How long you wait before pet insurance pays, policy by policy
In the 8 policies we read, illness cover starts after 14 to 15 days. Accident cover starts anywhere from day one to 14 days in. Knee and hip problems can wait up to 6 months, and in some policies a dog's knee or hip problem that shows up during that window is excluded for good.
When would cover actually start?
Pick the day the policy would begin. Dates come from each policy's waiting-period clause.
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance
- Accidents
- day 14
- Illness
- day 14
- Knee & hip
- day 14
Knee & hip: 14 days (ligament and knee conditions; no separate longer orthopedic period) policy
MetLife Pet Insurance
- Accidents
- from day 1
- Illness
- day 14
- Knee & hip
- day 14
Knee & hip: No separate orthopedic waiting period policy
Pumpkin Pet Insurance
- Accidents
- day 14
- Illness
- day 14
- Knee & hip
- day 14
Knee & hip: 14 days (ligament and knee conditions; no separate longer period) policy
Spot Pet Insurance
- Accidents
- day 14
- Illness
- day 14
- Knee & hip
- day 14
Knee & hip: 14 days (ligament and knee conditions; no separate longer period) policy
Embrace Pet Insurance
- Accidents
- from day 1
- Illness
- day 14
- Knee & hip
- day 180
Knee & hip: 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 policy
Fetch Pet Insurance
- Accidents
- from day 1
- Illness
- day 15
- Knee & hip
- day 180
Knee & hip: 180 days, lifetime exclusion if the condition occurs in that window (knee exception with vet exam; accidents exempt) policy
Figo Pet Insurance
- Accidents
- day 1
- Illness
- day 14
- Knee & hip
- day 183
Knee & hip: 6 months (dogs only; waivable with an orthopedic exam and waiver form within 30 days) policy
Odie Pet Insurance
- Accidents
- day 3
- Illness
- day 14
- Knee & hip
- day 183
Knee & hip: 6 months (cruciate ligament events); 30 days in CA, DE, LA, MD, ME, MS, MT, ND, NE, NH, OH, OR, PA and WA, and 120 days in VT, per Odie's state table policy
Waiting periods can differ by state and change over time. This is a reading of sample policy documents, not a quote and not insurance advice. Check the policy you are offered before you buy.
Is there pet insurance with no waiting period?
Not for illness, in any policy we read. For accidents, Embrace Pet Insurance, Fetch Pet Insurance, Figo Pet Insurance and MetLife Pet Insurance start cover on the first day or the day after. In the documents we read, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Pumpkin Pet Insurance and Spot Pet Insurance make accidents wait 14 days, the same as illness, though some of them advertise shorter accident waits in certain states.
The knee and hip clause is the one to read
Torn cruciate ligaments and hip dysplasia are among the most expensive things a dog can have. Several policies treat them separately from other illnesses. Here is the wording, from the documents themselves.
“The following canine Orthopedic conditions that occur or show Clinical Signs during the first 180 days after the Pet Original Start Date are excluded and are Pre-existing Conditions for the life of the policy”
Open document, PART IV - EXCLUSIONSretrieved 2026-11-09
“Orthopedic conditions that occur during the first one hundred eighty (180) days after the original inception date are excluded and are pre-existing conditions for the life of the policy.”
Open document, page 11retrieved 2026-11-09
“The standard Orthopedic Condition Waiting Period for dogs is six (6) months from the Original Start Date shown on the Declarations Page for that dog.”
Open document, page 4retrieved 2026-11-09
“6 months following the Policy Effective Date for any Cruciate Ligament Events and any related Conditions.”
Open document, page 5retrieved 2026-11-09
Sources: each insurer's sample or state policy, retrieved 2026-11-09. Waiting periods can differ by state. This is not insurance advice and we are not an insurance agent.