Best Pet Insurance for German Shepherds

Pet insurance for German shepherds can help with the high price of veterinary care. It’s estimated that costs run upward of $1,500 a year for routine vet care and potentially thousands more in emergency vet visits and treatment for this breed.

To help you prepare for these potential expenses, we’ve reviewed the best pet insurance companies for German shepherds.

Best pet insurance companies for German shepherds

You can find pet insurance for German shepherds at all major pet insurance companies, though most have fine print about how soon coverage for hip dysplasia—a common issue in older German shepherds—kicks in.

You’ll want to analyze insurers to ensure they cover common German shepherd issues, including:

• Hip dysplasia
• Bloat
• Heart disease
• Pannus (and other eye issues)
• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
• Cancer

Below are our top picks for German shepherd pet insurance, based on what the policies cover and their average premiums.

Lemonade – Best for fast claims

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LendEDU rating: 4.7 out of 5

• Deductible: $100, $250, $500, or $750
• Reimbursement: 70%, 80%, or 90%
• Benefit limit: $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000, or $100,000

Lemonade pet insurance has made a name for itself in the market for its speed in processing claims. It offers a seamless digital experience, allowing you to lodge your claim and get it processed in record time. Coupled with robust customer service, you can rest assured that your concerns will be addressed.

Lemonade is also known for its lower prices, but the premiums can increase with additional optional coverages. We recommend asking your vet which optional coverages might be appropriate for your German shepherd.

Lemonade also offers several opportunities for discounts, customizable policies, a short accident coverage window (coverage starts two days after enrollment), and an easy online platform.

As of May 2024, Lemonade pet insurance is not available in the following states:

• Alaska
• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Minnesota
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

Fetch – Best coverage

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LendEDU rating: 4.9 out of 5

• Deductible: $300, $500, or $700
• Reimbursement: 70%, 80%, or 90%
• Benefit limit: $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000

Fetch pet insurance strikes a balance between comprehensive coverage and affordable pricing. Its comprehensive policies cover exam fees, alternative and holistic care, online vet visits, physical and behavioral therapy, diagnostic tests, supplements, and even advertising and reward if your German shepherd gets lost. Fetch offers discounts for multiple pets, making it ideal for homes with more than one furry friend.

Fetch also emphasizes that it covers breed-specific issues. Parents of German shepherds can trust that no matter what issues their four-legged friend develops, they’ll have the coverage they need.

We like Fetch because it has no vet restrictions or lifetime limits. Prescriptions, emergency vet visits, and even holistic care are covered with Fetch. However, the insurer doesn’t offer the option for an unlimited annual benefit amount. 

Spot – Best variety of terms

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LendEDU rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Deductible: $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000
• Reimbursement: 70%, 80%, or 90%
• Benefit limit: $2,500, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, or unlimited

Spot pet insurance offers customizable coverage plans that allow you to choose the terms best suited for you and your pet. It offers flexibility, permitting you to adjust your policy terms to match your financial considerations.

Spot offers a range of policy options for German shepherd parents, including accident and illness coverage, accident-only policies, and optional wellness coverage. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if no claims are made, and it reimburses exam fees for covered conditions. Spot also differentiates between curable and incurable pre-existing conditions, offering more flexibility in coverage.

Spot doesn’t have a maximum age limit for coverage, so your loyal German shepherd is always eligible for insurance protection. Spot is an excellent choice for owners seeking flexible terms and comprehensive pet coverage.

Embrace – Best for quick coverage

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LendEDU rating: 4.7 out of 5

• Deductible: $100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000
• Reimbursement: 70%, 80%, or 90%
• $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, or unlimited

Embrace pet insurance is a terrific option if you need quick coverage. This provider’s coverage often starts within just a few days of signing up. Embrace also acknowledges the different health concerns by breed and includes coverage for breed-specific conditions.

It has an unlimited benefit option, a 24/7 pet helpline, and a multi-pet discount. Embrace has no network restrictions, so you can use any vet you like. You can also opt into exam fee coverage and dental coverage.

Embrace offers high annual payout limits for your pet’s treatments and procedures. As a German shepherd owner looking for lightning-fast coverage and breed-specific care, Embrace could be an ideal candidate.

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Best Pet Insurance Companies 

How much does it cost to own a German shepherd?

Over a German shepherd’s lifetime, you can expect to spend between $50,000 and $100,000. Those costs include adoption fees, food, boarding costs, grooming, training, toys, and veterinary care. Pet insurance can only help you with that final cost category.

Expect to spend up to $1,500 a year on routine vet care for your German shepherd. You’ll spend a lot more on emergency vet visits, from $150 (just to be seen) up to $5,000 per visit.

German shepherds live an average of 9 to 13 years, meaning you’ll spend $13,500 to $19,500 on wellness visits alone over the course of their life. But caring for a German shepherd becomes much more expensive when you consider their common issues requiring treatment outside of routine care.

The table below explores problems your German shepherd may encounter as he or she ages—and some of the associated costs.

Issue	Cost
Hip dysplasia	$1,700 – $4,500+ for surgery
Bloat (gastric dilation volvulus)	$1,500 – $7,500 for surgery
Heart disease	$500 – $1,000 per year to monitor
Pannus (chronic superficial keratitis) and other eye conditions	Up to $4,200 for various eye surgeries
Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency	$300 – $1,000 to diagnose
Cancer	$10,000+

German shepherd pet insurance costs

The average cost of pet insurance varies by breed. In general, larger breeds, such as German shepherds, are more expensive to insure. In our recent analysis of pet insurance rates by breed, we found that the average cost of pet insurance for a healthy, young (one-year-old) German shepherd is $45.89.

German shepherd pet insurance costs will increase as your pet ages. It’s important to get pet insurance as soon as you adopt a German shepherd into your family, especially before any pre-existing conditions develop. It’s challenging (and expensive) to get pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions.

Pet insurance costs also vary by location and plan specifics, such as the deductible, coverage limits, plan type, and coinsurance rate.

While $45.89 a month can be a challenge on a tight budget, pet insurance is worth the cost if your German shepherd develops any of the conditions we mentioned above. For instance, if you have your German shepherd for eight years at an average cost of $75 a month, and he or she develops cancer later in life, you’ll save significant money with pet insurance:

8 years x 12 months x $75/month = $7,200 for insurance

Compare that to the estimated cost of chemotherapy for a dog with cancer, which can easily exceed $10,000. Not factoring in any other conditions pet insurance may cover over your German shepherd’s life, the covered cancer treatment alone makes pet insurance worth the cost.

What pet insurance does and doesn’t cover

Your coverage with a pet insurance policy will depend on the policy you choose. Some policies only cover injuries caused by accidents, such as car collisions, while others cover accidents and illnesses. Others offer wellness coverage for routine care, such as annual exams and vaccinations.

Most pet owners buy accident and illness policies covering catastrophic injuries and more routine ailments, such as hip dysplasia or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in German shepherds.

The table below demonstrates common inclusions and exclusions in pet insurance, but do your due diligence when researching specific pet insurance companies to see what they cover and don’t.

Common pet insurance inclusions	Common pet insurance exclusions
✅ Illnesses	❌ Routine and preventive care
✅ Accidents and injuries	❌ Pre-existing conditions
✅ Surgery	❌ Behavior issues
✅ Hospitalization	❌ Grooming
✅ Medications	❌ Experimental treatments
✅ End-of-life costs	❌ Breeding and pregnancy

Find the right German shepherd pet insurance

Think pet insurance makes sense for your budget? 

Our expert’s tips

Rand Millwood

CFP®

If you have a German shepherd and are evaluating a pet insurance policy, consider what kind of costs you’re comfortable spending. If you want to do anything you can to prolong the life and health of your pet, an insurance policy that can help alleviate some of those costs is worth evaluating.

Here are the basic steps to take to ensure you choose the best pet insurance for your German shepherd.

1. Do your homework: Sit down with your budget to understand how easily an emergency vet bill could wreck your finances and how much you can afford to spend a month on a policy. Read up on how pet insurance works to make sure you know what you’re signing up for and get all the coverage you need.
2. Speak with your vet: Your vet is on your side and wants what’s best for your German shepherd. They might be able to recommend insurance companies they’ve found easier to work with in terms of comprehensive coverage or faster reimbursements for other patients. They may also be able to shed light on other common German shepherd issues you should anticipate.
3. Get several quotes: Don’t go with the first pet insurance quote you get. Get at least three quotes, and compare coverage limits, deductibles, coinsurance, exclusions, and pricing to pick the right insurance for your German shepherd.
4. Don’t wait: Once you’ve found the right policy, don’t wait to sign up. The sooner you start, the sooner coverage will kick in—and you won’t need to worry about pre-existing conditions.

Recap of pet insurance for German shepherds