How much is pet insurance for a Cairn Terrier?

Every published Cairn Terrier 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 Cairn Terrier: Forbes Advisor, Fetch and Insurify publish shorter breed lists that leave it out.

Where the Cairn Terrier sits among 82 dog breeds

Ranked by Pawlicy's median, the Cairn Terrier is the 57th most expensive of the 82 dog breeds and types Pawlicy lists. Its median is 15% less than the middle dog breed on that list ($59.27) and 10% more than Pawlicy's mixed-breed dog ($45.70).

The spread inside the breed matters as much as the median. A quarter of Cairn Terrier quotes came in under $39.70 and a quarter over $60.77; the middle half spans 42% of the median. The range sits fairly evenly around the median ($11 below, $11 above). Pawlicy does not say which ages, deductibles or limits sit at each end.

Health problems that drive Cairn Terrier claims

The American College of Veterinary Surgeons names the Cairn Terrier among the breeds predisposed to 1 condition covered here:

• Portosystemic shunt (liver shunt): Trupanion lists an average claim of $6,267, about 124.7 months of the Cairn Terrier'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 Cairn Terrier 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 portosystemic shunt (liver shunt), a condition ACVS links to the Cairn Terrier, Trupanion publishes an average claim of $6,267. At $50.24 a month that bill equals 124.7 months of premiums.

Worked through a policy with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement (the terms Forbes Advisor priced): the policy pays ($6,267 − $250) × 80% = $4,814, leaving $1,453 for the owner. Add a year of premiums ($603) and the insured year costs $2,056 against $6,267 without cover, $4,211 less. *The break-even bill, where both cost the same, is $250 + $603 ÷ 80% = $1,004 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 Cairn Terrier 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

• Pomeranian: $50.43 a month (Pawlicy Advisor)
• German Shorthaired Pointer: $50.62 a month (Pawlicy Advisor)
• Boston Terrier: $49.62 a month (Pawlicy Advisor)
• Australian Shepherd: $50.92 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.