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Full coverage pet insurance costs about $70 a month for a dog and about $36 a month for a cat on an accident and illness policy, based on NAPHIA industry data for premiums actually paid in 2025 ($836 a year for dogs, $435 a year for cats). Adding a wellness plan pushes the average to $1,414 a year for dogs and $859 for cats. Quote sites run lower, because their shoppers pick higher deductibles.
Full coverage pet insurance is an accident and illness policy that pays for accidents, illnesses, diagnostics, surgery, hospitalization and prescription medication, with routine care covered only when you add a wellness plan.
- NAPHIA average for accident and illness: $70 a month for dogs, $36 a month for cats (2025 premiums paid).
- With wellness included: about $118 a month for dogs, about $72 a month for cats.
- Accident-only cover averages $16 a month for dogs and $9 for cats, and it pays nothing for illness.
- Age moves the price more than any other factor. Senior dogs can cost three times a puppy rate.
How much is full coverage pet insurance per month for a dog?
Full coverage for a dog averages about $70 a month, or $836 a year, on NAPHIA figures for 2025. Puppies and young adult dogs usually quote well below that average, while senior dogs quote far above it. Insurify quote data puts a young dog near $40 a month, an adult near $46, and a senior dog near $116.
| Dog profile | Typical monthly quote | Source type |
|---|---|---|
| Young dog, accident and illness | About $40 | Insurify quote averages, 2026 |
| Adult dog, accident and illness | About $46 | Insurify quote averages, 2026 |
| All dogs, premiums actually paid | About $70 ($836/yr) | NAPHIA, 2025 data |
| Senior dog, accident and illness | About $116 | Insurify quote averages, 2026 |
| Dog, accident and illness plus wellness | About $118 ($1,414/yr) | NAPHIA, 2025 data |
Breed sits behind most of that spread. A French Bulldog or a large breed with known joint problems can cost two or three times a mixed breed of the same age, because the claims history for those breeds is heavier. Our guide to how much pet insurance is for dogs breaks the dog numbers down further, including what changes at renewal.
How much is full coverage pet insurance per month for a cat?
Full coverage for a cat averages about $36 a month, or $435 a year, on NAPHIA figures for 2025. Cats cost roughly half what dogs cost at every age, because cats visit the vet less often and their common treatments run cheaper. Insurify quotes put a kitten near $21 a month, an adult cat near $22, and a senior cat near $62.
| Cat profile | Typical monthly quote | Source type |
|---|---|---|
| Kitten, accident and illness | About $21 | Insurify quote averages, 2026 |
| Adult cat, accident and illness | About $22 | Insurify quote averages, 2026 |
| All cats, premiums actually paid | About $36 ($435/yr) | NAPHIA, 2025 data |
| Senior cat, accident and illness | About $62 | Insurify quote averages, 2026 |
| Cat, accident and illness plus wellness | About $72 ($859/yr) | NAPHIA, 2025 data |
Indoor cats sit at the cheap end of that range and outdoor cats at the top, because traffic and fights drive claims. Our pet insurance for cats cost guide covers the indoor, outdoor and breed differences in detail.
What does full coverage pet insurance actually cover?
A full coverage accident and illness policy pays for accidents such as broken bones and swallowed objects, and for illnesses such as cancer, allergies, diabetes and ear infections. It includes diagnostics like X-rays and blood work, surgery, hospitalization, specialist visits and prescription medication. It excludes pre-existing conditions, and routine care is covered only with a wellness add-on.
The word full misleads some buyers. No pet policy covers a condition your pet already had before the policy started, and most exclude breeding costs and cosmetic procedures. Wellness plans reimburse set amounts for vaccinations, checkups, dental cleaning and heartworm prevention. They raise the premium a lot relative to what they pay out, which is why the NAPHIA average with wellness embedded ($1,414 a year for dogs) sits so far above the accident and illness average ($836). Read our breakdown of how much pet insurance costs in 2026 for the deductible and reimbursement settings behind these averages.
How do deductible and reimbursement choices change the monthly price?
Your deductible, reimbursement rate and annual limit can halve or double the monthly price for the same pet. A $500 deductible with 80% reimbursement and a $5,000 annual limit quotes far below a $100 deductible with 90% reimbursement and unlimited coverage. Most buyers land in the middle, and the averages above reflect those middle settings.
| Setting | Cheaper choice | Pricier choice | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual deductible | $500 to $1,000 | $100 to $250 | You pay more per claim year before the policy pays |
| Reimbursement rate | 70% | 90% to 100% | Your share of every covered bill after the deductible |
| Annual limit | $5,000 | Unlimited | The most the policy pays in a year |
| Wellness add-on | None | Embedded wellness | Routine care paid up to set amounts per service |
One worked example shows the stakes. A $7,000 emergency surgery bill on a policy with a $500 deductible and 90% reimbursement pays you $5,850 and leaves you $1,150 out of pocket. The same bill on an accident-only policy pays nothing if the surgery was for an illness. That gap is the whole reason full coverage costs about four times the accident-only price.
Is full coverage pet insurance worth the monthly cost?
Full coverage is worth it when one $3,000 to $7,000 vet bill would strain your savings, because illness claims are the large ones and accident-only policies exclude them. It is harder to justify for a young, healthy indoor pet if you keep a separate emergency fund and can absorb a bad year. The honest comparison is in our pet insurance worth it cost math guide.
Two habits keep the price fair. Enroll while the pet is young, before conditions become pre-existing exclusions, and compare quotes at identical settings, because a cheap quote with a $1,000 deductible and 70% reimbursement is a different product from the average priced above. Expect the premium to rise at renewal. NAPHIA data shows accident and illness premiums rose about 11.5% for dogs and 12.6% for cats in a single year, so budget for increases as your pet ages.
How does age change the full coverage price over time?
Pet insurance reprices as your pet ages, and full coverage shows the steepest climb because illness claims cluster in the senior years. A dog enrolled as a puppy near $40 a month can renew above $100 a month by age ten at the same settings, based on the senior quote averages above. Cats follow the same pattern at lower levels, moving from near $21 a month as kittens to near $62 as seniors in Insurify quote data. Enrolling young locks in coverage for conditions that develop later, since a condition diagnosed before enrollment is treated as pre-existing and excluded. That is the main financial argument for buying early even though a young pet is unlikely to claim in its first years.
Frequently asked questions
How much is full coverage pet insurance a month on average?
About $70 a month for a dog and about $36 a month for a cat, based on NAPHIA data for premiums actually paid in 2025 ($836 and $435 a year). Adding wellness cover raises the averages to $1,414 a year for dogs and $859 for cats. Your quote depends on species, age, breed, ZIP code and the deductible and reimbursement rate you pick.
What is the difference between full coverage and accident-only pet insurance?
Full coverage means an accident and illness policy. It pays for injuries and for illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and infections. Accident-only policies pay only for injuries from accidents and average about $16 a month for dogs and $9 for cats on NAPHIA data. Illnesses cause many of the largest vet bills, so the cheaper policy leaves the biggest risk uncovered.
Does full coverage pet insurance include vaccinations and checkups?
Only if you add a wellness plan. A standard accident and illness policy excludes routine care. Wellness add-ons reimburse set amounts for vaccinations, annual exams, dental cleaning and prevention medication, and they raise the average annual premium for a dog from $836 to $1,414 on NAPHIA figures. Many owners pay for routine care directly and insure only accidents and illness.
Why is my full coverage quote higher than the average?
Age, breed and location explain most quotes above the average. Senior pets cost two to three times a young pet, breeds with known hereditary problems cost more, and vet prices in your ZIP code feed straight into the premium. Low deductibles, 90% reimbursement and unlimited annual limits also raise the price. Quote data from Insurify puts a senior dog near $116 a month.
Can I lower my full coverage pet insurance per month cost?
Yes. Raise the deductible, drop the reimbursement rate to 80%, and set a $5,000 or $10,000 annual limit instead of unlimited. Those three settings do most of the work. You can also skip the wellness add-on and pay for routine care yourself. Compare at least three insurers at the same settings, because prices for the same pet vary widely between companies.
