Your Pet: His Candidacy for Health Insurance

Cats and dogs are the most common pets that visit pet veterinary professionals every year. That can add up to an extraordinary amount of money being spent at the veterinarian’s office every year. This fact brings up the question, should you get pet insurance if you have a pet? How do you know if pet insurance is right for your pet?

There are all kinds of pets and almost all of them are covered by pet health insurance. You may not think getting pet insurance on your pet fish is a good idea because, unfortunately, no matter how much you love your fish, they do not have a very long lifespan. However, there are some pet health insurance companies that offer fish health insurance. Some fish can cost a lot more than a dog, and if you are going to spend that much on your fish, you may want to get health insurance. Rates will vary between reptiles, hamsters, cats, and dogs, of course.  

If your pet is over 10 years old, the insurance premium (the amount you pay per month) will be pricier. In fact, many pet health insurance companies will not even cover dogs over a certain age, usually about 8-12 years of age. Some pet health insurance companies do not have an age limit. 

Just like humans, there is a difference in premium payments for males and females, the reason being that some illnesses are more prevalent in one sex or another. For example, male dogs are more susceptible to accidents and injury due to aggression, but females are more susceptible to many kinds of cancers. 

The breed of your dog also makes a big difference in the costs of pet health insurance. For example, the German Shepherd breed has approximately 50 congenital or hereditary conditions that may occur. Hip dysplasia and von Willebrand Disease are two examples. In addition, larger dogs cost more due to their shorter life spans. Five dog breeds that can be expensive to insure include:

• Boxer
  
• English Bulldog
  
• Rottweiler
  
• Chinese Shar-Pei
  
• Rhodesian Ridgeback
  

On the other hand, smaller dogs are cheaper to insure because they tend to live longer and have less congenital and hereditary illnesses. The least expensive dogs to cover include:

• Chihuahua
  
• Dachshund
  
• Lakeland Terrier
  
• Miniature Pinscher
  
• Welsh Terrier
  

What about cats? The top five most expensive cat breeds include:

• Abyssinian
• Tonkinese
• Persian
• Norwegian Forest
• Korat

The least expensive cat breeds to insure include:

• American Shorthair
• Bombay
• Egyptian Mau
• Ragamuffin
• Turkish Van

The way cats are rated is by averaging the top health insurer’s claims of each breed using top pet health insurance companies.

But, what if your pet is already sick? Well, many pet health insurance companies will not cover a pre-existing illness. If you do find coverage for your sick pet, it will cost you a lot more than a healthy pet.

Of course, if you have a pet you know that no matter what the cost, you want to make sure they live a long, and happy life. Whether your pet is a two-day-old fish or a 15-year-old dog, you can find pet health insurance somewhere. However, if your dog is older and already ill, health insurance will probably cost you more than you want to pay. If you are not sure, talk to your veterinary professional about it first.


Pet insurance can be confusing, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Find a plan using Wag!’s pet insurance comparison tool and save hundreds on veterinary costs each year!