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Pet insurance for a dog costs about $70 a month, or $836 a year, for an accident and illness policy at the national average. Accident only coverage averages about $16 a month, or $190 a year, and a policy with wellness benefits built in averages about $118 a month, or $1,414 a year. Those averages come from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) industry data for 2025 premiums, reported in NerdWallet’s 2026 cost breakdown and summarized at ThePricer.
Your dog’s breed, age, and ZIP code can double that average or cut it in half. This guide shows what owners pay by plan type and by life stage, what the premium buys, and how to judge whether a policy beats paying vet bills from savings.
How much is pet insurance for dogs per month?
The average dog owner pays about $70 a month for accident and illness coverage, about $16 a month for accident only coverage, and about $118 a month when wellness benefits are included, based on NAPHIA’s 2025 premium data. Puppies usually price below those averages in their first year, and senior dogs price well above them, so the average describes a middle aged dog best.
| Plan type for dogs | Average per year | Average per month | What it pays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident only | $190 | About $16 | Injuries such as fractures, bite wounds, poisoning, and swallowed objects |
| Accident and illness | $836 | About $70 | Accidents plus illnesses, including infections, cancer, and digestive problems, subject to policy terms |
| Accident and illness with embedded wellness | $1,414 | About $118 | The above plus set allowances for routine and preventive care |
Source: NAPHIA State of the Industry data for 2025 premiums, as reported in 2026 cost guides. For the wider picture across species, our overview of how much pet insurance costs covers cats and dogs together, and our comparison of pet insurance for dogs vs cats shows why dog premiums run higher at almost every age.
How much is pet insurance for a dog by age?
Age moves a dog premium more than almost any other factor. A puppy enrolled in its first year often costs $30 to $50 a month for accident and illness coverage, an adult dog in its middle years sits near the $70 average, and a senior dog can run $100 a month or more, with some insurers capping enrollment age or trimming benefits for older dogs.
The reason is claim frequency. Older dogs develop arthritis, heart disease, kidney problems, and cancer at higher rates, and insurers price that curve openly. Enrolling a young dog also locks in coverage before conditions appear, because pet policies exclude pre existing conditions in nearly every case. Our guide to pet insurance cost by age walks through the puppy, adult, and senior stages in more detail, and our piece on pet insurance for senior dogs covers what changes after age 10, including enrollment cutoffs.
Owners asking how much is pet insurance a month for a dog they just adopted should quote with the dog’s real age or the vet’s best estimate. A guessed age that turns out wrong can cause claim disputes later, when records show a different age than the application.
What makes one dog cost more to insure than another?
Breed is the second big pricing factor after age. Large breeds with known joint and cancer risks, such as golden retrievers, German shepherds, and Great Danes, cost more to insure than small mixed breed dogs. Insurers keep breed level claim tables, and the premium follows the table. Our explainer on why pet insurance costs more for some breeds shows how those tables work.
Location matters too, because vet prices differ by city. A policy in a metro area with high veterinary costs reimburses larger bills, so the premium runs higher than the same dog insured in a rural county. Plan design choices land on top of breed and place: a 90 percent reimbursement rate costs more than 70 percent, a $250 deductible costs more than a $1,000 deductible, and an unlimited annual limit costs more than a $5,000 cap. Two owners with identical dogs can pay $45 and $110 a month purely because they picked different settings on the quote page.
What does dog insurance actually pay for?
An accident and illness policy reimburses covered vet bills after you meet the deductible, at the reimbursement percentage you chose, up to the annual limit. Covered care typically includes surgery, hospitalization, diagnostic tests, prescription medication, and treatment for illnesses such as cancer or diabetes, as described in the policy. Most plans reimburse you after you pay the vet, rather than paying the clinic directly.
A worked example shows the shape of it. Say a dog tears a cruciate ligament and the surgery bill is $4,500, a figure in the range vets commonly charge for this repair. With a $500 deductible and 80 percent reimbursement, you pay the $500 deductible plus 20 percent of the remaining $4,000, which is $800, for a total of $1,300 out of pocket. The plan pays $3,200. Routine care, grooming, and pre existing conditions stay on you unless the policy says otherwise, and waiting periods apply at the start: accident coverage often begins within a few days, illness coverage after about two weeks, and orthopedic conditions sometimes after a longer wait unless an exam waives it.
Common smaller claims put the premium in perspective. ValuePenguin’s claim data lists average vet visit costs for dogs of $149 for an ear infection, $249 for allergies, $385 for an upset stomach, and $617 for bladder issues. A year of premiums buys peace of mind against the large bills; the small ones often fall under the deductible.
Is pet insurance worth it for older dogs?
For older dogs, the answer depends on the premium quote and the exclusions. Senior dogs face the highest premiums and the longest list of pre existing conditions, which are never covered. A healthy 9 year old dog with no diagnosed problems can still gain real protection against new illnesses and accidents. A dog already being treated for kidney disease will find that condition and related ones excluded, so the policy mostly covers new accidents.
Our analysis of whether pet insurance is worth it runs the lifetime math for several scenarios, including the savings account alternative. That comparison helps for any age: money set aside monthly earns nothing toward a bill that arrives in month three, while insurance covers large bills from the first month after waiting periods, at the cost of premiums in the healthy years when nothing happens.
How can you lower the cost of insuring your dog?
You lower the premium by raising the deductible, choosing a 70 or 80 percent reimbursement rate instead of 90 percent, and setting an annual limit that matches realistic worst case bills in your area. Enrolling while the dog is young, keeping continuous coverage so conditions stay covered, and asking about multi pet or employer group discounts also help at many companies.
Compare quotes from at least three insurers with identical settings, because breed pricing differs sharply between companies. One insurer may price French bulldogs gently and retrievers harshly while another does the reverse. Read the exclusions page before you buy, especially for hereditary conditions common in your dog’s breed, and check whether the premium is priced to step up steeply with age. A cheap first year can become an expensive fifth year at some carriers.
Key takeaways
Plan on about $70 a month for accident and illness coverage for a dog, about $16 a month for accident only, and about $118 a month with wellness included, using NAPHIA’s 2025 averages. Breed, age, and your deductible and reimbursement choices move your real quote a long way from those averages. Insuring a young, healthy dog buys the broadest coverage at the lowest price the dog will ever be offered.
Frequently asked questions
How much is pet insurance for a puppy?
A puppy often costs $30 to $50 a month for accident and illness coverage in its first year, below the $70 all ages average from NAPHIA data. Breed and location set the exact figure. Enrolling early matters because conditions that appear before enrollment are excluded as pre existing.
Does pet insurance cover vaccinations and checkups?
Standard accident and illness policies do not pay for routine care. Wellness coverage, sold as an add on or built into some plans, reimburses set amounts for vaccines, exams, and preventive tests. Policies with embedded wellness averaged $1,414 a year for dogs in NAPHIA’s 2025 data, against $836 without it.
What is not covered by dog insurance?
Pre existing conditions are the main exclusion across the industry. Most policies also exclude cosmetic procedures, breeding costs, and routine care unless you buy wellness coverage. Each policy lists its own exclusions, and bilateral conditions, where a problem on one side excludes the other, catch many owners by surprise.
Can I insure an older dog?
Often yes. Some insurers enroll senior dogs with no upper age limit, while others cap new enrollment around age 10 to 14 or sell accident only coverage to older dogs. Premiums run high and pre existing conditions stay excluded, so read a senior quote against the list of what the policy will actually pay for.
How are pet insurance claims paid?
You usually pay the vet in full, submit the invoice and records, and receive reimbursement after the deductible at your chosen percentage, commonly 70, 80, or 90 percent of the covered bill. A small number of insurers can pay the vet directly at participating clinics. Processing commonly takes a few days to a few weeks.
