Petco Pet Insurance Review 2025

Petco pet insurance, officially known as Petco | Nationwide pet insurance, earned 4.6 stars out of 5 for overall performance.

Petco pet insurance policies are offered by Nationwide. Coverage is available for dogs and cats as well as for other pets like birds, gerbils, reptiles, hedgehogs and pigs. (You’ll need to get a quote by phone if you’re insuring an exotic animal.) Plans also cover pre-existing conditions, so long as they’re curable and your pet hasn’t needed treatment in at least six months.

You can apply for dog and cat insurance online, but the application is longer than what many competitors offer. Sample policies aren’t easily accessible from Petco’s website, which makes it difficult to get details about the coverage you’re buying.

Note that Nationwide announced in June 2024 that it will not renew approximately 100,000 policies through mid-2025. In a statement, Nationwide cited inflation in veterinary care as a factor in the decision. The company said that some products will not be available in some states and that an animal’s age, breed or claims history are not factors.

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In most states, Petco and Nationwide offer a base level of accident coverage, to which you can add illness and wellness coverage as options. If your dog or cat is 8 or older, they may not be eligible for illness coverage, though wellness coverage may be available.

Accident coverage

Petco and Nationwide provide accident-only plans that don't cover illnesses. However, they can help with costs if your pet is accidentally injured. For example, the coverage would kick in if your dog or cat is hit by a car, suffers heat stroke or is attacked by another animal. Accident coverage can pay for:

• Medications.

• Exams and diagnostic tests.

• Surgeries and other procedures.

• Medical equipment such as motility carts and e-collars.

Illness coverage

If you add illness coverage to your plan, Petco and Nationwide may cover the following:

• Treatment for infections and diseases, including cancer, allergies and arthritis.

• Exams and diagnostic tests, such as X-rays, CT scans and MRIs.

• Surgeries.

• Medications.

Other coverage options may be available if you call to buy a policy.

Wellness coverage

In most states, Petco and Nationwide offer two tiers of wellness coverage that provide either $450 or $800 in benefits for routine and preventive care, such as:

• Two annual exams.

• Vaccinations or titers.

• Heartworm or feline immunodeficiency virus/feline leukemia virus testing.

• Fecal test.

• Deworming.

• Microchipping.

• Health certificates.

• Heartworm or flea prevention.

• Spaying or neutering.

• Dental cleaning.

Note: Coverage options and availability may vary depending on where you live.

» MORE: What does pet insurance cover?

Petco and Nationwide pet insurance plans generally don’t cover:

• Pre-existing conditions, unless they’re declared cured by your vet and your pet has been treatment-free for at least six months.

• Conditions related to breeding.

• Cosmetic procedures, like tail docking.

• Waste disposal.

• Boarding.

• Grooming.

• Cruciate ligament injuries in the first year of your policy. (If you want coverage for cruciate ligament issues, you may need to call to add it at your first policy renewal.)

Deductibles: A pet insurance deductible is the amount you have to pay before your plan reimburses you for vet expenses. Depending on where you live, you may be able to choose deductibles of $250, $500 or $1,000.

Reimbursement amounts: In most states, Petco plans from Nationwide can reimburse 50%, 70% or 80% of your vet bills after you’ve met your deductible.

Coverage limits: For accident coverage in most states, you can choose a limit of $2,500 or $5,000. Illness plans in most states have coverage limits of $5,000 or $10,000.

Age restrictions: A minimum age of 8 weeks may apply. In most states, you can’t enroll a dog or cat in a new illness policy once they’ve reached age 8, but senior pets may be eligible for accident-only and wellness plans.

Waiting periods: A waiting period is the time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage starts. Petco and Nationwide plans generally have a 14-day waiting period for most accident, illness and wellness claims. Spay or neuter surgery and dental cleaning claims have a 90-day waiting period, while you may need to wait 12 months for cruciate ligament-related claims. Waiting periods may vary by state.

The cost of Petco pet insurance will depend on where you live and your pet’s age and breed.

Sample rates for dogs

To give you an idea of how much you might pay, we gathered quotes for a variety of popular breeds. Below are sample monthly rates from Petco for six common dog breeds living in Katy, Texas.

For the younger dogs, our sample plan was for accident and illness coverage with a $250 deductible, $5,000 of annual coverage and an 80% reimbursement rate. The older dogs were eligible only for accident coverage but had the same deductible, coverage limit and reimbursement rate. Your own price will vary.

Sample rates for cats

We also gathered rates for several cat breeds with the same coverage limits as above. Cats at age 8 at the time of enrollment were eligible for accident coverage only. Rates below are sample monthly premiums for cats living in Katy, Texas.

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Discounts

Petco and Nationwide offer discounts for:

• Having more than one pet. You may be eligible for a 5% multipet discount, or a 10% multipet discount if you insure four or more pets. 

• Bundling policies. If you have other Nationwide coverage such as auto insurance, you may qualify for a multipolicy discount, if you have other Nationwide coverage such as auto insurance. (Be sure to mention that you have other Nationwide policies when buying your Petco policy.) 

Discounts may not be available in all states.

Petco pet insurance through Nationwide is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Availability may change at any time. Coverage may not be available to all pets in a given state.

» MORE: How much does pet insurance cost?

Website: You can use the Petco website to get a quote and read FAQs about the company’s pet insurance plans, but you’ll need to visit Nationwide’s site to file claims or read sample policies.

Mobile app: Petco has a mobile app that’s available in both the App store and Google Play store. However, the app is designed primarily for shopping. To manage your policy, you’ll need to log in to your account on Nationwide’s website or app.

To file a claim, upload a copy of your veterinary receipt to my.petinsurance.com. You can also download a claim form and submit it with your receipt via email, fax or mail. Once your claim is approved, you’ll receive reimbursement by direct deposit or check. Many claims are processed within five days.

Nationwide generally subtracts your deductible from your vet bill before applying your reimbursement rate when calculating your claim payouts. This is a more generous method than some insurers use.

Suppose you have a $2,000 vet bill, a $500 deductible and an 80% reimbursement rate. Here’s how Nationwide would likely calculate your reimbursement:

Email: You can send email through the Nationwide website.

Phone: Customer service is available by phone at 800-540-2016.

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