Last updated: September 2026
Quick answer: You can insure an older dog in the UK, but it gets more expensive and more restricted with age. Many mainstream insurers stop selling new policies at around eight to ten years old, although some have no upper age limit. Most add a co-payment, often 15% to 20% of every claim, once a dog passes a set age, and any condition your dog already has will be excluded. If your dog already has a lifetime policy, keeping it is almost always the best option.
Dogs are generally considered senior from around seven or eight, and earlier for large breeds. This guide explains what changes at that point, your options if you’re insuring a senior dog for the first time, and the questions to ask before you buy.
What changes as your dog gets older
| What changes | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Fewer insurers will take new customers | Many mainstream insurers stop starting new policies at around eight to ten, depending on breed and size |
| Co-payments start | You pay a percentage of every claim on top of the excess |
| Premiums rise faster | Increases are often steeper from about seven or eight; see why pet insurance goes up |
| More pre-existing conditions | Anything in your dog’s vet history is excluded on a new policy |
| More claims | Arthritis, heart disease, kidney problems and lumps become more common |
Co-payments: the biggest change for senior dogs
Once your dog reaches a certain age, most insurers make you pay a share of every claim. Examples from current UK policies:
| Insurer | Co-payment | When it starts |
|---|---|---|
| ManyPets | 20% | From the renewal after your dog’s seventh birthday |
| Perfect Pet | 15% | Dogs aged 8 or over |
| Petplan | 20% | Once a pet turns 10 |
On a £4,000 operation with a £99 excess and a 20% co-payment, you would pay £879.20 rather than £99. Our guide to excess and co-payment shows the calculation. Terms change, so check current policy wording before you buy.
If your dog already has insurance
Keep it. A lifetime policy you started when your dog was younger will keep covering conditions that developed while insured, year after year, as long as you renew. As CompareMyVet points out, cancelling and starting again with a new insurer would mean losing cover for existing conditions.
If the renewal price is hard to afford, adjust the policy before you leave it: raise the voluntary excess, pay annually or review the vet fee limit. See switching pet insurance before making any change.
If you’re insuring an older dog for the first time
You have five main options:
| Option | What you get | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Lifetime cover from an insurer with no upper age limit | Ongoing cover for new conditions, renewed each year | Higher premiums and a co-payment |
| Specialist policy that considers pre-existing conditions | Possible cover for some existing conditions | Limits, higher prices, symptom-free rules |
| Maximum benefit or time-limited cover | Lower price | Long-term conditions stop being covered |
| Accident-only cover | Cheapest protection against injuries | No illness cover at all |
| Self-funding | No premiums | You carry every bill yourself |
Some insurers advertise no upper age limit for new policies. Perfect Pet and Royal Kennel Club Pet Insurance both say they will start a new lifetime policy for a dog of any age, and Petgevity markets cover for older dogs that considers pre-existing conditions. We don’t recommend individual insurers; compare several quotes for your own dog.
For how pre-existing exclusions work, see pet insurance and pre-existing conditions. For the differences between policy types, see lifetime vs time-limited vs maximum benefit cover.
Is it worth insuring an older dog?
It depends on three things:
- What would be excluded. If your dog’s main health problems are already in the records, a new policy won’t cover them. Insurance is only worth buying for what it would still cover.
- What you could pay yourself. Older dogs claim more often. If a sudden bill of £2,000 to £4,000 would be unaffordable, insurance still has value, even with a co-payment.
- The total yearly cost. Add the premium to what you’d pay in excess and co-payment on a typical claim, and compare that with putting the premium into savings instead. Our is pet insurance worth it? guide shows how to run the numbers.
Common senior conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, kidney problems and lumps needing investigation can all be covered if they are new and not already in your dog’s history. Large breeds also face joint surgery such as cruciate ligament repair, which can cost thousands.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Is there an upper age limit for new policies, and for renewals?
- At what age does a co-payment start, and how much is it?
- Is the excess charged per condition, per claim or per policy year?
- Which of my dog’s past conditions will be excluded? Ask for this in writing.
- Is the vet fee limit per condition or for all conditions, and does it reset each year?
- Is dental illness covered, and do you require annual dental checks?
For the right limit, see how much vet fee cover you need. For typical prices by age and breed, see pet insurance cost in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
What age is too old for pet insurance?
There is no single UK age limit. Many insurers stop taking new dogs at around eight to ten, while some have no upper limit. An existing lifetime policy normally continues at any age as long as you renew.
Can I get insurance for a 12-year-old dog?
Often, yes, from insurers with no upper age limit, though premiums will be higher, a co-payment will usually apply and existing conditions will be excluded.
Can I avoid a co-payment for an older dog?
A few premium policies waive it, usually at a higher price. Compare the extra premium with the co-payment you’d expect to pay.
Will my older dog’s arthritis be covered?
Only if it started after your policy began. If it’s already in the vet records, a new policy will exclude it.
Key takeaways
- Keep an existing lifetime policy; restarting means losing cover for existing conditions.
- Many insurers stop new policies at eight to ten, but some have no upper age limit.
- Expect a co-payment of 15% to 20% from a set age, on top of the excess.
- Get in writing what a new policy would exclude before you buy.
New to the basics? Start with how pet insurance works.
This guide is general information, not financial advice. Always read the policy documents before you buy.