Top 9 Pet Insurance Plans For Papillons (2024)

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These butterfly beauties are furry little fairies that will bring joy to anyone’s life. You might as well have your very own doggy Tinkerbell when you call a Papillon your best friend. Cuddly, insanely cute, and intelligent to boot, the Papillon is a dog who will stay by your side whether it’s time to play or snuggle. For these reasons and more, you’ll fall all over yourself to give your precious pup everything they could ever need or want!

And while your Papillion may not want to go to the vet for checkups, you know they still need to go as annual appointments are vital to keeping your pup happy, healthy, and flitting around like the butterflies these little dogs were named for. Yet, illness and injury can still happen no matter how diligent a dog parent you are. Papillons are prone to liver shunts, hypoglycemia, collapsing trachea, patellar luxation, and a bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand’s Disease, and treating any of these conditions can get expensive. But with pet insurance, you can be financially prepared to fend off whatever may come. To help you find peace of mind and the best pet insurance plan for your Papillon, we’ve created a free and easy-to-use comparison tool to simplify the insurance quest.

Compare The Top 9 Pet Insurance Plans for Your Papillon 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 Papillon Cost?

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

• Pets Best – $28.41 per month
• Embrace – $25.37 per month
• Healthy Paws – $37.41 per month
• ManyPets – $25.98 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 Papillon-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 Papillons

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, or PSS, can cause symptoms such as neurological problems, digestive issues, and overall poor quality of life.

Hypoglycemia

Low blood sugar may not seem like an emergency, but in a tiny bog breed like the Papillon, it can be deadly. Illness or improper nutrition can cause this sudden blood sugar crash as small dogs have little in the way of “fat reserves” to supply glucose to the body. Hypoglycemia could lead to fainting, seizures, coma, and even death in toy breeds.

Collapsing Trachea

Papillons and other small breed dogs are susceptible to collapsing trachea. This issue occurs when a portion of the windpipe collapses, leading to shortness of breath, fatigue, and a honking cough. Depending on the severity of the collapse, it can cause respiratory distress and fainting.

Patellar Luxation

A condition common in Papillons and other small breeds, a luxating patella is the medical term for a dislocation of the kneecap. This dislocation can range from mild to severe and lead to issues with arthritis, pain, and decreased mobility. Symptoms of patellar luxation can appear in your Papillon’s gait as your pup may limp or walk with a skip to compensate for their ‘trick knee.’

Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD)

Von Willebrand’s Disease, or vWD, is a hereditary bleeding disorder that occurs when the blood lacks a vital protein that helps with clotting at the site of blood vessel injuries. Dogs with this disease are at risk of losing significant amounts of blood as healing clots don’t form as they should. Excessive blood loss in dogs can quickly become an emergency.

Typical Costs Of Treating Health Issues In Papillons 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 Papillon, 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 common health problems in Papillons discussed above:

• 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 Papillons 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.
• Hypoglycemia Costs: If your little butterfly experiences a severe blood sugar crash, emergency treatment could be required to help raise glucose levels and treat any symptoms that result. Costs can range from $500 for outpatient treatment to $2,000-$3,000 for hospitalizations. Emergency vet visits for hypoglycemia in Papillons can be an expressway to huge medical bills. These astronomical and unexpected vet bills can leave families facing financial catastrophe, but a quality pet insurance plan for your Papillon can remove the money worries an emergency causes.
• Collapsing Trachea Costs: If a collapsed trachea is suspected, your vet will perform a battery of scans and tests consisting of X-rays, fluoroscopy, and a bronchoscopy. This procedure requires a general anesthetic as it involves scoping the trachea with a camera to examine the problem. X-rays and a fluoroscopy each run roughly $200, while the bronchoscopy can cost $1,500 – $2,000. Correcting a severe problem with collapsing trachea involves placing stents to prevent further collapses, and the estimated cost for this surgery is $5,000. A collapsing trachea may occur in small dogs, but the problem can create big bills. Pet insurance can help with the high price of diagnostic scans and surgery.
• Patellar Luxation Costs: The vet may prescribe anti-inflammatory medications and suggest physical therapy to treat patellar luxation in your Papillon. Drugs and injections can run approximately $300 a year, while physical therapy appointments could cost $50 a pop. For severe cases in which surgery is recommended, the costs can range from $1,000 to $5,000. In a situation like this, pet insurance can take the pressure off, knowing your pup needs surgery. Depending on the coverage you select, you’ll be looking at a significantly reduced cost to give your little one back their mobility.
• Von Willebrand’s disease (vWD): If your Papillon 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. But having the right pet insurance plan for your Papillon before emergency strikes leaves you to concentrate on recovery, not bills.

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

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.

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