3 Best Pet Insurance Plans For Whippets

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Choosing a pet insurance plan for your whippet can be overwhelming. There are so many options on the market to choose from and avoiding the wrong plan is just as important as choosing the right one.

I spent some time looking through some of the more popular pet insurance options and found the 3 best pet insurance plans for whippets to be Waggel, PetPlan, and Embrace. I chose these providers based on their overall rating from pet parents and the features that each company offers.

I then compared Waggel, PetPlan, and Embrace based on their claims period, policy features, coverage, cost, and extra perks. Read on to learn which of these providers came out on top!

Don’t have time to read the full article? No problem.
The best pet insurance for whippets is Waggel. Check them out here (my link will give you 1-month free!)

Why Pet Insurance Is Crucial For Whippets

Whippets may be known as a hardy breed, but that doesn’t mean that they are impervious to illness or injury. In fact, when it comes to certain conditions, whippets aren’t as hardy as we might like to think!

Poor Breeding Practices

One of the biggest problems facing many purebred dogs is congenital and hereditary defects that result from poor breeding practices. As hobby breeders and backyard breeders continue to “dilute the gene pool,” our dogs become more susceptible to illness and injury.

Some health concerns for poorly bred whippets include deafness, eye conditions, and Von Willebrand’s Disease. Von Willebrands in particular is a very difficult and costly disease to treat with a transfusion costing around £410.00 in the U.K.and $400 to $600 in the U.S.

Arthritis

Many whippets with a history of racing develop arthritis in their older years. A particularly painful condition, arthritis cannot be prevented completely and much of your dog’s pain relief will come from anti-inflammatory medications, supplements, and supplemental therapies.

The average whippet lives between twelve and fifteen years and approximately eighty percent of all eight-year-old dogs show signs of arthritis.

Assuming your whippet lives to fifteen, that’s the possibility of around seven years of supplements, five years of anti-inflammatories, and supplemental therapies…that cost adds up quickly!

The average cost of basic arthritis treatment comes to around £410 per year in the UK, and $324 a year in the U.S. This does not include the cost of supplemental therapy, surgery, or injectable medications.

Muscular Injuries

There are few things a whippet loves more than speeding around a field with their ears back and tongue out. All of that running can sometimes lead to slipping, falling, abrupt stopping…and a million other things that can lead to muscular injury. On occasion, all that running can also cause ligament tears.

In addition to being painful, muscular injuries and ligament tears can be extremely costly to treat. There’s also the fact that some injuries like canine cruciate ligament tears make a dog more susceptible to tearing the ligament on the other side, resulting in the cost of two CCL repairs.

The cost of a single extracapsular canine cruciate ligament repair surgery in the U.K. is £1,000-£2,000 and between $1,300 and $3000 in the U.S. Imagine double that cost for both ligaments!

1. Best Overall Pet Insurance For Whippets

Waggel Pet Insurance

Waggel pet insurance is my favourite provider among the three companies for its unique approach to pet insurance coverage.

Instead of offering a multitude of plans that only cover certain occurrences, Waggel only offers comprehensive lifetime insurance (plans that cover injury, illness, and disease.)

Their comprehensive plans make sure that no pet parent is left out in the cold due to the nature of their dog’s injury or illness.

Waggel also stands out from many providers because they offer 24/7 video vet calls – something that makes a huge difference, particularly if you’re a parent to that dog who is as sick as can be until you get to the vet’s office where they miraculously recover. Plus their app makes virtual visits exceptionally easy!

I also love that Waggel has a rewards program that includes rewards from companies like Butternut Box. Perhaps my favourite feature, though, is that they give you access to a personal account manager which is particularly beneficial if you are easily overwhelmed or are simply unfamiliar with the inner workings of insurance.

Waggel offers six levels of insurance plans that include £1,000; £2,000; £4,000; £6,000; £8,000; and £10,000 in annual coverage.

Each of these plans covers injury veterinary fees, vet fees associated with illness or recurring conditions, third party liability, theft, death, straying, loss of your pet, recovery of your pet, death by accident, death by euthanasia, and death from illness.

A Waggel insurance policy is best suited to any whippet parent looking for complete coverage at an affordable rate. They may not be the most affordable, but they do offer the most comprehensive coverage.

Note – If you use this Waggel pet insurance link you will receive your first month for free.

Pros

  • Waggel will always attempt to pay your dog’s vet directly.
  • Claims can be done 100% digitally.
  • Waggel offers tiered plans so no matter what your budget, you can afford coverage.
  • Waggel coverage includes treatment given abroad.
  • Waggel has a rewards program.
  • Waggel gives you access to your own plan representative.
  • Free first month for new plans.

Cons

  • Does not cover pre-existing conditions.
  • 14-day wait before being able to make a claim.
  • Dogs involved in coursing and or racing and dogs covered by the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991 are not eligible for coverage.

2. Best Pet Insurance Plan For Whippets

PetPlan

PetPlan is ranked as the UK’s favourite pet insurance provider for a reason – their 40 years of experience have created a program that pays out 97% of the claims they receive.

Compared to other pet insurance options, PetPlan stands out for the more unique services that they cover including physiotherapy, hereditary, and congenital conditions. Finding another provider that covers these latter two is next to impossible.

PetPlan also separates itself from other providers by offering lifetime coverage and 12-month coverage plans. The former plan option gives ongoing treatment for recurring conditions for a higher premium while the latter is more affordable but does not offer ongoing coverage for recurring conditions like arthritis. This means having the option of complete lifelong coverage or more affordable coverage.

I also love that PetPlan covers cancer treatments without requiring an additional fee – something my previous pet insurance company required for an additional £10 a month!

PetPlan has two plan types with differing levels of coverage that include lifetime pet insurance with £4,000; £7,000; and £12,000 in annual coverage; and time-limited insurance plans with up to £4,000 in coverage.

Each of these plans covers injury veterinary fees, vet fees associated with illness, third-party liability, death, complementary treatments, and boarding fees if you become hospitalized.

A PetPlan insurance policy is best suited to any whippet parent looking for affordable comprehensive coverage for a limited period.

Pros

  • PetPlan will always attempt to pay your dog’s vet directly.
  • Most claims are processed within four days.
  • Straightforward coverage.
  • Each policy option offers a good level of coverage.
  • Multiple pet discounts.

Cons

  • Does not cover pre-existing conditions.
  • Plan costs increase with pet age.
  • New lifetime coverage plans are not issued for dogs aged 5+ or 8+.

3. Best Pest Insurance Plan For Whippets

Embrace Pet Insurance

Embrace pet insurance is my pick for whippet parents in the U.S. Compared to other policies, Embrace has a few unique features including an optional wellness rewards add-on that reimburses routine wellness costs up to $650 per year.

The wellness plan can be added to any of the accident and illness plans Embrace offers.

Embrace also stands out from the competition because they offer such customizable coverage for dogs of all ages. With five annual reimbursement limits, five deductible choices, and three reimbursement percentages to choose from, there are many more options for pet parents on every type of budget.

I also love that Embrace includes coverage for more unusual situations in their available plans. One example that really caught my attention was their coverage of prosthetic limbs, devices, and mobility aids.

I’ve never seen another pet insurance policy with this category of coverage before! I also really like that Embrace has a diminishing deductible feature that takes $50 off your deductible for each year you don’t receive a claim reimbursement, a 10% multi-pet discount, and a 5% military discount.

Embrace offers varied levels of accident and illness insurance coverage that include $5,000, $8,000, $10,000, $15,000, and $30,000 in annual coverage with annual deductibles that range from $200 to $1,000 and a reimbursement percentage that ranges from 70% to 90%.

Each of these plans covers injury veterinary fees, vet fees associated with illness or chronic conditions, genetic conditions, dental trauma, congenital conditions, cancer treatment, and physical therapy.

An Embrace insurance policy is best suited to any U.S. whippet parent looking for complete coverage with customisable benefits.

Pros

  • Embrace offers optional wellness coverage that covers preventatives, nail trims, and teeth cleaning.
  • Extreme customizability in plans.
  • Diminishing deductible.
  • Multi-pet discount and military discount.

Cons

  • Does not cover pre-existing conditions.
  • All plans have a $200 minimum deductible.
  • Plans include additional fees if paid monthly.

FAQ’s

Is Pet Insurance Worth It For My Whippet?

Pet insurance is a worthwhile investment for any dog regardless of its breed. Even the healthiest dog from the purest bloodlines can contract an illness or have an accident that requires costly vet treatment. Opting out of pet insurance for your dog is no different than opting out of health insurance for yourself.

What Are The Benefits Of Pet Insurance

Benefits of pet insurance include:

  • Being able to provide the care that is best for your pet rather than having to worry about the financial burden of veterinary care.
  • In the event of a serious illness or injury, you know that you have financial help waiting in the wings.
  • Significant veterinary fees don’t wipe out your nest egg or family emergency fund.
  • You have peace of mind knowing that should something happen to your pup, you can afford to give them the care they need.

Are Whippets Prone To Illness And Injury?

Most breeds are prone to some type of injury or illness. Although whippets are a rather hardy breed in general, they too have a prevalence toward certain conditions including:

Anesthesia Sensitivity

Lean-muscled dogs like whippets are generally more sensitive to anaesthetic drugs due to a higher plasma concentration of these drugs caused by their lower volume of fat tissue. This causes dogs to experience a much heavier sedative effect than dogs of the same weight with higher body fat.

best pet insurance for whippets
Image: bbartlomiej

Anaesthesia sensitivity is seen in a few select breeds of dogs including slender muscular breeds and collies. This problem can be managed by working with a vet who is familiar with anaesthesia sensitivity in dogs.

Von Willebrand’s Disease

Von Willebrand’s disease is an inherited bleeding disorder where the body does not have enough of a specific protein needed to help the blood to clot, this causes unusual patterns of bleeding that can be deadly.

There is no cure for Von Willebrands in dogs, but there are various veterinary management techniques that may include blood transfusions.

Heart disease

Heart disease is when your dog’s heart is unable to efficiently pump blood through the body. There are varying degrees of heart disease and veterinarians believe that there is a genetic component to this common ailment.

Treatment for heart disease varies depending on the degree of disease, but it generally requires lifetime medication.

Eye defects

Cataracts are often seen in older whippets. Surgery is possible in severe cases of cataracts.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (a genetic predisposition to blindness that begins to show between ages three and five) is also commonly seen in whippets. There is no treatment for PRA.

Corneal dystrophy is another concern for whippets. This inherited disease causes crystal deposits in the cornea which progresses to cause vision changes and sometimes complete vision loss. Corneal dystrophy has no cure although the crystals can be removed they have a high likelihood of returning.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is another common ailment that is seen in whippets. Characterized by seizures of varying degrees, epilepsy can be genetic or it can begin spontaneously. Epilepsy treatment depends on the cause of seizures but usually requires anti-seizure medication.

Congenital deafness

Congenital deafness is another hereditary condition seen in whippets, although there is no cure for this condition.

Cancer

Whippets are more prone to some types of cancer and they frequently develop these cancers at a much younger age than other dogs. Cancers are treated accordingly with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and/or surgery.

The most common type of cancer seen in older whippets is lymphoma – cancer that begins in the lymph nodes or lymphoid cells.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia

Autoimmune hemolytic anaemia is an autoimmune disorder where a dog’s own immune system launches an attack on red blood cells. As red blood cells are destroyed, less oxygen is being delivered throughout the body. This causes a range of symptoms related to lack of oxygen.

Treatment for AHA varies but may involve a blood transfusion and corticosteroid and immunosuppressive drug treatment to manage symptoms and stop the attack on the red blood cells. Dogs with AHA often relapse.

Musculoskeletal injuries

As sighthounds, whippets will run all day every day if they could. This love of running and physical exercise in general often causes muscular issues for whippets, though. Strains and sprains are not uncommon and muscular and ligament tears aren’t unheard of either.

Most musculoskeletal injuries can be treated through symptom management or in extreme cases, surgical intervention.

Can Pet Insurance Save Me Money?

If you’re wondering if pet insurance can save you money, you’re not alone. In fact, I used to wonder if pet insurance was worth the investment myself.

I toyed with the idea of setting up a savings account instead of paying monthly premiums for pet insurance reasoning that I’d save more money that way. I opted for pet insurance anyway and when my first dog – a Labrador Retriever – needed his CCL repaired, I was thankful I did.

Yes, there is a chance that putting your monthly premiums into a bank account will save you more money than paying those premiums to your pet insurance company, but it’s not a given.

All it takes is one major event to wipe out that account (and you’ll probably need more money than that account holds.) Of course, that’s assuming that you did deposit those premiums into the bank in the first place.

So, yes. Pet insurance can save you A LOT of money if your pup has a serious medical incident and even if they don’t, you will make most of your premiums back by filing for all covered expenses during your dog’s lifetime.  

Final Thoughts

Most pet parents don’t recognise the benefit of pet insurance until they need coverage. Unfortunately, by the time they realise they need it, it’s too late to get coverage.

If you have been contemplating pet insurance but keep putting it off, I recommend at least getting a quote from one of the three companies I mention in this post, you’ll be surprised at how affordable pet insurance can be and how thankful you are to have it should you need to make a claim!

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