Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate pet insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

• When I got pet insurance, it was tempting to get the cheapest policy until I saw what it covered.
• I went with a pricier plan, but it has a lower deductible and covers more treatments.
• My dog hurt her knee, and if she ever needs surgery, I’m comforted knowing it will be affordable.

When I first started pricing out pet insurance, it was tempting to just get cheap pet insurance.

I found a plan that would only cost $21 a month, which fit nicely in my budget and provided a layer of medical coverage for my dog. But after looking into the pet insurance plan, I realized that it really didn’t cover much. 

Since my dog is four and very active, I decided to go with a more expensive pet insurance plan. I picked a plan through Lemonade Insurance for a bit under $45 a month, which includes added coverage like preventive care and exam fees. While it costs me more monthly, I’m glad I went with this option. Here’s why.

It helped me afford a visit to a specialist after my dog’s injury

Earlier this year, my dog hurt her knee. We immediately took her to our local vet for an exam, which cost $150. The local vet wanted to do additional testing and suggested surgery. We decided to see an orthopedic specialist instead of moving forward with her suggestions. 

That specialist visit cost us $360. Because our more expensive pet insurance policy covers exams and pays 80% of bills related to specialty care, something the less expensive plan does not, we only owed $102 after both visits. 

While we don’t need to proceed with surgery right now, if we do need it in the future, it could cost a few thousand dollars. Our insurance plan would cover 80% of those costs, up to the annual limit of $20,000. The less expensive plan would only cover costs up to $5,000 a year, and we’d be left with a higher bill if we needed surgery, postoperative physical therapy, and doctor support.

It covered most of my bill when I had to take my dog to urgent care twice 

In the past year, I had two instances where I had to take my dog to an urgent care facility. The first time, she ate something she shouldn’t have, and the second time, I thought she had scratched her eye. Both of these instances happened after business hours when her usual vet was closed. 

Rather than wait until the next day, I took her to a 24-hour urgent care down the street. The bills for both of these visits resulted in a couple of hundred dollars each. Because my more expensive pet insurance plan covers emergency care, diagnostics, and accident and illness exams, it covered 80% of these bills. I only had to pay the remaining 20%. 

The less expensive pet insurance plan I was considering doesn’t cover all of these things, especially the accident and illness exams. I would have had to pay more than 20% of the bill for these urgent care visits. 

It gives me peace of mind, and that’s worth every penny 

My pet insurance plan has a low deductible of $250. I usually meet that within the first few months of the year. After that, it covers 80% of most costs related to the healthcare of my dog, up to $20,000 a year. 

Having a robust plan like that gives me peace of mind that if something seems wrong with her or I want to get something checked out, I won’t have to incur a high vet bill for that visit. For example, a few weeks ago, I felt a lump on her thigh and wanted to get it checked out. The exam bill for that visit would have cost around $108, but with my insurance plan, I’ll only have to pay $22. 

The other plan I looked at had a less expensive monthly premium, but its deductible was twice as high, and it only had a quarter of the amount of the annual limit in terms of coverage. I’d rather pay more every month just to know I’m covered in case my dog needs anything, at any time.