Pet Insurance Waiting Periods Explained

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When shopping for pet insurance, most of us look for good coverage, reasonable premiums, and a comfortable deductible. Waiting periods are often toward the bottom of a prospective buyer’s priorities. But there are some good reasons to bump them up—way up—your list.

Waiting periods are the length of time you have to wait between when you buy your pet insurance policy and when your insurance will start covering eligible treatments for your pet. Different kinds of health issues have waiting periods of different lengths. Some are no big deal—but others can hit where it hurts.

We explain how waiting periods work, why they can be critical for certain breeds, and how to find the right fit for your pet.

Types of Pet Insurance Waiting Periods

Most pet insurance companies have different kinds of waiting periods for different kinds of health issues. Though policies vary from company to company, a standard set of waiting periods might look like this:

	Typical duration	Affected conditions (examples)
Accident + injury	2 to 5 days	Cuts, sprains, broken bones, ingestion of foreign objects
Illness + disease	14 to 15 days	Ear infections, canine influenza, diabetes, glaucoma, cancer
Orthopedic / knee + hip	6 to 18 months	Hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament events

What Are Accident and Injury Waiting Periods?

Accident and injury waiting periods are short. You usually only have to wait a few days after your policy’s start date before your pet is covered for treatment for eligible accidents and injuries—even big expensive ones, like stomach pumping for chocolate ingestion or surgery for a broken leg.

It’s important, however, that pet parents don’t delay a pet’s treatment to try to make it through a short accident waiting period. With injuries, every minute often counts, and a lack of timely intervention could put your pet’s life, future health, or mobility at risk.

If you’re unable to pay the vet bills for an injury, talk to your vet—they may be able to offer discounted services in light of financial hardship or work out a payment plan. You can also consider taking your pet to a veterinary college or shelter vet, where services can be more affordable.

Young nurse in medical scrubs examining Labrador while vet makes injection

SeventyFour via iStock

What Are Waiting Periods for Illnesses and Diseases?

14 or 15 days is a common waiting period for illnesses, which can run the gamut from minor ear infections and stomach viruses to more serious conditions like kidney disease and even cancer. A good pet insurance plan will cover your pet for all of those and more, and in relatively short order.

Note that some kinds of pet insurance plan, namely “accident-only” policies, don’t cover illnesses and diseases at all—so if that’s important to you, read up on the different kinds of pet insurance plans.

What Are Orthopedic Waiting Periods?

Here’s where waiting periods get sticky—and where they can start to have a big impact on your satisfaction with your policy.

Different companies define the “orthopedic” waiting period differently, but in general, it refers to two health issues that are especially common in large-breed dogs: hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament events.

Effective treatments for both are available, but they’re expensive—which is why they also have the longest waiting periods, ranging from six months on the short end to eighteen months.

Large dog resting on blanket with back leg in a cast

MartinFredy via iStock

If your pet is diagnosed with or shows symptoms of one of these conditions during your waiting period, it will be regarded as a pre-existing condition. That means your insurance company will never cover treatment for it, even once the waiting period is over.

Worse, because orthopedic conditions like these are often bilateral—meaning likely to appear on both sides of your pet’s body—the same issue on the other side won’t be covered either.

Orthopedic waiting periods can be absolutely devastating, which is why they’re worth considering when you’re shopping for a pet insurance policy.

Which Pet Insurance Company Has the Shortest Waiting Periods?

Provider	Waiting period for orthopedic events
Pumpkin	15-day waiting period
Spot	15-day waiting period
Prudent Pet	6-month waiting period waivable with exam
Fetch	6-month waiting period waivable with exam for knees (not waivable for hips)
Lemonade	30-day waiting period
Figo	6-month waiting period waivable with exam
Healthy Paws	Waiting periods vary from state to state
Pets Best	Waiting periods vary from state to state

Orthopedic waiting periods pose a different degree of risk for different pet parents. Cats, for example, are less likely to have cruciate ligament issues and hip dysplasia than dogs, and small and medium breed dogs are less likely to experience them than large and giant breeds.

Your pet’s circumstances influence how important it is to find a short waiting period. Generally, the following pets are at the greatest risk:

Large and giant breeds, like Labs and Newfoundlands
Athletic dogs who love to run and chase
Overweight dogs
Small breeds at risk of patellar luxation, like Boston Terriers and Chihuahuas
Senior dogs

Those with pets at the greatest risk of orthopedic issues may want to prioritize insurance providers with the shortest possible waiting periods.

Remember, pet insurance providers can define orthopedic issues differently. Some focus exclusively on hip dysplasia, while others refer more broadly to “cruciate ligament events.” It’s a good idea to download a sample policy specific to your state so you can see exactly what kind of waiting period you can expect.

Recap: How To Navigate Waiting Periods in Your Search

Decide how important waiting periods are for your pet. If you have a pet who’s predisposed to orthopedic issues, either because of their breed or age, you may want to make a short orthopedic waiting period a priority in your search.
Consider pet insurance companies with short orthopedic waiting periods. To give yourself the best chance of coverage, aim for a company that either has a two-week waiting period, like Spot, or one that lets you waive your orthopedic waiting period if your pet can pass a veterinary exam, like Fetch or Prudent Pet.
Once you’ve made your shortlist, review your other priorities. That might include things like the kind of coverage you want, or the reimbursement rate, deductible, and premiums you’re most comfortable with.
Get some quotes from your top choices to see where you’ll get the best deal and compare options.