French Bulldog Insurance

Sometimes, the smallest and the cutest dogs can have the biggest impact on your heart; and, as it turns out, the biggest impact on your wallet too! This is where pet insurance comes to the rescue. Getting pet insurance means you love your Frenchie without worrying about the vet bills. Let’s dive in and learn more about insurance for French Bulldogs.

Why should you consider pet insurance for your French Bulldog

When you picked up your French Bulldog, you would’ve hoped they’d live a long, healthy life and you’ll do everything you can to ensure that. Pet insurance is an important step towards financially securing ourselves for unknown and unpredictable pet emergencies.

It is highly recommended to invest in good pet insurance, especially when adopting a purebred like a French Bulldog. Unexpected accidents, medical illnesses, and other situations may come unannounced. Veterinary rounds, surgeries, and medications can cost pet owners thousands. Insurance provides a financial safety net when faced with unexpected medical costs.  

Common health issues in French Bulldogs

French Bulldogs are predisposed to a few health conditions, genetic and non-genetic. Frenchies often  have pinched nostrils and a flat muzzle, making them more prone to respiratory disorders. They are also more likely to have eye, skin, dental and orthopedic issues than many other breeds. To demonstrate the potential costs you could face if your Frenchie has a health issue, we’ve broken down some of the common conditions they face and provided an approximate cost:

Health issue	Approx. treatment cost
Hip Dysplasia	$1,200 – $2,000
Patellar Luxation	$1,500 – $3,000
Intervertebral disc disease	$1,500 – $4,000
Cleft Palate	$1,000+
Ocular Disease	$500+
Brachycephalic airway syndrome	$2,000 – $5,000
Allergies	$500+

How much does pet insurance for a French Bulldog cost?

Your pet insurance premiums will vary greatly based on a few factors, which you can read about below. To give you an idea of the cost of insuring a French Bulldog, we’ve pulled together a few quotes from some of our favorite insurers.

Insurance Name	Deductible	Average Monthly Premium	Reimbursement	Wellness Coverage
Spot	$100 – $1,000	$30 – $70	70%, 80%, 90%	Yes
Lemonade	$100 – $500	$50 – $70	70%, 80%, 90%	Yes
Embrace	$200 – $1,000	$60 – $80	70% – 90%	Yes
Trupanion	$200 – $1,000 (per condition)	$50 – $80	80% – 100%	No
ASPCA	$100 – $500	$52 – $90	70%, 80%, 90%	Yes
Figo	$100 – $750	$40 – $80	70%, 80%, 90%, 100%	No

Different Kinds of Insurance for French Bulldogs

The cost of pet insurance varies depending on the type of pet insurance, coverage, deductibles, reimbursements, etc. Let’s take a look at the main types of insurance options for your French Bulldog –

1. Accident Only

Accident-only coverage covers the cost of emergency veterinary care and treatment for an unexpected accident such as being hit by a vehicle. Accident-only coverage typically has lower premiums than more comprehensive policies.

2. Accident and Illness

This type of insurance policy is the most popular option amongst pet parents as it provides comprehensive coverage of accidents, medical illnesses, hospitalization, surgery and more. While this type of insurance usually comes with high monthly premiums, you’ll have greater peace of mind knowing your Frenchie is covered for more eventualities.

3. Preventative/Wellness

Some pet insurance companies offer plans that allow pet owners to pay flat monthly fees to cover regular care such as vaccinations and annual exams.

4. Catastrophic Illness Insurance

Catastrophic illness insurance is limited to particular illnesses that may require long-term hospitalization or advanced treatment techniques such as cancer.

5. Others

Several pet insurance companies offer coverage in addition to illnesses and accidents that may cover additional costs such as wellness, rehabilitation, alternative treatments, cremation or burial, and more.

Pet insurance for a Frenchie puppy vs an adult/ mature French Bulldog

Regardless of the breed of the dog, it is always advisable to buy pet insurance when your pet is a puppy. Pet insurance won’t cover pre-existing conditions, and the sooner you get a plan, the less likely it is that a health issue your dog faces will be considered pre-existing. Many common French Bulldogs issues, such as hip dysplasia and obstructive airway syndrome, can be noted at a young age, and so may be counted as pre-existing fairly quickly unless insurance is taken out at the puppy stage.

The insurance premium of a puppy is also almost always cheaper compared to an adult or a mature dog. As your dog ages, it becomes more disposed to health issues, so younger dogs are cheaper to insure.

Factors that affect the cost of buying pet insurance

There are lots of factors that affect your premiums, from your level of coverage to the age and breed of your dog.

Age of the dog

A puppy’s likelihood of being diagnosed with serious medical conditions is low at a young age. With most pet health insurance companies, premiums will increase with the age of the pet but generally remain lower if they have been insured since they were young. Eventually, you’d be paying a lower premium vs. a pet parent whose dog has been enrolled at an older age.

Breed of the dog

Did you know, French Bulldogs are considered potentially high-risk dogs when it comes to pet insurance? Their stout body structure and flat face make them more prone to health conditions than many breeds. It’s not just Frenchies though; larger purebred dogs such as German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers are more prone to hip and joint conditions. Insurance premiums for these breeds are costlier than usual.

Health history of the dog

Your insurance provider will ask to know the medical history of your Frenchie and is likely to do a background check with your veterinarian. Once you buy the insurance, there will be a waiting period of between 14 days and a month. If your pet is diagnosed with a medical condition just before or during this waiting period, it is generally excluded from coverage. Some orthopedic conditions, including hip dysplasia, have even longer waiting periods.

Coverage limits

Every policy has a coverage limit. This is the highest amount of money an insurance policy will pay in the event of a claim. You can choose this amount before you take out the policy. The higher the coverage limit you choose, the higher the monthly premiums. The limit may be an annual one, or calculated per-condition.

Reimbursement %

This refers to the percentage of the claim you are eligible to be reimbursed for. The most comprehensive pet health coverage will reimburse 80% to 100% of your total vet bill. Higher the reimbursement %, the costlier the premium.

Deductibles

Deductibles are the portion of the bill the pet parent is responsible for paying. Some policies have an annual deductible, meaning there’s a fixed amount you will be liable to cover each year, no matter how many bills your pet encounters. On the other hand, some companies have a per-condition lifetime deductible, meaning, you pay a certain deductible amount for the condition, for the lifetime of your coverage. This would apply to every new medical condition diagnosed in your dog.

If you choose a higher deductible, you’ll have a lower premium because you are choosing to cover a larger portion of your expenses out of pocket each year

Other Important things to look out for while buying pet insurance for a French Bulldog

1. Insurance waiting period

The waiting period is the time between the date on which the policy is purchased vs when the coverage begins. The waiting period could range from as low as 2 days and may go up to a month. If your dog suffers a medical issue before or during this period, it’s unlikely your pet insurance will cover it. 

2. Exclusions

Exclusions are health issues your pet insurance won’t cover in any situation. Most pet insurance policies will have exclusions so make sure you find out what they are. For example, Fetch covers vet examination fees whereas Trupanion excludes them. 

3. Discounts

There are lots of potential discounts you can get on your pet insurance. For instance, lots of providers offer discounts from 5 to 10% if you’re insuring more than one pet.

4. Caps on illnesses or accidents

Almost all companies have caps on the amount you’d be eligible per condition or illness or accident. Anything over and above the cap would be paid out of pocket by you.

5. Provider reviews & ratings

Customer and expert reviews are a great way to find out if a company is right for you. To help you out, we’ve taken a close look at the most popular pet insurance companies in the US.

Finding a good deal on French Bulldog insurance

The pet insurance market is already cluttered with a plethora of options. It can be tricky to pick the best insurance company for your Frenchie. Here are a few tips to help you get the best coverage and the best deal:

• Make a list of the aspects you need coverage for (e.g. illness, accidents, wellness)
• Get quotes from all major insurance companies
• Speak to other pet parents who have bought pet insurance
• Get recommendations from your vet
• Scout for discounts