The last thing you want to deal with is paying for the costs of little Fido eating a ball of yarn or Bingo getting pancreatitis, and you’re suddenly on the hook for the bill to help him recover. Vet bills are expensive. Can vet insurance help offset some of those costs?

Below, we review some of the top pet insurance companies. You’ll get the pros, the cons, and the reality of each option, so you can choose which one is best for you and your Snuffles.

Something to note is that insurance plans will not cover pre-existing conditions. Dental care is another one that is not frequently covered.

However, many insurance companies will also offer lower premiums if you enroll your pet when they are younger. So if you’re considering insurance, the sooner you get it, the better.

Healthy Paws

They have an annual deductible and no payout limits. Unlike many other vet insurance plans, they cover hydrotherapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture care. Unfortunately, they do not cover exam fees, wellness and preventative care, and behavioral issues.

Pros:

• No coverage limits.
• Covers alternative care.
• Accident and illness coverage.
• Direct deposit for claims.
• Covers prescriptions.

Cons:

• No coverage for well-visits.
• No discounts for multiple pets.
• Some breeds net higher premiums.
• Can only enroll pets up to the age of 14.
• Less customizable than other plans.

Embrace Pet Insurance

Embrace offers the broadest range of coverage, reimbursement, and deductible options to fit within your budget. They also have a diminishing deductible, which reduces the deductible price by $50/year when you don’t have a claim.

Pros:

• Covers exam fees.
• Short waiting period for accidents – two days.
• Optional wellness plans.
• 24/7 telehealth line.
• No lifetime coverage limits.

Cons:

• Waiting period for orthopedic conditions is six months.
• Annual coverage limits max out at $30,000.
• Limited customer service hours.

Trupanion

Trupanion offers issue-based deductibles, meaning that once the deductible you set is met for any one issue, Trupanion covers the rest of the costs for the life of the pet. Nothing resets annually. They also offer a Pet Owner Assistance Package with some nice perks.

Pros:

• No coverage limits.
• Options for rehabilitative care.
• Deductibles are issue-based.
• Direct payment to vets.

Cons:

• No wellness or preventative care coverage.
• No multi-pet discounts.
• Can only enroll pets up to the age of 13.

Pets Best

Pets Best offers wellness plan options covering preventative care like vaccinations, flea and tick medication, deworming, and microchipping. They can pay vets directly too.

Pros:

• Enroll pets at any age.
• Three tiers of insurance plans.
• 14-day waiting period for illnesses and three for accidents.
• Multi-pet discount.
• 24/7 telehealth line.

Cons:

• Rehabilitative care is only an option on the highest-tiered plan.
• Waiting period for cruciate ligament issues is six months.

The Canine Journal offers an extensive review on their blog.

Lemonade

Lemonade has a lot of options for coverage, reimbursements, and deductibles. They also offer wellness plans and routine care coverage add-ons.

Pros:

• 48-hour waiting period for accidents.
• No age limits.
• Low prices.

Cons:

• It doesn’t cover behavioral or dental care.
• Not available in every state.
• No behavioral or alternative therapies coverage.
• It does not cover microchipping.

Spot

Spot offers many tiers for limits, reimbursements, and deductibles. They also offer cheap, accident-only coverage. Some of those options cover wellness plan options and exam fee coverage. The plans can be very customizable.

Pros:

• Covers microchipping.
• Multi-pet discounts.
• Unlimited coverage options.
• Low deductible options.
• Covers microchips.
• 24/7 telehealth line.

Cons:

• Pets cannot be enrolled until eight weeks.
• 14-day waiting period for accidents.

ManyPets

While ManyPets is not yet available in every state, it offers competitive pricing, and some nice coverage features where it is available.

Pros:

• Illness and accident coverage is reduced to 24 hours if you’re switching from another insurer.
• In some states, you can choose a $0 deductible.
• Covers exam fees for illnesses and accidents.

Cons:

• Not available in every state.
• No behavioral health coverage.

Honorable Mentions

• Figo: 1-day waiting period for accidents and upgrade options for extenuating circumstances.
• Fetch: Offers holistic options coverage and covers exam fees in the standard policy.
• ASPCA: Covers re-emergence of pre-existing conditions if the pet has been symptom-free for 180 days, also notably covers horses.

Image by [Litvalifa] via [Shutterstock.com].