Best Emergency Pet Insurance Companies (2025)
If you’re looking for low rates, direct vet payments, or exotic animal coverage, Figo, Pets Best, and Nationwide offer some of the best emergency pet insurance.
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Emergency pet insurance is a type of insurance policy that covers the costs of unexpected vet services for your dog or cat. These plans typically cover pet accidents, injuries, and sudden illnesses.
Without pet insurance, you might be on the hook for paying thousands of dollars out of pocket after a visit to the emergency vet. It’s important to buy pet insurance soon after welcoming your furry friend into your home, since most policies have waiting periods before they become active.1
Finding a policy with the right company can make all the difference in keeping your pet healthy for an affordable price. Here’s what you should know about the best emergency pet insurance companies.
Best companies for emergency pet insurance
When it’s time to choose the best pet insurance company, you need to look for a plan that works with your budget and offers features you might use. Here’s a rundown of the best companies for emergency pet insurance and the areas in which they excel.
Data in this table has been sourced from Insurify users who received a pet insurance quote from our partner Fletch.
Best for low premiums: Figo
Figo offers some of the lowest prices, on average, for pet insurance policies. You’ll pay $27 per month to insure a dog and $11 for a cat. The company also covers some pre-existing conditions if your pet hasn’t shown signs or symptoms within 12 months of its last treatment.
Best for direct vet payments: Pets Best
Pets Best is one of the few pet insurance companies that offers to pay your vet directly for any claim reimbursement amount. The company offers six ways to customize your pet’s accident and illness coverage and two optional wellness add-ons. You can also enroll your pet in accident-only coverage for a set price of $6 per month for cats and $9 per month for dogs ($7 for cats and $10 for dogs in Washington state).
Best for exotic pet coverage: Nationwide
Many pet insurance companies limit coverage to standard pets like cats and dogs. But Nationwide covers exotic pets like birds, mini pigs and goats, reptiles, and small mammals. You also get unlimited 24/7 access to a vet hotline.
Best for unlimited annual coverage: Healthy Paws
Healthy Paws offers affordable premiums without per-incident, annual, or lifetime payout limits. That means the company will reimburse you for covered items, regardless of how expensive your bills get. This feature could provide peace of mind that you won’t need to choose between expensive veterinary bills and your budget after a costly incident.
Best for discounts: MetLife
MetLife advertises several discounts and options to help lower your monthly premiums. You can save 10% if you’re a veteran, first responder, or healthcare worker; you work or volunteer at an animal care facility; or your employer offers MetLife pet insurance as a benefit. MetLife can also insure up to three pets on the same plan with a single annual deductible.
Petcube: Pet insurance alternative for emergencies only
Petcube is a company that designs smart devices for pets, like cameras that allow you to monitor your dog and dispense treats. The company also provides a subscription for emergency medical care that acts as an alternative to insurance. If you need to bring your dog or cat to an emergency room, the Petcube plan pays up to $3,000 for one visit each year.
The $29 monthly subscription covers up to six pets. If you read Petcube’s educational pet blogs, you’ll receive a discounted subscription rate of $21 per month. As a member, you can also talk to a veterinarian online 24/7.
This type of plan may be a good option if you have pets that may be excluded from pet insurance policies. For example, some insurance companies won’t provide coverage for older animals or ones with pre-existing conditions. Petcube’s plan doesn’t consider age, pre-existing conditions, or breed when offering coverage. But if you have one or two relatively healthy pets, a traditional pet insurance policy will be more comprehensive and customizable for about the same price.
To identify the best emergency pet insurance companies, Insurify’s writers and editors requested sample quotes from 10 insurers. The sample profiles were for a 2-year-old mixed breed, medium-sized male dog and a 2-year-old American shorthair female cat living in Hartford, Connecticut.
Quotes were for accident and illness coverage with 80% reimbursement, a $500 deductible, and $10,000 or more in annual coverage.
We also researched each pet insurance company’s available coverage options, deductible options, discounts, pets covered, waiting period, and customer reviews.
What emergency pet insurance covers
Emergency pet insurance pays for the costs of accidents, injuries, and sudden illnesses for your dog, cat, or other type of pet. These policies usually won’t cover pre-existing conditions or routine services.3
Here are some examples of what emergency pet insurance commonly covers:
Allergies
Broken bones or fractures
Cuts and wounds
Diagnostic tests, such as X-rays
Follow-up visits after emergency care
Gastrointestinal issues
Hospitalization
Infectious diseases
Ingesting foreign objects
Injuries
Lab testing and blood work
Medical treatments
Poisoning
Prescription medicines
Rehabilitation
Specialty vet exams
Surgery
How pet insurance waiting periods work
The waiting period is the amount of time between buying an insurance policy and when you can start using the coverage. Some insurers start coverage on the day you buy a policy, but others set waiting periods of a few days to a couple of weeks.
During this waiting period, you won’t be able to submit claims and receive payouts. Waiting periods prevent people from buying insurance only when their pet needs immediate medical attention. That’s why it’s important to buy pet insurance when your furry friend is healthy.
Is emergency pet insurance worth it?
Whether emergency pet insurance is worth it depends on your pet and individual situation. For example: Let’s say your dog eats its favorite toy, causing an intestinal blockage. Emergency surgery to remove a foreign body costs $1,260, on average, and an overnight stay at the animal hospital can cost $1,000–$2,000 or more.
Pet insurance can help cover the costs of these visits. Without it, you’d be on the hook for emergency-related pet expenses out of pocket.
Accident-only plans cost an average of $16 per month for dogs and $9 per month for cats, according to data from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.4 For many pet parents, this is a small price to pay for peace of mind. Pet insurance can help you pay for emergency or lifesaving care for your pet without draining your finances.
Emergency pet insurance FAQs
If you want to learn more about how emergency pet insurance works, the following information should help you navigate finding the best emergency pet insurance coverage for you.
What if I don’t have money for an emergency vet?
If you don’t have pet insurance and aren’t sure how to cover your pet’s vet costs, ask the vet if they offer a payment plan. You can also look into financing options for your pet’s emergency vet care, such as CareCredit.
Can you get pet insurance after a vet visit?
Yes. You can get pet insurance after a vet visit, but it’s important to understand waiting periods and coverage limitations.
Your insurer will consider any illness or injury that a vet has already diagnosed your pet with to be a pre-existing condition, and a pet insurance company probably wouldn’t cover it. But you can enroll your pet in a policy for coverage against accidents or illnesses that may happen in the future.
Does Fetch pet insurance start immediately?
No. Fetch pet insurance has a waiting period of up to 15 days after you enroll your pet in coverage. The company won’t cover any claims you submit before the waiting period ends. Fetch also has a six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions.
How much is an emergency vet visit without insurance?
Emergency vet visit costs vary widely depending on where you live, the type of pet you have, and the type of emergency that brought you to the vet. An emergency room exam costs around $125 alone, emergency surgery can cost anywhere from $900 to $1,500 or more, and an overnight stay can run between $1,000 and $2,000.
Is pet insurance effective immediately?
No. Most pet insurance plans have waiting periods between the day you buy the plan and when coverage begins. Waiting periods usually last a few days. Some issues, like orthopedic conditions, have longer waiting periods.
What is the Petcube emergency fund?
The Petcube emergency fund is an alternative to pet insurance. For a flat monthly fee, pet owners can chat with a vet anytime and receive up to $3,000 for one vet bill each year when a pet has a life-threatening medical situation.
The $29 fee covers up to six pets. Coverage is more limited compared to insurance plans, but Petcube has more flexible eligibility requirements.
What does the PAWP emergency fund cover?
PAWP is an online service that offers virtual vet appointments for emergencies, pet advice, and regular checkups. The company also has an emergency fund add-on that’s similar to Petcube’s offering. Pet parents get up to $3,000 for one vet bill each year when a pet is having an unexpected, life-threatening emergency.
What is accident-only pet insurance?
An accident-only pet insurance policy pays for accidents and injuries but won’t cover illnesses or diseases your pet may develop over time. This type of policy provides less protection than accident and illness pet insurance, so it comes with cheaper premiums. This could be a good option if you want to ensure your pet receives emergency care after an accident.
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