What vet records you need for pet insurance
An exam before you start, and records with the first claim. What each insurer asks for, and how far back it looks.
Updated October 6, 2026. Plan facts come from each insurer's published documents; each insurer's policy documents control.
The short answer
Most insurers want a recent vet exam and your dog's medical history: Embrace, Fetch and Healthy Paws require an exam within the 12 months before the policy starts (or shortly after), Lemonade asks for records covering the last 12½ months, and Odie reviews records from the 18 months before the start date. Pets Best and Spot request records when you file a claim.
What will it cost for your dog?
Pick your breed, age and ZIP code to see the estimated monthly price from the insurers we compare.
Records needed, by insurer
| Insurer | Records needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Embrace | Exam within 12 months or 14 days[1] | Pet must have a vet exam in the 12 months before start or within 14 days after, or the policy becomes accident-only. |
| Fetch | First exam within 12 months; full records[2] | Pet needs a first exam within 12 months before or 30 days after policy start; complete records from all treating vets are required for claims. |
| Healthy Paws | Exam within 12 months (30 days if 6+)[3] | Pets 5 and under need an exam within 12 months before enrollment, pets 6+ within 30 days; full history needed for first claim. |
| Lemonade | Last 12 and a half months of records[4] | Lemonade requires a medical record covering the last 12 and a half months, including the illness waiting period. |
| Odie | Records from 18 months before effective date[5] | Claims team reviews medical records from the 18 months before the policy effective date; SOAP notes required, invoices alone are not enough. |
| Pets Best | Records often requested after claim[6] | To check for pre-existing conditions, Pets Best often requests medical records from your vet after a claim is submitted. |
| Spot | Records requested at claim time[7] | Claiming authorizes access to medical records; Spot may ask for every vet that has ever treated your pet. |
| Trupanion | Not verified yet | Trupanion's website blocks automated requests, so we could not check this against its policy yet. Ask Trupanion directly. |
From each insurer's own sample policy, terms or FAQ, checked October 6, 2026. Terms vary by state and plan, and the policy you buy controls.
Check how this applies to your breed
What this means for your dog
The records decide what is pre-existing. When you file the first claim, the insurer reads the history for any sign of the condition before coverage began. Missing or late records can delay the claim; Odie says it needs SOAP notes, not just invoices, and Fetch asks for complete records from every vet that treated your dog.
The exam deadline has consequences: Embrace says a policy without an exam in the 12 months before the start or within 14 days after becomes accident-only. Healthy Paws asks for an exam within 12 months for dogs aged five and under, and within 30 days for older dogs.
Get the records ready before you buy, especially for a dog adopted as an adult or one that has seen several vets. Ask each clinic for the full medical record, not just vaccination history. How insurers decide what is pre-existing.
Before you buy
- Check whether the insurer needs an exam before the start date, and by when.
- Collect full records, including SOAP notes, from every vet your dog has seen.
- Know the insurer's look-back window: 12 months, 12½ months or 18 months.
- Send records with the first claim to avoid delays.
Questions owners ask
Do I need a vet exam to get pet insurance?
With Embrace, Fetch and Healthy Paws, yes: an exam within roughly the 12 months before coverage starts (Healthy Paws: 30 days for dogs aged six and over). Embrace makes the policy accident-only without one.
How far back do pet insurers look at medical records?
Lemonade asks for the last 12½ months; Odie reviews the 18 months before the policy start; Embrace, Fetch and Healthy Paws tie it to an exam within about 12 months.
When do I send my dog's records?
Usually with the first claim. Pets Best and Spot request records after a claim is filed, and Fetch requires complete records from all treating vets.
Sources
- Embrace Pet Insurance Sample Policy Terms & Conditions (v6, most states). Embrace Pet Insurance.
- Pet Health Insurance Policy Terms and Conditions (sample, GPTM 050 0326 A). Fetch, 2026.
- Frequently Asked Questions | Healthy Paws. Healthy Paws.
- The Ultimate Lemonade Pet FAQ. Lemonade, 2026.
- Help Center - Odie Pet Insurance. Odie Pet Insurance.
- What Happens After You Submit a Claim. Pets Best.
- Accident & Illness Sample Policy (Arizona, form PET-P-20000-1024, Independence American Insurance Company). Spot Pet Insurance.
How we choose and check sources: Sources we use.
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