Is Pet Insurance Worth It?
Just another bill? đ§Ÿ

If you have a young puppy or kitten, you might think you donât need pet health insurance.
But pet health insurance is actually important â especially when your pet is already healthy.
The Dodo spoke to some experts to find out why itâs worth it for you to get pet insurance.
Is it worth it to get pet insurance?
Getting pet insurance is almost always a good idea. Even if your pet is young and healthy, you never know when an unexpected injury or illness might come up.
âAsk any vet, and they will advise that owners get pet insurance from day one of taking their pet home,â Dr. Linda Simon, a veterinary surgeon and a veterinary consultant for FiveBarks, told The Dodo. âAll too often, we see owners whose pets are seriously injured or unwell and are unable to afford their vet bills and are facing a difficult decision.â
Without pet insurance, some pet owners arenât able to pay for a potentially lifesaving treatment, which can obviously be devastating.
âPet insurance can save a petâs life if an owner is faced with an unexpected veterinary expense that they canât cover,â Dr. Jennifer Coates, part of the advisory board for Pet News Daily, told The Dodo. âAccidents and illnesses can occur at any point in a petâs life, so itâs important to either have enough savings on hand or to purchase pet insurance as soon as a pet enters your life.â
And your pet can get hurt or sick at any time, even if you think your puppy or kitten is too young to get seriously ill. âYoung animals are at relatively high risk for accidents and infectious diseases, so waiting until your dog or cat is older to purchase pet insurance doesnât always make sense,â Dr. Coates said.
If you get pet insurance, youâll also have the confidence of knowing that youâll be ready to take care of your pet regardless of what illnesses may come up.
âPet insurance provides peace of mind,â Dr. Coates said. âKnowing that you're prepared in case of an emergency is priceless.â
How much does pet insurance cost?
According to Dr. Aliya McCullough, a veterinarian for Fetch by The Dodo, the average cost of pet insurance for a dog is about $50 per month ($600 per year), and the average cost of pet insurance for a cat is about $28 per month ($336 per year).
âPet insurance premiums are based on the petâs species (cat vs. dog), breed, age and location,â Dr. McCullough said. âThe amount of coverage a pet parent chooses is also a factor in the cost of the pet insurance premium.â
Here are some things to think about when selecting a pet insurance plan, as they can affect your insurance cost:
- The type of pet you have (dog vs. cat, for example)
- Your petâs breed
- Your petâs size
- Where you live
- Your petâs age
- The type of insurance plan and provider you select
Types of pet insurance
There are three kinds of pet insurance coverage policies:
- Accident â âAccident policies cover injuries caused by accidents, including everything from being hit by a car to ingesting toxic chemicals or pesticides,â Dr. Megan Conrad, a veterinarian with Hello Ralphie, told The Dodo. âThis policy does not include injuries caused by diseases, such as a leg fracture resulting from bone cancer.â
- Accident and illness â âAccident and illness policies cover everything but routine care and pre-existing conditions,â Dr. Conrad said.
- Wellness â âWellness coverage is typically an add-on that isnât purchased on its own,â Dr. Conrad said. âA wellness add-on to your accident and illness policy will cover routine checkups, vaccines and even dental care.â
What does pet insurance cover?
Pet insurance is a great way to be prepared for emergency procedures.
âIt is there to pay for unexpected bills,â Dr. Simon said. âIf your dog breaks their leg, eats a bone that becomes lodged in their intestine or develops diabetes, pet insurance should pay the bulk of the cost.â
Pet insurance doesnât cover pre-existing conditions, though, so it wonât retroactively cover your pet if heâs already hurt or sick when you purchase the insurance plan. âPet insurance generally doesnât cover pre-existing conditions, and you have to purchase a policy before your pet becomes sick or injured,â Dr. Coates said.
âSome pet health insurance policies may contain limitations for pre-existing, genetic, congenital or breeding-related illnesses, as well as restrictions on your coverage when you submit a claim,â Imani Francies, a pet insurance expert with US Insurance Agents, told The Dodo. âWhen enrolling, make sure you know and appreciate what criteria, such as your pet's breed and any pre-existing illnesses, may influence coverage.â
(However, some plans, like Fetch by The Dodo, do cover certain breed-specific or hereditary issues â so if you have a pet whoâs prone to those sorts of problems, itâs a good idea to make sure any future issues will be covered before buying a plan.)
Pet insurance also doesnât cover routine care, like vaccinations and regular checkups, but you can buy a wellness plan thatâll cover those types of vet visits as an add-on.
â[Wellness] coverage pays for wellness checks and testing, flea and heartworm prevention and vaccines,â Francies said. âSome pet insurance providers will not sell wellness coverage as a standalone plan and will instead ask you to purchase a pet medical plan as well.â
Is pet insurance ever not worth it?
While itâs generally a good idea to have pet insurance, there are some cases when it might not be worth it, like if your pet is already injured or has a pre-existing condition.
âIf your dog is already unwell or injured, or youâve adopted an elderly pooch from the pound, insurance may not be a financially sound investment,â Dr. Simon said. âInsurers charge a premium for covering these dogs, and it may not be worth the initial outlay. However, double check this with your vet, who can discuss things with you on an individual basis.â
But most of the time, itâs worth it to have pet insurance, and it can even save your petâs life.
âIn most cases, pet insurance is worth the cost, especially with high-risk breeds for certain conditions (e.g., dachshunds with back issues),â Dr. Conrad said. âFor most pet owners, having insurance can be lifesaving.â
(If you're looking for pet insurance, youâll want to check out Fetch by The Dodo because it's made by and for adoring pet parents, and because it's the most comprehensive coverage in the US and Canada, covering things that other providers don't or charge extra for.)