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Insurance Pet Insurance

Pet Insurance for Golden Retrievers: Is It Worth It?

Updated Jan 22, 2024   |   6-min read

Golden retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds for Americans. These friendly dogs are good with children and other animals, easy to train, and typically live around ten to 12 years.

While generally a healthy breed, golden retrievers can be at risk of serious and expensive health issues. Their inquisitive nature means foreign body ingestion is a common complaint necessitating a trip to the vet that could cost around $1,500 on average in vet bills, according to data from Trupanion.

Long soft ears could also lead to ear infections, at an average cost of $200 per vet visit, while lameness and limping, vomiting and diarrhea, and masses are also top reasons for vet visits and run an average of $900, $600, and $1,100 respectively.

You want to make sure your animal companion has the best care possible, so buying pet insurance for your golden retriever may well be worth it given that their common health problems can be so costly.

Best pet insurance for Golden Retrievers

When it comes to pet insurance for golden retrievers, there are a number of providers to choose from. Check out our list below for a few of our top pet insurance options for golden retrievers.

Spot

  • Deductible: $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000
  • Reimbursement: 70%, 80%, or 90%
  • Benefit limit: $2,500, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, or unlimited

Spot Pet Insurance focuses on providing golden retriever owners with the tools to keep their dogs healthy and happy. Spot Pet Insurance policies cover accidents, medications, diagnostics, exams for covered conditions, and treatments including alternative therapies. Spot also provides preventative plans for things like dental cleanings and vaccinations.

  • Age limit: At least 8 weeks old
  • Medical exam: Not required to enroll
  • Discounts: 10% for each additional pet
  • Waiting period: 14 days for both accidents and illnesses
  • Policy options: Accident and illness, accident-only, and optional wellness coverage
  • Benefits: Microchip implementation is covered, 30-day money-back guarantee, exam fees for covered conditions are reimbursed, distinguishes between incurable and curable pre-existing conditions

ASPCA

  • Deductible: $100, $250, or $500
  • Reimbursement: 70%, 80%, or 90%
  • Benefit limit: $3,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, or unlimited

ASPCA covers the exam fees and costs of diagnostics and treatment for any accidents, illnesses, hereditary conditions, or behavioral issues your golden retriever may have. After you pay your vet bill, just submit a claim, and ASPCA will send cash back your way. Another benefit of ASPCA is that it’s easy to manage your account.

  • Age limit: At least 8 weeks old
  • Medical exam: Not required to enroll
  • Discounts: 10% for each additional pet
  • Waiting period: 14 days for accidents and illnesses
  • Policy options: Accident and illness, accident-only, and optional wellness coverage
  • Benefits: 30-day money-back guarantee and distinguishes between incurable and curable pre-existing conditions

ManyPets

  • Deductible: $0, $100, $250, $500, or $750
  • Reimbursement: 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%
  • Benefit limit: Unlimited

Note: ManyPets isn’t available in Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, or Vermont.

ManyPets offers flexibility in choosing your deductible and reimbursement rate so you can customize your coverage to better meet your golden retriever’s needs. All policies come without a cap on how much you can be reimbursed each year.

Additional policy details:

  • Age limit: 8 weeks – 14 years (only for new enrollments)
  • Medical exam: Not required
  • Discounts: None
  • Waiting period: 14 days for illnesses and accidents
  • Policy options: Accident and illness
  • Benefits: Will cover curable pre-existing conditions, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and 24/7 access to virtual vet consultations

How much does pet insurance cost for golden retrievers?

Costs of pet insurance can vary based on when you buy coverage for your animal.

Premiums also differ from one insurer to another, and the type of policy you buy will also impact your costs. To help you estimate premiums, here’s what Trupanion charges per month to insure a golden retriever, depending upon the dog’s age when you purchase coverage and the deductible on your policy:

Age You Buy Coverage$0 Deductible$200 Deductible$700 Deductible
8 Weeks – 12 MonthsMale Pet:
$120.46
Female Pet:
$122.75
Male Pet:
$71.71
Female Pet:
$73.01
Male Pet:
$41.44
Female Pet:
$42.14
4 Years OldMale Pet:
$153.23
Female Pet:
$156.18
Male Pet:
$90.40
Female Pet:
$92.08
Male Pet:
$51.39
Female Pet:
$52.29
10 Years OldMale Pet:
$259.24
Female Pet:
$264.33
Male Pet:
$150.87
Female Pet:
$153.77
Male Pet:
$83.59
Female Pet:
$85.14

As you can see, premiums can go down dramatically with higher deductibles. But remember, you will have to pay this amount up front each year before the insurance kicks in and provides coverage for your pet. You may prefer to pay higher premiums to avoid having to come up with a lot of money at once.

It’s also important to remember that insurers have different rules for deductibles and coverage limits. When comparing policy premiums, be sure to consider not just the monthly cost but also the total amount you’d have to pay out of pocket and the maximum amount of care the policy would pay for. You can learn a lot about deductibles, coverage limits and other details by reading pet insurance reviews. 

>> Read More: Is Pet Insurance Worth the Cost?


What does pet insurance cover?

Pet insurance policies not only vary in premiums and deductibles, but the specifics of what your policy covers will also vary from one carrier to the next. Most insurance will cover both accidents and illnesses, although you can sometimes buy accident-only policies for less.

Policies that pay for illnesses usually cover a wide array of conditions, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. However, your pet will not be able to have any pre-existing conditions covered. This means it’s important to buy a policy before your golden retriever gets sick to make sure your dog can get the necessary care.

An accident or illness policy pays only when something goes wrong and your pet needs treatment, such as lab testing, chemotherapy, or surgery. If you want routine veterinary care, such as annual checkups and dental cleanings covered, you may need to buy additional coverage. And, for add-ons such as chiropractic care, laser therapy, acupuncture, and similar alternative treatments, you may need an additional policy rider.

Some pet insurance policies also exclude not only pre-existing conditions but also genetic conditions. Golden retrievers have a genetic tendency toward eye problems, joint problems such as hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia, and certain types of cancer such as osteosarcoma.

Find out if your policy will cover your dog’s genetic conditions and, if so, if there are any limitations on your dog insurance.


Finding the right Golden Retriever pet insurance

Finding the right pet insurance for your golden retriever is important, as providing high-quality veterinary pet health care is part of being a responsible dog owner.

You’ll need to shop around for coverage from pet insurance companies to make sure you get a pet health insurance policy that’s affordable and covers your dog’s needs.

Recap of pet insurance for Golden Retrievers

ProviderLendEDU RatingReimbursementBenefit Limit
ManyPets4.7/570% – 100%Unlimited
Spot4.5/570%90%$2,500Unlimited
ASPCA4.3/570%90%$5,000Unlimited

>> Read More: Pet insurance rates by breed