Pet insurance cost by breed / Dogs
Published premiums · checked October 20, 2026
How much is pet insurance for a Chihuahua?
Pawlicy Advisor's 2026 customer quotes put the Chihuahua at a median $42.34 a month, with the middle half of quotes between $30.35 and $65.14. That is 39% below NAPHIA's 2025 average for every insured dog ($69.67 a month for accident and illness cover).
- 1Pawlicy median $42.34/mo
- 2Middle half of quotes $30–$65
- 3NAPHIA 2025, all dogs $69.67/mo
- 4Rank of 82 dogs 70th priciest
Every published Chihuahua figure
Each source measures something different, so the figures sit side by side and are never averaged together. Of the breed tables tracked here, only Pawlicy Advisor's includes the Chihuahua: Forbes Advisor, Fetch and Insurify publish shorter breed lists that leave it out.
| Source | What it measures | Monthly | Dated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pawlicy Advisor | Median of customer quotes; middle half $30.35–$65.14 | $42.34 | October 15, 2026 |
| NAPHIA | Average for all insured dogs, accident and illness, 2025 | $69.67 | June 21, 2026 |
Where the Chihuahua sits among 82 dog breeds
Ranked by Pawlicy's median, the Chihuahua is the 70th most expensive of the 82 dog breeds and types Pawlicy lists. Its median is 29% less than the middle dog breed on that list ($59.27) and 7% less than Pawlicy's mixed-breed dog ($45.70).
The spread inside the breed matters as much as the median. A quarter of Chihuahua quotes came in under $30.35 and a quarter over $65.14; the middle half spans 82% of the median. The range sits fairly evenly around the median ($12 below, $23 above). Pawlicy does not say which ages, deductibles or limits sit at each end.
Health problems that drive Chihuahua claims
The American College of Veterinary Surgeons names the Chihuahua among the breeds predisposed to 1 condition covered here:
- Patellar luxation: Trupanion lists an average claim of $4,012, about 94.8 months of the Chihuahua's figure above.
Hereditary conditions matter for buying decisions because the NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act (Section 4A) requires insurers to disclose any exclusion for pre-existing, hereditary, congenital or chronic conditions before a policy is sold. The Chihuahua health problems page sets out each condition, its treatments and the costs.
Premiums against a real vet bill
Insurers' own claim data gives a sense of scale. For patellar luxation, a condition ACVS links to the Chihuahua, Trupanion publishes an average claim of $4,012. At $42.34 a month that bill equals 94.8 months of premiums.
Worked through a policy with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement (the terms Forbes Advisor priced): the policy pays ($4,012 − $250) × 80% = $3,010, leaving $1,002 for the owner. Add a year of premiums ($508) and the insured year costs $1,510 against $4,012 without cover, $2,502 less. *The break-even bill, where both cost the same, is $250 + $508 ÷ 80% = $885 in a policy year; a year with smaller bills costs more insured. The calculator reruns this with other terms, and is pet insurance worth it? shows the method.
Age moves the price more than breed
These all-breed figures cannot be applied to the Chihuahua figure above, but they show the direction. Forbes Advisor's average for a dog at a $5,000 limit runs from $43 at 3 months to $74 at 7 years (72% more). Insurify's medians climb from $46 for an adult dog to $116 for a senior, 152% more. NAPHIA's average dog premium rose 34% from 2021 to 2025. See pet insurance cost by age.
Similar dog premiums
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier: $42.30 a month (Pawlicy Advisor)
- Maltipoo: $42.77 a month (Pawlicy Advisor)
- Bernedoodle: $41.90 a month (Pawlicy Advisor)
- Black Mouth Cur: $41.84 a month (Pawlicy Advisor)
Premiums also vary by state: Pawlicy's all-pet median runs from Hawaii ($64.01) through Oklahoma ($43.97) to Alaska ($28.02). No source publishes breed figures by state, so this site does not combine the two. Browse every state or every breed.
Sources: Pawlicy Advisor (Median monthly premium of real Pawlicy customer quotes across the insurers it sells; the range is the 25th to 75th percentile. The page labels the median as the average.), NAPHIA State of the Industry 2026, Trupanion claims examples, NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act. Last checked October 20, 2026. Method on the methodology page.