Dog insurance costs, breed by breed

What your dog's breed means for insurance

Every breed tends to need the vet for different things. CostByBreed shows the conditions each breed is prone to, what that care costs, what your state requires, and what a policy would actually pay, with every figure tied to a named source.

Start with your breed

French Bulldog

AKC rank 1. Narrowed airways linked to the short muzzle make breathing noisy and hard, especially in heat or exercise. Top claim risk: Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS).

Labrador Retriever

AKC rank 2. The hip joint forms loosely, leading to arthritis, pain and reduced mobility over time. Top claim risk: Cruciate ligament tears.

Golden Retriever

AKC rank 3. Cancers including lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma are a leading cause of death in the breed. Top claim risk: Cancer.

German Shepherd Dog

AKC rank 4. Loose hip joints lead to arthritis, pain and difficulty rising and climbing. Top claim risk: Hip dysplasia.

Dachshund

AKC rank 5. Discs in the long back can bulge or rupture, causing pain and sometimes paralysis. Top claim risk: Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD).

Poodle

AKC rank 6. In Standard Poodles the stomach can twist, a life threatening emergency. Top claim risk: Bloat (gastric dilatation and volvulus).

See all dog breeds

The national picture

Dog, accident and illness

$836

a year on average, or $69.67 a month

Cat, accident and illness

$435

a year on average, or $36.25 a month

Averages from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association, State of the Industry Report, 2026 edition, reporting 2025 data. The monthly figure is the annual figure divided by 12, shown so the arithmetic is visible.

The accident only door

Just the emergencies?

Accident only cover averages $190 a year for a dog and $112 a year for a cat. It pays for injuries and emergencies and nothing for illness.

How accident only cover works

Work it out for your dog

The estimator puts the national average, the conditions your breed is prone to, your state's rules, and a claim worked out on your own vet bill on one page.

Open the estimator

Cats are covered too

Dogs lead this site, and cats are a real second layer: the breeds below carry the same sourced condition and cost treatment.

See all cat breeds

The Breed Cost Cheat Sheet

One page for each launch breed: the conditions that breed is prone to, the treatment cost for each, and the national average premium, all from the same dataset as this site. Tell us where to send it.

One welcome email with the sheet, then occasional cost updates. No spam, no selling your address.

How to use these pages

Start with the breed

Your breed page lists the conditions your dog is most likely to develop, with the treatment cost for each one, so you can see the bills insurance exists for.

Then check your state

State pages explain what your state's pet insurance law requires, from free look periods to waiting period caps, verified against the law itself.

Then run a claim

Every breed and condition page works a real claim in full, bill, deductible, reimbursement, and what lands back in your account, so the arithmetic is never hidden.