You may not be aware that pet insurance premiums are almost always influenced by the breed of dog that you want to get covered. But why is this? What is it about different breeds that make some so expensive to insure, and others much cheaper? Let’s take a look at why breed affects your dog’s pet insurance premiums.
Genetic conditions
You’ll find that purebred dogs are typically more expensive to insure because of a few reasons, but mostly due to their genes. Dogs that haven’t been cross-bred with any other breeds are predisposed to more health conditions than others. For example, pugs are more likely to develop breathing and lung conditions, which can increase the price of their premiums. Other breeds such as dachshunds (sausage dogs)
can develop back problems, and Cavalier King Charles spaniels often have issues with their teeth and are prone to weight gain.
That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with owning a purebred pooch. Genetic conditions are just one factor of many that insurance brands take into consideration when determining the price of your policy.
Predispositions
Certain dog breeds are typically more soft-tempered and gentle-natured breeds, which means they usually cheaper to insure. Comprehensive pet insurance like HIF, will provide cover for your dog regardless of breed, but the cost can vary depending on the type of breed.
Differences between breeds
There can be a huge amount of difference between a lot of breeds, such as the size difference between a great dane and a chihuahua. As you can imagine, if both of these dogs had to undergo the same medical procedure, there would be a huge difference in veterinary costs, due to factors such as anaesthetic dosage, which is dependent on size. Insurance policies are designed to cover these costs, which is one of the reasons why the size of the breed is such a big factor.
How much will it cost to insure your dog?
If you want to know how much it will cost to insure your dog, try calling up your prospective insurance brand and chatting to them to get a better idea of the reasoning behind their decision-making process. You could also check online using a dog breed calculator, which will give you a rough idea of prices.
Pet insurance for your pooch is definitely worth considering. It’s just a matter of knowing how the breed of your dog might affect the price.
Bessie Hassan is a Money and Insurance Expert at finder.com.au, Australia’s most visited comparison website.