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Award-Winning Pet Insurance in Ohio

Five Minutes
Feb 09, 2023

Whether they’re dressed to the nines in their best Buckeyes apparel or sneaking a scoop of three-way chili from their pet parents, it’s clear that Ohio pets are living the good life, from Cincinnati to Cleveland and beyond. But it can be tricky to give them everything they deserve due to rising costs.

According to MetLife’s Pet Parents Study, 50% of pet owners worry that they may not be able to be pet owners in the future because of said costs. Pet healthcare costs alone can be a major barrier to pet ownership. That’s where the award-winning MetLife Pet Insurance1 can help.

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How Health Insurance Can Help Your Ohio Pets

Before learning how pet insurance can help, it’s important to understand how expensive pet ownership can be. Pet owners can expect to spend about $1,150 on cat costs and $1,400 on dog costs annually. This includes toys, food, and shelter, in addition to vet visits, prescription medications, preventative care, and other needs. This figure doesn’t even include emergency veterinary care. With Ohio’s harsh winters, allergy seasons, and farmland and forests filled with things like toxic mushrooms and ticks, investing in pet insurance may be worth it for many folks in the state.

Pet health insurance can be an affordable way to help make sure any emergency costs don’t put a huge dent in your wallet. You pay a monthly premium for whatever coverage options you choose. Then, when your dog or cat needs veterinary care, you can take them to any licensed vet, clinic, or animal hospital. Pay the vet bill and submit the claim to your pet insurance provider for reimbursement. 

Why Choose a MetLife Pet Insurance Policy?

There are so many options when it comes to pet insurance companies. How can you know which one provides the best pet insurance? Ohio pet parents can consider the Pet Independent Innovation Awards. They awarded MetLife Pet Insurance with the 2023 “Pet Insurance of the Year'' award. Here are a few of the things MetLife Pet can offer:

  • We don’t discriminate and cover cats and dogs of all ages and breeds.
  • We offer a short waiting period for accident or illnesses coverage.3,4
  • We provide options where up to three dogs or cats can share an annual deductible.5
  • We don’t work within a network of providers, instead covering care from all licensed veterinary providers, animal hospitals, and clinics in the U.S.
  • We reimburse you within 2 weeks of receiving your claim.6
  • We can cover your pet’s previously covered pre-existing conditions if you transfer from a different provider.7
  • We go beyond covering traditional treatment to cover alternative and holistic therapies.

How MetLife Pet Insurance Works in Ohio

MetLife Pet Insurance Is Available in Ohio. See What’s Covered

MetLife Pet Insurance offers Ohio pet families comprehensive coverage. From our basic injury and illness plans to add-ons like the Wellness Plan and the Preventative Care Plan, we can help cover your pets.8

Our standard dog insurance and cat insurance policies can typically cover the following:

  • Diagnostic tests
  • Accidents
  • Illnesses
  • Emergencies
  • Surgeries
  • Prescription medications
  • Alternative therapies

How Much Is Pet Insurance in Ohio?

MetLife Pet knows pet parents are concerned about the rising cost of pet care. We offer flexible pricing for our pet insurance policies. Our plans can start at $9 per month for cat insurance and $15 per month for dog insurance.9

From there, the cost of your pet insurance policy varies based on how many pets you have, their ages, their breeds, their sexes,10 and any pre-existing conditions they have. You’ll also be able to set your policy’s annual limit, deductible amount, reimbursement rate, and tack on any additional care coverage.8,11,12 Where you are located within Ohio will play into the pricing, too. You may pay less for vet care in smaller areas like Danville, OH, than you might in densely populated cities like Columbus.

For an estimate of what it’ll cost to insure your pet family, get a quote for pet insurance today.

Real Pet Insurance Claims We Paid in Ohio

The best way to demonstrate the value of pet insurance is with examples of pet families we’ve helped. Here are six claims from Ohio pet parents.13

  • About $1,800 paid — This helped pay for an exam for a 8-year-old mixed dog living outside of Cleveland, OH, with a dermal cyst.
  • About $1,200 paid — This went toward a surgery for a 9-year-old mixed dog with hepatopathy in Cleveland, OH.
  • About $800 paid — This paid for a routine teeth cleaning for a 6-year-old golden retriever outside of Dayton, OH.
  • About $600 paid — This helped finance an exam for a 2-year-old cat with a heart murmur that lived outside of Columbus, OH.
  • About $50 paid — This covered prescription medication for a 9-year-old cat with hyperthyroidism in Columbus, OH.

Notable Claim in the Buckeye State

Angel, a spaniel puppy in Cleveland, OH, took a hike in the forest and discovered and ingested mushrooms. The family took Angel to an animal hospital, where she was treated for mushroom toxicity. The visit and treatment cost about $1,300. MetLife Pet reimbursed her family for the entire vet bill. Angel’s prompt treatment saved her life and she’s doing much better!13

Pet Injuries and Illnesses Typically Found in Ohio

Ohio isn’t known as a particularly dangerous state, but still has some risks for pet parents to be wary of. Plus, Ohio winters and summers can be especially harsh on cat and dog paws. So you’ll want to protect your pets if you take them outdoors.

  • Allergies: Like pet owners, both dogs and cats can suffer from allergies. Allergies can either be seasonal or irritant-specific. The most common kind of allergy in pets is atopy, which means inhaled allergens, usually pollen, dust, or mold. Atopy symptoms usually include skin irritation rather than respiratory problems. Treating your pet’s allergies may require prescription medications, creams, or even shots, which can get expensive.
  • Paw irritation: Be careful exposing your pet’s paws to the icy roads and sidewalks during the winter. Rock salt and antifreeze can build up on the paws, which can cause irritation and bleeding. They’re also at risk for frostbite if it’s too cold. Wipe down your pet’s paws after a winter walk, and consider putting them in booties if it’s a particularly harsh day or they’ll be out for a while. For those scorching summer Midwest days, it’s important to use paw protection, too, otherwise their pads can burn on pavement.
  • Parvo: Canine parvovirus is a contagious and deadly disease that attacks dogs’ gastrointestinal and immune systems. It’s spread mostly through feces, but the virus can live on surfaces for months. A parvo diagnosis usually spells an animal hospital visit for your puppy, sometimes requiring IV fluids and antibiotics. Treating your pup for parvo can cost upward of $1,000. The earlier parvo is caught, the better the prognosis. However, it is preventable with the parvo vaccine.
  • Tick bites: No matter where you live in Ohio, ticks are present. Pet parents need to be vigilant both about tick prevention medications and checking their pets for ticks. These tiny insects can transmit many different diseases. Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) are the most common tick-borne illnesses in Ohio.14 Both Lyme and RMSF are severe diseases that may result in long-term complications. Treatment ranges from mild antibiotics to hospitalization.

Ohio Plants That Can Be Toxic to Pets

Whether your pets are outdoor explorers or curious about your houseplants, pet parents should be wary of common plants that are toxic to pets. Plant toxicity in pets could result in mild irritation to organ failure, and even death. It’s important to keep tabs on what plants your pet may be in contact with. Here are some of the common plants found in Ohio that can be toxic to your furry friend:

  • Buckeye (the very same one the state is nicknamed for)15
  • Azalea
  • Clematis
  • Daffodils
  • Tulips

Popular Dog Breeds in Ohio

Based on the data, Ohio pet parents adopt dogs that are high in energy, loyalty, and heart. Here are the characteristics for the top three dog breeds in the state and some of their predisposed health conditions:16

  1. Labrador retriever: Loyal and friendly, labs are the number one most adopted dog breed in Ohio. This breed is predisposed to hip dysplasia, tumors, heart disease, and allergies.
  2. German shepherd: The German shepherd may be prone to skin conditions, gastroenteritis, and growths.
  3. Golden retriever: Fun, energetic, and smart goldens may be predisposed to hypothyroidism, bloat, colitis, and obesity.

Adopt a Pet in Ohio that Needs a Home

Pets all across the state of Ohio are waiting to be adopted into loving families. Now that you know how to give the best healthcare possible to a pet, consider adopting one of your own. You don’t even have to leave your couch to browse cats up for adoption and dogs up for adoption on Petfinder or other local pet adoption websites. They make it easy to find your next best furry companion, one who would be happy to go on a long stroll along the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge in Cincinnati on a warm spring day.

Adoption shelters in OH

Pet adoption shelters in Ohio are ready to help you look for a dog or cat to adopt! Check out one of the shelters below and stop by if you’re nearby to see all the pets ready for their forever home.

Licking County Humane Society

825 Thornwood Dr SW, Heath, OH 43056

Consider MetLife Pet for Your Pets

Whether you’re in Akron or Toledo, caring for your pets is more than just buying them food and taking them on walks to show off their latest leash and bandana. It’s providing them with preventative care, veterinary access, and any emergency care they may need. Luckily, MetLife Pet offers pet insurance in Ohio, helping pet owners provide the best healthcare possible for their pets.

Consider investing in MetLife Pet Insurance today. Get a free quote here faster than you can shout O-H-I-O!

Pet Insurance Can Help Cover Pet
Injury & Illness Costs

There is no substantive difference between a MetLife Pet Insurance policy in Ohio and a MetLife Pet policy in another U.S. State

1 “2023 Pet Insurance of the Year Award” Winners, Pet Independent Innovation Awards

2 Provided all terms of the policy are met. Application is subject to underwriting review and approval. Like most insurance policies, insurance policies issued by IAIC and MetGen contain certain deductibles, co-insurance, exclusions, exceptions, reductions, limitations, and terms for keeping them in force. For costs, complete details of coverage and exclusions, and a listing of approved states, please contact MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC.

Wait period for accident coverage is midnight EST compared to 2 to 15 days for competitor's; wait period for illness coverage is 14 days compared to 14 to 30 days for competitor's, based on a January 2021 review of publicly available summary information about competitor's offerings.

4 Accident coverage and Preventive Care coverage (for those who select it) begins on the effective date of your policy. Illness coverage begins 14 days later.

5 Based on a January 2022 review of publicly available summary information about competitors’ offerings. Competitors did not furnish copies of their policies for review. If you have questions about a particular competitor’s policy or coverage, please contact them or their representative directly.

6 Approximately 80% of claims are processed within 10 days or less.

7 We do not cover all preexisting conditions; just those covered by the previous provider.  For group policyholders only.

8 Available at an additional cost.

9 Calculation based upon select plans and coverages. Actual rates may vary based on pet age, breed, location, deductible, reimbursement rate, and annual limits you choose.

10 For IAIC policies only

11 Deductible options range include: $0−$750 in $50 increments and $1,000, $1,250, $1,500, $2,000 and $2,500.

12 Reimbursement options include: 70%, 80%, 90% and 100%. In addition, there is also a 50% option for MetGen underwritten policies only and a 65% for IAIC underwritten policies only.

13 All claims paid amounts are based on MetLife internal claims data from October 2022.

14 “Tickborne Diseases in Ohio,” Ohio Department of Health

15 “Buckeye,” Pet Poison Helpline

16 “Most Popular Dog Breeds by State in 2023,” Pet Keen

Coverage underwritten and issued by Independence American Insurance Company (“IAIC”), a Delaware insurance company, headquartered at 11333 N Scottsdale Rd, Ste 160, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 or Metropolitan General Insurance Company (“MetGen”), a Rhode Island insurance company, headquartered at 700 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886. Coverage subject to restrictions, exclusions and limitations. Application is subject to underwriting review. See policy or contact MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC for details. MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions LLC is the policy administrator for this coverage. The entity may operate under an alternate, assumed, and/or fictitious name in certain jurisdictions as approved, including MetLife Pet Insurance Services LLC (New York and Minnesota), MetLife Pet Insurance Solutions Agency LLC (Illinois).

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