budget policy and a comprehensive one is smaller here than for almost any other breed.
| Age | Typical monthly premium |
|---|---|
| Puppy, under 1 year | $50 to $70 |
| 2 to 4 years | $70 to $95 |
| 5 to 7 years | $95 to $130 |
| 8 years and over | $130 to $190 |
Policy terms that affect claims for this breed
Three parts of a PDS have more bearing on what a Border Collie claim pays than the headline premium does. What follows describes how those terms operate. It is not a recommendation to buy or hold any particular policy.
1. How sub-limits on hereditary and congenital conditions work
Epilepsy is the condition most affected by sub-limits. It is not a single expensive event but anticonvulsant medication and periodic blood monitoring for the remainder of the dog's life. A $2,000 annual cap on any one condition is reached early in treatment, and because the condition is by then pre-existing, changing insurer does not restore cover for it.
2. How waiting periods apply
Standard 30 day illness wait, six months for cruciate and hip conditions. Border Collies are athletic and frequently start agility or herding work young, so injuries tend to appear earlier than in less active breeds. Anything recorded before cover starts is treated as pre-existing.
3. How exclusions are defined
Hereditary and congenital are not the same category, and insurers differ in whether they exclude both or only congenital conditions. For this breed that distinction determines whether hip dysplasia and epilepsy are claimable, and between them those account for most of the serious risk.
How three providers compare
Policy features relevant to the conditions described above, as published by each insurer. This is a factual comparison, not a ranking or a recommendation.
| Provider | Relevant policy feature | Annual limit |
|---|---|---|
| Knose | No per-condition sub-limits | Up to $20,000 |
| Bow Wow Meow | Hereditary and congenital conditions defined separately in the PDS | Up to $15,000 |
| Pet Insurance Australia | Highest annual limit of the three | Up to $25,000 |
Common questions
Summary
Border Collies have the lowest average annual claim of any Australian breed at $771, and the lowest average premium at $1,250. Their main insurable risks are hip dysplasia and epilepsy. Collie eye anomaly is congenital and generally excluded by every policy regardless of timing. Epilepsy is the condition most exposed to per-condition sub-limits, because treatment continues for the life of the dog rather than resolving.
Condition costs are indicative ranges compiled from Australian veterinary pricing sources. Premium figures are published averages, sourced on each page. Policy features are as published by each insurer and current at July 2026; verify against the current PDS before relying on them.