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Best Pet Insurance in Virginia (VA)

Author Icon By Brenda Woods Updated 03/21/2024

From the waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains, there are plenty of pet owners in Virginia who cherish their time with their animals and can benefit from a cost-efficient pet insurance policy.

We spent hours analyzing the top pet insurance providers on the market, studying the inconveniences of pet ownership by conducting surveys, reading customer reviews, and curating a list of the best pet insurance companies in Virginia. We found that the best pet insurance provider in Virginia is Lemonade for its flexible plans and affordable pricing.

No one wants to max out their credit card debt or fork out their savings to pay for their pet’s unexpected emergency treatments. That’s where pet insurance comes in—it can provide peace of mind that your pet will get the care it needs without breaking the bank.
Why Trust Us? Our review and rating process for the best pet insurance companies
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Companies Considered We carefully considered 22 companies to find the best pet insurance providers available.
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Pet Owners Surveyed We surveyed 1,000 pet owners to see what they care about most when in comes to pet insurance.
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Reviews Analyzed We went through 3,800 customer reviews of pet insurance companies to see what people had to say about each provider.
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Policies Compared We compared 51 policies to find the best pet insurance offerings on the market.

How Do VA Pet Insurance Companies Compare?

Company Star Rating Monthly Cost for Dogs* Monthly Cost for Cats* Visit Site
4.8
$23.22 $11.00 VISIT SITE
4.6
$45.75 $25.23 VISIT SITE
4.5
$43.29 $23.73 VISIT SITE
4.5
$48.65 $22.73 VISIT SITE
4.5
$24 $24 VISIT SITE

Who Are the Top 5 Pet Insurance Providers in Virginia?

Spot: Most Customizable Plans
ASPCA: Best for New Pet Owners
Healthy Paws: Best Coverage Limits
Pawp: Best Digital Clinic

Lemonade

Best Overall
4.8

Lemonade Pros and Cons

Pros Has a charitable giveback program Has a 48-hour waiting period for accidents Doesn’t have age limits for coverage Cons Doesn’t cover behavioral treatments or dental veterinary care Is available in only 35 states

Lemonade Overview

Lemonade performed exceptionally well in our review, earning points for its comprehensive policy coverage, affordable prices, and impressive preventative care additional coverage options.

Learn more: Lemonade Pet Insurance Review

Highlights

  • Our score: 96
  • Offers some of the lowest prices on the market for pets of different breeds and ages according to dozens of sample quotes we requested from the company
  • Has a fast claims filing process with AI software on the Lemonade mobile app
  • Provides a 10% bundling discount for Lemonade homeowners insurance or renters insurance customers

Lemonade lost points in our review for its C rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for a higher-than-average number of complaints. However, we still recommend it as a top pet insurance provider since most complaints are in regards to Lemonade’s homeowners and renters insurance products instead of its pet insurance policies.

Lemonade Plans and Coverage

Lemonade offers coverage for most unexpected accidents and illnesses, including broken bones, sprains, infections, and heart disease. It pays $5,000 to $100,000 per year—depending on the customization options you choose—for vet bills related to diagnostic tests, outpatient care, hospitalization, prescription medications, and more. Lemonade doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, dental illness, behavioral conditions, and elective procedures.

If you want extra coverage, you can add vet visit fees and physical therapy add-ons for a bit extra per month. You can also add preventative care coverage for items like a wellness exam, vaccines, and a blood test. This coverage comes at two different levels and monthly pricing options.

Spot

Most Customizable Plans
4.6

Spot Pros and Cons

Pros Its standard plan includes microchipping Offers a 10% discount for customers with multiple pets Features an unlimited coverage option Cons Doesn’t cover pets under eight weeks old Has a long waiting period of 14 days for accidents

Spot Overview

We recommend Spot for its customizable plans—you can choose from an extensive list of seven annual coverage limit options to help make your policy fit within your budget.

Learn more: Spot Pet Insurance Review

Highlights

  • Our score: 91
  • Has a low annual coverage limit of $2,500 for cheaper pet insurance premiums
  • Offers an accident-only plan for coverage on accidents and injuries
  • Provides an unlimited annual coverage option

Spot Plans and Coverage

You can purchase a Spot pet insurance plan with $2,500, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $7,000, $10,000, or unlimited annual coverage on accidents only or both accidents and illnesses. While its accident-only plan covers just accidents and injuries, its accident and illness plan pays for vet bills for a wide range of conditions, including dental disease, cancer, respiratory infection, diabetes, and more.

Spot doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, elective procedures, and issues related to breeding or pregnancy. However, it does offer two options for preventative care coverage on treatments like dental cleanings, a wellness exam, and vaccinations. The Gold option comes with an annual total of $250 per-treatment limits and the Platinum option comes with $450 of per-treatment coverage per year.

ASPCA

Best for New Pet Owners
4.5

ASPCA Pros and Cons

Pros Covers behavioral issues and conditions Offers an accident-only plan for low-cost coverage on accidents and injuries Includes coverage for exam fees in its standard plans Cons Doesn’t offer a website chat for customer service Has longer-than-usual wait times for customer support, according to third-party customer reviews

ASPCA Overview

We recommend ASPCA Pet Health Insurance as the top provider for new pet owners, since it provides extensive resources for learning and caring for your new furry family member.

Learn more: ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Review

Highlights

  • Our score: 89
  • Features a local vet finder tool on its website to help you find vets near you
  • Provides online resources about various pet breeds and their common health conditions
  • Offers a mobile app that can connect you to poison control resources

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Plans and Coverage

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance offers two plans: the Accident-Only Coverage plan and the Complete Coverage plan. Accident-Only Coverage pays for costs related to broken bones, bite wounds, and other accidents and injuries. Complete Coverage covers everything in Accident-Only Coverage plus illnesses and other conditions, such as eye disorders, cancer, kidney disease, behavioral issues, and more.

Neither plan covers pre-existing conditions, cosmetic procedures, and breeding costs, but ASPCA Pet Health Insurance does offer two options for preventative care coverage. The Basic plan pays for items such as dental cleanings, deworming, and vaccines with $250 per year of per-item limits. The Prime plan pays for those treatments plus a few extras such as bloodwork, urinalysis, and spay or neuter surgery. It comes with $450 per year of total per-item limits.

Healthy Paws

Best Coverage Limit
4.5

Healthy Paws Pros and Cons

Pros Has fast claims processing with a direct deposit Donates to homeless pets with every pet insurance quote Offers a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee Cons Has higher premiums for some breeds Its plans lack customizability compared to other providers

Healthy Paws Overview

To get the most value out of your pet insurance plan, you can purchase a policy with unlimited lifetime, per-incident, and annual coverage caps from Healthy Paws.

Learn more: Healthy Paws Pet Insurance Review

Highlights

  • Our score: 93.5
  • Provides unlimited coverage at lower monthly premiums than other competitors’ unlimited annual coverage options
  • Has a 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Has been in business for 11 years, which is more than many competitors

Healthy Paws Plans and Coverage

Healthy Paws makes unlimited payouts during the year and lifetime of your pet for accidents and illnesses, including cancer and chronic, congenital, and hereditary conditions. Eligible vet bills can include prescription medications, emergency care, alternative treatments, surgery, and more. Since all policies come with unlimited coverage caps, you’ll never have to worry about reaching a maximum and paying out of pocket for procedures that extend past a certain limit.

Healthy Paws doesn’t cover vet visit fees, exam fees, pre-existing conditions, behavioral treatments, and any preventative care, such as spay or neuter surgery, wellness visits, and vaccinations. It also has a waiting period of 12 months for hip dysplasia coverage, which is longer than many competitors.

Pawp

Best Digital Clinic
4.5

Pawp Pros and Cons

Pros Offers 24/7 online vet services Doesn’t have deductibles or copays Pays vets directly Cons Doesn’t offer wellness or preventative care Doesn’t have a BBB rating

Pawp Overview

Although Pawp isn’t technically a pet insurance carrier, we recommend it to pet owners looking for an unlimited 24/7 digital clinic and coverage for unexpected life-threatening emergencies.

Learn more: Pawp Pet Insurance Review

Highlights

  • Our score: 90
  • Provides access to online vets 24/7 via video call and chat
  • Includes a $3,000 emergency fund for one emergency per year
  • Costs $24 per month, regardless of your pet’s species, age, breed, and location

Pawp Plans and Coverage

Pawp doesn’t offer traditional pet insurance policies, but it provides a membership with unlimited access to licensed vets. It includes a $3,000 emergency fund that can go toward one vet bill per year for one of up to six different pets in your household. Eligible emergencies include toxic ingestions, blockages, choking, severe injuries, and other conditions that a Pawp vet deems life-threatening.

To access the emergency fund, members must speak with an official Pawp vet by video call, who will be able to verify the animal’s condition. Once the Pawp representative verifies your pet’s eligible emergency, you have four hours to take your pet to a vet near you for a treatment or procedure. Then, Pawp pays the vet bill directly at the vet office with the emergency fund.

The fund can’t cover any scheduled procedures, pregnancy or breeding issues, wellness care, or any other instances that aren’t considered a life-threatening emergency.


Virginia pet insurance prices vary depending on a few factors, such your ZIP code and pet’s specific details. In general, we found that policies typically fall between $15 and $90 per month when pulling various pet insurance quotes during our research. Here are other factors that may affect your pet insurance rates:

Species

If you’re looking for pet insurance for your cat, you’re likely going to pay less than if you were looking for dog insurance, since cats aren’t as prone to expensive health conditions such as hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament issues.

Breed

Certain breeds are pricier to insure if they’re known to have health conditions. For instance, Great Danes have a high likelihood of experiencing hip dysplasia in their lifetime and therefore can be considerably more expensive to insure than healthier dog breeds.

Age

Some animals older than 8–9 years old can cost more than $150 per month for coverage. Purchasing a policy as early as possible can help keep rates lower, but you should expect your premium to increase as your companion ages.

Customization

If you’re having trouble finding a policy that fits within your budget, you can lower your premium by selecting a higher annual deductible, a lower annual coverage limit, and a lower reimbursement rate. For example, a policy from Spot for a mixed dog with unlimited annual coverage, a $100 annual deductible, and a 90% reimbursement rate costs $114.21 per month, while a policy with $2,500 of annual coverage, a $1,000 annual deductible, and a 70% reimbursement rate was quoted at $14.85 per month.


Is Pet Insurance in Virginia Worth it?

Yes, in most cases, we’ve found that pet insurance is worth it in Virginia due to the added security and peace of mind. Although Lemonade scored the highest in our review, providing the best overall policies with a fast claims process, affordable prices, and comprehensive coverage, other pet insurance companies in Virginia may make more sense for you depending on your needs. If you want unlimited annual coverage, consider Healthy Paws or Spot. On the other hand, Pawp may be best for pet owners who have older animals or more expensive breeds, since it offers a digital clinic and emergency fund at a flat monthly rate.


FAQs About Virginia Pet Insurance

Is pet insurance in Virginia worth it?

With the cost of vet bills increasing, pet insurance in Virginia can be worth the peace of mind it provides. You can rest assured that you’ll have the means to pay for your dog or cat’s necessary treatments after an unexpected emergency without having to rack up any credit card expenses.

Adding to credit card debt from vet bills is a common pain point for pet parents. When we surveyed 1,000 pet owners, we found that around 40% of them would have to use a credit card to pay for unexpected vet bills and 9% didn’t know how they’d afford them. Pet insurance can protect you from unwanted credit card debt by reimbursing you for your dog or cat’s procedures in a timely manner.

When should I purchase a pet insurance policy in Virginia?

We recommend purchasing your pet insurance policy while your animal is young, so that all future conditions are covered. If you wait until after your pet gets sick or injured, it would be considered a pre-existing condition and wouldn’t qualify for coverage.

Does pet insurance cover my pet’s vaccinations?

Although standard pet insurance policies won’t cover vaccinations or any other wellness or preventative care treatments, you can add extra coverage for routine care to your policy with many top providers, including LemonadeSpot, and ASPCA Pet Health Insurance.


Our Rating Methodology

The This Old House Reviews Team is dedicated to thorough, in-depth reviews of each product or service that we detail in our content. Determined to build trust with our readers through transparency, accuracy, and accountability, we’ve built a detailed rating system to score pet insurance brands. Included in this methodology are the following six factors with their respective scoring weights:

  • Coverage (25)
  • Plan options (20)
  • Monthly cost (20)
  • Company reputation (15)
  • Customer service (10)
  • Species eligibility (10)

Our researchers keep all data in each company’s score up to date, making any changes to our content when necessary to provide our readers with the most accurate information on relevant metrics, such as plan options, customer service, reputation, and monthly cost.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.

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