Is Pet Insurance Worth It? Full Cost Breakdown for 2026
The Real Question Behind the Monthly Premium My neighbor’s Golden Retriever tore his ACL playing fetch last October. The surgery, imaging, anesthesia, and eight weeks of rehab came to $6,800. He had pet insurance through Healthy Paws — paid a $250 deductible, got 80% back, and his out-of-pocket was about $1,560. Without coverage, the full bill would have gone on a credit card at 22% APR. Three houses down, another dog owner had been paying $62 a month for four years on a mixed-breed mutt who never needed more than annual vaccines. That’s nearly $3,000 in premiums for maybe $400 in claims. She cancelled the policy last year and started putting $60 a month into a savings account instead. ...