Florida is more than just a tropical vacation destination or a second home for snowbirds. The Sunshine State is home to many pet parents and their cats and dogs.
If you’re looking for award-winning1 pet insurance in Florida — with customizable policies, an optional Preventive Care plan that can help cover up to 90% of the cost of routine wellness services, a free mobile app with 24/7 vet chat,2 or family plans so you can insure multiple pets on a single policy3 — then MetLife Pet Insurance may be the right fit for you.
Keep reading for more ways you can help protect your Florida pet, and see the benefits of enrolling in a MetLife Pet policy.
Looking for Pet Insurance in Florida?
Why MetLife Pet Insurance May Be a Good Idea If You Live in Florida
What do alligators, bufo toads, snakes, spiders, jellyfish, geckos, fire ants, and panthers all have in common? One encounter with any of these wild Florida creatures could send your domestic cat or dog to the animal hospital. A MetLife Pet policy can help with the vet bills of covered accidents and illnesses that may result from being bit, stung, or hurt by any of these creatures.
Canine parvovirus (CPV), aka parvo, is a serious gastrointestinal illness your dog may encounter in Florida due to infected wild animals or infected poop. A MetLife Pet policy may be able to help cover vet bills related to parvo, like hospitalization and medications, and even the cost of the parvo vaccine with our optional Preventive Care plan.
Hurricanes are also prominent in Florida and may be dangerous for your pet if they get hurt or lost due to the storm or flooding. A dog insurance or cat insurance policy from MetLife Pet could help reimburse you for vet expenses related to broken bones, illnesses, and wound care, or even lost pet advertising and rewards.
MetLife Pet can reimburse vet bills for injuries and illnesses in Florida. Get your free pet insurance quote.
Why Choose a Metlife Pet Insurance Policy?
Florida may be a dangerous state for pets, but it doesn’t have to hurt your wallet — especially if you have a policy from MetLife Pet, winner of the 2024 "Pet Insurance of the Year" award.1
Here are a few ways we stand out:
- A family plan that covers up to three dogs and cats on a single policy with a shared deductible — the only one available3,4
- Some of the shortest waiting periods on the market — including a 0-day waiting period on accidents and Preventive Care coverage5
- Optional Preventive Care plan add-on that can reimburse you for up to 90% of covered routine and wellness expenses
- Ability to enroll your pet without worrying about their breed or age, and ability to work with any licensed veterinary provider in the U.S.
- Reimbursement rates up to 90% on covered accidents and illnesses,6 a free mobile app with access to a 24/7 vet chat,2 and direct payment reimbursements
How MetLife Pet Insurance Works for Floridians
Treat your pet
Bring your dog or cat to any licensed vet in Florida or anywhere in the U.S. for treatment.
Submit your claim
Pay your pet’s medical bill, then submit the invoice, vet records, and your claim to MetLife Pet
Get Reimbursed
MetLife Pet looks at the vet records once you file your claim, and, if approved, sends your reimbursement via check or direct payment.
MetLife Pet Insurance Is Available in the Sunshine State. See What’s Covered
MetLife Pet Insurance policies bend to fit your lifestyle — you can customize them depending on your pets’ needs. Regardless of how you customize your pet insurance, here are a few of the basics that a MetLife Pet policy can typically cover:
- Emergency care, hospitalizations, and surgeries
- X-rays, ultrasounds, and other diagnostic tests
- Prescription medications
- Accidents and illnesses
- Examinations
- Holistic treatments
Read our Coverage and Exclusions page, or download a sample policy for more details.
We also offer our Preventive Care add-on to help cover up to 90% of routine and wellness care, such as spaying and neutering, vaccinations, and flea and tick prevention.
MetLife Pet can help cover vet costs related to injuries and illnesses. Our Preventative Care add-on can help reimburse routine wellness costs. Get your free pet insurance quote.
How Much Is Pet Insurance in Florida?
To see your exact rates, get a free pet insurance quote.
The cost of pet insurance can vary, but MetLife Pet’s policies start at $7 a month for one cat and $16 per month for one dog.7 From there, you have space to customize your coverage limit, deductible, and reimbursement rate — all of which affect the price.6,8,9
Depending on where you live in Florida, your overall cost may vary. A policy for a family from Miami may cost more than one for a family from Mount Dora due to the prices vets in the bigger city charge. Your price will also be determined by how many pets you have on the policy along with your pet’s breed, age, and gender.
Pet Insurance Claims We Paid in Florida
Here are some examples of pet emergencies, hospitalizations, and treatments pets had in the Alligator State, and what MetLife Pet paid out.
- Over $3,000 paid — This helped cover a surgery for a 9-year-old American bulldog with a mast cell tumor near Venice, FL.10
- Almost $1,000 paid — This went toward an exam and treatment for a young, mixed-breed pup with a torn nail near Delray Beach, FL.11
- Over $400 paid — This helped cover the cost of an examination for a 1-year-old domestic shorthair cat with a soft tissue injury near Orlando, FL.12
Notable claim in the Everglade State
Rocko, a mixed-breed dog from outside of Jacksonville, was out walking trails with his pet parent one afternoon. Because they were busy taking in the sights, they didn’t see a coral snake sitting off the side of the trail. Poor Rocko got a little too close, and the snake bit his ankle in defense.
Since it was a venomous snake, Rocko’s owner took him to the vet right away. Upon arrival, Rocko was quickly given antivenom and monitored for signs of toxicity. After spending a day in the animal hospital receiving medications and intravenous (IV) fluids, he was given the OK to head home to recover.
Rocko’s vet bill totaled over $3,800, but with his MetLife Pet dog insurance policy, Rocko’s owner was reimbursed more than $3,400.13
Plants in Florida That Can Be Poisonous to Pets
If your pet ingests toxic plants — whether it’s spending time outside or getting into the wrong house plants — they may get sick and need immediate medical care. A MetLife Pet policy can help cover emergency care, hospitalizations, and costs related to treating plant toxicity.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) provides a comprehensive list of plants toxic to dogs and cats.14 Here’s a list of some common Florida plants that can be toxic to cats and dogs:
- Sago palm
- Lantana
- Elephant ear
- Coontie palm
- Kalanchoe
MetLife Pet can help cover emergency vet costs if your pet ingests a toxic plant. Get your free pet insurance quote.
Most Popular Insured Dog Breed in Florida
According to our internal data on the most popular insured dog breeds in each state, Florida favors the French bulldog. This breed is full of playful energy for such a small package. But they may be prone to dermatitis, hip and elbow dysplasia, cherry eye, and brachycephalic syndrome — all things that a MetLife Pet policy can typically cover.
Adopt Your Next Pet in the Orange State
Now that you know the basics of pet dangers, healthcare, and health insurance in the state, it may be time for you to take the leap. Become a pet parent today.
Dog breeds Floridians adopt
These are the three dog breeds that get adopted the most in Florida,15 and a few health conditions each breed may be predisposed to.
- German shepherd: Loyal and courageous, the German shepherd may be prone to growths, skin conditions, gastroenteritis, and conjunctivitis.
- Labrador retriever: This fun-loving breed is prone to obesity, eye conditions, osteochondritis dissecans, tumors, and heart disease.
- Golden retriever: Friendly and smart, goldens may be predisposed to bloat, hot spots, hypothyroidism, and lipomas.
Don’t know what breed your adopted dog is? A dog DNA test can help you determine your pup’s breed, but also potential health issues they might have through genetic markers.
With our Preventive Care plan add-on, we can help cover DNA test costs.16 Get your free pet insurance quote.
Adoption shelters we work with in FL
MetLife Pet works with shelters across the country to help dogs and cats find their fur-ever homes. These shelters may offer adopters the opportunity to sign up for MetLife Pet Insurance on the spot — which can help ease the financial worry that may come from adopting a pet with an unknown health history.
If you enroll in a MetLife Pet policy through some of the shelters we work with, you may be able to get the 14-day illness waiting period waived. This means covered illnesses would be reimbursable starting at midnight the day you enroll in your policy — the same as accidents, as well as expenses covered under our optional Preventive Care plan.
Check out some of the shelters we work with below to see all the good girls and boys looking for their forever homes.
Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League
3200 N Military Trl #3100, West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando
Locations in Orlando and Sanford
If You Live in Florida, Consider Insuring Your Pet
You may be a retiree with a few cats or a surfer who’s enjoying the beaches with their puppy. Whatever your lifestyle, it’s also your pet’s. Whether you’re a permanent resident or a snowbird, your pets are exposed to risks in the Sunshine State all the time.
Do you want assurance that you can afford the best care for your cats and dogs, no matter what happens? Enroll in award-winning1 pet insurance for Florida pets, so you don’t have to choose between paying their vet bills or other bills. Get your quote for MetLife Pet Insurance today.
