Best pet insurance companies for dogs
When your dog faces an unexpected illness or injury, the veterinary expenses can quickly escalate, sometimes reaching thousands of dollars, which can directly impact your budget. While minor health issues might be manageable financially, significant medical interventions like surgeries or cancer treatments can strain your budget. To avoid the difficult choice between compromising their pet's health and facing financial hardship, many pet owners opt for pet insurance.
But how do you determine the pet insurance for dogs?
Unlike human health insurance, pet insurance typically allows you to visit any licensed veterinarian, providing flexibility in choosing your preferred provider. When selecting a policy, consider factors such as premium costs, coverage options, reimbursement rates and annual limits. Some plans offer comprehensive coverage with higher premiums, while others provide basic protection at a lower cost.
To help you find the best options for your best friend, we've outlined the top pet insurance companies for dogs below, categorized to help you find the best fit for your needs.
If you're in the market for pet insurance, start by getting a free price quote.
Best pet insurance companies for dogs
Here are some of the best pet insurance companies, broken down into six different categories.
- Best for comprehensive coverage: Fetch by the Dodo
- Best for flexibility: Embrace
- Best for quick reimbursement: Lemonade
- Best for direct vet payments: Pets Best
- Best for mobile experience: Figo
- Best for cost: Odie
Best for comprehensive coverage: Fetch by the Dodo
Fetch by the Dodo stands out for offering comprehensive dog insurance. In addition to standard accidents and illness, Fetch provides comprehensive dental coverage (although teeth cleaning is typically not covered), as well as coverage for breed-specific issues, like hip dysplasia or breathing problems.
Fetch policies also include vet fees for sick visits, as well as alternative treatments like acupuncture. Plus, Fetch offers unique benefits like up to $1,000 per year if pet parents require hospitalization of their own for four days or more, as well as up to $1,000 per year to help find a missing pet.
Fetch also has a highly rated mobile app that can be used to submit and track claims. Learn more about Fetch by the Dodo now.
Best for flexibility: Embrace
If you want to customize your pet insurance coverage, Embrace is a great option. Embrace offers customizable policies, allowing you to tailor annual deductibles, reimbursement percentages and annual limits to suit your budget and coverage needs. You can also choose from add-on coverages, including coverage for exam visits and prescriptions, along with an optional wellness plan for preventative care.
Plus, Embrace pet insurance policies come with a 24/7 telehealth service for times when you don't necessarily want or need to see a vet in person right away. Embrace also provides optional Wellness Rewards, a non-insurance preventative care plan to help manage routine veterinary expenses. Explore your pet insurance options with Embrace.
Best for quick reimbursement: Lemonade
With the use of AI and a robust mobile app, Lemonade says that it can approve some claims in just minutes, which can lead to an almost instant reimbursement. The process works by going to Lemonade's mobile app to file a claim, answering questions from an AI assistant, recording a short video about your pet's situation, and uploading vet documents. If approved, Lemonade will then send funds directly to your bank account.
Just note that Lemonade pet insurance currently operates in certain states but has plans to grow more. Learn more here now.
Best for direct vet payments: Pets Best
Many pet parents choose pet insurance because veterinary costs can be hard to pay out of pocket, yet many plans require you to pay your vet first and get reimbursed later. However, Pets Best is one of the top pet insurance providers that can be particularly helpful by directly making payments to your vet, rather than making you go through a reimbursement process.
Doing so still requires submitting a claim and having your vet sign a release form, but that can still be a smoother experience than worrying about putting a large bill on your own credit or debit card. Get started with Pets Best here.
Best for mobile app experience: Figo
If you want a great digital experience from your pet insurance provider, consider Figo. The pet insurer's Pet Cloud app has a 4.8 rating on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
Not only can the app be used to submit claims and get reimbursed quickly, but it can also be used to access things like Figo's included telehealth service and help you keep track of your pet's digital records. Plus, Figo's app can connect you with resources like other nearby pet parents, daycare providers and pet-friendly restaurants.
Best for cost: Odie
If you're looking for the lowest-cost pet insurance for dogs, a good place to try is Odie. Odie is known for offering affordable pet insurance plans without compromising essential coverage.
While rates can vary depending on factors like your location, breed and the coverage you opt for, Odie generally has some of the best pet insurance prices. With accident-only pet insurance plans starting at $9 per month for dogs, Odie's budget-friendly options, which include coverage for accidents, illnesses and hereditary conditions, make it accessible for many pet owners.
The bottom line
Choosing one of these pet insurance companies can help you care for your furry friend while protecting your finances. As with any type of insurance, you should shop around for the best pet insurance costs and features that make sense for your situation.
It's easy to get quotes by going to pet insurers' websites and filling out a few details, like your pet's age and breed. From there, you can see what plan works best for you.
