Updated
Apr 05, 2023 Veterinarians recommend spaying and neutering your pets to help control the stray animal population. Unfortunately, these procedures—officially called orchiectomies and ovariohysterectomies, respectively—can be costly.
While the majority of pet insurance policies do not cover spaying and neutering surgeries, some companies offer additional pet wellness plans that do. This guide will break down these options, as well as their associated costs.
On this page:
- Why most policies don’t cover spaying and neutering
- Pet insurance that covers spaying and neutering
- Is it worth getting a wellness plan to cover spaying and neutering?
Why most pet insurance policies don’t cover spaying and neutering
Pet insurers generally consider spaying and neutering elective procedures, which is why they’re not covered in most policies.
Fortunately, many insurance companies have add-on preventative care and wellness plans. Some of them include coverage for these procedures. These add-on plans also typically cover things like vaccinations, flea and tick prevention, wellness exams, and similar services.
Pet insurance that covers spaying and neutering with add-on coverage
If you’re looking for pet insurance wellness plans that cover spaying and neutering procedures, you have a few options. Here are four insurers, as well as details on how their pricing and coverages differ. Note that some of these wellness plans can only be added to pet insurance policies.
| Provider | Monthly Cost | LendEDU Rating |
| Spot | $9.95 – $24.95 | 4.7/5 |
| Prudent Pet | $11.95, $19.95, or $29.95 | 4.7/5 |
| ASPCA | $9.95 – $24.95 | 4.5/5 |
| Pets Best | $26 | 4.4/5 |
Spot
Reimburses up to $150 for spaying/neutering
- Spot’s Platinum Preventative Care plan does not require a deductible to be paid for reimbursement
- The plan is an add-on to its pet insurance policy and costs $24.95/month
- The Platinum Preventative Care plan has a total annual benefit of $450
Spot offers pet owners a choice between two preventative care plans: Gold Preventative Care and Platinum Preventative Care. The Gold plan costs $9.95 per month and covers routine care expenses like dental cleaning, wellness exams, deworming, but it doesn’t include coverage for spaying and neutering.
For spaying and neutering coverage, pet parents will need to choose Spot’s Platinum plan. This plan costs $24.95 per month and reimburses you up to $150 for spaying and neutering costs. You’ll receive an additional $200 in annual coverage with this plan compared to the Gold plan.
Prudent Pet
Reimburses up to $60 for spaying/neutering
- There is no waiting period or deductible for preventative care coverage
- The medium plan costs $19.95/month and reimburses $40 for spaying or neutering
- The high plan costs $29.95/month and reimburses $60 for spaying or neutering
Prudent Pet offers three different levels of wellness coverage, labeled as low, medium, or high. The low plan does not cover spaying or neutering and costs $11.95 per month. The medium plan offers up to $40 in reimbursement for spaying or neutering and costs $19.95 per month. And finally, the high plan offers up to $60 in reimbursement for spaying or neutering and costs $29.95 per month.
In total, the low plan offers $210 in coverage for eight preventative benefits, the medium plan offers $315 in coverage for nine preventative benefits, and the high plan offers $460 in coverage for 11 preventative benefits.
All three plans include coverage (at different reimbursement amounts) for wellness exams, rabies vaccination, DHLPP vaccination, heartworm or FELV testing, fecal tests, health certificates, microchipping, and deworming.
ASPCA
Reimburses up to $150 for spaying/neutering
- ASPCA’s Prime Preventative Care plan does not have a waiting period
- The plan is an add-on to its pet insurance policy and costs $24.95/month
- The Prime Preventative Care plan has a total annual benefit of $450
ASPCA Pet Insurance offers the same preventative care coverage as Spot. Both companies are part of Crum & Foster Pet Insurance Group, so there is a lot of similarity between the policies each offers.
With ASPCA, you have the option to choose between two preventative care plans. However, for spaying and neutering coverage, you’ll need to choose the Prime Preventative Care plan as the Basic Preventative Care plan does not cover this surgery.
In addition to coverage for spaying or neutering, this plan reimburses you for dental cleaning, wellness exams, deworming, flea prevention, blood tests, urinalysis, and more.
Pets Best
Reimburses up to $150 for spaying/neutering
- There is no deductible to be paid
- The plan is an add-on to its pet insurance policy and costs $26/month
- The BestWellness™ plan has a total annual benefit of $535
Pets Best has two tiers of wellness coverage: EssentialWellness and BestWellness. To be reimbursed for spaying and neutering costs, you’ll need to select the BestWellness plan as the Essential Wellness plan does not offer reimbursement for these costs.
The BestWellness plan costs $26 per month and reimburses up to $150 of spaying or neutering costs. This plan also covers flea and heartworm prevention, vaccinations, wellness exams, blood and fecal tests, microchipping, deworming, and more. In total, you can be reimbursed for $535 in preventative care costs each year.
Is it worth getting a wellness plan to cover spaying and neutering?
The cost of spaying and neutering surgeries depends on the type of pet you have, as well as their weight. According to the Sacramento SPCA, it costs anywhere from $100 to $350 for a dog and $35 to $50 for a cat.
Though veterinarians offer spay/neuter services, many state-run and non-profit agencies also offer these surgeries at discounted (or sometimes even free) rates. Make sure you study up on these options in your area. If they’re available and you’re only considering a wellness plan to cover the costs of spaying/neutering, then it’s likely not worth the money.
If you could benefit from the other wellness coverages or would just like the peace of mind that comes with a more thorough insurance plan, it may be a smart move to make.
Pet insurance resources
Pet health insurance, and the possible wellness plans they come with, can be a wise way to care for your pet—but it’s not right for everyone.
Still not sure if you should make the move? These resources may be able to help:
- Best Pet Insurance Companies
- What Does Pet Insurance Cover?
- Is Pet Insurance Worth It?
- Pet Insurance and Pre-Existing Conditions
If you do decide on pet insurance coverage or a wellness plan, get quotes from several pet insurance providers, compare your costs, and make sure you’re getting the coverage you and your pet need.