Dog insurance UK
Choosing dog insurance in the UK can feel overwhelming, so we've done the reading for you. We went through the policy documents of 18 UK dog insurers to see how they compare, and which stands out for each need, judged only on what the policies say. Barklopedia doesn't arrange insurance and there are no referral links, so you can trust that nobody has paid to be here.
Which dog insurance is best for you?
There's no single best policy for every dog. Find the need that matters most to you below, and we'll show you which insurers stand out and why.
If you want the highest yearly limit for vet fees
Our picks Agria and Animal Friends
Agria Lifetime Premium pays up to £20,000 a year and Animal Friends' top lifetime policy up to £18,000, the highest limits stated in the documents we read.
If you need cover for a pre-existing condition
Our pick ManyPets
ManyPets Standard Care Pre-existing is the only plan we found that covers some pre-existing conditions, up to £1,500.
If you want the most cover in case your dog injures someone
Our pick More Than
More Than Premier pays up to £3,000,000 in third party liability, the highest limit we found.
They cover treatment for behaviour problems as standard, from a vet or a qualified behaviourist.
Neither adds a co-payment (a share of every claim you pay yourself) because of your dog's age. Most other policies add one, or a higher excess, from about age 8.
You can claim for an illness after 10 days, rather than the 14 days the other policies that state a wait ask for.
How we choose: we only look at what each insurer's own policy documents say (read in October 2026). We never use prices, reviews or commissions.
How do all 18 UK insurers compare?
The key points side by side. Click an insurer for everything its policy covers.
| Insurer | Type of policy | Most it pays for vet fees | What changes as your dog gets older | Third party liability (if your dog injures someone) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petplan | Lifetime ("Covered For Life"): a yearly vet-fee limit that refreshes at each renewal, so the same condition can be claimed year after year | Shown on the Certificate of Insurance, not in the booklet. (Search results quote £4,000, £7,000 or £12,000 a year; not confirmed from a Petplan document) | A 20% excess is added at the renewal after the 10th birthday, or the 7th birthday for "select breeds" (named on the Certificate) | Covered for dogs in the UK unless removed from your dog's cover at the start; excess on your certificate. Not while a paid business or professional is caring for your dog. If several insured dogs cause one incident, one maximum applies (the booklet's example: £2 million) |
| Admiral | Lifetime (Blue, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) or Time Limited (Essential, Extra: each condition covered for 12 months) | Lifetime: £2,000, £3,000, £4,000, £5,000 or £10,000 a year (Platinum) | No percentage co-payment found. From the renewal after the pet turns 6, the higher £199 excess always applies | Up to £1,000,000 (Blue, Bronze, Silver) or £2,000,000 (Gold, Platinum), dogs only, £250 excess |
| Animal Friends | Lifetime: a yearly vet fee limit that refreshes each policy year | £1,000, £2,000, £3,000, £4,000 or £5,000 a year (separate booklet for £10,000 and £18,000) | A co-payment (a set percentage of each vet fee claim, on top of the excess) is added from the first renewal after a dog turns 8 (cats 10) and can't be removed. The percentage is on Your Schedule, not in the booklet. Younger pets can choose a voluntary co-payment | Up to £2,000,000 a year, UK only. Not at your workplace, not for claims by family or people you live with, and after a claim caused by aggression, no future claims for that aggression |
| Direct Line | No yearly-limit lifetime policy. Essential: time limited, up to £4,000 per condition for 12 months. Advanced: up to £8,000 per condition with no time limit (maximum benefit) | Essential £4,000 per condition (12 months); Advanced £8,000 per condition, including dental illness up to £1,000 | Not in the documents we read | Up to £2,500,000, dogs only, on Essential and Advanced |
| Waggel | Lifetime: an annual limit that resets at each renewal | Annual limit shown in each customer's policy; within it, up to £1,000 each for dental, complementary and behavioural treatment | Optional co-payment chosen by the owner, which can be dropped in the first 7 days or before renewal. No age-based co-payment found | Up to £2,000,000 if your dog injures or kills someone or damages their property; £250 excess for property damage claims |
| More Than | Premier Lifetime is per condition: £1,000, £2,000, £4,000 or £6,000 for each accident or illness, refreshed at renewal. Time limited and maximum benefit plans are also sold | £1,000, £2,000, £4,000 or £6,000 per condition (Premier Lifetime) | Pets under 9: choice of 0%, 10% or 20% co-insurance. Pets over 9: 20% | Up to £1,000,000 (Basic), £2,000,000 (Classic) or £3,000,000 (Premier), dogs only, £250 excess |
| ManyPets | Lifetime plans with annual limits that refresh each plan year: Essential, Standard and Complete Care. Standard Care Pre-existing also covers some pre-existing conditions | Not in the documents we read | Co-payment is shown on the Membership Certificate; the handbook doesn't tie it to an age | Up to £2,000,000 (legal claims against you cover, dogs only), £250 excess per claim. Can be removed at renewal if your dog is aggressive, has bitten or attacked, or is a breed ManyPets classes as high risk |
| Agria | Lifetime: vet fees cover for illness and injury, renewed each year | £3,000 (Lifetime Lite), £6,500 (Lifetime), £12,500 (Lifetime Plus) or £20,000 (Lifetime Premium) | Not in the documents we read | Not in the documents we read |
| Sainsbury's | Maximum benefit: a maximum amount of vet fees for each condition over the life of the policy; once it is reached, that condition isn't covered again. Cover levels on your certificate | Not in the documents we read | Not in the documents we read | Included for dogs, with legal costs. You pay the first £100 of any claim for damaged property. Not for claims at your or your family's workplace, or on licensed premises where your dog lives or is kept |
| John Lewis | Maximum benefit: a maximum amount of vet fees for each condition over the life of the policy; once it is reached, that condition isn't covered again. Cover levels on your certificate | Not in the documents we read | Not in the documents we read | Included for dogs, with legal costs. You pay the first £250 of any claim for damaged property. Not for claims at your or your family's workplace, or on licensed premises where your dog lives or is kept |
| Tesco | Maximum benefit: a maximum amount of vet fees for each condition over the life of the policy; once it is reached, that condition isn't covered again. Cover levels on your certificate | Not in the documents we read | Not in the documents we read | Included for dogs, with legal costs. You pay the first £250 of any claim for damaged property. Not for claims at your or your family's workplace, or on licensed premises where your dog lives or is kept |
| PDSA | Lifetime: a maximum amount of vet fees each year, reset every year. Cover levels on your certificate | Not in the documents we read | Not in the documents we read | Included for dogs, with legal costs. You pay the first £250 of any claim for damaged property. Not for claims at your or your family's workplace, or on licensed premises where your dog lives or is kept |
| Marks and Spencer | Maximum benefit: a maximum amount of vet fees for each condition over the life of the policy; once it is reached, that condition isn't covered again. Cover levels on your certificate | Not in the documents we read | Not in the documents we read | Included for dogs, with legal costs. You pay the first £250 of any claim for damaged property. Not for claims at your or your family's workplace, or on licensed premises where your dog lives or is kept |
| RSPCA | Lifetime: a maximum amount of vet fees each year, reset every year. Cover levels on your certificate | Not in the documents we read | Not in the documents we read | Included for dogs, with legal costs. You pay the first £250 of any claim for damaged property. Not for claims at your or your family's workplace, or on licensed premises where your dog lives or is kept |
| Argos | Maximum benefit: a maximum amount of vet fees for each condition over the life of the policy; once it is reached, that condition isn't covered again. Cover levels on your certificate | Not in the documents we read | Not in the documents we read | Included for dogs, with legal costs. You pay the first £100 of any claim for damaged property. Not for claims at your or your family's workplace, or on licensed premises where your dog lives or is kept |
| Post Office | Lifetime (a maximum amount of vet fees each year, reset every year) or maximum benefit (a maximum amount for each condition over the life of the policy). Cover levels on your certificate | Not in the documents we read | Not in the documents we read | Included for dogs, with legal costs. You pay the first £250 of any claim for damaged property. Not for claims at your or your family's workplace, or on licensed premises where your dog lives or is kept |
| Churchill | Time limited: each condition is covered up to £3,000 or for 12 months from the first treatment, whichever comes first | £3,000 per condition (12 months), including up to £1,000 for complementary treatment, £75 a visit towards consultation fees, £200 for out-of-hours visits and £40 a session for hydrotherapy and physiotherapy | From age 7 you pay 20% of every claim, after the excess | Up to £1,000,000 a policy year, dogs only; you pay the first £100 of any claim. Not for claims by your family, people you live with or work with |
| LV= | Lifetime: a yearly vet fee limit that refreshes at each renewal, so ongoing conditions stay covered. A time limited policy is also sold | £1,000 to £12,000 a year (Lifetime plans) | A 20% excess is added at the renewal after your dog's 8th birthday, on top of the fixed excess, except on the £1,000 plan | Included for dogs in the UK unless removed from your dog's cover; it can be limited or removed after a review of your dog's behaviour. Limit per incident and excess on your Certificate of Insurance |
Guides to help you choose
Read about each insurer
- Petplan pet insurance review
- Admiral pet insurance review
- Animal Friends pet insurance
- Direct Line pet insurance
- Waggel pet insurance
- More Than pet insurance
- ManyPets pet insurance
- Agria pet insurance
- Sainsbury's dog insurance
- John Lewis dog insurance
- Tesco dog insurance review
- PDSA dog insurance
- Marks and Spencer dog insurance
- RSPCA dog insurance
- Argos dog insurance
- Post Office dog insurance
- Churchill dog insurance
- LV= dog insurance
Your questions answered
What is the best dog insurance in the UK?
It depends on your dog and what you want from a policy. For the highest yearly vet fee limits, look at Agria and Animal Friends. If your dog has a pre-existing condition, ManyPets has a plan that covers some of them. And if your dog is getting older, Waggel and ManyPets don't add an age-based co-payment. Every pick here is based only on what each policy says, not on price.
What does dog insurance cover in the UK?
It pays vet fees for accidents and illnesses up to a limit, usually includes third party liability, and often comes with extras such as cover if your dog dies, is stolen or you have to cancel a holiday. It doesn't cover pre-existing conditions or routine care such as vaccinations.
Is lifetime dog insurance the best type?
It's the type that keeps long-term conditions covered, because your vet fee limit refreshes every year for as long as you renew. Time limited and maximum benefit policies stop covering a condition after a set time or amount, which can leave you paying for ongoing treatment yourself.
Policies change and terms differ by plan, so always read the policy before you buy. Barklopedia doesn’t arrange UK insurance. See the US version