5 Best Options for Rottweiler Insurance in 2024
Quick Guide
This German breed of dog tends to have trouble with joints and conditions such as hip dysplasia, which unfortunately is not always covered by some pet insurance companies. If you are on the fence about getting pet insurance for your Rottweiler, consider the potential impact it could have on your finances to go without it.
Hip dysplasia can run you between $1,500 and $6,000 out of pocket, and several dog insurance companies will cover up to 90 percent of that cost. Osteochondrosis, which is a condition that can affect the shoulder(s) of your Rottweiler more often than some other breeds, can cost you up to $2,000 to $4,000. Not to mention random illnesses, accidental ingestion of a harmful substance or object, or other accidents—it starts to make sense to consider enrolling your Rottweiler in a plan.
What is the best dog insurance for Rottweilers?
- Embrace
- Healthy Paws
- Petplan
- Nationwide
- Pets Best
What is dog insurance?
Dog insurance should not be mistaken for homeowner’s insurance that may or may not cover liability for owning a dog such as a rottweiler, or other breeds that can be labeled “vicious” by specific policies. Dog insurance does not cover for your pet potentially harming another animal or person. Instead, this type of plan is like your health insurance but for canines.
Just as health insurance would cover part of your medical expenses, dog or pet insurance reimburses you for a portion of veterinary charges incurred from potential accidents or illness.
If your rottweiler ever breaks a bone, comes down with a gastrointestinal sickness, needs blood tests, develops cancer, or experiences hip or ligament problems, for example, insurance can cover between 70 to 90 percent of the bills after your deductible.
How does dog insurance work?
Pet insurance works much as your health insurance does. You first enroll your Rottweiler in your chosen policy after comparing the best options, and you will then have a waiting period before your dog’s plan is active.
Most waiting periods are around 14 days, but some begin even sooner for accident coverage, and others will cover almost everything after two weeks but will have a more extended waiting period for specific conditions. For example, some policies will not cover hip dysplasia for the first 12 months after you enroll.
When you sign your dog up, you will typically get to select from varying levels of deductibles, what percentage you want the company to reimburse for after the deductible (usually 70, 80, 90, and sometimes even 100 percent). You also can pick your yearly maximum coverage.
The higher the maximum and percentage of coverage you select, the higher your monthly cost will be. Conversely, the higher your yearly deductible (the amount you pay first before the insurance covers anything), the lower your monthly fee will typically be.
Overall Best Dog Insurance for Rottweilers
Embrace
We love Embrace for purebred dogs, and especially for breeds such as Rottweilers, which can sometimes be dogs that are more difficult to get thorough pet insurance. Embrace does not have breed-specific exclusions on their coverage, which is a significant bonus if you have a purebred Rottweiler.
Embrace understands that purebred canines are often prone to hereditary conditions, and in the case of Rottweilers, hip and elbow dysplasia, entropion, and osteochondrosis can all become issues. Their policies don’t discriminate against these health conditions.
Embrace runs pretty averagely in terms of price, and they also have a “catastrophic plan” for those who can’t afford full coverage but want insurance for their pup in case of accidents. Embrace covers for more situations than we’ve seen with most dog insurance plans. Depending on the policy you select, they reimburse for exam fees, behavioral therapies, diagnostic testing, cancer, alternative and holistic treatments, dental illnesses, your dog’s prescriptions, and even mobility aids or limbs.
Embrace dog insurance also features some perks such as a diminishing deductible for each year you do not file a claim and a rewards program. Their rewards system adds up to help cover expenses that would not typically be reimbursed by insurance, such as grooming, dental cleanings, and flea and heartworm prevention.
Embrace has no lifetime caps on what they will reimburse. Like many pet insurance companies, they also let you pick your level of deductible, the percentage you want to be covered, and the yearly maximum you would like them to cover. Embrace can be a little more costly than some pet insurance companies, but these options give you more flexibility in choosing a more affordable plan.
4 More Highly Rated Dog Insurance Plans
Healthy Paws
With Healthy Paws insurance, you can use any licensed vet (not one that is in a designated network). Like Embrace, Healthy Paws also includes alternative treatments in their coverage, and they include hereditary and congenital conditions in their policies—some of which Rottweilers can be at a higher risk.
Healthy Paws is slightly more affordable than some competitors, but with Rottweilers, you are more likely to have a higher monthly fee than with other breeds. It’s good to know that going in, regardless of the insurance, you will possibly have to pay just a bit extra.
We like that Healthy Paws has no age limit for older dogs, so you could theoretically use them for your dog’s entire life. You can turn in your claims online or through their app, and you only have to take a picture of your veterinary bill to submit for reimbursement.
Healthy Paws is also outstanding at rapid payouts. They claim that 99 percent of their claims get reimbursed within two days. Many insurance companies take up to two weeks to process your vet bills, so this is a decent option if you want the company to pay you back quickly.
Petplan
Petplan is another one of our favorites for Rottweilers, because they cover hereditary and congenital conditions, and even reimburse for dental injuries and periodontal disease in dogs. Petplan also has a 24/7 helpline for customer service, which several plans lack.
Petplan is the preferred provider for AARP and is also the American Animal Hospital Association Preferred Provider. They have a dedicated claims app through which you can submit your vet bills to get reimbursed.
We also like Petplan because they cover sick visit exam fees, comprehensive periodontal disease issues, and also reimburse for alternative therapies such as canine chiropractic. Petplan includes a 12-month exclusionary period for “curable pre-existing” conditions. So, while some pre-existing conditions will not initially fall under your policy, they can be covered later.
With Petplan, you can use any licensed veterinarian in the United States of Canada. You can also enroll puppies as young as six-weeks-old, which is a couple of weeks younger than many dog insurance companies allow.
Nationwide
If you are looking for pet insurance for your Rottweiler with one of the broadest amounts of coverage, Nationwide is worth checking out. We like Nationwide for Rottweilers in particular because they handle several hereditary conditions such as hip dysplasia and blood disorders.
Nationwide also provides coverage for ACL ruptures, common illnesses, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, surgery, canine allergies, spaying/neutering, and wellness care such as flea and tick prevention. They also handle dental operations and diseases, as well as your Rottweiler’s prescription medications.
Nationwide’s financial stability and reputable are also one of the more reliable among pet insurance companies. They include a wellness plan, unlike Healthy Paws, and Nationwide tends to be much more affordable than Embrace.
You can submit a claim right on their website, and like many companies, you can tailor your policy a bit to suit your budget. Nationwide has a “major medical” plan as well as “whole pet wellness” that covers the full gamut. Their standard pet wellness plan is for more budget-minded individuals.
Pets Best
Pets Best is another excellent company with a few different levels of coverage for your dog. You can choose from your annual limit, your deductible, and the percentage you would like reimbursed—whether that be 70 percent, 80 percent, and 90 percent.
Pets Best also has an add-on wellness plan that includes things such as dental cleanings, spaying or neutering, and typical prevention for heartworm or fleas. If you know you will be on top of preventative and wellness care for your Rottweiler; this add-on policy can be a significant benefit.
Pets Best also has a 24/7 helpline, and they offer optional vet direct pay. One thing we love is that they have no upper age limits for dogs for their accident and illness coverage. They cover routine care under their policies, and they also have an optional exam fee reimbursement.
With Pets Best, you can also get a single yearly deductible, which means once you meet that amount, they will reimburse for the set percentage on everything else for the rest of the year. If you take your Rottweiler to the vet a lot, an annual deductible can sometimes save you money over having a per-visit deductible (similar to a co-pay at the doctor’s office).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is dog insurance beneficial for Rottweilers?
Every dog breed has certain conditions that they are a bit more prone to than other dogs, and Rottweilers, especially purebred, can suffer from some hereditary conditions and joint problems.
Shoulder, elbow, and hip ligament issues in dogs can cost you several thousand dollars. If you can have up to 90 percent of your vet bills reimbursed, the monthly payment for pet insurance starts to make a lot of sense.
What does dog insurance cover?
Every pet insurance policy will vary a bit in what they cover, but most decent policies will reimburse for accidents, broken bones, non-elective surgeries
Does dog insurance cover cancers?
Most pet insurance companies will reimburse for cancer expenses if it is not a pre-existing condition—meaning your dog never had cancer before enrolling in the policy. If your dog had cancer and went into remission from it, the insurance company still might consider it a pre-existing condition and will either not cover it or require a waiting period before it falls under your policy.
How does a pet deductible work?
Deductibles with pet insurance are much like your health insurance. You will be required to pay either a per-visit deductible, like a copay, or a yearly deductible, which you have to meet before the insurance company begins to reimburse you.
How soon can you use your pet insurance?
Most pet insurance companies require a waiting period of around two weeks before your policy will begin. Some have shorter wait times for accident coverage to be active, and longer exclusionary times for conditions such as hip dysplasia.
Conclusion
Rottweilers can be such loyal and lovable dogs when they live in a home that cares for them. These dogs can also be a lot of responsibility, too. Some Rottweilers like to sniff out and chew items they shouldn’t, and in the case of purebred Rotties, hip and shoulder issues can become a frustrating and ongoing problem that requires several vet visits.
One of the most crucial things to remember with dog insurance is that enrolling your dog right after an accident or during an illness will be too late to have that incident covered. Insurance is one of those things that is almost always better to sign up for before anything happens to your pup.
If they get sick with a specific illness, that problem will typically get listed as a pre-existing condition, and you may have to wait a year after enrolling to have that covered if you Rottweiler comes down with it again. Pick pet insurance that fits your budget but register your dog today to protect both your Rottweiler and your finances in the future.
