Top 9 Pet Insurance Plans For Alaskan Malamutes (2022)

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Alaskan Malamutes are large and proud dogs once bred to pull heavy cargo by sled. They’re fierce, strong, and highly intelligent. But while rugged and bold, there’s a good chance your big tough Mal is also a big baby who needs lots of snuggles and hugs. And you’re just fine with that!

Because you love your Alaskan Malamute so much, you give your pup everything they need plus anything they could ever want. And while your dog may not want to go to the vet for their annual checkups, you know they still need to go in order to keep healthy and fit. But no matter how diligent of a dog parent you are, illness and injury can still happen, and big dogs can make big bills. Malamutes are prone to hip dysplasia, cataracts, diabetes, epilepsy, and bloat, and treating any of these conditions gets expensive in a hurry. With pet insurance, though, you can be financially prepared to fend off whatever comes. 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 Alaskan Malamute.

Compare The Top 9 Pet Insurance Plans for Your Alaskan Malamute 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 an Alaskan Malamute Cost?

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

• Pets Best – $46.49 per month
• Embrace – $41.60 per month
• Healthy Paws – $30.72 per month
• ManyPets – $42.51 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 Alaskan Malamute-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 Alaskan Malamutes

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. The issue could eventually lead to pain, decreased mobility, and arthritis. Once diagnosed, your Mamulute will require lifelong care and management by a veterinarian to ensure your pup keeps walking without discomfort.

RELATED: What You Need To Know About Hip Dysplasia

Hereditary Juvenile Cataracts

The Alaskan Mamalute is susceptible to hereditary juvenile cataracts, a condition in which the lens of the eye clouds causing limited or lost vision. Unlike cataracts found in older dogs, this type can appear in puppies in their first weeks and months of life or their younger years. In affected Mals, cataracts typically begin by one to two years of age.

Obesity and Diabetes

While being chubby itself won’t put your dog in the vet’s office, complications of obesity, like diabetes, heart disease, and joint problems, can. And due to genetics and weight gain tendencies, Alaskan Malamutes run a higher risk for diabetes than other breeds. But keeping your Mal trim with diet and exercise could help keep diabetes at bay. If your dog is showing any symptoms of diabetes, make an appointment with the vet as untreated diabetes can lead to poor life quality and eventually death.

Epilepsy

Malamutes are genetically predisposed to seizures, but the exact cause behind them is unknown. Seizure episodes that repeatedly happen without a primary cause are referred to as idiopathic epilepsy. Epileptic episodes happen suddenly, often without warning, and can last from a few seconds to minutes. There are different types of seizures, but symptoms can appear similar, with confusion, twitching, blinking, drooling, and behavior changes or bodywide stiffening that comes with rapid jerking movements.

RELATED: The 5 Things You Need To Know About Seizures In Dogs

Bloat

The Alaskan Malamute is a big dog with a deep 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.

Typical Costs Of Treating Health Issues In Alaskan Malamutes 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 Alaskan Malamute, 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 Malamute health problems mentioned above:

• Hip Dysplasia Costs: Severe cases of hip dysplasia could require expensive surgery with costs ranging between $2,000 – $7,000. And even if your Malamute doesn’t need surgery, treatment could involve oral medications, injections, and even physical therapy, which can create bills of $500 or more yearly. Treating hip dysplasia can wear away at your wallet, but pet insurance offers financial protection against the high costs of orthopedic problems in dogs by helping with vet bills and prescription medications.
• Hereditary Juvenile Cataracts Costs: While cataract surgery is relatively simple, it’s still expensive. Surgery to remove cataracts involves costs for the procedure itself as well as anesthesia and scans. Post care and medications create additional charges, bringing the bill to land somewhere between $2,700 and $4,000. Pet insurance can help offset the costs of this expensive surgery, allowing you a chance to give your pup back the priceless gift of sight.
• Diabetes Treatment Costs: If your Mal develops an obesity complication like diabetes, your pup might need insulin injections. The average cost of an insulin prescription for a large dog can range from $900 to almost $1,800 per year. But with the extensive array of choices in pet insurance plans for your Alaskan Malamute, you can find one that helps cover the cost of prescriptions, allowing you to save on that all-important insulin.
• Epilepsy Costs: Because epilepsy isn’t a cut-and-dry condition to diagnose, your vet might perform a full batch of tests like bloodwork, a CT scan, or even an MRI, which can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 depending on where you live. Once a treatment plan has been established, prescription meds can cost $200 to $5,000 a year. And while your Malamute adjusts to their meds, you may be required to do blood tests every month before moving to a twice-yearly process. Between diagnosis, treatment, and vet maintenance, epilepsy is pretty pricey to treat. Pet insurance can help maintain your finances by cutting test and prescription costs when dealing with this tricky but common health problem in Alaskan Malamutes.
• 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 estimated surgery costs to repair GDV average between $2,000 and $5,000, but complications could inflate bills further. And Mals who experience bloat run a higher risk of having it happen again. With the right pet insurance plan for your Alaskan Malamute, you’ll be saved from the sudden and staggering bills bloat can create and never be forced to make heartbreaking choices because you can’t afford care.

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

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-$77 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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