Top 9 Pet Insurance Plans For Bichon Frises 2024

iHeartDogs is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.

The biggest feisty streaks come in the smallest packages, and in the case of the Bichon Frise, all that feistiness is captured inside an adorably tiny package of silken curls! These loving little dogs may come with the sass, but they bring the love too. And speaking of love, these cheerful pups love to be the center of attention, and that’s perfect for the dog parent who loves to dote on their furry best friend.

Because your Bichon Frise is the center of your world, you make sure to do all the right things. You feed your pup the best foods, choose the most fun toys, and only buy the comfiest beds. As a responsible dog parent, you also take your dog to annual vet appointments and stay on top of any changes in their health. Happy, healthy, and well-protected—that’s the name of your parent game!

And one more way to keep your pup protected is a quality pet insurance plan tailored to your dog’s specific needs. While the Bichon Frise is an energetic and healthy breed, these little dogs are prone to certain health problems. Issues like cancer, cataracts, joint problems, liver shunts, and Cushing’s disease not only bring worry over your pup’s health, but they can also cause stress over how to pay high vet bills. Having a pet insurance plan for your Bichon Frise before issues arise can ease financial burdens so you can focus on your dog’s health. We’ve created a free and easy-to-use comparison tool to simplify the insurance quest to help you find peace of mind and the best pet insurance plan for your Bichon Frise.

Compare The Top 9 Pet Insurance Plans for Your Bichon Frise 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 Bichon Frise Cost?

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

• Pets Best – $37.20 per month
• Embrace – $30.69 per month
• Healthy Paws – $22.99 per month
• ManyPets – $34.02 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 Bichon Frise-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 The Bichon Frise

Joint Problems

The Bichon Frise can suffer from joint and bone problems brought on by conditions like hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, and Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease. Each of these issues can cause pain and problems with mobility.

• Hip Dysplasia – This genetic condition 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.
• Luxating Patella – Known also as a dislocated kneecap, patellar luxation can be mild to severe.
• Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease – An issue typically found in smaller dog breeds, Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease occurs when the femur head turns necrotic and dies. This problem can occur from trauma or genetics, as it does within Bichon Frises.

RELATED: What You Need To Know About Hip Dysplasia

Portosystemic Shunts

Also called liver shunts, this congenital or acquired condition occurs when blood vessels that should pass through the liver don’t. Instead, these vessels flow directly from the digestive system, sending blood back into circulation without first going through the liver for detox. Portosystemic shunts, PSS, can cause symptoms such as neurological problems, digestive issues, and overall poor quality of life.

Cushing’s Disease

Cushing’s Disease occurs in dogs when the body produces too much cortisol because of a tumor in the pituitary gland. A smaller number of cases involve tumors on the adrenal glands. The hallmark symptoms are increased thirst, urination, appetite, and changes to the skin and fur. This disease can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney infections and even elevate your Bichon Frise’s risk of blood clots when left untreated.

Hemangiosarcoma

The Bichon Frise is known to experience a higher cancer rate than many other dog breeds. While Bichon Frises can develop any cancer, the breed has an elevated risk of Hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of the blood vessels where cancer cells originate from the bone marrow, and tumors are generally found in the spleen. These tumors can break open, causing an internal bleed.

RELATED: 10 Signs Of Canine Cancer Every Dog Owner Should Know

Cataracts

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in dogs and typically occur in older dogs when the eye’s lens starts to cloud or turn opaque, meaning light can’t reach the retina, causing diminished vision. Dog breeds genetically dispositioned to developing cataracts can see onsets as early as their puppyhood. For the Bichon Frise, cataracts can start forming at two years of age.

Typical Costs Of Treating Health Issues In Bichon Frises 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 Bichon Frise, 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 Bichon Frises mentioned above:

• Joint Problems: To treat joint problems in your dog, the vet may prescribe medications and injections and even suggest physical therapy. Drugs can run approximately $300 a year, while physical therapy appointments can cost $50 a pop. Severe cases of hip dysplasia and luxating patella could require expensive surgery with costs ranging between $2,000 – $7,000. Treatment for Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease involves surgery to remove the withered femur head and some of the bone’s neck. Prices for a femoral head ostectomy can run between $1,000 to $4,000, depending on your location. Treating any of your Bichon Frise’s bone and joint issues can wear away at your bank account, but pet insurance offers financial protection against the high costs of orthopedic problems in dogs by helping with vet bills and prescription medications.
• Portosystemic Shunts Costs: With bills ranging from $2,000 to $12,000, PSS is expensive to treat as dogs will need surgery, medications, and hospitalizations. And before treatment, tests to find PSS include expensive scans and bloodwork. This one health problem in Bichon Frises alone makes pet insurance a worthy monthly expense and removes the need to make heartbreaking decisions in the face of an impossibly high vet bill.
• Cushing’s Disease Costs: Diagnosing Cushing’s Disease in the Bichon Frise is an expensive process that requires a host of bloodwork and other specific testing. An ultrasound may also be necessary, bringing the diagnosis to roughly $1,500. For tumors that prove operable, surgery costs can run anywhere from $2,500 to $10,000 as a board-certified specialist usually performs the procedure. Radiation also proves effective in shrinking tumors and costs an average of $5,000. Treating Cushing’s can also involve monthly meds that run between $50 and $200. Having pet insurance for your Bichon Frise when facing Cushing’s Disease can ease financial concerns, leaving you to focus on getting your pup up and running again.
• Hemangiosarcoma Costs: When cancer is suspected, diagnostic costs for bloodwork, scans, and exploratory surgery can range from $200 to more than $1,500. Once the diagnosis comes, the treatment begins, and costs start mounting with surgery that averages $1,500, radiation prices of $2,000-$6,000, and chemotherapy costs that can climb to $5,000 depending on severity. Additional prescriptions can average $50 monthly, but the best pet insurance plans for your Bichon Frise will reduce cancer costs significantly.
• Cataracts Costs: Your dog will require surgery to restore vision lost to cataracts. During the procedure, vets will either remove the lens or use soundwaves to “dissolve” it. Typically, the lens will be replaced with an artificial one. This surgery can be as expensive as it sounds, with costs coming in between $1,500 to $5,000 for each eye. But when you have a pet insurance plan for your Bichon Frise before cataracts are even discovered, the bills to treat this vision-stealing condition will be significantly reduced.

Related: 8 Best Orthopedic Dog Beds (+1 to Avoid)

What Is Pet Health Insurance, And Why Do I Need It For My Bichon Frise?

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-$66 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.

iHeartDogs is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.