Our Experience With Bulldog Pet Insurance

Each week, we receive dozens of questions about Bulldogs, their health, and Bulldog health insurance.

Here are some of the questions we hear most often:

• Does my Bulldog need pet insurance?
• What is the best pet insurance for Bulldogs?
• Is pet insurance worth it for Bulldogs?

First, this Bulldog Blog is not providing financial or insurance advice. We are simply sharing our experiences. What works for us may not work for you, and vice versa. Please do your own research.

We’re asked these questions so frequently that we wanted to respond to our community with what has worked for us.

Do Bulldogs Need Pet Insurance?

As we all know, Bulldogs are not inexpensive. They can cost several thousand dollars to bring into your home and much more than that over the years. Nothing can drive up these expenses faster than a sick or injured Bulldog. Bulldogs also tend to make more trips to the veterinarian than some other breeds.

With all this in mind, we always get pet insurance for our Bulldogs. We think of it as a kind of “forced savings.” Sure, we could set aside the same money in a savings account, but realistically it’s hard to stay consistent—life happens. Choosing a policy gives us peace of mind and keeps funds available when our Bulldogs need it most.

Pet Insurance Policy Basics

If you’re not familiar with the options out there, pet policies are similar to human health insurance. You can choose a higher or lower deductible, different coverage levels, lifetime coverage limits, and sometimes wellness add-ons. The more robust the coverage and the lower the deductible, the higher the monthly premium. Enrolling a younger Bulldog typically results in a lower monthly premium.

Here’s an example policy for a young English Bulldog:

• $5,000 Annual Coverage

• $200 Deductible

• 90% Reimbursement

• Core Benefits:  Accidents, Illnesses, Cancer, Hereditary Conditions, Surgeries, Emergency Care, Take-Home Prescriptions, Accident & Illness Exam Fees, Rehabilitation, Acupuncture & Chiropractic

• Monthly Premium: $55–$65 per month

Premiums can rise after large claims and as your Bulldog ages. Ours remained steady for the first 5–6 years.

Always read coverage details so you fully understand what’s included. Certain injuries or conditions may only be covered after a waiting period (e.g., one full calendar year). If there’s something specific you’re worried about, a quick call to the insurer can often provide clarity.

Our Experience With Pet Insurance

Let me tell you a little about Blue the Bulldog. Blue is incredibly athletic for a Bulldog. She’s very smart, extremely stubborn, and totally marches to the beat of her own drum. She weighs about 65 lbs, can be incredibly sweet one minute, and a total pain the next. She absolutely knows right from wrong—but may not care if being “wrong” gets her what she wants.

Sound familiar?! We love Blue—she’s unique and amazing.

Blue plays hard on the beach. She ran with the big dogs almost every day for her first two years. We even talked about dropping her insurance because she seemed so healthy and strong. Thank goodness we didn’t.

One March evening, just after Blue turned two, she walked down the stairs to the yard for her nightly routine. After several minutes she didn’t come back up as usual. I called her name—no response. I went down to find her sitting in the grass with a beleaguered look. She didn’t seem in pain, but she wouldn’t get up to walk.

I picked her up and gently set her on all four legs. She tried a couple of steps, showed a severe limp in her hind legs, and sat back down. Earlier she’d been walking normally, so I was confused. I carried her upstairs to monitor her. She slept soundly that night. I did not.

The next morning, things were no better. She was in good spirits but still couldn’t walk. We got an early vet appointment. After an exam and X-rays, Blue was diagnosed with two torn ACLs. The doctor said they may have been ready to go, and a simple hop off the stairs could have triggered it.

He recommended surgery since she was young and active. We were referred to a specialist about 45 minutes away. The surgeon confirmed two torn ACLs and asked us to bring her in ASAP. He explained that doing both legs in one session was too much for a Bulldog, so we’d schedule two surgeries about six weeks apart. Each surgery would cost about $3,500, including follow-ups and related care—about $7,000 total.

The Insurance Details

The process was simple. The doctors performed the surgery, the staff submitted the paperwork, I paid the bill, and the insurance company reimbursed 90% (minus the $200 deductible).

For the first $3,500 bill, I used a rewards credit card; the insurer reimbursed me within the same billing cycle. Within 14 days, I received a check for $2,970, deposited it, and paid the card off.

After follow-up visits it was time for the second surgery. Same process: I paid $3,500; 14 days later the reimbursement arrived. This time it was $3,150 since the deductible was already satisfied.

In total, insurance saved us about $6,000 on the surgeries. Premiums didn’t increase until Blue turned six, when there was a normal age-based bump.

Insurance has helped with other items along the way (routine care and an ear infection). Total benefits so far are about $6,500. To date, we’ve paid roughly $4,320 in premiums over 6+ years—so we’re net positive by more than $2,000.

Even if we ended up net negative later, it’s been 100% worth it for us—peace of mind, confidence, and easier cash-flow management.

Summing It Up

Does my Bulldog need pet insurance? Only you can decide based on age, health, location, and available policies.

What is the best pet insurance for Bulldogs? One you can afford, that covers what you care about most, from a highly rated company you trust.

Is pet insurance worth it for Bulldogs? In our experience, yes—both financially and emotionally.

Again, please do your own research. Each condition, insurer, and policy can be different. These are simply our results with our provider.

Back to Blue

Blue was an amazing patient. She had no complications during either surgery and healed well after each. Her left leg was repaired first and healed first; the right leg followed. Surprisingly, she didn’t need a cone—she ignored the incisions—and she avoided jumping during recovery, almost like she knew she was hurt. Total healing time was about 12 weeks.

She did gain some weight during the downtime, but shed it once active again. She’s not as intense as she used to be—she’s six now—but she can still get after it and still loves the beach!

We hope you picked up something useful about caring for your Bulldog today.

If you’d like to learn more about Bulldogs, please visit The BDAWG Blog, presented by Bulldog Grade.