Fetch Pet Insurance Review 2024

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With strong holistic and alternative coverage for pet parents, Fetch Pet Insurance may be the “indie darling” of pet insurance providers. Pet parents seeking alternative therapies for their pets may appreciate coverage for acupuncture, massage, and behavioral training—treatments that aim to relieve stress, anxiety, and even pain when traditional medicine alone isn’t enough.

With its unique dental coverage, Fetch is also a strong contender for pet parents concerned about dental health—and its impact on a pet’s longevity.

However, Fetch Pet Insurance may not always be the best pet insurance for pets enrolling as seniors, since they don’t currently offer accident-only plans and have a long (though waivable) orthopedic waiting period.

We review Fetch’s plans, who they’re best for, and what to know before you buy.

Fetch Pet Insurance: Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
No upper age limit	No multi-pet discounts
Treatment for gum disease and injury/disease in all teeth	No vet helpline
Discounts for veterans, AARP members, shelter pets, veterinarians, and more	Dogs must have annual health and dental check-ups for coverage to apply
Covers up to $1,000 per year in remote vet visits	No accident-only plans available
Behavioral and holistic care, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and homeopathic therapy	Long waiting period for orthopedic issues (though this could be waived)

Who is Fetch Pet Insurance best for?

Fetch’s standout feature is its coverage for dental health and alternative therapies. Dental care can be very expensive for pets, so owners with breeds who are more prone to dental disease—Yorkies, Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, and Labradors, to name just a few—will likely benefit the most from a Fetch policy.

Which pet owners may want to look elsewhere?

Pet parents may want to research other providers if they have large breeds who are prone to orthopedic issues, such as hip dysplasia or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Fetch has a lengthy waiting period for these issues—6 months—and while the period may be waived with an exam, it’s not a guarantee.

Other pet insurance providers don’t have a waiting period this long, so it’s important to shop around for the right insurance for you and your pet.

Fetch Pet Insurance: A Brief Overview

Deductible Options	Vary, but often range between $300-$700
Reimbursement Options	70%, 80%, 90%
Annual Limit	$5000, $10,000, or $15,000*
TrustPilot Rating	4.3 out of 5
Founded	2003
Phone Number	1-866-467-3875
Waiting Periods	15 days for illness and accidents; 6 months for orthopedic injuries (may be waived with exam)
Sample Policy	Terms and Conditions
Headquarters	New York, NY
App	Yes
Telehealth	No, though coverage for up to $1000 in online vet visits is included without deductible or copay
Claim Reimbursement Timeline	Claims typically processed within 15 days
State Availability	All 50 states and Washington, D.C.

*More options available for customers who contact Fetch’s call center at 1-866-984-0104.

Coverage Available: One Simple Plan with Optional Wellness Add-On

Fetch offers just one pet insurance plan: a comprehensive accident and illnesses policy.

That plan covers treatment for eligible accidents and illnesses, including but not limited to:

Prescription medications and supplements
Emergency vet visits
Virtual, in-home and office visits
Ultrasounds
Breed-specific issues
Lab tests
Vomiting and diarrhea
Hereditary and congenital conditions
Swallowed objects and toxins
Gum disease
Acupuncture
Chiropractic care
Cancer treatment
Diabetes and insulin
Vomiting and diarrhea
Allergies
Surgeries

What isn’t covered under Fetch Pet Insurance?

Fetch doesn’t cover any of the following under its standard plan, though Fetch’s wellness add-on will cover some of the below:

Cosmetic or elective procedures
Routine and preventive care
Checkups
Teeth cleaning
Flea and tick prevention
Prescription food
Vaccines

It’s also important to note that Fetch will not cover claims that you’ve submitted more than 90 days after your pet’s treatment.

Fetch’s wellness add-ons come in three options

Fetch is also offering a newly available wellness add-on, Fetch Wellness. While wellness plans vary slightly depending on the provider and aren’t typically big money-savers, they’re designed to help take care of preventative items that you can plan for, like annual wellness exams, spaying/neutering, dental cleanings, and vaccinations.

There are three separate tiered wellness add-ons to choose from, each with different coverage:

Essentials: Starting at $10/month, the Essentials plan includes some coverage for basic care, such as annual exams, vaccinations, flea and tick prevention, spaying or neutering, heartworm testing, dental cleanings, and more.
Advantage: As Fetch’s most popular plan, Advantage begins at $20/month. It includes everything in the Essentials plan, but with more savings. It also offers coverage for things like microchipping and anal gland expression.
Prime: Starting at $30/month, Prime includes everything in the Advantage tier, plus additional savings on dental cleanings, vaccinations, blood tests, and more.

Does Fetch pet insurance cover spaying and neutering?

Like nearly all pet insurance plans, Fetch’s standard accident and illness plan doesn’t cover spaying or neutering. However, a Fetch Wellness plan offers spaying or neutering coverage up to $125 for the procedure.

Customizations: Deductibles, Reimbursement, & Coverage Limits

Generally, pet parents can expect the following choices:

Deductible options:

$300
$500
$700

Reimbursement amounts:

Coverage limits:

$5000
$10,000
$15,000

For pet parents shopping online, Fetch doesn’t offer as many customizations for deductibles, reimbursement rates, or coverage limits as other pet insurance providers—though a wider range of deductibles is available through their call center.

If your priority is a cheaper pet insurance premium, you likely want to choose a higher deductible, as well as a low annual limit and reimbursement rate.

Pre-Existing Conditions and Congenital Illnesses

Like most providers, Fetch doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions. Pre-existing conditions are defined as any condition, injury, or change to your pet’s health that first occurs or displays symptoms before your coverage starts (or during the initial waiting period).

However, a “curable” pre-existing condition may be covered in your plan if your pet is symptom-free for 12 months. A curable pre-existing condition is an illness or injury that shows no symptoms and requires no treatment for a year. Fetch’s “curable” timetable falls somewhere in the middle when compared to other providers—some have shorter periods, like 6 months, while others have longer, like 18.

Hereditary conditions—i.e. those that are passed down genetically—are covered by Fetch as long as they’re not a pre-existing condition. A congenital illness, a disorder or abnormality present at birth, is also covered under a standard plan if no signs or symptoms are evident before the policy (and waiting period) starts.

Waiting Periods

Fetch Pet Insurance has a waiting period of up to 15 days for accidents and illnesses that begins on your policy’s effective date. This is the window of time you have to wait before your coverage starts and before you can be paid back for any claims. If your pet develops an injury or shows any signs of a medical condition during this waiting period, it will be treated as a pre-existing condition, and treatment won’t be covered under your plan.

For an orthopedic condition or injury, there is a 6-month waiting period. While Fetch may waive this period if your pet is examined by a vet within the first 30 days of your policy, it’s not a guarantee. This may be a serious consideration for some, particularly if you’re the pet parent of a dog breed prone to orthopedic conditions like hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament issues, and ACL problems.

While Fetch isn’t the only provider to have a 6-month waiting period for orthopedic problems—and some have even longer—there are more than a few providers that have no extended waiting period for these kinds of conditions.

Examination Coverage

Sick visit examinations are covered under a standard Fetch plan, while other examinations—like your pet’s annual exam—are not covered. But with an Essentials Wellness add-on, you may be reimbursed up to $30 for an annual exam, and up to $50 with an Advantage or Prime Wellness add-on. These add-ons also offer coverage for other examinations, such as a behavioral exam.

Age Limits and Breed Restrictions

The minimum age your dog or cat must be for a Fetch pet insurance plan is 6 weeks, but there is no upper age limit.

Fetch offers coverage for every breed, whether purebred or mixed.

Comprehensive Dental Coverage

Looking for pet insurance that covers dental? With their standard plan, you’re fully covered for gum disease, trauma, oral tumors, and more. And while some pet insurance providers only cover injury and disease in your pet’s canine teeth, Fetch provides accident, illness, injury, and disease coverage in every adult tooth.

Solid dental coverage is nothing to sneeze at, especially when you take into consideration that oral health troubles many different pet breeds and can lead to more serious conditions. Bacteria that’s found in a diseased mouth are the same bacteria often associated with heart disease, including endocarditis and valvular disease. Periodontal disease has also been linked to changes in a pet’s kidneys and liver.

A standard Fetch plan does not include dental cleanings, but cleaning costs between $75 and $125 may be covered each year under a Fetch Wellness add-on.

Coverage for Holistic and Behavioral Therapies

Fetch insurance is one of the few pet insurance providers to cover holistic therapy under their standard plan, though treatment must be administered by a veterinarian in order to qualify. A few of the therapies covered include:

Aromatherapy
Chiropractic care
Acupuncture
Homeopathic therapy

Fetch may also reimburse up to $1000 a year for vet-recommended behavioral therapy to treat pets with temperament problems, such as separation anxiety or aggression.

Other Features

In addition to its dental health coverage, Fetch has a few other features that set it apart.

Boarding fees: If you’re hospitalized for 4 days or more, your plan will cover the cost to board your pet at a licensed facility, up to $1,000 per year. Many other providers either don’t cover this or offer it for an additional cost.

Advertising and reward costs: For up to $1,000 per year, Fetch will cover the cost of advertising and reward for a missing pet.

Breed-specific conditions: Fetch covers congenital and medical conditions linked to certain breeds, such as respiratory problems in bulldogs. Not all pet insurance providers offer this.

Customer Experience

Choosing a pet insurance provider with a strong customer service experience is important for many pet parents, especially because navigating insurance can be tricky and confusing.

Here’s a high-level overview of Fetch’s customer service.

How to get in touch

Fetch offers a few different ways for customers to get in touch—on their website, an interactive chatbot is available 24/7 to answer questions, and a member specialist can be reached over live chat from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. ET Mon-Fri and 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ET Saturdays.

Customers may also reach out via email at info@fetchpet.com for a response within one business day (according to Fetch). If you prefer snail mail, address it to PO Box 1489, Bolingbrook, IL 60440.

Finally, you can also get in touch via phone at 1-866-467-3875 for their service department and 1-866-984-0104 for their sales team.

How to submit a claim

Fetch pet parents can file a claim through the Fetch app or on the website with a finalized paid invoice, detailed medical records, and claim form including the following information:

Name
Description of your pet
Policy number
Description of illness or injury you’re claiming
Treatments received
Fees charged
Proof of payment (receipt or invoice showing a zero balance due)

How to receive your reimbursement

With Fetch, your claims are typically processed within 15 days, and they’ll send you status updates via email. You’ll receive your reimbursement up to 10 days faster if you set up direct deposit versus waiting for a check in the mail.

How to cancel a policy

A policyholder can cancel their Fetch insurance by calling customer service, reaching out via email, or delivering written notice via snail mail.

Fetch will refund your entire premium if you notify them within the first 30 days from the effective date of your policy and you haven’t submitted any claims against the policy. After those 30 days, your premium refund will be prorated based on when you’ve ended your policy.

Fetch rankings and reviews

Fetch rates a 4.3/5 on Trustpilot, and has been given an A+ with the Better Business Bureau. However, Fetch’s average customer review with the BBB is only a 1.17/5, with many reviews expressing frustration with Fetch’s customer service, including denying claims and increasing premiums as pets age.

Discounts

Fetch Pet Insurance offers different discounts for the following:

AARP members
Veterans and active-duty military
Veterinarians and staff
Pet parents who have rescued or adopted their pet from a shelter
Service animals (licensed medical)
Pet parents who pay for their policy quarterly or annually
Those who get their policies through their employer
Policyholders who have gone a certain amount of time without filing a claim

Pay attention to the fine print—these offers may not be available in all states.

How We Reviewed

When reviewing pet insurance coverage, Rover takes many factors important to pet parents into consideration, including breadth of coverage, customizability, waiting period convenience, customer service experience, and more. We take a close look at customer satisfaction scores on TrustPilot and Better Business Bureau, while acknowledging that each pet parent has their own experience that may not apply to every consumer.

The above information is provided in cooperation with Fetch. If you have specific questions about their policies, please reach out to Fetch (see how to get in touch).

This article was prepared with information available as of November 14, 2023, and may not reflect more current changes.

Review: Fetch Pet Insurance Is a Sharp Option for Dental Care