French Bulldogs are rapidly rising in popularity, managing to skyrocket to being one of the most popular dogs just in the last few years. Unfortunately, they’re vulnerable to several health problems due to their flat faces. What makes this even worse is that many irresponsible backyard breeders have started breeding Frenchies to make a profit, often breeding for color or body type without any consideration for the health testing of the parents.
This has resulted in dogs with many health problems, which makes pet insurance extremely important for this breed. Health insurance can help you afford medical care when your Frenchie needs it. In this article, you can check out reviews of some of the top pet insurance plans to help you make the right choice for your pet.
A Quick Comparison of the Winners for 2024
Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall | Embrace |
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Best Value | Lemonade |
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ASPCA |
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Fetch |
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Trupanion |
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The 10 Best French Bulldog Pet Insurance Providers
1. Embrace Pet Insurance – Best Overall
The best overall pet insurance plan for French Bulldogs is Embrace Pet Insurance. This insurance provider often comes out on top because they cover a variety of procedures and conditions that most other companies don’t cover. This includes dental care up to $1,000, which is important for brachycephalic breeds like Frenchies, as well as pre-existing conditions. The catch with pre-existing conditions is that the condition must be curable, and your dog cannot have signs or receive treatment for it in the year before the insurance coverage begins.
Embrace offers add-on plan coverage as well, including grooming services, flea and tick medications, and specific types of training, like behavioral training. Unlike many insurance providers, Embrace also has an add-on plan for coverage of preventative wellness care. You can save money on your plan because Embrace offers a discount of $50 off your deductible for every year the insurance is not needed.
If you want to feel even better about enrolling with Embrace, the company makes a donation of $2 to pet charities whenever a policy is activated.
- Offers coverage for dental care up to $1,000
- Covers certain pre-existing conditions
- Multiple add-on plans
- Preventative wellness coverage option
- Deductible discount for every year plan is not used
- Donations made to pet charities
- Restrictions on pre-existing condition coverage
2. Lemonade Pet Insurance – Best Value
If you’re looking for a pet insurance plan that won’t break the bank, Lemonade is the best value out there. Their coverage extends anywhere in the US, so you can get coverage no matter where you live. With fully customizable deductibles and reimbursements, you can build your Lemonade plan to suit your budget. If you’re interested in paying an extra fee every month, you will be able to use their veterinary helpline.
Even for the most basic plan offered by Lemonade, you can get coverage for procedures, diagnostic testing, and prescriptions. If you have the budget for extras, there are add-on plans available for preventative wellness care as well as dental care, which is difficult to find. There are specialized plans available just for puppies to cover vaccinations, deworming, and other care that baby pups need.
One downside of using Lemonade is that you only have 14 days after the start of coverage to make changes to your plan. Otherwise, you won’t be able to make changes until your annual renewal.
- Coverage across the whole US
- Fully customizable deductibles and reimbursements
- Veterinary helpline add-on plan is available
- Multiple add-on plans, including dental
- Specialized plans for puppies
- Limited timeframe to make changes to your plan
3. ASPCA Pet Insurance
Not only does the ASPCA provide pet insurance, but they also have a 30-day money-back guarantee on their plans, so if you aren’t satisfied with the coverage, you can request your money back. You also have the option to customize your deductible and reimbursement rates to best fit your budget, while multi-pet discounts can help save you money as well. The ASPCA also provides coverage across the US and Canada.
The most popular plan is the Complete Coverage Plan, and for good reason. This plan is comprehensive, covering everything from injuries and illnesses to inherited conditions, which is becoming extremely important for Frenchies.
It also provides dental coverage. The ASPCA offers another plan that is less expensive and covers accidental injuries, the ingestion of toxins, and foreign bodies. With either plan, you can add a wellness plan to your coverage.
The reimbursements that ASPCA offers are based on a fee schedule, which is a downside for many. They reimburse you based on their set value of a service and not necessarily what you spent.
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Coverage in the US and Canada
- Customizable deductible and reimbursement rates
- Multi-pet discount
- One plan option covers dental and inherited condition care
- Wellness plan add-on option
- Reimbursements based on a fee schedule
4. Fetch Pet Insurance
While Fetch Pet Insurance only has one pet insurance plan, it covers several types of care. It covers dental care, emergency visits, and breed-specific conditions, which is important for French Bulldogs and all brachycephalic breeds. Their coverage is available in the US and Canada, and they offer up to 90% reimbursement.
Another feature that Fetch offers that many other companies don’t is their coverage of pets of all ages, including seniors. The cost of your plan will vary based on the age of your pet. Fetch does not cover any type of wellness or preventative care at this time. This is because they believe that insurance’s primary purpose should be to cover unexpected expenses, not routine expenses.
- Limited plan options to simplify decisions
- Covers dental care and breed-specific conditions
- Available coverage in the US and Canada
- Up to 90% reimbursement
- Covers pets of any age
- No wellness coverage options
5. Trupanion Pet Insurance
As a standout in the pet insurance industry, Trupanion Pet Insurance provides a service that nobody else offers: payments sent directly to the vet. This requires the vet to have Trupanion’s software, but as long as they have it, you will not have to spend the full cost out of pocket at the time of service. You can also expect customizable deductibles and reimbursement rates with Trupanion.
You can choose coverage from multiple plan options, with some base plans covering breed-specific conditions. Trupanion has a variety of add-on plans that include coverage for prosthetics, alternative therapies, and hospitalizations.
Make sure to read the list of all covered procedures because some alternative therapies have restricted coverage. Currently, they do not offer any coverage for preventative wellness care or any exam fees, including those associated with other types of coverage, like hospitalizations and emergency care.
- Direct-to-vet payment option
- Customizable deductibles and reimbursements
- Multiple base plans to choose from
- Some coverage of breed-specific conditions in base plans
- Multiple add-on plans to cover specialty needs
- Limitations on coverage of alternative therapies
- Doesn’t cover exam fees
6. MetLife Pet Insurance
If you’re looking for highly customizable pet insurance, MetLife Pet Insurance is a good option because they have customizable deductibles, reimbursements, and annual payout maximums. To help you budget, they also offer the option to pay your plan monthly or make one lump sum payment annually.
Purchasing your plan directly through the MetLife website will provide you with a small discount. Wellness plans are available as an add-on to MetLife’s other plans. Unfortunately, they do not provide coverage for any type of grooming service, even grooming performed for a medical reason and medicated baths.
Make sure to check with your employer to see if they offer pet insurance coverage. They may be partnered with MetLife, which frequently partners with businesses and provides a discount. MetLife also gives discounts to military personnel, veterans, and animal care workers, including vets and shelter employees.
- Customizable deductibles, reimbursements, and annual payouts
- Annual or monthly payment options
- Discount when purchased through the MetLife website
- Partnered with many employers to provide discounted plans
- Offers discounts to animal care workers and military personnel
- No grooming coverage, even for medical reasons
7. Progressive Pet Insurance
A great feature of Progressive Pet Insurance’s plans is the option to choose your annual coverage limit, from as low as $5,000 to an unlimited coverage limit. You can also customize your deductible and reimbursement rates. Currently, Progressive has three plans available.
Each of Progressive’s plans is designed to suit a variety of budgets, and they also have wellness add-on plans with multiple options to choose from. However, the wellness add-ons do have an annual coverage limit, even if your primary plan is an unlimited coverage plan.
A nice benefit offered by Progressive is partnering with employers to provide discounted pet insurance. In some cases, they will even let you pay via payroll deduction.
- Annual coverage limits from $5,000 to unlimited
- Customizable deductible and reimbursements
- Three base plans to choose from
- Multiple wellness add-on options
- Discounts and payroll deductions are offered by some employers
- Wellness add-ons have an annual coverage limit
8. USAA Pet Insurance
If you’re a USAA member, you can expect a discount through USAA Pet Insurance. If you aren’t a USAA member, you can still get coverage through them, but it may not be discounted. With USAA, you get coverage for alternative therapies, emergency visits, prescriptions, surgical procedures, and breed-specific conditions.
You can select wellness add-on options if needed, and they will give you a $50 deductible discount for every year your dog doesn’t require the use of the insurance coverage. You can also get coverage for dogs up to 14 years old, but the plan is restricted to accident-only care coverage. Younger dogs have the benefit of the full availability of all plans. It’s also important to know that USAA will not cover injuries that occurred intentionally from people or other animals in the home, so fights with pets in the home are typically not covered.
- Discounts offered to USAA members
- Covers alternative therapies and breed-specific conditions
- Wellness add-on options available
- Deductible discount for every year plan is not used
- Accident-only coverage is offered for dogs 14 years and older
- No coverage of intentional injuries from people and other animals
9. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance is a good option for Frenchie owners because their base plans cover genetic conditions, as well as alternative therapies. They have an unlimited care payout limit, so you don’t have to worry about spending too much on your pup’s care. They also offer an annual deductible, while most companies only offer a per-spend deductible.
At this time, Healthy Paws does not have any preventative care coverage. They will cover injuries to cruciate ligaments, but they will not cover any cruciate ligament injuries if your dog has had a cruciate ligament injury in the past or anytime in the 15-day waiting period between when your plan is set up, and the coverage begins.
- Offers coverage of genetic conditions
- Comprehensive care coverage for injuries and illnesses in base plans
- Unlimited annual payout limit
- Annual deductible
- No wellness care coverage
- Limitations on coverage for cruciate ligament injuries
10. Nationwide Pet Insurance
Nationwide Pet Insurance is a good option if you’re not looking for comprehensive coverage since they only offer two base plans. Their Major Medical plan provides accident and illness coverage, and the Whole Pet plan covers the same services as the Major Medical plan, as well as prescriptions, procedures, and diagnostic testing. This plan also offers reimbursement as a percentage of your spending, while the Major Medical plan and two wellness add-on plans only offer reimbursements on a fee schedule.
The Whole Pet plan’s reimbursement rate is customizable based on your budget. There is also the option of paying an additional fee for access to a vet helpline. All of the Nationwide plans provide coverage for dogs up to age 10. After that, the service will not be discontinued for dogs already on the plan, but dogs over 10 cannot be signed up for a Nationwide plan.
At this time, Nationwide only offers reimbursements via mailed check and has no digital payment option.
- Simple plan selection options
- Wellness care add-on plans
- Customizable reimbursement percentage for Whole Pet Plan
- Coverage for senior dogs if covered before turning 10 years
- Most reimbursements are on a fee schedule
- Dogs over 10 years old cannot be signed up for coverage
- Mailed reimbursement checks only
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Pet Insurance Provider for Your French Bulldog
What to Look for in Pet Insurance for French Bulldogs
When it comes to insurance coverage for your French Bulldog, you’ll need a policy that covers everything that Frenchies are prone to, like problems with their airway and nostrils, dental disease, skin infections, allergies, and mobility problems.
This is especially important if your pup came from a backyard breeder, someone breeding for color or looks, or a breeder who didn’t perform all the recommended health testing on their dogs before breeding them.
Policy Coverage
There are several types of coverage between different companies and each of their plans. It’s important to find coverage, at a minimum, for genetic or breed-specific problems. Dental care coverage is a great addition to a plan, and while coverage for alternative therapies and prosthetics is uncommon, it is available.
Customer Service & Reputation
You want to feel like you can trust your pet insurance company, especially when your dog is sick or you’re having reimbursement issues and you have to reach out to them for assistance. A company that doesn’t make you feel like your concerns are being heard isn’t likely to be a company you will feel like you can trust in the long term.
If it makes you feel more comfortable, you might want to contact the customer service representatives for each of the companies you’re interested in to get a feel for how they treat their customers.
Claim Repayment
The purpose of having pet insurance is to have financial help covering your dog’s medical care. If you’re dealing with a company that isn’t prompt in processing claims or returning repayments, they aren’t fulfilling their end of the bargain to cover your dog’s healthcare needs.
However, it’s also important to thoroughly read through your policy coverage and understand what types of care and services will and will not be covered.
Price Of Policy
Everything is going up in price with no end in sight, making it difficult to afford even basic necessities sometimes. This makes the price of your dog’s insurance policy of great importance for two reasons.
The first is that you need to be able to afford the premiums for the policy. The second is that you need to be able to pay for any care that your dog needs that your policy doesn’t cover, along with the percentage you’ll be required to pay for the deductible.
There is a fine balance between choosing a plan that will cost you more upfront but save you more when your dog needs care or a plan that costs less upfront but offers less comprehensive coverage.
Plan Customization
Customization of different parts of your dog’s insurance policy is a great way to make the policy the right price for your needs. Many companies allow you to customize your deductible, annual payout limits, and premiums, with some allowing full customization of all three.
It’s also a good idea to choose a plan that allows you to customize the care that will be covered. While you won’t be able to pick and choose specific coverage, you will be able to select base and add-on plans that provide coverage of the things that you feel are most important for your dog.
FAQ
Will my dog’s pet insurance cover international travel?
Some policies include international coverage if your dog travels with you. Not all of them offer this, and it’s essential that you check your policy thoroughly before assuming that it will cover care in countries outside of the US.
Do I have to pay my full vet bill upfront?
In most situations, you’ll be responsible for paying the bill directly to your vet. You will then submit paperwork for the claim to your insurance company. They will process the claim and repay you for their portion of the coverage. Trupanion is the exception to this since they have direct-to-vet payments in some circumstances.
Will my dog’s pre-existing conditions be covered?
It’s unlikely that your dog’s pre-existing conditions and the care related to them will be covered. Most companies don’t cover any type of pre-existing condition, but some, like Embrace, provide coverage of pre-existing conditions as long as they are curable conditions.
Are genetic conditions covered?
Genetic conditions and birth defects can be hit or miss with coverage. Some companies may consider these things to be pre-existing conditions, which likely won’t be covered. However, some companies do place genetic conditions, birth defects, and breed-specific conditions into a separate category from pre-existing conditions, allowing coverage of them.
What the Users Say
Sometimes, knowing what other people are saying about different pet insurance companies can help you choose the right company and coverage for your Frenchie. For example, Embrace has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, which is a testament to their high-quality coverage and customer service.
Lemonade is a great company for pet owners on a tight budget, and many customers mentioned how easy Lemonade makes it for average people to understand the ins and outs of insurance coverage.
Pet Parents with MetLife Pet Insurance coverage appreciated how customizable their plans are, as well as the fact that they have two payment options.
Which Pet Insurance Provider Is Best for You?
There is no right or wrong answer when choosing an insurance company and policy for your French Bulldog. You should be looking for the companies that are most likely to cover medical conditions that Frenchies, as a whole, are prone to developing.
You should also choose a company with coverage that is specific to your dog’s needs. For example, if you live somewhere with poor air quality, you’ll know that your dog is more likely to have respiratory issues than a dog in an area with better air quality. This lets you know that finding a policy that covers a variety of respiratory problems and procedures is likely something your dog will benefit from.
Conclusion
While there are many great pet insurance companies for your French Bulldog on the market, Embrace is the top dog, thanks to its excellent coverage and customer service. Lemonade is a wonderful company that offers budget-friendly pet insurance resources to people, while MetLife is a great company for its payment options and discounts through your employer.
As the pet insurance industry has grown, many pet parents have begun to see the value in this type of service. For people who own French Bulldogs, pet insurance can be a lifesaver for their dogs and their bank accounst. Pet care can be pricey, but pet insurance policies will help you get your furry friend the best care available.
Featured Image Credit: Hryshchyshen Serhii, Shutterstock
Contents
- A Quick Comparison of the Winners for 2024
- The 10 Best French Bulldog Pet Insurance Providers
- 1. Embrace Pet Insurance – Best Overall
- 2. Lemonade Pet Insurance – Best Value
- 3. ASPCA Pet Insurance
- 4. Fetch Pet Insurance
- 5. Trupanion Pet Insurance
- 6. MetLife Pet Insurance
- 7. Progressive Pet Insurance
- 8. USAA Pet Insurance
- 9. Healthy Paws Pet Insurance
- 10. Nationwide Pet Insurance
- Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Pet Insurance Provider for Your French Bulldog
- FAQ
- Will my dog’s pet insurance cover international travel?
- Do I have to pay my full vet bill upfront?
- Will my dog’s pre-existing conditions be covered?
- Are genetic conditions covered?
- What the Users Say
- Which Pet Insurance Provider Is Best for You?
- Conclusion