A dog owner without dog health insurance can struggle with unexpected veterinary care costs due to unexpected illness or injury from accidents. Some dog health insurance policies have coverage for routine veterinary care like vaccinations and annual exams. The dog owner can use the Internet to search for pet insurance companies and compare the monthly costs with the insurance coverage. The websites of pet health insurance companies show the available dog health insurance plans, their monthly costs, and the coverage they provide. Pet health insurance companies often offer free quotes.

The dog owner may want a dog insurance policy to cover all veterinary costs including routine checkups. However, pet insurance policies with total coverage can have high monthly premiums. Many dog owners choose dog insurance policies to only cover unexpected veterinary costs that could arise from illness or accidents so that they will have a minimal monthly premium.

Some pet insurance companies offer plans that are specifically tailored for senior dogs. Since senior dogs are at higher risk of certain dog health problems, the senior dog insurance offers more coverage for these conditions.

Veterinary care can be very expensive. Treatments for cancer, car accident, and hip dysplasia are examples of veterinary costs that can be thousands of dollars.

Some dog health insurance policies can fail to provide coverage for some dog health conditions. If a dog acquires a disease or develops a health problem for which treatment is not covered, the dog owner may still end up with significant veterinary bills.

Unexpected costs like accidents and illness could potentially cause financial hardship for the dog owner without dog health insurance. If a dog owner cannot provide necessary veterinary care, the dog is not the only one who may suffer the consequences. The dog owner could be charged with animal neglect or animal cruelty.

Some dog health insurance policies have a component that pays for accidental death like dog life insurance. Dog health insurance policies may pay for boarding or other dog ownership expenses.