Before purchasing a puppy, future owners will delve into the research of dog insurance. The terminology, misconceptions, and costs are some of the essential points to understand when browsing pet insurance policies. Knowing dog insurance costs can allow you to find the best insurance coverage and manage your dog’s health and expenses with confidence. From your dog’s age to breed, there are multiple factors that affect your dog’s policy cost. Therefore, knowing those can help you to understand and compare different offers.
We want to delve into the average cost of dog insurance as well as the affecting factors. Furthermore, we answer some of your burning questions about dog insurance to help ease your mind. This article will break down all the costs, explain why they exist, and if you are likely to see a higher or lower price for your dog. Are you ready? Let’s take a look.
Cost Factors of Pet Insurance
We have depicted the four most influential factors to dog insurance costs and explained them below.
Breed
Certain breeds are more prone to health conditions, shorter life spans, and even aggressive behavior can increase some dog insurance policies. For example, many brachycephalic breeds have higher policy costs due to an increased chance of respiratory issues among other health concerns.
Similarly, if a dog has poor genetics, such as both parents have suffered from cancer, then policies will increase costs there too. This is because there is a higher chance that your dog will have a health concern so the policy puts out a higher amount to pay in.
Gender
Male dogs can often have higher costs than females. This is because personality and traits seen commonly in one gender can lead to injuries, such as increased aggression in male dogs.
However, if you own a breeding female then this can be higher than an average male or female dog policy due to the complications of pregnancy and of birth. Whether your dog is neutered or spayed will also be considered. Those who are not can be more at risk of certain types of cancer. However, this can be influenced by the age of your dog.
Age
Very young dogs and very old dogs are often more susceptible to needing vet support as they are more vulnerable. This is especially prominent with old dogs as they can struggle with movement, can be more vulnerable to certain types of cancer, and are even more likely to suffer from cancer.
Once they reach a certain age the premiums will begin to increase due to the likelihood of something going wrong. Breed and age often go hand in hand as some dogs are healthier for longer due to genetics or lifespan.
Location
The location your dog is in doesn’t necessarily influence costs, it is more so where you live in regards to vets. In areas of high wealth such as more modern areas or cities, the premiums will be higher. This is because vets in these areas usually have more advanced equipment, higher wages, and higher costs.
Therefore, the costs for a customer living in one of these areas will be more. Insurance companies then ask for higher premiums to be able to fund this. Similarly, in areas of the country, the premiums will often be lower.
Average Dog Insurance Cost
The average dog insurance costs between $550 and $600 yearly with a monthly payment of $50. This is if you get accident and illness coverage which is a lot more than accident-only coverage. Accident-only coverage is around $200 yearly and $15 monthly, which is a huge difference.
This is the expected insurance for a healthy, middle-aged dog. Furthermore, it is assumed for someone living in a regular neighborhood and a state without extremely high or low expenses. As you’ve seen, there are many factors that will influence the costs of insurance so the range of prices is huge. Rough quotes may be given for certain areas, dog breeds, or genders by some insurance companies. However, your premium may vastly differ due to the influencing factors.
Some vets can give estimates of dog insurance based upon other customers they have had. Finding an average quote in their database is something that some vets may do, although not commonly. It is best to call different companies for multiple quotes and then pursue an individual quote.
Dog Insurance Cost Terminology
There are a few terms and points you may need to know concerning dog insurance costs. The top four that we will be explaining below are co-pay, deductible, limits, and exclusions. These help to break down the amount you have to pay and explain what is reimbursed and what isn’t.
Co-pay
This is the amount that you have to pay that insurance companies do not reimburse you for. This is paid upfront to the vet and will usually be a small percentage of the overall cost.
Usually, this is between 8% to 20%. of the total cost. So for a surgery costing £700 pounds, you may need to pay £70-£140, and the rest is paid by your insurance.
Deductible
The amount that you pay upfront before your insurance helps is the deductible amount. When choosing a policy, the larger the deductible amount is the lower your average premiums are and vice versa. Usually, an insurance company will have yearly deductibles, meaning a number of deductibles that can be accessed yearly.
Others may apply it per the number of the same incidence occurring. If your dog often hurt himself through the same behavior, then this injury may no longer apply deductibles in the policy. Check each policy for how much is paid by them after your deductible as each will differ. Some may offer amounts or percentages as well.
Limits
A limit in a policy is the maximum amount they will pay, although this can be applied differently. Firstly there is a limit per incident. This is an amount that can be used per-incident type, such as per bone break or a certain type of illness. There are also yearly limits, which is the amount that can be reimbursed within that year.
Some providers have no limits or only certain limit types. It is important to know these amounts as you could end up paying a large amount of the bill otherwise. For example, If you have a limit over injury claim for £3000, then any costs over that total will have to be paid by you.
Exclusions
Exclusions are very important to notice in policies as these are a list of things that are not covered by them. These may be illnesses, injuries, exams, or other care like vaccinations. Depending on the health of your dog, it is important to know if this policy will cover everything your dog needs.
Especially with those with reoccurring illnesses or those of older ages. The exclusions can be specified in actual injury and illness types. Or they can be more broad, such as stating long-term illnesses. Any broad statements on policies need to be examined to ensure they are not loopholes.
Dog Insurance Costs: FAQ
We have found some of the most frequently asked questions concerning dog insurance costs below. Find all the answers you need!
A policy will be targeted at your dog at the time, so get insurance while your dog is young and healthy! Policies are much more expensive as your dog ages, so getting a policy when your dog is a puppy can save you a lot of money in the future. If you decide to insure your dog at an older age then they will assess your dog at that age.
This means that if you insure an older dog, the premiums will already be higher due to risk factors. Furthermore, companies will look at their previous medical concerns and base expenses off of that. Whereas puppies usually have nothing to show.
Do not lie about pre-existing conditions as your provider will find out. Most require a full examination prior to the insurance policy being issued and current and old vet records. This means that if you lied on the form, insurance companies are eligible to reject your policy.
This is policy-dependent. Two weeks is the average waiting time for you to be able to claim. However, some policies allow claims earlier and some later. Some policies also do not allow you to claim injuries or illnesses that have occurred just before the policy has started.
On-going illnesses, such as diabetes, are usually able to be claimed once the policy has taken effect. However, if your dog has recently broken their leg and then you sign up for a policy, you will rarely be supported by the policy.
Every vet practice should accept any policy. You submit the claims yourself on behalf of the company and this can be done online or at the facility depending on your vet and policy provider. Ensure that the medical treatment you are receiving for your dog is legal and authorized by proper veterinary practice and vet. Trying any at-home medical help and claiming for supplies will be dangerous for your dog and insurance policies will not help you.
You can have two insurance policies. However, only make a claim on one policy. This is a case of insurance fraud if you place a claim on both policies. Furthermore, it means you are paying for two policies monthly or yearly which can increase your costs dramatically. We advise looking for one, thorough insurance policy cover for your dog. Gathering quotes and comparing policies will allow you to find the most suitable one with the best benefits.
To care properly for your dog, can be expensive. Policies can also be pricey. However, they certainly help you in the long run. Checking and understanding your policy thoroughly is the key to saving your money and ensuring you have support for all the areas you and your dog need it. Do your research and compare quotes to find the right one.