Dog insurance is the term for an insurance policy specifically designed for dogs which the owner purchases for the purpose of mitigating whatever expenses might be incurred from the veterinary treatment caused by injury or sickness. Like a human being’s health insurance, the owner has to choose from different plans which have different costs and range of coverage.

Historically, the first ever pet insurance policy was written in 1890 by Claes Virgin. This policy however, dealt more with horses and livestock and not so much with dogs. It reached the United States around 1980 and the first ever policy sold was two years after that for then K9 television star Lassie by the insurance company Veterinary Pet Insurance.

Because of the rising cost of veterinary procedures and the ever growing bond between dogs and their owners, dog insurance is fast becoming the norm making it necessary for dog owners and lovers to be familiar with how this insurance works in order to better safeguard their beloved companions. Generally, dog insurance is really a type of property insurance. This means that the dog owner may claim for reimbursement from the insurance company after his dog has received the necessary veterinary care. Originally, dog insurance did not cover preventive care procedures such as vaccines and elective surgeries like neutering. Recently though, many insurance companies especially in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada have been including these procedures in their policies and even include dental care and other alternative treatments.

There are two main categories for dog insurance: non-lifetime and lifetime. Non- lifetime policies include most conditions suffered by the dog within the effective range covered by the policy. If the dog however, receives treatment for a particular sickness or injury and subsequently claims from the insurance company, this sickness or injury shall not be included when the policy is renewed. This also means that if there are succeeding treatments related to the original injury or sickness which does not fall on the time frame covered by the original policy, the owner must pay for the treatment himself. Lifetime dog insurance policies, on the other hand, cover the dog’s condition for the duration of its life- which means that even if there was a claim for a particular treatment, it will not be excluded upon renewal of the policy. However, lifetime policies may also have stipulated limits depending on the type, and company offering them. Usually, dog insurance companies limit the coverage for pre-existing conditions to encourage dog owners to insure their pets while they are young. This also serves as a safeguard for the insurance companies against fraudulent consumers.

Lastly, when making the final decision, the pet owner must carefully compare and evaluate which policy to get and from which company to get it from. In choosing the right dog insurance policy, it is important to note if (1) congenital conditions are included, (2) how they calculate the reimbursement and (3) if there are limits to the claims.