Financial planning for veterinary bills is essential to being a responsible caregiver for your rabbit. Unfortunately, as much as we may plan, sometimes unexpected expenses arise. While Rabbit.org Foundation can’t help you pay your vet bills, we can point you to resources to help.
Pet Insurance
Ensuring that you’re always prepared to cover your rabbit’s healthcare costs is a great way to care for your bunny. Take a proactive approach by considering a pet insurance policy even before your rabbit faces any health issues. In the United States, Nationwide Pet Insurance is the only company offering rabbit insurance in all 50 states. MetLife sells pet insurance for rabbits, but only in the states of Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Nationwide
- $250 annual deductible
- $10K annual limit
- 70% or 50% reimbursement
- Prices vary substantially between states.
- $24 annual discount for paying a full year in advance.
- No coverage for pre-existing conditions (GI stasis, head tilt, eye issues, teeth issues, etc.) A petition/review may be submitted after an extended time without symptoms.
- No coverage for “wellness” services (spay/neuter, RHDv2 vaccination, wellness checkups, etc.)
Exotics Insurance Presentation (pdf) from Dr. Kohles at AEMV 2021.
Recent examples of insurance costs for the Nationwide plan
As of August 2022, according to The Rabbit Haven1,
| Reimbursement Type | As Of | 70% | 50% |
| Pair in California (Cost per rabbit) | August 2022 | $31.34 | |
| 3 year old rabbit in California | July 2022 | $39.63 | |
| 3 year old male rabbit in Illinois | 14-Sep-2021 | $45.24 | $34.43 |
| Florida | Oct 2021 | $27.20 | $20.90 |
Veterinary Discount Plan
Veterinary discount plans differ from traditional pet insurance policies. Rather than receiving reimbursements for specified amounts per pet, you enroll in a membership that provides reduced rates for medical procedures for any pet at participating clinics. These plans do not have exclusions for age or pre-existing conditions.
PetAssure is the only discount plan we are aware of in the US.
Local Low-Cost Options
Check with your local municipal animal shelter or humane society to see if your area has low-cost services. Often, low-cost spay and neuter is available.
Financing
Talk with your vet. Some pet hospitals may be able to work with you to spread out payments or to provide a discount.
Care Credit lets you finance veterinary care at participating Care Credit member veterinary hospitals, and make payments over time. If you pay off the Care Credit bill completely by the specified due date, you won’t be charged any interest.
Scratchpay allows you to fund veterinary care at participating Scratchpay member offices, enabling you to spread out the payments over a period of time.
Crowd-Funding
You also have the option to raise funds for yourself by using a crowdfunding website.
Waggle
GoFundMe
YouCaring
Veterinary Bill Assistance
These organizations offer to assist caretakers with veterinary expenses. While we are aware of these organizations, we cannot attest to their credibility, nor can we ensure that they can offer you help.
- Rabbit Savior (for-profit)
- The Pet Fund
- Red Rover
- Brown Dog Foundation
- Magic Bullet Foundation (cancer-specific)
Further Reading
- Best Friends Financial Assistance Resources for Pets page
- WabbitWiki Insurance page
- HSUS Vet bills resource page
