What’s the best pet insurance if your dog breaks a leg? My dog broke her leg today, and I never thought she’d need insurance, so I didn’t have any. The vet told me it won’t be covered if I sign up for insurance now because it’ll be a pre-existing condition. But if I enroll her today and schedule surgery in a few days, will it still count as a pre-existing condition?
Insurance won’t help in your case, but you should check out CareCredit. It’s like a credit card you can use for vet bills, and you can pay it off over 6 to 24 months with no interest. Just make sure your vet accepts it.
Yeah, this is the right answer. Since it’s already documented, it’ll count as a pre-existing condition. Most policies also have a waiting period. You should get the surgery done ASAP since broken bones are super painful.
Even if it wasn’t already documented, there’s an ethical question here. Insurance is meant for unexpected events, so signing up now would be like committing fraud, which makes premiums go up for everyone.
Do you have any recommendations for which insurance to get? My dog’s 2 and a half years old, and I’m thinking about getting a policy.
I’ve been using Trupanion since my cats were 4 months old, but the premium has more than doubled (I’m paying $220 a month for two healthy cats under 3 years old). Living in NYC is part of why it’s so expensive. Trupanion is great overall, but the price hikes are tough.
A lot of people recommend Healthy Paws and Lemonade on here. I suggest using a website to compare prices. Once you find something that fits your budget, search this sub and check Trustpilot for reviews. Be sure to look at their policies on pre-existing conditions too.
Thanks a lot. That was super helpful!
There’s usually no waiting period for accidents, but since your dog already broke her leg, the surgery will be considered part of a pre-existing condition. So, it won’t be covered.
Since you’ve already been to the vet, it’s considered a pre-existing condition. Most insurance won’t cover accidents for a day or two after you sign up, so you’d have to wait before getting help, which would be painful for your dog and could even be seen as fraud. I hope your pup heals up soon! Sending good vibes your way 
Unfortunately, it’s already considered pre-existing since it happened before she was insured. No policy will cover this, and most plans have a two-week waiting period to prevent this exact situation. They’ll ask for your vet records to make sure it wasn’t a pre-existing issue. Even going to a different vet won’t work because they’ll notice the broken bone.