With so many unwanted dogs and cats living on the streets or being put down, it makes sense to have the animal spayed or neutered to avoid puppy mills and other unintentional breeding. These operations can be very costly, especially if the animal is large. Do pet insurance cover spaying and neutering? That is a common concern among pet owners. Continue reading to learn more about these procedures.
What Exactly is Spaying?
Spaying is a surgical procedure used to sterilize female dogs and cats by removing their uterus and ovaries. It is also known as an ovariohysterectomy. While some veterinarians remove only the ovaries, others remove the uterus as well. The term “ovariectomy” refers to the surgical removal of only the ovaries.
Because spaying is a major procedure, the dog is sedated and kept at the veterinary clinic overnight, so the doctor can monitor it. Although the decision to spay your dog is a personal one, it is recommended that all female dogs undergo this procedure. Spaying has numerous health benefits in addition to helping to reduce pet overpopulation.
What Exactly is Neutering?
When it comes to male animals, “neutering” (also known as “castration”) refers to the removal of their reproductive organs (testicles or testes). While neutering is much easier than spaying, it still requires the dog to be sedated. The veterinarian cuts the testicular stalks and then makes a small incision to remove the testicles.
The man will need a few weeks to recover before returning to normal life. Both prostate and testicular cancer in dogs can be avoided by neutering them. Similar to spaying, neutering helps to reduce the pet population.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Spaying?
This is where things get a little tricky. Most pet insurance companies do not cover the cost of spaying surgeries in their policies because pet insurers consider this to be an elective procedure rather than an emergency.
But it’s not all bad news. You’ll notice that some companies offer wellness plans that you can add to your existing policy, and these cover a wide range of routine procedures and checkups, many of which include spaying and neutering.
Average Cost of Spaying and Neutering
The type of animal, its size, and the location of the surgery can all influence how much it costs to sterilize your pet. The cost of spaying or neutering a cat is less than that of a dog. Furthermore, the cost of spaying a large dog will be higher than that of a small dog because the process for a small animal is quicker and easier.
For spaying and neutering procedures, pet insurance can range from $35 to $500 or more. Low-cost clinics and humane societies provide low-cost services. Because spaying a female is more difficult than castrating a male, the procedure is more expensive.
The cost of sterilizing your pet may be high because it includes more than just the operation itself. It covers pre-operative blood work, anesthesia, painkillers, and a thorough physical examination. Some veterinary facilities may charge an additional fee for placing the animal on monitoring devices.
How Does Coverage for Spaying and Neutering Work?
Progressive Pet Insurance by Pets Best offers two routine care pet insurance coverage options: the EssentialWellness plan costs $16 per month and the BestWellness plan costs $26 per month.
Only the BestWellness plan covers spay and neuter procedures, and these plans must be purchased in addition to your BestBenefit accident and illness plan. BestWellness reimburses owners up to $150 per year for neutering or spaying their insured pets.
The BestBenefit plan includes both spay/neuter and teeth cleaning. As a result, you may be eligible for up to $150 in annual reimbursement for teeth cleaning following your pet’s spaying or neutering. BestWellness offers better reimbursement rates for many additional basic medical procedures than the EssentialWellness plan.
Other pet insurance policies may cover spaying and neutering as well. This is, however, unusual. Each insurer will have a unique policy and procedure.
Does Pet Insurance Cover Spaying and Neutering?
No, most pet insurance plans do not cover spaying and neutering because they are elective procedures. On the other hand, spaying and neutering may be partially covered by some pet health plans, also called preventative or regular care plans.
How to Find Pet Insurance that Covers Spaying and Neutering
Preventative and routine treatment is generally not covered by pet insurance plans, so shop around before purchasing. You must ensure that a plan that covers elective or preventative treatments also covers spaying and neutering. Finally, determine the scope of coverage for spay or neuter treatment and any issues that may arise.
Pet Insurance Companies Includes Spaying and Neutering as an Add-on Benefit.
If you’re looking for wellness plans for pet insurance that cover spaying and neutering treatments, you have a few options. Here are four insurers, along with details on their costs and coverage. Keep in mind that some wellness programs can only be purchased as add-ons to pet insurance policies.
#1. Spot
Spot offers two preventative care plans to pet owners: Gold Preventative Care and Platinum Preventative Care. The Gold plan, which costs $9.95 per month, excludes spaying and neutering but includes basic care charges such as dental cleaning, wellness checks, and deworming.
To receive coverage for spaying and neutering, pet parents must choose Spot’s Platinum plan. This plan, which costs $24.95 per month, will cover up to $150 in spaying and neutering costs. This plan provides $200 more annual coverage than the gold plan.
#2. Prudent pet
Prudent Pet provides three levels of wellness coverage: low, medium, and high. The low-cost plan does not cover neutering or spaying and costs $11.95 per month. The medium plan, which costs $19.95 per month and reimburses up to $40 for spaying or neutering, is also available. The last choice is the premium plan, which costs $29.95 per month and pays up to $60 for spaying or neutering.
The low plan ($210) covers eight preventative benefits in total, the medium plan ($315) covers nine preventative benefits in total, and the high plan ($460) covers eleven preventative benefits in total.
All three plans (at various reimbursement rates) cover wellness exams, rabies vaccination, DHLPP immunization, heartworm or FELV testing, fecal tests, health certificates, microchipping, and deworming.
#3. ASPCA
Spot provides the same preventative care coverage as ASPCA Pet Insurance. Because they are both members of the Crum & Foster Pet Insurance Group, the plans offered by each company are very similar.
With the ASPCA, you can choose between two preventative care programs. Because the Basic Preventative Care plan does not cover spaying and neutering, you must choose the Prime Preventive Care plan to receive coverage for these procedures.
This plan pays for spaying and neutering, cleaning teeth, wellness checks, deworming, flea prevention, blood tests, urinalysis, and other costs related to these procedures.
#4. Pets best
Pets Best offers two levels of wellness coverage: EssentialWellness and BestWellness. Because spaying and neutering are not covered by the Essential Wellness plan, you must choose the BestWellness plan to get your money back.
The BestWellness plan, which costs $26 per month, will cover up to $150 of an animal’s spaying or neutering costs. This plan covers deworming, microchipping, wellness checks, blood and feces tests, flea and heartworm prevention, vaccinations, and more. You are eligible for a $535 annual reimbursement for preventative care expenses.
Advantages of Spaying or Neutering Your Pet
While spaying or neutering your pet may be expensive, there are numerous advantages:
#1. Encourages a healthier lifestyle
Spayed and neutered cats and dogs have a statistically longer lifespan than those who do not have the procedure. If you don’t fix your pet’s reproductive system, some health problems, like pyometra, mammary gland tumors, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, testicular cancer, and prostate disease, are more likely to happen.
Compared to neutered dogs, intact dogs are more likely to spray, mount, and roam, while intact cats are more likely to mark their territory with urine. Leaving pets alone can also reduce howling, the desire to roam, and aggressive behavior. The owners would also have to deal with the fact that unspayed females go into heat every few weeks, which can be annoying. A dog’s heat cycle lasts about two weeks.
#2. Aids in the control of the homeless pet population
Because of overpopulation, nearly one million homeless cats and dogs are killed in shelters each year. By spaying or neutering your pet, you can help cut down on the number of unwanted pets that have to be put down.
Slows the spread of genetically predisposed conditions—If your dog or cat has a genetic disorder that can be passed down to future generations, spaying or neutering your pet is critical to preventing future generations from inheriting the same genetic disorder or disease.
Is it Worthwhile to Invest in a Wellness Program?
Whether or not you think it’s worth it to spend money on a wellness plan depends a lot on what you hope to get out of it. If all you want it for is to cover the cost of spaying, you should probably get a standard policy and pay for the sterilization yourself, if you can afford it.
If you want a long-term holistic approach to your pet’s health, dog and cat wellness plans are worth considering. The monthly cost of the add-on ranges between $9 and $25, and it can cover the cost of vaccinations, microchipping, deworming, health screenings, flea and tick prevention, and blood work.
Is your Pet’s Insurance Going to Cover any Surgical Complications?
While complications with a standard procedure like spaying are uncommon, it’s important to be aware that in rare cases, things like swelling at the incision site, mild bleeding, infection, fluid accumulation, and incision opening can occur.
It’s worth investigating whether your chosen pet insurance provider covers these costs—some do, as long as the surgery doesn’t take place during the policy’s waiting period or before the effective date.
Does Lemonade Pet Insurance Cover Spaying?
Yes. Lemonade’s Preventative Care package can help you save money on spaying or neutering. Lemonade offers some insurance coverage options. Because the incident was not covered by accident and illness, they clearly state that they will not cover things like anesthesia, painkillers, examinations, and so on. Lemonade will not cover the costs of spaying and neutering because they fall into this category.
Since we recommend getting a pet insurance policy for your cat or dog as soon as possible, it makes sense to get a policy that pays for spaying and neutering (or at least a significant portion of it), so you can have a healthy and content pet and avoid some other health problems that may arise from having an intact pet.
Does the ASPCA Pet Insurance Cover Spaying?
The majority of pet insurance policies do not cover spaying and neutering. A preventative health care strategy that includes spaying or neutering can, however, be added.
Does Trupanion Pet Insurance Cover Spaying and Neutering?
No, Trupanion’s plans do not include spaying and neutering coverage. The insurance company thinks that the repair is an important part of a pet’s regular health and preventive care. It’s important to note that Trupanion expanded its basic coverage in 2014 to include diseases like testicular or mammary tumors that affect dogs and cats who haven’t been spayed or neutered.
Conclusion
Pet health insurance and the potential wellness plans that come with it can be a good choice for your pet’s care, though they are not appropriate for everyone. If you choose pet insurance or a wellness plan, get quotes from several pet insurance companies, compare your rates, and make sure you’re getting the coverage you and your pet require.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Figo cover neuters?
Routine procedures covered by Figo’s Wellness Powerup include spay and neuter surgeries, annual wellness exams, vaccinations, and dental procedures.
What is spaying and neutering?
Spaying and neutering are common surgical procedures that sterilize your pet permanently. This will keep your dog from becoming pregnant or infecting other dogs.
How much does it cost to spay or neuter your dog?
The cost of having your dog spayed or neutered is determined by your dog’s age, breed, size, location, and individual veterinarian. According to Dr. Liff., routine spaying or neutering of a dog can cost between $250 and $2,000; the exact cost is determined by your dog’s size, location, and level of care.
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