Top 10 Pet and Dog Insurance Companies

Every dog owner dreads the thought of their dog becoming ill or getting injured. While months or years can go by with no problem, cancer, tick-borne diseases, being hit by a car, or swallowing poison can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. With the price of veterinary care rising every year, many dog owners have opted to buy health insurance for their dog. A stay in a veterinary hospital can cost thousands of dollars, and no dog owner wants to be forced to make a decision between treatment and euthanasia.

Most dog insurance companies will not cover pre-existing conditions, and many have restrictions on age or genetic and hereditary diseases. This last usually weighs most heavily on purebred dogs, who sometimes are subject to various disorders specific to their breed.

VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance) probably provides one of the most complete policies available. Several different plans are offered, providing various levels of care. An advantage VPI has is that the coverage for your dog is worldwide, so if you are traveling, help is always easily available.

Another company that compares favorably with VPI is PetsBest Dog Insurance. Worldwide protection is also available here. This company allows for alternative treatments. Like VPI, several different plans are offered.

A company that offers a very high lifetime benefit level is 24PetWatch Dog Insurance. 24PetWatch gives the dog owner 4 plans from which to choose. This company will cover hereditary diseases as long as they have not manifested themselves at time of policy purchase.

PurinaCare Dog Insurance is a company similar to the above and offers 2 levels of insurance protection. PurinaCare Dog Insurance also adds a wellness category to its more expensive policy.

PetPlan Dog Insurance offers the dog owner 3 levels of plan, at varying levels of protection and cost. This company also allows for alternative treatments such as acupuncture. This was the only company surveyed that offered a 30 day money back guarantee.

Embrace Dog Insurance will enroll dogs with pre-existing illnesses in their Accident Plan. Such dogs are not eligible for standard health insurance, however. Embrace offers the Full Coverage Plan, for healthy dogs, which will cover nearly every condition.

Trupanion Dog Insurance is also a trusted company that offers just one policy and, like Embrace, there are no divisions of coverage. This company covers all accidents and injuries (for a healthy dog) under one policy, there are no gradations.

PetFirst Dog Insurance offers various levels of protection in their plans, and is one of the only companies offering enrollment for dogs over 10 years of age.

Pet Assure is not an insurance company like those above. The benefit to Pet Assure is that they will accept any dog, regardless of age or health. All accidents and illnesses will receive a 25% discount at the time of service. Dogs with pre-existing conditions or old dogs will be able to get a certain measure of protection here.

Most of the dog insurance plans covered in these articles are quite similar and differ only in details of coverage, benefit limits, and policy cost. A dog owner wanting to buy a health insurance policy for their dog should first decide exactly what they feel their dog needs and what they can afford. Remember, it is often possible to reduce policy costs by having a high deductible. The policy will then offer you protection from catastrophic illnesses and accidents while keeping your monthly payment lower. Also, most dogs cannot be enrolled in any insurance plan (except Pet Assure) until they are 8 weeks old. There is usually a sign-up cut off of 8 years for mixed breed dogs and 6 years for purebreds.

The quotes given in the accompanying insurance company articles are based on a theoretical dog named Grumpy. Grumpy was generally a yellow Labrador Retriever. He was a young, healthy, intact male dog. To receive a more accurate quote, based on your dog's age, breed, and sex, please visit the company websites.