Updated: June 14, 2026
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Standard pet insurance coverage exclude routine grooming. Some optional wellness plans may reimburse costs for services like nail trimming and deshedding, depending on the provider.
MoneyGeek’s analysis found that only Embrace and Wagmo offer grooming coverage through their optional wellness plans, with annual benefit limits from $100 to $700.
Consider your pet's breed and health needs, along with your annual budget, to determine if paying extra for pet insurance with grooming coverage makes financial sense.
Pet insurance doesn’t cover routine grooming such as nail trims, baths or haircuts because these are part of regular pet care, not medical treatment.
However, coverage options may apply when grooming becomes medically necessary due to skin conditions, infections, or injuries that require professional care.
Depending on your insurance provider, your policy may cover reimbursement for grooming costs when a licensed veterinarian prescribes the service to treat a covered medical condition.
Wellness plans sometimes include routine grooming services like nail trims and ear cleaning, but coverage varies widely between providers. Some accident and illness policies may also cover medically necessary grooming when prescribed for treating conditions like skin infections, provided the service occurs after the waiting period.
Grooming benefits are rare among pet insurance providers, so review your specific plan details carefully before assuming coverage applies.
Based on MoneyGeek’s analysis of leading pet insurance providers, only a few offer grooming coverage through their optional wellness plans.
Embrace's Wellness Rewards covers grooming expenses as part of its flexible wellness plans, which come in three annual allowance options: $300, $500 or $700. The plan reimburses for everyday grooming costs like toenail trimming and medicated shampoos. | |
Wagmo Wellness offers limited grooming coverage through its Classic and Deluxe wellness plans. The Classic plan provides up to $100 in annual limit for grooming expenses, while the Deluxe plan covers up to $200. Covered services include nail trims, deshedding, gland expressions and standard bath and brush grooming. |
Coverage details also vary by state and individual policy terms. Always review your specific policy documents for exact coverage terms and exclusions.
Compare the top pet insurance companies to determine the best option for your pet:
Since grooming usually isn’t part of pet insurance, think about whether adding it to your pet insurance is worth it for your pet.
Long-haired breeds such as Persian cats, Poodles and Golden Retrievers often need professional grooming every six to eight weeks to keep their coats healthy and free of mats. At around $75 per session, that comes to about $450 a year. A wellness plan with grooming benefits can help offset that cost.
Pets with skin conditions, allergies or mobility issues may need more frequent grooming or specialized services that cost more than standard care. Conditions like seborrhea or hot spots often require medicated baths, adding $200 to $400 to annual grooming costs. For pets with health-driven grooming needs, getting pet insurance with grooming coverage can reduce those expenses over time.
Compare your typical annual grooming costs against the price of a wellness plan to decide if the added coverage is worth it.
Wellness plans work on a reimbursement model: you pay the groomer upfront, file a claim and wait to receive payment based on your policy's deductible, annual limit and reimbursement rate.
Most pet insurance companies don't cover grooming, but some wellness plans include services like baths and nail trims. Embrace and Wagmo both offer grooming benefits through their wellness plans, covering $100 to $700 per year. Before shopping for the best pet insurance with grooming coverage, weigh your pet's grooming frequency and health needs against the added cost.
Here are answers to a few common questions about how pet insurance handles grooming coverage.
Standard pet insurance policies don't cover routine grooming expenses like nail trims, baths or haircuts. These services are considered regular maintenance rather than medical treatments.
However, some wellness plans may reimburse routine grooming costs and accident and illness policies might cover grooming when it becomes medically necessary due to skin conditions or infections that require professional care prescribed by your veterinarian.
Based on MoneyGeek's analysis, only Embrace and Wagmo offer grooming coverage through their optional wellness plans, which typically increase pet insurance costs. Embrace's Wellness Rewards provides three annual allowance options of $300, $500 or $700 for grooming expenses, while Wagmo Wellness offers up to $100 for grooming under its Classic Plan and up to $200 under its Deluxe Plan. Before purchasing, compare multiple quotes and read the fine print to get the cheapest pet insurance with quality grooming coverage.
Depending on the insurer, covered grooming services may include nail trims, deshedding, and standard bath and brush grooming.
Wellness plans work on a reimbursement basis, meaning you pay for grooming services upfront, then file claims for reimbursement based on your policy’s specific terms.
Grooming may be covered when medically necessary to treat covered conditions like skin infections, seborrhea, or hot spots. However, this depends on the insurance provider, so check your policy documents for the exact terms and conditions.
About Connor Bolton
Connor Bolton is Senior SEO and Content Manager at MoneyGeek, where he leads the business and pet insurance editorial teams. He sets the research framework, data standards and content structure for his team. All content goes through his accuracy review before publication. Connor also writes in-depth guides and has spent more than four years covering insurance products across personal, commercial and specialty lines.
The research infrastructure Connor built covers auto, home, renters, life, health, business and pet insurance across pricing analysis, carrier research, customer experience and coverage evaluation. It includes over 6 million data points for business insurance across 408 industry areas, all 50 states and 16 vehicle types. The pet insurance side covers over 5 million profiles across 18 major providers, 100+ breeds and ages up to 20 years. Connor’s insurance research and his team's work has been cited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, CBS News, Forbes and LegalZoom.
Connor also talks with underwriters and carrier liaisons at Ethos, The Hartford, ERGO NEXT, Nationwide and State Farm, and monitors business and pet owner communities on Reddit. Those sources shape how his team evaluates carriers, structures rate analysis and writes for human buyers rather than search engines.
For questions about MoneyGeek's business and pet insurance content, contact him at connor@moneygeek.com or on LinkedIn.
