Formerly known as Petplan, Fetch by The Dodo is a pet insurance company founded in 2003. Fetch by Dodo offers comprehensive insurance plans that cover accidents and illnesses. Over 325,000 pets are covered by Fetch The Dodo’s insurance plans.
Fetch by The Dodo is one of the largest pet insurance companies in the U.S. and is the No. 1 choice of many pet owners. But is it worth your money?
In this article, we’ll review Fetch by The Dodo in detail, exploring the insurance company’s policies, claims, costs, and coverage.
Pros and Cons of Fetch By The Dodo Pet Insurance
Pros
- Extra coverage: Fetch by The Dodo pet insurance covers conditions other insurance companies don’t, including sick visits, gum disease, breed-specific issues, alternative and holistic care, and diagnostic tests.
- Convenient smartphone app: Fetch has a mobile app you can use to file a claim. The app is connected to your bank account, so the reimbursed money will go straight to your account.
- No enrollment fee: You can sign up for free and cancel your insurance any time you want. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Available in every state: Pet owners can take out this insurance policy, no matter what part of the U.S. they reside in.
Cons
- Long waiting period: Pet owners have to wait for 15 days for both accident and illness plans. There’s also a six-month waiting period for hip dysplasia.
- No preventative care plan: Fetch by The Dodo doesn’t offer a wellness plan.
- Limited pet coverage: Only cats and dogs are eligible for coverage.
- No multiple-pet discount: You would have the full price for each pet.
Fetch by The Dodo Insurance Plans
Fetch by The Dodo offers two types of plans: dog insurance and cat insurance. Other pets aren’t eligible for coverage. In addition, Fetch offers special plans for young pets called puppy insurance and kitten insurance. Insurance for young pets tends to cost less than for older ones.
Like all pet insurance companies, Fetch by The Dodo differentiates policy claims for illnesses and accidents. In terms of illnesses, Fetch covers:
- Chronic illnesses
- Common illnesses
- Hereditary and congenital conditions
- Serious illnesses
Accidents can include bite wounds, broken bones, swallowed objects, cuts, other types of injuries, toxic ingestion, and more.
To submit a claim, you will need a finalized invoice from your vet (which has been paid in full) and a medical record from your pet’s most recent checkup. Everything else is done through the Fetch by The Dodo mobile app, where you will submit a claim and upload these documents.
Once the claim is processed, you can get paid back up to 90% of your veterinary expenses. Note that you’re required to submit the claim up to 90 days after the vet treatment.
State Availability
Fetch by The Dodo is available to pet owners in the U.S. and Canada. To be more specific, you can go to any veterinarian, specialist, or pet emergency clinic in the U.S. or Canada.
What Does Fetch by The Dodo Pet Insurance Cover?
Fetch by The Dodo covers the following:
- Surgeries
- Emergency vet visits
- Prescription medication and supplements
- Hereditary and congenital issues
- Physical therapy
- Hospital Stays
- Cancer treatment
- Diabetes and insulin
- Blood tests, ultrasounds, CT scans, and X-rays
- Allergies
- Gum disease
- Breed-specific issues
- Swallowed objects and toxins
- Sick-visit exam fees
- Virtual, in-home, and office visits
Insurance coverage can include arthritis, seizures, skin conditions and allergies, diabetes, cancer, torn ligaments, inflammatory bowel disease, urinary tract infections, diarrhea, heart disease, blood disorders, and more.
In addition, Fetch covers some conditions that other companies charge extra for or don’t even cover. Here are some examples:
- Gum disease
- Sick-visit exams
- Breed-specific issues
- Prescription medications and supplements
- Diagnostic tests
It even covers alternative and holistic care, including acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, hydrotherapy, massages, etc.
What Doesn’t Fetch by The Dodo Pet Insurance Cover?
Fetch by The Dodo doesn’t cover the following:
- Routine visits
- Preventative care (e.g., spaying, neutering, dental cleaning, flea and heartworm medications)
- Pre-existing conditions
- Prescription food
- Grooming
- Cosmetic procedures (such as tail docking, ear trimming, and declawing)
- Experimental treatments
- Claims filed more than 90 days after treatment
When it comes to pre-existing conditions, you should be aware that no pet insurance companies cover them. They can comprise any illnesses mentioned in the previous section, which appeared before you took out the insurance policy.
Keep in mind that Fetch doesn’t offer a wellness plan, annual visits to the vet, vaccinations, or any other treatment you would need regularly.
Waiting Periods for Coverage
Fetch by The Dodo has a 15-day waiting period before the pet insurance policy coverage starts. A 15-day waiting period for an illness is similar to what other pet insurance companies offer. However, the same can’t be said for accident policies.
Other pet insurance companies have a relatively short waiting period for policy claims for the accident, usually spanning two to five days. Fetch by The Dodo’s 15-day waiting period for accidents is too long in comparison.
Keep in mind that if you make any insurance claims during the 15-day waiting period, Fetch by The Dodo isn’t obligated to pay for them. So, if your pet gets injured or sick during the waiting period, it won’t be covered since it counts as a pre-existing condition.
Once the waiting period ends, any injury or illness that may occur will be covered by the pet insurance. When a claim is approved, the reimbursement goes right into your account. There are no hidden fees or extra charges.
If you paid for the vet expenses via direct deposit, the waiting period could be reduced to five to 10 days. To do this, you’ll have to choose direct deposit as your preferred reimbursement method on the app.
It’s also important to note that knee or hip injuries usually come with a six-month waiting period. However, if you take your pet to the vet during the first month of the policy coverage, they can rule out it wasn’t due to a pre-existing condition, which can reduce the waiting period.
Fetch by The Dodo Insurance Costs
The average Fetch plan for dogs costs $35 each month, while for cats, it’s $25. Although, you can choose to pay the premium monthly, quarterly, or annually.
For example, here are the monthly premium costs of the most popular breeds for the postal code 75242 with a reimbursement limit of $5000, annual deductible of $300, and a reimbursement of 80%.
| Breeds | Puppies/Kittens | 5-year-old pets | Seniors |
| Labrador Retriever | $23.96 | $48.19 | $81.94 |
| Golden Retriever | $25.55 | $50.06 | $85.19 |
| Exotic Shorthair Cats | $20.16 | $20.16 | $50.50 |
| Poodle | $20.16 | $29.25 | $58.23 |
| German Shepard | $27.55 | $56.04 | $93.67 |
| French Bulldog | $36.51 | $63.90 | $106.67 |
As you can see, the exact insurance policy price depends on a few factors, such as the breed and age of the pet. You can get a free quote on Fetch Pet’s website; you just need to add the necessary information regarding your pet.
The cost of the pet insurance policy also depends on the state you live in, since veterinary bills vary from place to place.
A few factors that don’t affect how much your pet insurance will cost include:
- Your pet’s sex
- The medical and behavioral history of your pet
- Whether your pet has been spayed/neutered
- Whether your pet lives indoors or outdoors
Therefore, the average yearly premium of Fetch by The Dodo is $420 for dogs and $300 for cats. While these prices may seem too expensive compared to other pet insurance policies, Fetch doesn’t charge an enrollment fee.
What’s more, you can cancel your policy at any time. However, if you wait more than 30 days past your initial payment to cancel, you won’t be able to get your entire premium back.
There are a few ways you can reduce your policy premium, and that’s by getting one of the following:
- A higher deductible
- A lower annual coverage
- A lower reimbursement rate
Coverage Levels
The annual coverage amount is the maximum amount that can be paid back per policy year. Fetch by The Dodo’s yearly benefits range from $2,500 to unlimited.
The more your annual coverage amount, the higher your monthly subscription costs. In other words, if you want to reduce your premium, you’ll need to get a lower coverage level.
Deductible Options
A deductible refers to the amount of money you must pay before the reimbursement. So, naturally, the more you pay upfront, the lower the policy’s monthly cost.
Fetch by The Dodo offers the following deductible options:
- $250
- $300
- $500
The deductible you choose should depend on your pet. While this is up to you, it’s advised to consider your pet’s age and current condition.
For instance, if you’re getting an insurance policy for a young pet, it’s safe to get a $250 deductible. On the other hand, if you want to get your older pet insured, it’s recommended you choose the $300 or $500 deductible option.
Reimbursement Options
Once you take out a pet insurance policy, you can also choose your reimbursement rate. It refers to the compensation paid out by the insurance company, in this case, by Fetch by The Dodo.
You can choose from three reimbursement rates: 70%, 80%, and 90%. While these reimbursement rates are solid, some pet insurance companies offer 100% reimbursement rates.
If you’re looking to reduce your premium, lowering your reimbursement rate is one of the ways to achieve this.
Discount Options
Aside from increasing your deductible and decreasing your annual coverage and reimbursement rate, there is another way to minimize the cost of the policy, and that’s with healthy pet credit.
Healthy pet credit refers to a period of not receiving an insurance claim reimbursement. This credit automatically reduces your pet’s annual deductible.
With Fetch by The Dodo, you get a 15% healthy pet credit for each 12-month period without a reimbursed insurance claim. In fact, the discount goes up to 30% if you don’t submit a policy claim for longer than one year. In other words, if your pet is healthy, your policy premium will get lower over time.
As convenient as healthy pet credit can be, you’ll have to keep your pet in tip-top shape all year round to make this happen. And even if you do, there’s no guarantee your pet won’t get suddenly injured or sick, which means you wouldn’t be able to use the discount.
Additionally, some pet insurance companies offer multi-pet discounts, but Fetch by The Dodo isn’t one of them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What happened to Petplan?
This company was founded in 2003 when it was called just Fetch, but it got the license for the Petplan brand the same year. When The Dodo bought a minority stake in Petplan in 2020, the company’s name was rebranded to Fetch by The Dodo.
Does Fetch by The Dodo cover checkups?
Since checkups are considered preventative care, Fetch by The Dodo doesn’t cover them.
What are pre-existing conditions?
A pre-existing condition can be any illness or injury that occurred before you applied for a pet insurance policy. No pet insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions. In other words, the insurance only covers new and future illnesses and injuries.
Does Fetch by The Dodo offer a wellness plan?
No, Fetch by The Dodo doesn’t offer a wellness plan.
Does Fetch by The Dodo cover dental treatments?
It does cover gum disease, which many insurance companies don’t cover, but it doesn’t cover dental cleanings, as this is seen as preventative care.
How do I file a claim with Fetch by The Dodo?
You have two options – you can either use the mobile app or the website. It’s an easy process. All you have to do is choose the “file a claim” option and scan the necessary documents (a finalized invoice and the latest vet checkup). Then you have to wait for your claim to be processed, which can take from 5 to 15 days.
