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Recently we heard from a pet parent about their experiences with pet insurance. Parker (a/k/a “Ball Player”), a standard poodle, came to us over three years ago following a serious diagnosis.

His pet parent Sharon, wrote us recently about the importance of pet insurance for Parker:

“We got him as a young puppy and immediately enrolled him in Trupanion Pet Insurance. Thankfully, we did, because at age 2.5 years, he was diagnosed with canine lymphoma, which is cancer of the lymph nodes. Parker has a team of different veterinarians, including one holistic vet. When Parker was diagnosed, we discussed CBD and medical cannabinoid therapy with his holistic vet for his cancer and I chose Right:Ratio and started him immediately.”

Coverage has been complete, according to Sharon: “It’s remarkable that Trupanion (our pet insurance company) has covered all of Parker’s cancer treatments (@ 90%), including his Right:Ratio! I’m so thankful that Parker can receive non-traditional cancer treatments that are recognized by Trupanion. Without pet insurance, I would not be able to provide and pay for these necessary therapies. It has been 32 months since Parker’s cancer diagnosis and Trupanion has reimbursed me for everything! I will always have pet insurance for my fur babies.”

Better Since 2018 but Plenty of Room for Improvement

Since our last blog (2018) on this subject, things have gotten better. In 2018, 2.2 Million pets were covered by pet insurance, which was a 18% jump from 2017. Today, that number has risen to 2.52 million pets insured, with the annual growth rate in the US being 18%.

According to Today’s Veterinary Business, “Just over 1% of U.S. dogs and cats are insured. That number pales in comparison to the United Kingdom, where an estimated 25% of pets are covered, and Sweden, where the total is said to be as high as 40%.”