Many or all companies we feature compensate us. Compensation and editorial research influence how products appear on a page. Insurance Pet Insurance Pet Insurance for Labrador Retrievers Updated Jul 18, 2024 7-min read Expert Approved Expert Approved This article has been reviewed by a Certified Financial Planner™ for accuracy. Written by Timothy Moore, CFEI® Written by Timothy Moore, CFEI® Expertise: Bank accounts, credit cards, taxes, insurance, personal loans Timothy Moore is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®) specializing in bank accounts, student loans, taxes, and insurance. His passion is helping readers navigate life on a tight budget. Learn more about Timothy Moore, CFEI® Reviewed by Erin Kinkade, CFP® Reviewed by Erin Kinkade, CFP® Expertise: Insurance planning, education planning, retirement planning, investment planning, military benefits, behavioral finance Erin Kinkade, CFP®, ChFC®, works as a financial planner at AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust. Erin prepares comprehensive financial plans for military veterans and their families. Learn more about Erin Kinkade, CFP® Labrador retrievers are among the most intelligent, loyal, and affectionate dog breeds, but their athleticism and love of play can lead to injuries. The breed is also prone to several health conditions, including tricuspid valve dysplasia, ear infections, and hip and elbow dysplasia. To help navigate the costs of vet care for these and other breed-specific issues, you may want to consider labrador pet insurance. Below, we’ll review the best pet insurance for labrador retrievers and analyze how much vet care for labs can cost. Compare the best pet insurance companies for labrador retrievers If you’re looking for pet insurance for your labrador retriever, check out the top-rated pet insurance companies that offer flexible policies to find the coverage your pet needs. CompanyBest for…Rating (0-5) Coverage 4.9 Free Quote Fast claims 4.7 Free Quote Quick coverage 4.7 Free Quote Selection of terms 4.5 Free Quote Best labrador pet insurance Fetch Coverage 4.9 /5 Free Quote Why we picked it If you’re looking for thorough coverage for your lab, there’s no better option than Fetch pet insurance. While most insurers offer decent accident and illness policies, Fetch offers so many standard coverages that are usually add-ons with other insurers, including: Behavior therapy (great for young lab puppies)Alternative and holistic careDiagnostic testsPrescription meds and supplementsOnline vet visits Perhaps most notably, Fetch covers breed-specific issues. That means common labrador retriever health conditions, including bloat, cancer, and exercise-induced collapse, are all covered. The only downsides to Fetch are the higher price (you will have to pay for that great level of coverage!) and the $15,000 cap on annual benefits. There’s no unlimited benefit option at present. Insurance details Deductible$300, $500, or $700Reimbursement$1,000 – 100% of certified costsBenefit limit$5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 Lemonade Fast claims 4.7 /5 Free Quote Why we picked it Lemonade pet insurance is a great choice for labrador retrievers. This insurance company offers lightning-fast claims processing and repayment, which means you’ll get reimbursed faster than you would with other insurers. If you have a curious lab that gets in trouble and requires frequent vet visits, you’ll appreciate the speedy reimbursement. Plus, caring for a lab can be expensive. Their larger size means more pet food and expensive flea, tick, and heartworm meds. Lemonade is easily one of the cheapest pet insurance companies, which can help keep your otherwise high costs for caring for your lab down Lemonade also offers several discounts (including a multi-pet discount) and one of the shortest waiting periods for accidents in the industry (only two days). However, Lemonade is currently not available in every state. Check out our full Lemonade review to find out if it’s available where you live. Insurance details Deductible$100, $250, $500, or $750Reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90%Benefit limit$5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $50,000, or $100,000 Embrace Quick coverage 4.7 /5 Free Quote Why we picked it If you’re worried about your curious lab getting into trouble and hurting him- or herself at any moment, Embrace pet insurance could be right for you. Coverage for accidents starts in just two days. Another hallmark of Embrace is its unlimited coverage limit option; though expensive, it could come in handy if your lab develops a more expensive-to-treat issue, such as cancer, laryngeal paralysis, or hypothyroidism, which is a chronic (lifetime) condition. Labrador retrievers are prone to hip dysplasia; coverage for this condition can be hard to find with some insurers, but it’s standard across all accident and illness policies with Embrace. Insurance details Deductible$100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000Reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90%Benefit limit$5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, or unlimited Spot – Best selection of terms Selection of terms 4.5 /5 Free Quote Why we picked it Spot pet insurance is among the most customizable pet insurance for labrador retrievers. You can tinker with five deductible options, three reimbursement levels, and seven annual benefit limits to choose a policy that meets your budget. That’s more than 100 combinations. Lab retriever parents will also appreciate the around-the-clock veterinary helpline, 30-day money-back guarantee, and multi-pet discount. Insurance details Deductible$100, $250, $500, $750, or $1,000Reimbursement70%, 80%, or 90%Benefit limit$2,500, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, or unlimited Common conditions for labrador retrievers Purebred dogs, including labrador retrievers, tend to be more prone to certain health conditions, leading to higher monthly pet insurance premiums than you’d pay for a mixed breed of the same size. Some of the most common conditions that labs develop throughout their lifespan (10 to 12 years) are: ArthritisBlood disordersBloatCancer (particularly hemangiosarcoma)Ear infectionsExercise-induced collapseElbow and hip dysplasiaHeart diseaseHemolytic anemia and thrombocytopeniaHypothyroidismLaryngeal paralysisLiver problemsTricuspid valve dysplasia Treatment for some of these conditions can be expensive—and a few of the issues require ongoing maintenance after the original surgical procedures. Hemangiosarcoma, for instance, can cost up to $5,000 to treat, while surgery for laryngeal paralysis can cost up to $5,200 but is likely to lead to increased instances of pneumonia. Given the high price of vet bills for multiple problems a labrador retriever may face over its life, pet insurance is worth the cost if you can swing the monthly premium. Labrador pet insurance cost Determining how much pet insurance costs can be challenging since so many factors can impact monthly premiums. For instance, age greatly impacts the cost of pet insurance, as does where you live and the type of policy (and coverage levels) you choose. Breed is another important factor in determining pet insurance costs. Unfortunately, purebred dogs such as labrador retrievers, who are more prone to certain illnesses, generally cost more to insure. To get a ballpark estimate of the cost of pet insurance for labrador retrievers, we ran quotes for a male lab in Cincinnati with two top insurers (Fetch and Spot). For these quotes, we used a $500 deductible, a $10,000 annual limit, and an 80% reimbursement rate. Here are the quotes we got from various ages: AgeFetch Spot1 year$58.45$51.994 years$75.90$57.387 years$130.12$95.3610 years$227.23$167.5312 years$270.77$226.23 Based on these quotes, we’ve determined the average cost of labrador pet insurance is $66.64 for a four-year-old in Cincinnati. In comparison, the average cost of a large 4-year-old mixed breed in the same location is only $50.39 a month, meaning labrador retriever pet insurance is slightly more expensive than it would be for a non-breed-specific dog. How much is pet insurance for a labrador puppy? If you adopt a labrador retriever as a puppy, purchasing pet insurance as soon as possible is important. We ran two quotes for a lab puppy in Cincinnati (same level of coverage as above) and got the following premiums: Fetch: $57.92Spot: $51.99 Some labrador health problems, such as centronuclear myopathy (CNM), can show up as early as two to five months of age. While this congenital disease is rare, it’s crucial to have pet insurance purchased and past the waiting period before your lab pup shows signs of this condition. Ask the expert Erin Kinkade CFP® When deciding if pet insurance is worth it, I typically suggest running through a scenario: If there is a $2,000 pet bill now, how would you handle it if you do not have pet insurance? If the answer is: pay for it out of my emergency fund, then you have the funds to cover the risk. If the answer is: I do not know or pay for it with my credit card, I would consider purchasing pet insurance so you pay a smaller fee (premium) monthly, and ideally reduce your out-of-pocket expenses. Even if they do have pet insurance, I recommend earmarking an account or a specific amount in a savings account (possibly the annual deductible amount) and maintaining that amount specifically for unplanned or planned pet/vet expenses. Find the right pet insurance for labrador retrievers Ready to purchase pet insurance for your lab? Here are the steps to ensure you find the best labrador retriever pet insurance for your four-legged pal’s needs—and for your budget. 1. Figure out how much you can afford Pet insurance can be expensive, but there are ways you can keep costs down (like by raising the deductible). Spend time with your finances to understand how much you can spend on pet insurance each month. This will help you determine which pet insurance companies are within your price range and what levels of coverage you should be considering. 2. Determine the coverages needed Understanding common lab breed conditions can help you find the right pet insurance. Look for plans that cover breed-specific conditions. This is also a good time to determine what you’ll want covered beyond the typical accident and illness coverage. For instance, you can upgrade many plans with a wellness add-on. 3. Compare prices Get quotes from a handful of pet insurance companies; this roundup of the best pet insurance for labrador retrievers is a good place to start. Ensure you get quotes for comparable coverage—the same policy types with the same deductible, reimbursement rate, and annual limit. This will help you find the best (and most affordable) policy for your pet. 4. Sign up As soon as you find the policy that will work best for your labrador retriever, complete the process and pay the first premium. Starting pet insurance as early as possible is crucial, as coverage won’t kick in until after the stated waiting period. Recap of labrador retriever insurance CompanyBest for…Rating (0-5) Coverage 4.9 Free Quote Fast claims 4.7 Free Quote Quick coverage 4.7 Free Quote Selection of terms 4.5 Free Quote