Top 9 Pet Insurance Plans For Basset Hounds (2024)

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Basset Hounds are floppy cuties with the greatest singing voices. And because they love their families, these hound dogs will happily serenade them with a howling song! That’s just how kind these sweet droopy dogs can be.

When your Basset isn’t singing, your long-eared buddy most likely enjoys the lazy life and loves sitting on the couch by your side, all comfy and calm. But the happy calm can be destroyed by a sudden injury or illness. Like any other dog breed, Basset Hounds suffer from certain health problems, with bloat, bleeding disorders, spinal cord injury, joint problems, and eye issues being some of the more commonly seen conditions in these short-legged hounds.

Treating the common health problems in Basset Hounds can be overwhelming to your finances and your heart. While pet insurance can’t stop emergencies, it can give you financial peace of mind when you only want to concentrate on helping your hound recover. Paying just a little a month can save you big on vet bills, and with a solid plan in place, you’ll never be forced to make hard choices because of financial restrictions. To help you find the best pet insurance plan for your Basset Hound, we’ve created a free and easy-to-use comparison tool to simplify your life.

Compare The Top 9 Pet Insurance Plans for Your Basset Hound Using our Free No-Obligation Quote Tool below

The simplest way to compare pet insurance prices is to use our tool below. The comparison tool will show you quotes from the top 9 pet insurance carriers, including Trupanion, Pets Best, Lemonade, ManyPets, FIGO, HealthyPaws, Prudent Pet, Spot, and Embrace pet insurance.

How Much Does Pet Insurance for a Basset Hound Cost?

Below are some sample pet insurance plans for a 1-year-old male Basset Hound using the zip code 75001 (Texas) as an example.

• Pets Best – $53.64 per month
• Embrace – $67.73 per month
• Healthy Paws – $37.41 per month
• ManyPets – $49.05 per month

Ultimately, your plan’s premium will depend on several factors, including your dog’s age, size, and breed, as well as where you live. You also want to know what type of coverage your plan has and if it will help with Basset Hound-specific health problems. Let’s get more into those medical conditions and how much you can expect to pay to treat them.

Common Health Problems Associated With Basset Hounds

Bloat

The Basset Hound has a deep-barreled chest, making the breed more susceptible to Gastric dilatation-volvulus. Known more commonly as “bloat,” Gastric dilatation-volvulus happens when food, gas, and liquid painfully distend a dog’s belly and then twist the stomach. This twisting traps the stomach contents and compresses the abdomen’s blood vessels. Gastric dilatation-volvulus is a life-threatening situation for dogs and must be treated immediately.

Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)

Because the Basset Hound is a long-bodied dog situated on stubby legs, their spines run a higher risk for injury, and IVDD is one of the more common Basset back problems. The issue arises when one or more of the discs between vertebrae slips, ruptures, or bulges. For some dogs, the issue is mild but should still be monitored by a veterinarian. Other dogs can experience severe cases that quickly escalate to paralysis.

Joint Issues 

Because of genetics and their long build with short legs, Basset Hounds commonly develop joint problems brought on by dysplasia and patellar luxation. Each of these joint issues can cause pain and problems with mobility.

• Hip Dysplasia – Hip dysplasia occurs when the ball-and-socket joint in a dog’s hip doesn’t form correctly, leaving the joint to dislocate or the femur head to sit wrong in the socket.
• Elbow Dysplasia – Like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia is a genetic issue that causes abnormalities in the elbow joints.
• Luxating Patella – Known also as a dislocated kneecap, patellar luxation can be mild to severe. In bad cases, pain can decrease mobility in the affected leg.

Basset Hound Hereditary Thrombopathy (BHT)

This hereditary bleeding disorder in Basset Hounds occurs when blood platelets are unable to stick together to form healing clots. Dogs with this genetic condition risk losing significant amounts of blood due to a lack of clotting. Excessive blood loss in dogs can quickly become an emergency.

Eye Problems

Basset Hounds are prone to painful eye problems that require treatment, or your dog runs the risk of permanent damage that could cause blindness. Some of the common eye problems in Basset Hounds are:

• Glaucoma – occurs when fluid in the eyeball increases, causing pressure and discomfort
• Entropion – occurs when the eyelid rolls inward, causing eyelashes to rub against the eye
• Ectropion – severe drooping or outward roll of the eyelid that exposes delicate eye tissues, causing dryness, inflammation, and even infection
• Cherry Eye – inflammation of the eyelid that causes it to swell and bulge from the corner of the eye

Typical Costs Of Treating Health Issues In Basset Hounds and How Pet Insurance Can Help

Taking your dog to the vet for annual visits is a bill you expect. But when the vet discovers a problem or emergency strikes, medical bills can stack up fast. With the right pet insurance plan for your Basset Hound, you’ll be financially ready to deal with any bills, leaving you to concentrate on your best friend’s recovery.

Take a look at what it costs to treat the five common health problems in Basset Hounds mentioned above:

• Bloat Costs: The only way to correct GDV is an emergency surgery in which the stomach is corrected and tacked to the abdominal wall. The Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences estimates surgery costs to repair GDV average between $2,000 and $5,000, but complications could inflate bills further.
• IVDD Costs: To diagnose IVDD, your vet will take scans of your dog’s spine to see the severity, and you can expect X-rays to run approximately $200 or an MRI to cost between $2,500 – $4,000. If the injury is mild, your pup may require steroids and anti-inflammatory medications. But if your Basset has severe damage, to stop paralysis or further pain, the vet will recommend surgery, which can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000 on its own. Treating your Basset Hound’s IVDD can hit your bank account hard, but pet insurance offers financial protection against the high costs of spinal cord problems in dogs.
• Joint Issues Costs: The treatment plan for your Basset Hound’s joint problems might consist of medications that help with pain and slow degeneration, and the cost of these monthly medications can add up over years of management. However, certain pet insurance plans can help you find relief from monthly prescription costs. And once the hips, elbows, or knees reach a certain point of degeneration, the right plan can soften the financial blow of a $2,000 – $7,000 surgery.
• BHT Costs: If your Basset suffers a bleeding emergency, costs could get high in a hurry. For each unit of blood, you can expect prices that range from $25-$300. The amount of blood lost will depend on how many units your dog will need. If the case is severe, other emergency procedures and hospitalization may be necessary. Between transfusions, stays, and emergency care, this unexpected vet bill could quickly reach prices of $800 to $1,500. And when you have the right pet insurance plan for your Basset Hound before an emergency occurs, you’ll be financially ready, leaving you to concentrate on recovery and not bills.
• Eye Problem Costs: Glaucoma can be treated with medications, but your Basset will need surgery to reduce the fluid when it reaches a certain point. And glaucoma surgery isn’t cheap, with costs estimated at around $1,500. The average cost for eye surgeries to fix issues like cherry eye, entropion, and ectropion, can range from $400 to $2,000. The final price of eye surgery will depend on the severity and your location. But, one thing is sure, having pet insurance before an eye problem occurs is a smart foresight that will protect your finances from high vet bills.

What Is Pet Health Insurance, And Why Do I Need It For My Basset Hound?

Pet health insurance works very similarly to human health insurance. Your policy quote will range in monthly price, depending on your dog’s breed, age, and where you live. Typically, you’ll spend around $15-$114 per month as a pet parent.

Pet insurance is mainly about peace of mind, knowing you won’t be totally overwhelmed in case of an emergency. Enrolling even when your dog is young and healthy will ensure you have plenty of coverage when they need expensive medical care later. If you choose a plan more suited to your dog’s particular breed, you’ll be more prepared when something happens later on in their life.

Some plans cover accidents and illnesses, while others only cover accidents. Certain plans do cover breed-specific illnesses, and others do not. It all depends on what type of coverage you choose. With our free pet insurance comparison tool, you can get quotes from multiple insurance companies with no obligation to commit.

Whatever plan you choose, you’ll feel better knowing you can take care of your dog when they need you most. Plus, you won’t have to suddenly shell out thousands of dollars. Learn more about how pet insurance works here.

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