Updated: April 28, 2026
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
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 provide reimbursement for grooming expenses 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 they occur after the waiting period.
It’s best to review your specific plan details carefully since grooming benefits are rare among pet insurance providers.
Based on MoneyGeek’s analysis of leading pet insurance providers, only a few offer grooming coverage through their optional wellness plans.
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. | |
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. |
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. If every session costs around $75, you could spend about $450 a year, making a wellness plan with grooming benefits a good option.
Pets with skin conditions, allergies or mobility issues may require more frequent professional grooming or specialized services that cost more than standard grooming. Medical conditions like seborrhea or hot spots often require medicated baths and professional care that can add $200 to $400 to your annual grooming costs. If your pet needs extra grooming because of a health condition, getting pet insurance with grooming coverage could save you money over time.
Think about what you usually spend on grooming each year and compare it with the price of a wellness plan. The added financial coverage may be worth it if your grooming costs end up being higher.
Keep in mind that wellness plans work on a reimbursement model, meaning you'll pay the groomer upfront, then file a claim and wait to get your money back based on your policy's deductible, annual limit and reimbursement rate.
Most pet insurance companies won't pay for grooming costs, but a few wellness plans do include services like baths and nail trims. We found that Embrace and Wagmo both offer grooming benefits through their wellness coverage, providing anywhere from $100 to $700 per year. As always, consider whether your pet's grooming frequency and health needs justify the additional cost before shopping for the best pet insurance with grooming coverage.
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. As editorial lead for both verticals, Connor sets the research framework, data standards, and content structure that his writers execute, directly authoring in-depth guides himself and reviewing all team content for accuracy and practical value before it goes live. With over four years evaluating insurance products across personal, commercial, and specialty lines, he brings cross-vertical knowledge to every guide the team produces.
Connor architected MoneyGeek's insurance research infrastructure across all major verticals including auto, home, renters, life, health, business, and pet, building systems for pricing analysis, provider-level research, customer experience evaluation, and coverage analysis with AI support. The infrastructure includes over 6 million data points for business insurance across 408 industry areas, all 50 states, and 16 vehicle types, and over 5 million pet insurance profiles across 18 major providers and hundreds of breed and age combinations. Connor's insurance cost research and his team's work has been cited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, CBS News, Forbes and LegalZoom.
Beyond the data, Connor stays connected to how the market actually operates, drawing on direct conversations with underwriters and carrier liaisons at Ethos, The Hartford, NEXT Insurance, Nationwide, and State Farm, and monitoring business and pet owner communities including Reddit, to inform how he interprets findings and frames guidance for real buyers.
He is the direct editorial contact for methodology questions at connor@moneygeek.com and can be found on LinkedIn.
