Pet Insurance That Covers Grooming

Pet owners treat their dogs and cats like members of the family. But the cost of pet ownership can be expensive—especially when it comes to emergency veterinary care, medications, preventive health treatments, and other ongoing costs. 

Pet insurance is one of the best ways to help manage these expenses. And for many breeds, grooming is a necessary but costly expense to keep your pet healthy and happy.

We’ll share pet insurance companies that cover grooming. Keep reading for answers to your questions about pet insurance and grooming coverage.

In this guide:

• Does pet insurance cover grooming?
• Pet insurance providers that cover grooming
• Is it worth paying for grooming coverage?
• FAQ

Does pet insurance cover grooming?

Most accident and illness or accident-only pet insurance plans don’t cover grooming. Pet insurance often covers your pet’s medical costs, such as X-rays, prescription medication, and surgeries, if they get sick or injured.

However, some pet insurance companies offer an optional wellness plan that covers grooming. Typically, wellness plans aren’t sold as standalone policies, so you might need to get an accident and illness or accident-only plan and add this coverage.

Every pet wellness plan is different, but you can often get coverage for grooming, routine vet checkups, microchipping, vaccinations, heartworm prevention, teeth cleaning, and flea and tick prevention.

Pet insurance providers that cover grooming

To help you find pet insurance that covers grooming, we’ve identified the top pet insurance companies that reimburse you for grooming costs. In the table below, you can see which insurers cover grooming and nail trimming for cats and dogs.

Provider	Covers grooming	Covers nail trimming	Details
Embrace	✔	✔	Plans available with annual limits of $250, $450, or $650 per year.	Get a quote.
Wagmo	✔	✔	Grooming is only included with the Classic and Deluxe plans.	Get a quote.
Banfield Pet Hospital	❌	❌	Grooming is not covered under the wellness packages, but you can get a 20% discount on medical grooming.	Get a quote.

Keep reading for more about each provider.

Embrace

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LendEDU’s best for quick coverage (4.7 editorial rating)

• Wellness rewards plan offers comprehensive coverage
• Only available as an add-on to an insurance plan
• 10% discount for insuring multiple pets

After evaluating a variety of pet insurance companies, we determined Embrace is the best provider for quick coverage. Embrace’s wellness plan covers grooming, nail clipping, and many other costs, such as preventive teeth cleaning, training, chiropractic care, exam fees, microchipping, and more.

Embrace offers three reimbursement options for Embrace Wellness Rewards: $250, $450, or $650 per year. Embrace allows you to select different annual allowances for each pet, and you can change the annual limit every time your policy renews.

Wagmo

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LendEDU editorial rating: 4.0

• Wellness plans with grooming coverage start at $39 per month
• Free 24/7 access to professional veterinary helpline
• Can purchase a wellness plan without an insurance plan

Wagmo offers two standalone wellness plans that cover grooming and nail clipping for cats and dogs. The Classic plan starts at $39 per month and covers up to $100 in grooming and nail clipping costs per year. The Deluxe plan starts at $59 per month and covers up to $200 in grooming and nail clipping costs per year. You can purchase Wagmo’s plans without an insurance policy. 

In addition to grooming and nail clipping reimbursement, Wagmo’s wellness plan provides coverage for routine vet visits, blood work, vaccinations, teeth cleaning, and more. The Classic plan and Deluxe plan also include free access to VETalk Chats, where you can chat with a professional vet 24/7 and get help with your pet’s health needs.

Banfield Pet Hospital

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• Discount on medical grooming under anesthesia only
• Offers package plans for different pet breeds, ages, and medical needs

Banfield Pet Hospital’s Optimum Wellness plans provide customized coverage for dogs and cats based on their age and medical needs. However, none of Banfield’s wellness plans cover routine grooming or nail clipping. Instead, plan holders can get a 20% discount on medical grooming under anesthesia at one of Banfield’s Pet Hospitals.

Grooming isn’t covered, but Banfield’s Optimum Wellness plans offer coverage for many routine expenses. Depending on the plan, you can get coverage for deworming, vaccinations, virtual vet visits, preventive X-rays, and electrocardiograms. You can also get an exclusive discount on other Banfield products and services.

Is it worth paying for grooming coverage?

Every pet owner has different needs, so grooming coverage is worth it for some and not others.

Pet grooming coverage may be worth it if your pet needs frequent professional grooming. The average cost of pet grooming can be anywhere from $30 to $90, depending on factors such as your pet’s breed. If your pet gets regular grooming, those costs can add up.

But most pet wellness plans have an annual maximum for grooming. For example, Wagmo’s Classic wellness plan covers up to $100 in grooming and nail clipping costs per year. Once you hit the plan limit, you must pay for grooming out of pocket. 

We asked Crystal Rau, CFP®, whether buying pet insurance to get coverage for grooming is a wise investment. Here’s what she told us:

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Generally, I don’t think it would be worth it. As with any future expected expenses, I’d recommend setting aside the estimated costs you’ll spend on grooming in a short-term savings account. It’s extra work—and possiby extra money—to pay for this add-on and have to file a claim for reimbursement. Plus, if you forget to file for reimbursement, the benefit may go unused.

Coverage for grooming under anesthesia may make sense if you have a pet that needs professional dental cleaning because this can become costly, and you may not incur this expense every year.

Remember: The purpose of insurance is to help you when something catastrophic happens. It’s in place to help make you whole again. Small grooming expenses don’t necessarily fit this description, and you may end up paying the insurance company more than you need.

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Consider whether you can groom your pet at home. You’ll likely pay less out of pocket for home grooming than the monthly premium for a wellness plan.

If you’re confident pet insurance makes sense for you, Crystal Rau, CFP®, offers advice for choosing a plan:

It’s best to determine what you’ll pay as a base premium without the add-on of grooming coverage. Then you can compare the grooming coverage costs against what you expect to pay for the year for grooming costs and what you’d be reimbursed for. Be sure to consider your time and effort to go back and file a claim.

FAQ

Why don’t many pet insurance companies cover grooming expenses?

Pet insurance doesn’t often cover grooming because it isn’t considered medically necessary, and many pet owners can groom their pets at home. Pet insurance companies view professional grooming as nice to have but not a must-have. 

Insurance companies tend to provide coverage for services pet owners can’t perform at home  and are necessary to the pet’s health and well-being.

Why are wellness packages often add-ons to pet insurance?

Most pet insurance companies offer wellness plans as an add-on because routine care expenses tend to be more affordable than unexpected vet bills after an accident or illness. However, some pet insurance companies, including Wagmo, sell standalone wellness plans. 

How can I find out whether my current pet insurance covers grooming?

To find out whether your pet insurance plan covers grooming, you can read your policy documents and find a list of covered services. If grooming isn’t covered, it’s likely listed as an excluded service. You can also call your pet insurance company and talk to a representative who can review your plan coverages.

Can I add grooming coverage to my pet insurance policy?

You might be able to add grooming coverage to your pet insurance policy if your provider sells an optional wellness plan. However, you might only be able to add the optional plan during your policy’s renewal period. Talk to your pet insurance company to see whether it offers grooming coverage and how you can add it to your plan.