Best Pet Insurance in Washington: Top Companies & Plans (2023 Review)

​Washington is nicknamed “The Evergreen State” due to its large number of gorgeous evergreen forests. Thanks to its natural resources, Washington is a beautiful place to live and raise your pets. If you’re looking for a state rich in outdoor adventures and natural beauty, Washington is the place to be. Many pets will also enjoy the outdoors and forests in this area. However, you should keep in mind that accidents can happen while you’re out and about, whether this is a broken bone from a fall or a bee sting. Pets can also become ill, even when they’re young and healthy. 

Pet insurance can provide you with a financial safety net so that you never have to worry about being blindsided by large vet bills to treat your pet’s injuries or illness. 

In our review of the best pet insurance in Washington, we’ll discuss the following pet insurance providers: 

• Spot: Best overall 
• Lemonade: Most affordable
• ASPCA: Most experienced
• Embrace: Best for deductibles
• Healthy Paws: Best for chronic conditions
• Prudent Pet: Best for dog and cat parents who want basic options
• Figo: Most flexible reimbursement rates
• Wagmo: Best for immediate reimbursement
• Trupanion: Most flexible deductible

Best Washington Pet Insurance Companies & Plans

*Certain conditions, such as cruciate ligaments or orthopedic conditions, may have longer waiting period times, usually six months to a year. This is common among many pet insurance providers, but most illnesses will be covered after the waiting period listed above.

Pet Insurance Companies in Washington Reviews

There are many pet insurance companies in Washington, making it overwhelming to begin the pet insurance research process. Our team at 365 Pet Insurance compiled the following list of different pet insurance providers that offer Washington pet parents coverage. Keep reading to learn more about these companies’ pros and cons and other factors, such as discounts, deductibles, coverage types, charitable giving, pricing, and much more. 

Spot Pet Insurance

Spot pet insurance is an amazing choice for pet parents looking for a provider that offers every major type of pet insurance. It offers accident-only, accident and illness, and wellness plans, which is something that many providers don’t do. On top of this, there are many customization options available for these plans. The accident-only plan will cover you for accidents or injuries your pet may have, such as broken bones, burns, animal bites, and more. This plan is its best plan type and starts at $10 per month. Spot’s accident and illness plan is even more comprehensive and will cover everything the accident-only plan does, along with conditions such as diabetes, infections, hypothyroidism, cancer, and more. This plan starts at $16 per month but typically costs around $40 for dogs and $22 for cats. 

Please note that its plans do not cover prescription pet food, so we recommend looking elsewhere if this is important to you. It also won’t cover pre-existing conditions, whelping, breeding, and cosmetic procedure costs. Spot won’t cover exotic animals, but it does offer comprehensive coverage for behavioral health issues, a rare coverage factor in the pet insurance industry. We like that it also offers several wellness plans, which provide coverage for routine veterinary care costs like wellness exams, vaccinations, and dental cleanings. It has two types of wellness plans, a basic and platinum plan, which cost $9.95 and $24.95, respectively. 

As a whole, we love that Spot has strong behavioral issues and wellness coverage options. It also has excellent customization options and a useful mobile app that allows you to submit and track claims along with various other factors. We wish it offered prescription pet food coverage, but overall we think Spot is a great pet insurance provider, especially for pet parents interested in wellness coverage. 

Pros 

• 10% multi-pet discount
• Affordable accident-only plan starts at $10/month
• Behavioral issues coverage offered
• Offers multiple wellness plan options

Cons

• Doesn’t cover exotic animals
• No prescription pet food coverage

Lemonade Pet Insurance

Lemonade is a New York-based pet insurance company that is newer to the industry. Lemonade offers many types of pet insurance plans, a user-friendly online experience, and affordable pricing. Lemonade also offers car, homeowners, renters, and life insurance. It has a bundle deal if you’re looking to save on multiple types of insurance and a 5% multi-pet discount, which is an excellent perk for pet parents insuring several furry family members. We also like that Lemonade has a fast claim process due to its mobile app, which uses artificial intelligence to process your claim. Instead of waiting weeks to be reimbursed, Lemonade’s app can process your claim within minutes.

Lemonade offers many customization options, including several options for your reimbursement percentage, annual deductible, and coverage limit. Its plans start at $10 per month, but you can expect to pay $37 on average for dogs and $15 on average for cats. This is more affordable than many pet insurance providers, making this a significant plus for pet parents. It offers an accident and illness plan, which covers diagnostics, medications, hospitalizations, emergency care, surgeries, procedures, and much more. We like that it also offers multiple preventative package add-ons, including special packages for kittens and puppies, which give you more coverage for things like spaying/neutering, microchipping, dental cleaning, and more. 

Lemonade won’t cover pre-existing conditions, exotic animals, dental care, cosmetic procedures, and behavioral issue treatments. Overall, Lemonade is an affordable option offering many great, customizable accident and illness plans and wellness plans. 

Pros 

• Entirely online experience
• Offers coverage for exam fees and physical therapy
• 5% discount for multiple pets
• Preventative care plans specifically for puppies and kittens

Cons

• New to the pet insurance market
• Six-month waiting period for cruciate ligament conditions

ASPCA Pet Insurance

Founded in 2017, ASPCA pet insurance is a partner of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and is provided by Crum & Forster Pet Insurance Group. It offers many types of pet insurance plans, including wellness plans, accident-only coverage, and accident and illness coverage. We love that it offers every major kind of pet insurance on the market and that all of these plans are highly customizable, from your deductible, annual limit, and reimbursement rate. ASPCA also offers an excellent 10% multi-pet discount and a member center app that allows you to submit and track your claims, contact ASPCA, review your benefits, and pay your bill. 

In terms of coverage, ASPCA offers an accident-only plan and accident and illness pet insurance plan. The accident and illness pet insurance plan provides coverage for things like broken bones, hereditary conditions, behavioral issues, diabetes, digestive problems, and more. You can expect to pay $48.78 on average for dogs and $29.16 for cats each month, which is notably more expensive than many pet insurance providers. However, we like that ASPCA offers behavioral issues and dental disease coverage. It’s worth noting that the dental disease coverage is less extensive than other providers who provide dental disease coverage. ASPCA also offers two preventative care options. Its basic plan is $9.95 per month, and its prime plan is $24.95 per month. These plans will cover dental cleanings, wellness exams, vaccinations, deworming, and much more. None of ASPCA’s plans will cover pre-existing conditions, cosmetic procedures, and breeding costs. Overall, we like that ASPCA has many pet insurance plan options and customization options. However, we dislike that it has low annual limits.  

Pros 

• Partner of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Offers multi-pet discount
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• No exam is required before enrollment

Cons

• Poor customer reviews
• Low annual limits

Embrace Pet Insurance

Embrace pet insurance has many great factors, including a 10% multi-pet discount, a 5% military discount, and thorough coverage options. You can customize your annual limits, reimbursement percentages, and annual deductible, giving you some control over your monthly premium. Dog insurance with Embrace will typically cost $35 per month and $18 per month for cat insurance. However, its prices can be up to $100 per month, making it one of the more expensive pet insurance agencies out there. This higher price tag comes with extensive accident and illness coverage, including coverage for dental illnesses, exam fees, cancer, emergency care, congenital conditions, prescription medications, breed-specific conditions, and even prosthetic limbs, devices, and mobility aids. 

Embrace also offers three types of wellness plans, ranging from $18.75, $35.42, or $52.09 per month with a yearly allowance of $250, $450, or $650. This is a much higher annual allowance than many wellness plans on the market and can be a great asset for pet parents looking for help paying for routine care costs. With an Embrace wellness plan, your pet will be covered for wellness exam fees, vaccinations, titers, microchipping, spaying/neutering surgery, and more. 

On the other hand, Embrace won’t cover pre-existing conditions, breeding, or cloning costs. These are typical pet insurance exclusions. However, Embrace is unique because it will cover curable pre-existing conditions, such as an ear infection, if your pet is cured and symptom-free for 12 months. This is rare among providers and incredibly beneficial to pet parents with pets that already have pre-existing conditions. It also offers a Healthy Pet Deductible that reduces your deductible by $50 for every year that you don’t submit a claim. We also like that it offers coverage for grooming, prescription medications, preventatives, and prescription pet foods, which are standard exclusions among other providers. 

Pros 

• Comprehensive accident and illness coverage
• User-friendly mobile app allows you to submit claims
• Unique Healthy Pet Deductible reduces your deductible over time
• Donates $2 to charity per pet insurance policy sold

Cons

• Yearly limit maximums
• Strict pre-existing conditions policy

Healthy Paws Pet Insurance

Healthy Paws is a charitable pet insurance provider with two grant programs: the Every Quote Gives Hope and Refer-A-Friend, which has donated almost $1.6 million to shelters and rescues. It also has a great mobile app, which allows you to submit and track claims from your phone easily. We like that Healthy Paws’ underwriting is by The Chubb Group, an A+ rated insurer with over $25 billion in surplus. However, it doesn’t offer a wellness plan which is a significant con to pet parents. 

Healthy Paws pet insurance offers a comprehensive accident and illness plan for dogs and cats. This plan covers things like cancer, hip dysplasia, hereditary conditions, diagnostic processes, hospitalizations, prescription medications, alternative treatments, and more. We really like that it covers prescription medications and alternative treatments as many providers don’t have coverage. Its plan also has unlimited maximum payouts, so you never have to worry about hitting a cap with your coverage. On average, its plans cost $40 per month for dogs and $20 per month for cats. However, some of its plans start at $25 monthly for dogs and $20 monthly for cats. This plan will not cover exotic animals, pre-existing conditions, routine veterinary care, teeth cleaning, or exam fees. 

Overall, we like that Healthy Paws has unlimited lifetime benefits and comprehensive accident and illness coverage. However, its lack of a wellness plan, upper age limit, and lack of a multi-pet discount are things to consider before enrolling with this provider. 

Pros 

• Unlimited lifetime benefits
• More affordable than many pet insurance providers
• Gives back to over 300 nonprofit pet charities
• Underwritten by the Chubb Group, an A+ rated insurer

Cons

• No multi-pet discount offered
• Does not have preventative care options

How Does Pet Insurance Work in Washington? 

Pet insurance works through you, not your vet’s office. Unlike human healthcare insurance, you will submit your claims directly to your pet insurance provider after you’ve paid the veterinary bill upfront. Once the claim is approved, your pet insurance provider will reimburse you based on the reimbursement rate in your policy. This reimbursement percentage typically falls between 50 and 90%. You’ll be responsible for the remaining portion of the bill. Depending on the plan you choose, your pet can be protected for accidents, illnesses, and even routine veterinary care coverage, like wellness exams, vaccinations, and regular blood work. 

Pet insurance can give you peace of mind knowing that your pet’s needs will be covered should it have an unexpected accident or illness. We recommend treating it as a safety net for your pet’s unexpected veterinary care. 

How to Choose the Best Pet Insurance in Washington for You 

Pet insurance shopping can be overwhelming due to the many pet insurance providers and customization options available. To choose a policy, we recommend starting by considering what kind of pet insurance coverage you’d like for your pet. These are the main types of pet insurance plans: 

• Accident-only plans: Accident-only plans protect you financially should your pet have an accident or become injured. This could include broken bones, animal bites, lacerations, insect bites, and much more. Accident-only plans will not cover illnesses or routine veterinary care costs. 
• Accident and illness plans: Accident and illness plans are more comprehensive and give your pet coverage for accidents and developed illnesses. Examples of accident and illness coverage include diabetes, cancer, thyroid disorders, infections, and much more. This plan won’t cover wellness care costs. 
• Wellness add-ons: A wellness or preventative care plan is usually an add-on to one of the other types of plans. It provides you with coverage for routine veterinary care, such as wellness visits, vaccinations, routine blood work, dental cleanings, and regular urinalysis. 

Next, consider what other factors are important to you when it comes to choosing a pet insurance plan. Consider the following questions before you decide on a pet insurance provider and plan: 

• Does this plan cover prescription diets or medications?
• What kind of reviews does this provider have from customers and consumer report websites, such as the Better Business Bureau?
• Does this plan cover alternative therapies or behavioral problems?
• Are wellness or preventative care plans offered through this provider?
• Does this plan have dental illness coverage?
• Is there a convenient mobile app available that allows you to submit and track claims?
• Does the pet insurance provider offer your preferred communication method? (email, phone, live chat, etc.?) 
• Is there a lifetime or annual benefits cap?
• Does this provider have multiple plan options and allow you to customize your plan to your preferences?
• How are its rates compared to other pet insurance companies?

How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost in Washington?

Many factors can impact the cost of your pet insurance, including where you live in Washington, and your pet’s age, health, and breed. The type of pet insurance plan you choose will also heavily affect the overall cost of your pet insurance. For example, an accident and illness plan will typically be more expensive than accident-only coverage. In general, you can expect monthly premiums of around $45 for dog insurance and $25 for cat insurance, not including a wellness add-on. With a wellness add-on, you’re looking at an additional $10 to $25 each month typically. 

Remember that shopping around between providers and looking at available discounts can save you hundreds of dollars each year on pet insurance costs. 

Monthly Cost of Pet Insurance by City in Washington

Seattle is the most expensive city in Washington for pet insurance, but surprisingly, its high-end neighbor to the east, Bellevue, is one of the lowest. Maybe there is less trouble for a dog to get into in a suburb. Either way, the monthly rates are all reasonable and certainly a lot more affordable than a $10,000 vet bill for an emergency.

*We used a mixed breed, 3-year-old male dog, 20-55 lbs. for our sample quote.

Final Thoughts 

Pet insurance gives many pet parents peace of mind knowing that they don’t have to worry about affording expensive veterinary treatments their pet may need throughout its life. Life isn’t certain, and neither is our pet’s health, so having a financial backup plan for your pet can provide comfort and stability should it get sick or have an accident. Wellness plans can also give you financial help with the everyday costs of routine veterinary care. 

Regardless of the pet insurance provider you choose, we recommend considering multiple companies and getting pet insurance quotes from them to see what is worth most to you. This process will allow you to thoroughly weigh your options before deciding on a plan. 

Information for Pet Owners in Washington

Washington has many unique pet-friendly locations and establishments. It’s also known for its abundance of pet-friendly employers and employers who offer pet insurance as an employee benefit. Due to its pet-friendly nature, you won’t have to leave your pup in the hotel or at home. Get ready to get out and play! 

Washington Pet Laws 

Before you take your pet out on an adventure, make sure you’re aware of Washington pet laws: 

• Washington has strict liability laws for dog bites on humans and other animals. You may be held liable for damages, regardless of owner negligence, if your dog bites someone. 
• Washington does not have a statewide pet licensing or leash law. However, the city you’re in may have one, so we recommend researching where you’re at before wandering around with your dog unleashed. 
• Certain dog breeds are banned from different cities. A handful of Washington cities have bans on pit bull dogs. Auburn even has breed-specific laws against pit bulls, Akitas, and kuvasz dogs. 

Fun Things to Do With Your Pet in WA 

Check out these fun, pet-friendly establishments and have fun taking your pup on an adventure: 

• Westcrest Park: Westcrest Park is a breathtaking park that features a fun off-leash area for dogs to enjoy running around. 
• Old Ballard Brewery Tour: This pet-friendly tour is hosted by Timothy and lasts around three hours. On the tour, you can enjoy sampling delicious beers in a two-block area of Seattle. 
• Wilco Farm Store: Wilco Farm Store is a dog-friendly place that allows owners to meander through aisles of mud boots, generators, grills, winter clothes, and much more with their dogs. They are open Monday through Saturday and have reduced Sunday hours. 
• Double Bluff Beach: Enjoy the breathtaking views at Double Bluff Beach with your dog right beside you. 

Washington Pet Resources 

If you or someone in your life is in need, check out these Washington pet resources for help caring for your pet: 

• Doney Coe Pet Clinic: This veterinary care center serves low-income and homeless families. It’s funded by the community and offers no-cost veterinary care to pets. It also supports and promotes spaying and neutering. 
• Seattle Humane Society: Seattle’s Humane Society offers support for pet owners in need. It runs a pet food bank that also gives out pet supplies, such as leashes, collars, indoor crates, flea/tick preventatives, supplements, pet food, litter boxes, litter, and kennels. It also offers Wellness Clinic appointments to support low-income families with pets that need wellness checkups, vaccinations, and microchipping services. 
• WSU Good Samaritan Program: The Washington State University Good Samaritan Program is a fund used to help special needs or ownerless animals while training vet students. If you have a special needs animal, consider this program. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Insurance in Washington

What does Pet Insurance Typically Cover?

Depending on what type of plan you choose, your pet insurance plan will cover different things. Accident-only plans provide medical coverage for accidental injuries, such as broken bones, sprains, and prescription medications. Accident-and-illness plans try to extend that coverage to include cancer treatments, digestive illness, hip dysplasia, and similar issues.

Does pet insurance cover all veterinary expenses? 

No, pet insurance won’t cover all expenses you build up at the vet’s office. However, insurance will typically cover accidents and illnesses that aren’t pre-existing. Some policies will even offer wellness and preventative care add-ons that add additional benefits to your policy, like wellness exams and vaccines.

Do all vets take pet insurance? 

In short, yes. Your pet insurance provider doesn’t work with your vet, so you don’t have to worry about your vet being in-network like a human health insurance plan. Instead, you submit your claim directly to your pet insurance provider, which will reimburse you based on your coverage. This allows you to go to any licensed veterinarian, whether they are at a clinic or animal hospital, to get your pet the care they need. As long as the treatment is covered under your plan, you’ll be covered. 

Our Methodology

​​To determine the best pet insurance providers, we conduct a detailed analysis of 38 different pet insurance companies operating in the United States and Canada. We put data from each provider through the same rigorous test, examining how each company performs in key areas that are relevant to pet owners. Our seven criteria are then weighted to produce a total score.

• Price: 20%
• Coverage: 20%
• Customer service: 15%
• Reliability: 15%
• Choice: 10%
• Plan features: 10%
• Transparency: 10%

The best pet insurance providers offer coverage for a wide range of conditions at an affordable price. They also feature flexible customer service, a long reputation of excellence, transparent policies and the ability  to customize your pet insurance plan to your individual needs. You can read more details about our ratings and review methodology here.