You want to be able to get your pet the care they need when they’re sick or hurt without having to make the decision based on the bill. But veterinary care can get expensive, and those costs can sometimes force pet parents to make difficult choices. In fact, 52% of U.S. pet parents said they had skipped or declined needed veterinary care, with cost playing a major role for many of them.
Pet insurance can help make unexpected care more manageable, but policies don’t all cover the same things. One plan may help pay for surgery but leave out the exam fee, while another may cover accidents and illnesses but limit dental disease, behavioral treatment or rehabilitation.
Our pet insurance comparison looks at leading providers side by side, including what they cover, what they leave out, typical monthly costs, deductible choices, reimbursement rates and annual limits. That way, you can see what you’d actually get for those premiums and choose which coverage fits how you want to care for your pet.
We compared each provider based on the factors that most directly affect what you pay and what you can get back: monthly cost, deductible, reimbursement rate and annual coverage limit. Prices vary by pet, location and coverage choices, so use the figures below as a starting point rather than a guaranteed quote.
Pet insurance can help pay for veterinary care when your pet gets sick or hurt, but what qualifies for reimbursement depends on the policy you choose. Before comparing prices, let’s understand which care may be included and which expenses you may still have to pay.
Pet insurance usually focuses on unexpected veterinary care rather than every expense that comes with owning a pet. Accident-and-illness plans generally offer the broadest coverage and may help reimburse costs such as:
Routine care is usually handled separately. Vaccinations, annual wellness exams and preventive dental cleanings may require an optional wellness plan rather than standard accident-and-illness coverage.
The important part when comparing providers is not simply whether they say they cover “accidents and illnesses.” Look at which parts of the actual vet visit are included, because two policies with the same broad label can leave you responsible for very different expenses.
Pet insurance has exclusions, and these can matter just as much as the list of covered treatments. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) notes that common exclusions can include preventive care, grooming, boarding, certain dental care and services that aren’t medically necessary.
Some of the most important areas to check are:
The exact exclusions can vary substantially between providers. Healthy Paws, for example, explicitly excludes preventive care such as vaccinations, parasite control and routine dental care, while other providers may offer to cover some of those expenses through separate wellness coverage.
Before comparing monthly prices, check the exclusions page or sample policy. A cheaper policy can become less useful if the type of care you expected to be covered is specifically left out.
Pet insurance costs vary by provider, pet and coverage level. As a general benchmark, the average U.S. accident-and-illness policy costs about $62 per month for dogs and roughly $32 per month for cats, according to NAPHIA’s 2025 industry data.
Your own price can look very different. Insurers commonly consider factors such as your pet’s age, breed and location, while the coverage choices you make can also affect the premium. A plan with a lower deductible, higher reimbursement rate or larger annual limit will typically cost more each month because the insurer takes on more of the potential vet bill.
That’s why monthly price is only one part of a pet insurance comparison. Two policies can cost about the same but offer very different reimbursement levels, limits or coverage once your pet actually needs care, and a cheaper monthly premium could end up meaning you pay more when it’s time for the bill.
U.S. News surveyed more than 800 pet parents and asked them to choose the five factors they considered most important when shopping for coverage. The table below shows the 11 highest-ranked factors from that survey and why each one matters when comparing plans.
Fetch Pet Insurance combines broad accident-and-illness coverage with flexible plan settings and benefits that can help beyond major emergencies. Members can use any vet in the U.S. or Canada, choose up to 90% reimbursement and adjust their deductible and annual limit to fit their budget.
Fetch Pet also covers sick-visit exam fees, dental illness, hereditary conditions and behavioral care, which some competitors exclude, limit or charge extra for. It’s the only pet insurance that covers injury and disease in all adult teeth and your pet's gums.
Members also get access to Fetch Deals, which offers savings on pet health and wellness products and services from independent vendors.
Key features:
Deductible options:
Reimbursement rate options:
Annual coverage limit options:
Several other providers offer pet coverage, though what's included in the base plan varies widely. Here's how eight pet insurance providers compare on coverage, cost and plan flexibility.
Pets Best offers accident-only, accident-and-illness and optional routine-care plans for dogs and cats. Pet parents can adjust the deductible, reimbursement rate and annual limit. Exam-fee coverage and some treatments such as acupuncture, chiropractic care and rehabilitation can depend on the plan or optional benefits selected.
Key features:
Average monthly cost for dogs: $40-$64/month
Average monthly cost for cats: $21-$34/month
Deductible options:
Reimbursement rate options:
Annual coverage limit options:
How it stacks up against Fetch Pet Insurance: Pets Best offers plan flexibility, but Fetch Pet includes benefits such as sick-visit exam fees, behavioral therapy and complete dental coverage that Pets Best may charge extra for or not cover at the same level.
Pumpkin offers accident-and-illness insurance for dogs and cats, plus optional preventive-care coverage. Its plans include areas such as exam fees, dental illness, behavioral issues, hereditary conditions and alternative therapies.
Key features:
Average monthly cost for dogs: $36.24/month
Average monthly cost for cats: $42.38/month
Deductible options:
Reimbursement rate options:
Annual coverage limit options:
How it stacks up against Fetch Pet Insurance: Pumpkin covers many of the same core areas, but Fetch Pet adds 100% reimbursement on hundreds of qualifying medications through Fetch Pet Rx and offers up to $1,000 per year in behavioral therapy with no copay or deductible.
MetLife Pet Insurance offers accident-and-illness coverage for dogs and cats with optional preventive care. It also offers a Family Plan that can cover multiple pets under shared plan terms.
Key features:
Average monthly cost for dogs: $52/month
Average monthly cost for cats: $28-34/month
Deductible options:
Reimbursement rate options:
Annual coverage limit options:
How it stacks up against Fetch Pet Insurance: MetLife charges extra for some benefits Fetch Pet includes, and it does not offer 100% reimbursement on qualifying medications, as Fetch Pet Insurance does through Fetch Pet Rx.
Spot offers accident-only and accident-and-illness insurance for dogs and cats, plus optional preventive-care add-ons. Its accident-and-illness plans can cover exam fees, dental illness, behavioral conditions, alternative therapies and prescription food for eligible conditions.
Key features:
Average monthly cost for dogs: $49.12/month
Average monthly cost for cats: $41.99/month
Deductible options:
Reimbursement rate options:
Annual coverage limit options:
How it stacks up against Fetch Pet Insurance: Spot covers many of the same general categories, but Fetch Pet goes further with full-mouth dental coverage including endodontic treatment, 100% reimbursement on qualifying Fetch Pet Rx medications and up to $1,000 per year in online vet visits.
Embrace offers accident-and-illness and accident-only insurance for dogs and cats, along with optional wellness coverage. Its accident-and-illness policy includes dental illness, hereditary conditions, behavioral treatment and rehabilitative care, while exam-fee and prescription-drug coverage can require optional additions.
Key features:
Average monthly cost for dogs: $20-$70/month
Average monthly cost for cats: $10-$30/month
Deductible options:
Reimbursement rate options:
Annual coverage limit options:
How it stacks up against Fetch Pet Insurance: Embrace limits dental illness to $1,000 per policy year and does not include online vet visits at the same level. Fetch Pet covers eligible injury and disease across every adult tooth and the gums up to the policy’s annual maximum, plus up to $1,000 per year in eligible online vet visits.
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance offers accident-only and accident-and-illness coverage for dogs and cats, plus optional preventive care. Its Complete Coverage plan can include exam fees, dental illness, behavioral conditions, alternative therapies and hereditary conditions.
Key features:
Average monthly cost for dogs: $34/month
Average monthly cost for cats: $23-$35/month
Deductible options:
Reimbursement rate options:
Annual coverage limit options:
How it stacks up against Fetch Pet Insurance: ASPCA includes broad accident-and-illness coverage, but Fetch Pet goes further with full-mouth dental coverage including root canals and other endodontic treatment, plus 100% reimbursement on qualifying Fetch Pet Rx medications.
Healthy Paws offers one accident-and-illness plan for dogs and cats. It covers eligible injuries, illnesses, cancer, genetic conditions, emergency care and alternative treatments, but excludes exam fees and behavioral treatment.
Key features:
Average monthly cost for dogs: $30-48/month
Average monthly cost for cats: $26/month
Deductible options:
Reimbursement rate options:
Annual coverage limit options:
How it stacks up against Fetch Pet Insurance: Healthy Paws does not cover sick-visit exam fees, behavioral therapy or dental disease. Fetch Pet includes all three and also offers optional wellness coverage, which Healthy Paws does not currently offer.
Figo offers accident-and-illness insurance for dogs and cats, with optional wellness and exam-fee add-ons called Powerups. Its standard coverage includes accidents, illnesses, hereditary conditions, dental illness and alternative treatments.
Key features:
Average monthly cost for dogs: $20-$42/month
Average monthly cost for cats: $20/month
Deductible options:
Reimbursement rate options:
Annual coverage limit options:
How it stacks up against Fetch Pet Insurance: Figo makes veterinary exam-fee coverage optional and doesn’t include behavioral therapy in its standard policy while Fetch Pet includes eligible sick-visit exam fees and behavioral therapy in its core accident-and-illness coverage.
Trupanion offers accident-and-illness insurance for dogs and cats and uses a lifetime per-condition deductible rather than an annual deductible. Its VetDirect Pay system can pay participating veterinarians directly at checkout instead of requiring customers to wait for reimbursement.
Key features:
Average monthly cost for dogs: $50-$79/month
Average monthly cost for cats: $33-$44/month
Deductible options:
Reimbursement rate options:
Annual coverage limit options:
How it stacks up against Fetch Pet Insurance: Trupanion excludes veterinary exam fees and doesn’t offer wellness coverage. Fetch Pet includes eligible sick-visit exam fees, optional preventive coverage and benefits such as up to $1,000 per year in online vet visits.
The right pet insurance depends on the care your pet may realistically need and how much of that cost you want the policy to help cover. Before comparing providers, think through a few real-life questions about your pet and your budget:
A sick visit can mean an exam, diagnostics, treatment and follow-up costs and not every policy covers each part. That’s why it’s important to compare providers carefully and consider the care you’ll actually need.
Fetch Pet Insurance offers more comprehensive coverage, including eligible sick-visit exam fees, dental illness, behavioral therapy and alternative treatments, with up to 90% reimbursement. That can mean fewer gaps between the care your vet recommends and what your policy helps pay for. With the right coverage in place, you can focus more on getting your pet the care they need and less on which parts of the bill may be left out.
Pet insurance can be worth it if you want help covering unexpected veterinary costs instead of paying the full bill yourself. Whether it makes sense for you depends on the premium, deductible, reimbursement rate, coverage limits and what the policy actually includes. The benefit usually comes from reducing the financial impact of a large covered accident or illness rather than “getting your money back” every year.
Usually, no. Unlike human health insurance, many pet insurers let you visit any veterinarian rather than restricting you to an in-network provider. Fetch Pet Insurance, for example, lets members use any vet in the U.S. or Canada, including emergency hospitals and specialists.
Yes, rescue dogs can generally get pet insurance just like dogs from breeders or other sources. The main issue is medical history: Conditions that existed before enrollment are usually excluded, although Fetch Pet currently covers seven common pre-existing conditions at day one for newly adopted pets at no additional cost through its Pre-Ex Protection program.
The best pet insurance provider depends on the coverage, deductible, reimbursement rate and annual limit that fit your pet and budget. Fetch Pet is a strong option for pet parents who want complete coverage because it includes areas such as sick-visit exam fees, full-mouth dental illness coverage, behavioral therapy and alternative treatments that some competitors exclude or charge extra for.
The Dig, Fetch Pet Insurance's expert-backed editorial, answers all of the questions you forget to ask your vet or are too embarrassed to ask at the dog park. We help make sure you and your best friend have more good days, but we’re there on bad days, too.
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