Embrace vs MetLife pet insurance
Short answer
MetLife scores higher overall (9.3 vs 8.8), but the right pick depends on what matters to you.
Very good
How we score
Excellent
How we scoreHead to head
Accident cover starts
Tie
Both: from day one
Illness cover starts
Tie
Both: 14 days
Knee & hip rule
MetLife wins
Embrace can exclude knee & hip problems for life (dogs)
Cured conditions
Embrace wins
MetLife has no clause to cover them later
Dental
Embrace wins
Embrace names dental illness more clearly
Enrollment age
MetLife wins
MetLife has no upper age limit; Embrace limits full cover to pets under 15
Customer ratings
MetLife wins
MetLife is rated higher by its customers on public review sites
Side by side
Accident waiting period
Knee & hip (orthopedic) wait
180-day window for dogs (cruciate ligament disease, IVDD, patellar luxation, hip dysplasia): signs in the first 180 days = excluded for life. Kansas and South Carolina (v5 terms): 6-month wait for dogs instead
PolicyPre-existing conditions
Excluded. Temporary (curable) conditions free of signs and treatment for 12 consecutive months are no longer pre-existing.
PolicyExcluded. The 2021 sample policy we read has no cured-condition clause; MetLife's website says curable conditions are typically covered.
Policy, p. 7Dental illness
Covered, conditional: $1,000 annual sub-limit; pre-existing dental signs (tartar, plaque, gingivitis) block cover until treated; dental prophylaxis never covered
PolicyDental disease is not named as its own benefit; covered under general illness. The sample lists 'emergency dental Treatment' only as an example and has no dental exclusion or sub-limit
Policy, p. 4Annual limit options
Deductible
Annual (once per policy period); reduces by $50 per claim-free year down to $0
Policy, p. 6Maximum enrollment age
Choose Embrace if…
- ✓ MetLife has no clause to cover them later
- ✓ Embrace names dental illness more clearly
Choose MetLife if…
- ✓ Embrace can exclude knee & hip problems for life (dogs)
- ✓ MetLife has no upper age limit; Embrace limits full cover to pets under 15
- ✓ MetLife is rated higher by its customers on public review sites
Common questions
Is Embrace better than MetLife?+
MetLife scores higher overall (9.3 vs 8.8), but the right pick depends on what matters to you. Embrace is stronger on cured conditions, dental; MetLife on knee & hip rule, enrollment age, customer ratings.
Embrace vs MetLife: accident cover starts?+
Both: from day one.
Embrace vs MetLife: illness cover starts?+
Both: 14 days.
Embrace vs MetLife: knee & hip rule?+
Embrace can exclude knee & hip problems for life (dogs).
Embrace vs MetLife: cured conditions?+
MetLife has no clause to cover them later.
Embrace vs MetLife: dental?+
Embrace names dental illness more clearly.
Embrace vs MetLife: enrollment age?+
MetLife has no upper age limit; Embrace limits full cover to pets under 15.
Embrace vs MetLife: customer ratings?+
MetLife is rated higher by its customers on public review sites.
More comparisons
Based on sample policy documents retrieved 2026-11-09. Terms vary by state. Not insurance advice.