Key takeaways
- ASPCA and Spot pet insurance companies rank highest in our evaluation.
- While cost can be an important factor, it’s not the only consideration, especially if you want access to enhanced pet insurance coverage for your furry family members.
- The best pet insurance plans cover access to telehealth, therapy and prescription food at a competitive price.
pet insurance can help you manage veterinary costs, ensuring your pets receive timely medical attention. While price is a major factor when making a pet insurance comparison, don’t forget about other important features.
Coverage for vet exam fees, wellness plans and coverage for dental emergencies topped the list of what’s important when The Wall Street Journal surveyed pet owners in May 2025.
The best pet insurance policies fit your budget while still providing a useful range of coverage.
The best pet insurance companies
Best pet insurance companies at a glance
How to compare pet insurance companies
While the cost of pet insurance is one of the most important factors you’re likely to consider when comparing companies, there are other benefits and features to consider. Instead of comparing only price, consider whether the pet insurance policy offers a wide array of coverage types that are important to you. Consider the following benefits:
- Annual coverage limits: Some plans limit the dollar amount you can receive in benefits, while others are unlimited. If you want a safety net for a substantial emergency vet bill, look into unlimited plans. For example, the North American Pet Health Insurance Association reported that the most expensive dog insurance claim paid in 2024 was $65,889 for a dog in Washington with lymphoma.
- Behavioral therapy: Behavioral therapy needs to be prescribed by a vet in order to be covered by pet insurance. Separation anxiety, for example, can be treated with behavioral therapy.
- 24/7 telehealth access: If you need to talk to someone at odd hours, or if you’re located far from a clinic, access to telehealth can make a big difference in the care your pet receives.
- Prescription food and supplements: Depending on the pet insurance company, you might need to purchase an add-on wellness plan to access this benefit. However, our top choices, with 5 stars, include this benefit in their base policies.
- End-of-life expenses: Consider whether you want the base policy to cover end-of-life expenses. Some policies only cover euthanasia for specific conditions, while others include other costs related to end-of-life, such as cremation and burial.
Decide which features and benefits are most important to you. This might include whether the company offers the option to pay the vet directly. Compare optional wellness add-ons and what they cover, too.
If you can pay a little more for more comprehensive coverage, especially as your dog ages, it might be worth it to you.
How to pick the best insurance for your pet
Choosing the best pet insurance for your pet depends on your situation and what your pet needs. Look for policies that offer the best coverage at a price that works for your budget.
Many policies can help you find the balance between budget and coverage by allowing you to adjust certain aspects of your policy:
- Annual coverage limits: In some cases, you can choose your annual limits. You might be able to choose $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 or unlimited coverage. If you choose unlimited coverage, your monthly premium is higher than if you choose a lower limit, like $5,000.
- Deductible: The amount you pay out of pocket before your coverage begins can also influence your monthly premium. If you’re not sure you can pay a bigger amount out of pocket, but you’re flexible enough to handle a higher monthly premium, a $50 or $100 deductible might make sense. On the other hand, if you have a robust emergency fund and can handle a $500 or $1,000 deductible, you might get a break on the monthly premium.
- Reimbursement: After reaching your deductible, the pet insurance company will reimburse a percentage of your costs, usually at a rate of 70%, 80% or 90%. Some plans offer 50% reimbursement, while others offer 100% reimbursement after you reach your deductible. The higher your reimbursement rate, the higher your premiums.
When considering pet insurance, consider how choosing different coverage limits, deductibles and reimbursement rates can help you afford more comprehensive coverage and get the best benefits for each dollar you spend in monthly premiums.
How much does pet insurance cost?
The average cost among our picks for the best pet insurance companies is $47.87 per month. Pets Best has the lowest average rates for both $5,000 and unlimited annual coverage.
Average monthly pet insurance costs for $5,000 in annual coverage
Average monthly pet insurance costs for unlimited annual coverage
Factors in pet insurance costs
Factors that influence how much you’ll pay for pet insurance usually include:
- Age and breed of the pet
- Where you live
- Annual coverage limit
- Reimbursement level
- Amount of your deductible
- Any additional coverage you want, such as add-ons or a wellness plan
You can generally lower the price of a pet insurance policy by choosing a lower annual coverage limit, a higher deductible or a lower reimbursement percentage. When you get a pet insurance quote, you can usually toggle the options to see how the monthly price changes.
Is pet insurance worth it?
While paying a monthly premium for pet insurance can feel like a drain on the budget, the risk of higher costs for procedures and chronic conditions might be more than you can afford without insurance.
The ASPCA estimates that the first-year total for owning a dog is more than $3,000 and almost $2,000 for a cat. Once you get past the first year, though, there are ongoing costs, including routine medical costs and treatments for fleas and ticks, as well as heartworm. You have routine wellness visits and exams as well.
Like other insurance policies, the biggest value comes in the event of large, unexpected emergencies. EmergencyVetsUSA offers these average cost examples:
- Emergency exam/consultation: $100 to $150
- 3- to 5-day hospitalization: $1,500 to $3,500
- Emergency surgery: $1,500 to $5,000
- Wound treatment and repair: $800 to $2,500
Additionally, if your pet needs special prescription pet food or supplements, the cost can add up over time. Getting a pet insurance policy that covers these ongoing costs, plus emergency situations, can help you save money in the long run, especially if you don’t want to deplete your rainy day fund.
What’s not covered by pet insurance?
What’s covered depends on the policy, so review available benefits before deciding on a pet insurance company. Policies typically do not cover pre-existing conditions or non-veterinary expenses related to boarding your pet or grooming. You also won’t receive reimbursement for accessories like toys, leashes and treats.
Basic wellness, such as vaccinations and routine check-ups, won’t be covered. Instead, you’ll need to purchase an add-on wellness plan to receive these benefits. Many first-year costs, such as spaying and neutering, also aren’t usually covered by base pet insurance policies but may be covered by a wellness plan.
Costs related to breeding are generally not covered, and injuries related to activities like racing aren’t covered.
Methodology
We evaluated 15 pet insurance policies, focusing on key coverage areas, such as cost, access to vet telehealth, microchipping, direct vet payments and therapies that pet owners might prefer to be included in coverage. Advertisers and partners don’t influence our ratings, as our research and editorial team maintains independence in using data-driven methodologies.
Our rankings are based on the following weighted factors, including rates based on medium, mixed breed dogs. We only selected companies with annual coverage limits of at least $5,000:
- Cost (20%): We calculated average monthly rates for a medium, mixed breed dog at ages 4 months, 2 years and 8 years, using ZIP codes in California, Florida and Texas. Averages are based on plans with $5,000 in annual coverage, or the closest available, and 80% reimbursement with a $500 deductible.
- 24/7 vet telehealth (12%): Because our readers value access to a vet as needed, we award more points to insurers that offer 24/7 telehealth.
- Microchipping (10%): Plans that include microchipping in the base plan receive more points than insurers that only include it in an additional wellness plan or that don’t cover it at all.
- Optional wellness plan with base plan (8%): We award points to insurers that offer wellness plans with the base plan, and we award more points to companies based on the value of the wellness plan benefits.
- Direct payment to vet available (8%): Some insurers will make direct payments to vets for services, if terms are met, reducing the need to apply for reimbursement. Plans that offer a process for working directly with vets are awarded more points than those that require extra paperwork for pet owners.
- Behavioral therapy in base plan (8%): Plans that include behavioral therapy in their base coverage receive points.
- Alternative therapy in base plan (6%): Alternative therapies designed to promote your pet’s health can be valuable, and plans that include these in their base plans are awarded points.
- Covers prescription food and supplements (5%): Insurers are awarded points based on whether they offer both food and supplements coverage, only one of these items or if add-on coverage is required for these benefits.
- Vet exams for accident/illness (4%): Points are awarded depending on whether vet exams for accidents and illnesses are included in the base plan or require an optional add-on.
- Covers end-of-life expenses (3%): When your pet passes, some plans cover the costs. Full points are awarded to plans that include burial or cremation in the base coverage.
- Unlimited annual coverage option (3%): Plans offering an unlimited coverage option receive additional points.
- Dental emergency coverage (2%): Base plan coverage for dental emergencies receives full points in this category.
- No accident waiting period (2%): Some plans won’t cover accidents if they occur within a certain period after your coverage starts. Plans without accident waiting periods receive full points compared to those with longer periods of 14 or 15 days.
- 14-day or less illness waiting period (2%): Plans commonly have a 14-day waiting period for illnesses. Insurers with illness waiting periods of 14 days or less receive full points.
- No special waiting period (1%): Some conditions, such as those related to orthopedics or cruciate ligaments, might require a special waiting period. Plans that don’t impose special waiting periods receive more points. Note that some states impose waiting periods.
- No maximum age limit (1%): Insurers sometimes place age restrictions on pet coverage. For example, some companies won’t cover senior dogs over 8 years old, or might offer accident-only plans for older dogs. A plan must have no age restrictions to receive this point.
- Multi-pet discount (1%): Insurers willing to offer price reductions for multiple pets are awarded an extra point.
- Other discounts (1%): Additional discounts, such as bundling with other coverage, military service, membership and those based on your employer, receive an extra point.
- 100% reimbursement available (1%): Companies offering 100% reimbursement receive an extra point.
- Additional coverage options (1%): Points are only awarded to plans that offer additional coverage not included by other insurers in their base plans.
- Accident-only plans available (1%): Accident-only plans often feature lower costs because they have fewer features and benefits. Insurers offering accident-only plans as an option receive an extra point.
Learn more about how Buy Side rates pet insurance companies.
FAQ
Does pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
As a general rule, pet insurance doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, but some plans might cover conditions the insurer considers curable if your pet has been symptom-free for a certain period of time. Other companies may cover certain conditions after you’ve had continuous coverage for a set number of days. Check with your insurer for details.
Are routine check-ups covered by pet insurance?
Routine check-ups are not covered by pet insurance but will be covered under pet wellness plans.
How does the reimbursement process work?
While some pet insurance companies directly pay the vet, you typically need to pay upfront for services and then submit the invoice and medical records for reimbursement. Many pet insurers allow you to submit claims through an app or website.
Once reimbursement is approved, the insurer might send a check or use electronic funds transfer to send the money directly to your bank account.
Can I use any veterinarian with my pet insurance plan?
You can make a claim for bills from any licensed vet in the U.S. Some pet insurers also pay for bills from vets in Canada.
