Pets are as much a part of the family as any human member, and when accidents or illness strike these companions their owners could find themselves shelling out quite a bit of cash to help them get back on their feet. Just as a person invests in health insurance for the rest of their family, it may be worth purchasing pet insurance to avoid landing in debt with the veterinarian.

While it may sound like a foreign idea to some, pet insurance is becoming more and more common in the United States, with the North American Pet Health Insurance Association reporting 17.1% growth in the total number of pets that were insured over the course of 2023, for a total of more than 5.6 million insured animals.

When looking at pet ownership in the country overall, 14.8% of dogs were insured and 26.2% of cats in 2023. However, dogs make up the majority of pets that are insured at 78.6%.

In the slideshow above, we’ll look at the most popular dog breeds owners are choosing in 2025 according to Dogster.

Since 2020, the number of insured pets in the U.S. has grown by an average of 22.6% each year.

There are three standard varieties of pet insurance policies: accident and illness plans, accident-only plans and routine wellness plans, with combination accident and illness plans being the most common. The combined plans usually cover injury and sickness (broken bones, cancer, etc.), while accident-only plans — as you can guess from the name — only cover accident-related issues. Wellness plans can usually be included as an add-on to these policies.

Like any other line of insurance, pet policies often include exclusions from coverage. According to Forbes Advisor, some of the most common exclusions include:

  • Pre-existing conditions
  • Preventative or elective procedures
  • Exam fees
  • Grooming
  • Breeding costs
  • Expenses not related to veterinary care (i.e. taxes or administrative fees charged by the veterinarian)
  • Food and vitamins
Much like human health plans, when shopping for pet insurance owners are able to select their plan's annual maximum coverage, deductible and reimbursement percentage. It is also important to consider that many pet insurers have required waiting periods for coverage, which vary — usually between 2 and 14 days — carrier-to-carrier.

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