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I have mixed feelings about pet insurance. This page is a bit long, but I’m going to break down some of the differences in insurance offerings, and why they might or might not be a good choice for you. I have no relationship, financial or otherwise, with any pet insurance company. I do not carry pet insurance on my Shibas, for reasons I’ll explain shortly. If I was going to, I think Lemonade would be my first choice, based on cost-to-benefit. I do feel that for new puppy parents, an inexpensive basic Accident & Illness coverage plan is a good idea.
For Shibas, I don’t consider most pet insurance plans to be a good value. For me, value is how much that I feel something is “worth it” in comparison to what it costs me. Example: dog food. A cheap food such as Puppy Chow/ Dog Chow or Pedigree might save me lots of money, but feeding a food like that, especially with corn as the first ingredient, is going to negatively affect my Shibas in lots of ways- health, energy, coat and body condition, immune systems, etc. It will never be a good value to me. Acana, Orijen, Earthborn, Stella, Nutrisource- all of these are far more expensive, but my Shibas do very well on them and to me they are an excellent value.
I don’t carry pet insurance on my Shibas because so far I haven’t found that it would provide a good value for my situation. Shibas, in general, are a fairly healthy breed. My Shibas in particular come from excellent, health tested lines. My individual Shibas are tested both genetically and with OFA certifications. I’m an experienced owner and know many of the things to watch for/ how to set up their environment to prevent most issues. I have a comfortable amount of money in an emergency account for them and excellent credit. I’m confident in my financial ability to handle large emergency situations. For me, it doesn’t make sense to spend $300 to $1,000 per Shiba each year for pet insurance.
I’ve spent a lifetime sharing my home with dogs. I’ve experienced several breeds prior to discovering the sheer joy that Shibas bring. In my decades of experience, I’ve been (and continue to go) to countless vet visits for things big, small, and routine. I’ve been to the animal emergency hospital multiple times over many years, at all hours of the day and night. I’ve spent many tens of thousands of dollars on veterinary care, and in emergency situations I've always checked the box that says “no limit” to the cost of care that they provide. In my many years with Shibas, I’ve been to the emergency hospital exactly twice. Once for a 5 day old fading puppy that heartbreakingly couldn’t be saved. And once for an adult who was a bit too lethargic for comfort. It was late in the evening, and I was worried that if she took a turn for the worse during the night, I’d be asleep and wouldn’t know.
You should be prepared to spend a minimum of $500 if you need to take your Shiba in for an emergency/ urgent care visit. And that’s if they find nothing very wrong. The costs can easily jump into thousands of dollars. Shibas have high prey drives and unreliable recall. They can be hit by a car, eat something they aren’t supposed to, get attacked by a dog at the dog park, take a corner wrong during zoomies and get a sprain. The list goes on, and it seems that Shibas are always finding new and creative ways to keep you on your toes. Some of these things require emergency visits, and some don’t. For things that are urgent but not true emergencies, if your vet is open they’ll often try their best to make time to see you within a few days.
To help show the differences between different carriers, in 2023 I obtained quotes from a handful of pet insurance providers.
I used the same dog info & zip code info for all quotes:
Zip code 98116 (Seattle)
Shiba Inu, Female, age under (1) year, unaltered, no pre-existing health conditions.
(Listed in alphabetical order)
Many breeders (all kinds of breeds, not just Shiba) include a free month of Trupanion Pet insurance with their puppies. The reason for this is that Trupanion encourages breeders to do it! Breeders like it because it’s an “extra” thing they can offer, and it doesn’t cost the breeder anything. Trupanion loves it because once a pet owner has started that insurance plan for their puppy, they’re more likely to just continue with that insurance company. Trupanion is one of the most expensive pet insurance companies out there. For this reason, I dislike offering Trupanion. There are many pet insurance companies, and although I don't see anything wrong with Trupanion, I haven’t seen anything that convinces me that they're better than any other pet insurance company. If the coverage is the same, you’re better off having an insurance plan that’s half the price, and spending the extra money on something like quality food, a poop-scooping service, experiences with your Shiba, etc. Trupanion: $60/mo @ 11 months (because you got that first month for “free”) = $660. Lemonade with the same deductible and coverage amounts is $25.50/mo @ 12 months = $306. Shopping for your insurance plan can save you over $350 per year that you can spend on cute jackets, doggy massage, or taking the day off work to spend with your Sheeb!
Something very important to keep in mind is that the basic pet insurance plans don’t come with wellness coverage. Things like routine exams, vaccines, spay/ neuter, etc aren’t covered. You can add more costly options that cover part of routine wellness items (exam fees, vaccines, spay/ neuter). However, they only cover PART of the fees, and from my research the value isn’t there for the upgraded plans.
Examples shown here:
To give you a rough idea of routine wellness/ preventive care costs, here's an estimate of what you should expect to pay:
Routine vet visit: $50-$100
Vaccine, DHPP: $35-$75 (every 3-4 weeks until age 16wks, then every 1-3 yrs or titer)
Vaccine, Rabies: $35-$75 (once at 4-5 months, booster at 1 year, then every 3 yrs thereafter)
Vaccine, Bordetella: $35-$75 (annual- once if intranasal, twice if injection)
Flea, tick, heartworm prevention: $25-$50 monthly ($300-$600 annual)
Spay/ neuter: Prices are all over the map. Depending on vet, they range roughly from $500-$1500. However, this is a one-time cost.
So, the answer to "do I need pet insurance?" or "What's the best pet insurance?" really depends on your individual lifestyle, experience, and situation. For new puppy parents, I'd say an inexpensive basic Accident & Illness coverage plan would probably be a good idea. It provides a good safety net to pay for part of the cost of big emergencies. If you stick with a fairly inexpensive plan it's more likely that you'll continue it.
We do not claim to be a veterinarian nor a medical professional. We are educated and try to stay current with trends, information, and resources in the pet industry and the dog health world.
Any information on our website is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please seek the help of a veterinarian for any signs that your dog is ill or if there is any question that help might be needed. Please always follow your veterinarian's advice and recommended vaccine schedule.
Always check with your dog’s traditional vet, holistic vet, or veterinary nutritionist before making any major changes to your dog’s regimen.
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