Understanding pet insurance expenses & risks

What to expect

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Colin LalleyContent Director, Home & Auto InsuranceColin Lalley is the content director for home and auto insurance at Policygenius, where he leads our property & casualty editorial teams. His insights have been featured in Inc. Magazine, Betterment, Chime, Credit Seasame, Zola, and the Council for Disability Awareness.

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Expenses come with the territory of responsible pet ownership, and vet care represents a large part of those expenses. Here are the average annual costs of caring for a pet, according to a survey by the American Pet Products Association.

Pet Expenses

These are average costs—meaning many pet owners can expect higher expenses in a given year. Serious accidents and illnesses can drive up vet expenses. According to ASPCA Pet Insurance, the most common accidents and illnesses are:

Common illnesses

  • Growths & cancer

  • Ear infections

  • Upset stomach

  • Skin problems

  • Vomiting

Common accidents

  • Bite wounds

  • Swallowed objects

  • Cuts

  • Car accidents

  • Poison ingestions

And medical treatment for pets, especially in emergency situations, can get expensive quickly. Here’s a sampling of recent pet insurance claims to a leading pet insurer.

In all of these cases, vet care was necessary—and costly! Pet insurance is designed to help cover high-cost, unpredictable situations like these.