Does Pet Insurance Cover Kennel Cough? 

While you can’t anticipate when your pet will get sick, you can anticipate the vet bills that come with helping them feel better. When you need help paying those bills, pet insurance that offers coverage for illnesses — like kennel cough — can make all the difference.

A MetLife Pet Insurance policy can help you cover costs related to kennel cough. But getting a plan for your pet before they get sick is important. Let’s explore how our coverage works for kennel cough.

MetLife Pet Offers Coverage for Kennel Cough Costs

You could get up to 90% of costs related to your pet’s kennel cough diagnosis and treatment reimbursed with MetLife Pet’s standard pet insurance policy.¹

While kennel cough is more commonly associated with dogs, cats can also be infected. Many bacteria and viruses can cause kennel cough, but Bordetella bronchiseptica is the most common.²

Treatment usually includes medications and isolation since kennel cough is contagious. Severe cases, or those that develop into pneumonia, may require a hospital stay.² Having pet insurance can be especially helpful if your cat or dog needs extra vet care to help them feel better.

Does MetLife Pet cover other contagious pet illnesses?

Yes, a pet insurance policy with MetLife Pet could help you cover costs related to other infectious diseases and illnesses your pet may come into contact with, such as:

• Parvovirus
• Feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus
• Canine influenza
• Giardia
• Distemper

Many of these illnesses have vaccines that can be administered to help prevent pets from catching them or lessen symptoms if they do. When you add our optional Preventive Care to your insurance policy, you can get coverage for vaccinations — like the Bordetella vaccine for kennel cough.

What Types of Kennel Cough Expenses Can Be Covered by Pet Insurance?

MetLife Pet’s standard accident and illness policy can typically help you cover kennel cough-related expenses like:

• Vet visit exam fees
• Diagnostics (including X-rays, blood tests, and swabs to test for infections)
• Prescribed medications
• Hospitalization and emergency care
• Follow-up vet visits

Kennel cough is contagious, so other pets in your home could be at a higher risk of catching it if one pet is sick.² MetLife Pet offers a unique Family Plan so you can cover up to three pets on one policy with a shared deductible — making it easier to get the whole furry family the vet care they need.³

Exclusions to Kennel Cough Coverage

MetLife Pet, like most pet insurance providers, typically won’t cover pre-existing conditions. If your pet displayed symptoms of kennel cough — whether before enrollment or during an illness waiting period — vet bills for it usually won’t be covered.

Since kennel cough is considered a “curable” pre-existing condition, MetLife Pet may be able to help you cover new kennel cough vet bills after enrollment, even if your pet has had it before. However, new cases of kennel cough must not be related to previous cases of it for coverage to apply. Some other providers may cover costs if your pet has been symptom- or treatment-free for a specific period of time.⁴

It’s important to understand that the type of pet insurance policy you have also dictates coverage. Accident-only plans won’t cover expenses for illnesses like kennel cough.

MetLife Pet Members Who Saved on Kennel Cough Costs

Diagnostics and treatment for kennel cough could get pricey if your pet needs X-rays or hospitalization for severe symptoms. Having a MetLife Pet policy helped these members get money back when it mattered most:⁵

• Clover the puppy was brought to the vet after she started coughing and acting lethargic. The vet examined her and diagnosed Clover with kennel cough. Her owners got more than $550 back on the $650 bill.
• Emilio, a one-year-old cat, needed X-rays to help his vet diagnose his upper respiratory infection. The vet visit and X-rays cost more than $250, and his family was reimbursed over $200.
• A dog named Arrow was diagnosed with kennel cough and a slight case of pneumonia. She was prescribed medication to help treat it that cost over $100. Arrow’s family was reimbursed more than $80.

Early vet care can make a difference in reducing the likelihood that kennel cough gets worse. A MetLife Pet policy can help you prioritize necessary medical care over the cost.

Get MetLife Pet for Kennel Cough Coverage

You can help prevent dogs and cats from getting kennel cough by vaccinating them and staying on top of their routine health care — especially if they’re around other pets in parks, daycare, or boarding facilities.² If your pet happens to get sick, MetLife Pet can help reimburse you for covered vet bills.¹

Our policies can be built to fit your needs by customizing your reimbursement rate, deductible, and annual limit.^1,6,7 You could get up to 90% back on covered kennel cough expenses like X-rays, hospital stays, medications, and vet visits.¹ Explore your options and see your personalized rates by getting a free quote today.