The Ultimate Pet Insurance Checklist for New Puppy Owners

Here are some considerations to keep in mind when choosing a pet insurance company.

Why the Timing of Your Puppy Insurance Plan Actually Matters

Most pet owners do not know the importance of securing pet insurance even before they need it.

Pet insurance should therefore be purchased on the day you adopt your puppy. The reason behind this is very practical. No pet insurance company will ever cover pre-existing conditions like stomach upset or skin infections because they all arise outside the period of insurance.

"Puppies are essentially 'blank slates' medically, so enrolling them early helps ensure that almost nothing is flagged as a pre-existing condition."

Samantha Kocher, Member Experience Expert, Small Door Vet

Insurers usually start accepting dogs as early as 6 to 8 weeks. It usually takes around 8 to 10 weeks for the initial vet checkup, which marks the best time to secure a policy while there are no problems recorded in the dog's medical history yet.

Pro Tip:

Register your puppy before their first ever vet appointment. The first vet appointment marks the beginning of the medical history records, and all records made are added to the file. Starting with a blank record ensures maximum coverage options.

Understanding What Puppy Insurance Actually Costs

However, before delving straight into the plans, let’s look at the budget requirements for us.

In general, owners usually spend somewhere between $2,000 and $5,000 for all sorts of expenses related to raising and caring for their dogs in the first year: cages, training, vaccinations, and visits to a veterinarian. For other years, an annual cost of most pet owners will vary from $1,500 to $3,000.

When it comes to insurance plans, there are a few aspects that influence your monthly budget.

Breed

First of all, it affects the monthly amount. If there are genetically predisposed diseases in a certain breed, then your insurance payments will increase since they are prone to medical treatment.

Location

Secondly, it can affect your insurance payment. For instance, a trip to a veterinarian in New York costs way more than a visit to one in some midsized town.

Plan

Thirdly, plan structure is a factor. Your monthly premium will increase if you have a low deductible or 90% reimbursement rate.

Here is how monthly fees vary depending on plan type:

• Only accident insurance: $10-$20

• Combined accident and illness plan: $30-$60+ per month

• Additional wellness insurance: another $10-$50

• This is your minimum. Puppy health insurance needs to include both illness and accidents, with a large coverage list.

Your Puppy Insurance Checklist: 4 Things to Verify Before You Sign

1. Does It Cover Accidents and Illnesses Broadly?

That is your starting point. Puppy health insurance must provide protection against all kinds of puppy illnesses and injuries. You need comprehensive insurance.

A puppy is naturally curious and that is why he is prone to accidents. One of the commonest accidents involving your puppy can be if he swallows some strange object like socks and toys.

Simply to take him to surgery to remove the swallowed object will cost you anything from $3,000 up to $6,000. Your insurance must cover removal of foreign objects, fractures, poisoning, bite, and cuts.

Your puppy will suffer from different illnesses like allergic reactions, UTI, digestion, behavior problems like chewing, etc.

2. Are Hereditary and Congenital Conditions Included?

This is the place where most people make mistakes; this makes the study of breeds very important.

Most popular breeds have some inherent health problems which will only show up during the dog’s lifetime. For example, French Bulldogs can suffer from Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome, hip dysplasia, and back issues because of their genes. On the other hand, Golden Retrievers are more susceptible to cancer and cataract problems.

Failure to include hereditary illnesses protection in your chosen insurance package today means facing an extremely costly disease in the future with zero coverage available. Companies such as Spot Pet Insurance can cover this particular requirement.

"When insurance is in place, we are often able to pursue optimal diagnostics and treatment much more quickly."

Kathryn Dench, Chief Scientific Advisor, Paw Origins

3. Is There a Wellness Add-On Worth Considering?

However, pet health insurance is intended for unforeseeable circumstances. Preventive medicine such as vaccinations, deworming, teeth cleaning, and pest control is usually covered by an additional wellness rider.

Especially during the first year, such a rider may be quite useful. Here are the estimated costs of basic dog healthcare procedures:

• Annual veterinary examination – $50–$250

• Spaying/neutering surgery – $200–$600

• Basic vaccinations for dogs – $100–$500

• Fecal parasites test – $20–$100

• Pest control – $250–$400

• Deworming procedure – $20–$60

• Implantation of microchip identification system – $40–$60

It comes out to a minimum of $900 and can go up to $2,500 and even more during the first year. Wellness rider, which provides an annual cost coverage of $120–$300, will help to evenly distribute expenses and make the first year easier financially.

However, once your dog reaches adulthood and requires only one annual veterinary visit, it may seem like a less preferable option for you. It would be up to you to decide annually whether it serves you best.

Pro Tip:

If your puppy's breed requires spaying or neutering soon, look for a higher-tier wellness plan that includes surgical coverage. The cost difference in monthly premium can be much smaller than the surgery bill itself.

4. What Are the Waiting Periods?

There is always a waiting period for every insurance policy. The time between your purchase and coverage is known as a waiting period. Most accidents have short waiting periods, taking a matter of days. In illness coverage, there is a two-week waiting period on average.

Waiting periods can span several months for orthopedic disorders. As such, it is essential to understand that this matter may prove to be very crucial. In case you notice that your puppy has developed an orthopedic disorder during the waiting period, then that condition will be classified as a pre-existing problem.

Is Pet Insurance for Puppies Actually Worth It?

Pet insurance for puppies, for most households, means more protection against sudden emergencies than a cost-cutting exercise.

Two cases can serve as examples. One case is that your puppy eats something and requires emergency surgery worth $4,000 to $7,000. Instead of coughing out thousands from your savings for the surgery, you only have to pay some hundreds after having 80-90 percent covered by your insurance provider.

A second example is your puppy breaking its leg while playing and requiring surgical repairs costing over $5,000. You avoid any tough talk about expenses and concentrate solely on ensuring your beloved pet receives the best treatment available.

It is hard to quantify in dollars and cents just how satisfying it is to say yes to all required treatment without calculating your limits to paying.

Conclusion

Although coming up with a perfect puppy insurance plan may not be quick, with the aid of the above list, you can begin with a good foundation before taking your puppy to its first vet visit. Remember to ensure that the plan provides enough coverage against injuries and sicknesses, check whether genetic illnesses are included, review the advantages of incorporating a wellness plan in the first year, and don’t overlook any waiting period clauses.

It is always better to act now than to regret later. A puppy insurance plan may just be a means of paying bills, but it is also what guarantees that your furry friend will receive the right medical care no matter what happens.

It pays to spend some time finding out about a few insurance providers. There is always the ideal plan out there, and your puppy is certainly worth it.