Our pet insurance experts have compiled a list of the best pet insurance companies in the U.S. on a monthly basis since 2016. Guided by the research and methodology used to develop that article, we’ve made our provider selections for the best pet insurance in New Mexico. Be sure to check out both, as well as our guide on how to buy pet insurance if you’re considering investing in a policy.
15 days (accidents and illnesses)
12 months (hip dysplasia)
If you’re trying to gauge New Mexico pet insurance costs, you need to consider the type of policy that will cater to your pet’s specific needs more than your location. Your monthly premiums will heavily depend on the annual limit, deductible and coverage options you select when building your policy.
Some costs won’t be covered by base policies, including common exclusions such as pet dental care (cleanings), preventive and routine care (checkups and vaccinations), spay and neuter services and veterinary exam fees. Coverage for some of these will require you to add optional coverage to your policy.
As is the case nationwide, pet health insurance for dogs is more expensive than that for cats. Based on our quotes for an adult female dog, we have determined that New Mexico pet parents could pay between $24.76 and $168.54 a month for a base policy.
A basic accident and illness policy for an adult female cat in New Mexico could come out at an estimated $6.63 – $45.21 per month.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish warns about encounters with large predators in the state. Some of these predators include coyotes, bobcats, black bears and mountain lions. The Department says you can protect your pets from these encounters by bringing them in at night or confining them to a roofed kennel where they’re safe. You should also avoid feeding them outside since the food could attract predators themselves or the animals they prey on. Although following these guidelines could help reduce your pet’s chances of coming into contact with a dangerous wild animal, it might be worth it to have them covered with an accident and illness pet insurance plan in case of chance encounters that might result in hospitalizations.
New Mexico’s hot temperatures makes it one of the states with higher rates of heartworm infection in the U.S. Higher temperatures also entail a higher number of fleas and ticks, as well as tick-borne diseases. Costs for prevention of these diseases and parasites can be offset by pairing your pet insurance policy with a preventative care package or a wellness plan.
According to a study on pet ownership and demographics by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), dog owners paid an average of $195 for the healthcare services their pets received the last time they visited the vet in 2022, with the main reason for visits being routine vaccinations and checkups.
Depending on the services needed, average costs for emergency care for dogs range between $200 and $7,500 without pet insurance coverage.
Emergency vet costs for cats in the U.S. can range between $200 and $7,000, which are not that different from emergency dog vet bills. According to the same AVMA study, last year cat owners paid average bills of $162 the last time they took their cat to the vet.
In New Mexico, dogs and cats over the age of three months must be immunized against rabies. Unvaccinated dogs or cats that are brought into New Mexico must remain confined until they are immunized, which must happen within one week of entering the state.
Cities like Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe have leash laws in place, which require pet owners to keep animals restrained with leashes at all times when in public spaces.
In 2020, the New Mexico government signed into law a bill that would use fees imposed on pet food manufacturers who register and sell their products in the state to fund a statewide spay and neuter program. The law went into effect on July 1, 2020 and the collection of fees for the program was set to begin in January 2021.
The Office of Superintendent of Insurance oversees the enforcement of insurance law in the state as well as the protection of consumer rights. If you believe your pet insurance provider might be engaging in deceptive practices, you can file a complaint directly with the OSI.
Determining which insurance agencies offer the best pet insurance required us to dive into each provider’s policies and obtain pet insurance quotes from each one. We looked at their exclusions, options for annual deductibles and reimbursement rates, types of policies available, coverage for curable pre-existing conditions, pet age requirements for enrollment, availability of unlimited coverage and more.
As pet parents ourselves, we leaned towards the providers that would give us and other owners peace of mind and whose policies cater to many pet needs.