UK pet insurance
LV= dog insurance: what it covers
Thinking about LV= dog insurance? Here’s what LV=’s policy really covers, explained in plain English and taken straight from LV=’s own documents. We’ve focused on the parts that decide whether a claim gets paid, such as waiting periods, pre-existing conditions and how much you pay yourself. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Get a LV= quoteBarklopedia doesn’t arrange UK insurance. Check the policy wording with the insurer before you buy.
LV= at a glance
- Most it pays for vet fees
- £1,000 to £12,000 a year (Lifetime plans)
- Excess you pay on each claim
- A fixed excess, amount on your Certificate of Insurance; can change at renewal
- Wait before illness is covered
- 14 days
- What changes as your dog gets older
- 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
Common questions about LV= dog insurance
How long is the LV= waiting period?
14 days. Symptoms of an illness in that time mean that illness, and any with the same symptoms or diagnosis anywhere in the body, is never covered
Does LV= cover pre-existing conditions?
Not covered: anything that showed before cover started, or with the same diagnosis or symptoms.
Does LV= cover behavioural training or a behaviourist?
Covered when a mental or emotional disorder changes your dog's behaviour, treated by a vet or a referred behaviourist. Not if training or neutering could have prevented it.
Does LV= pet insurance cover dental?
Dental injury and illness covered if a vet or vet nurse checked the teeth in the 12 months before, and recommended treatment was done within 6 months. No routine scale and polish.
Does LV= cover cruciate ligament surgery?
14-day illness waiting period. Both knees count as one condition, and a problem on one side in the waiting period rules out the other.
How does LV= treat a condition on both sides, like both knees?
Problems in body parts your dog has two of (eyes, knees, cruciate ligaments and so on) are combined and treated as one condition; a problem on one side in the waiting period rules out the other side
Does LV= cost more to claim on as my dog gets older?
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
How old does my puppy need to be for LV=?
8 weeks
Does LV= pet insurance include third party liability?
Included in the UK unless removed from your dog's cover; it can be limited or removed after a review of your dog's behaviour.
Does LV= offer a multi-pet discount?
5% when you insure your pets together.
Working on reactivity or another behaviour problem? Read how to choose a reactive dog trainer, or find a trainer near you.
How does LV= compare with other UK insurers?
The same five points for every UK insurer we compare, so you can see how LV= stacks up. Click any insurer to read its full page.
| Insurer | Most it pays for vet fees | What changes as your dog gets older | Wait before illness is covered | Behavioural treatment | Dental cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petplan | Shown on the Certificate of Insurance, not in the booklet | A 20% excess is added at the renewal after the 10th birthday, or the 7th birthday for "select breeds" (named on the Certificate) | 14 days | Covered under Vet Bills for a "behavioural illness" (caused by a mental or emotional disorder), by a vet or a behaviourist with named qualifications (CCAB, APBC, CFBA, ABTC) | Dental injury and illness covered if teeth were checked by a vet in the 12 months before symptoms, and recommended treatment was done within 6 months |
| Admiral | 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 | 14 days | Only on Lifetime Platinum (£10,000): up to £2,000, and only for behaviour changes caused by a previous injury or illness | Accidental dental damage on all levels, within the vet fee limit |
| Animal Friends | £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 | 14 days | Not covered on Lifetime £1,000 to £5,000 (training, treatment or therapy for behavioural issues) | None on £1,000; dental accidents up to £750 on £2,000 and £3,000; dental illness and accidents up to £1,000 on £4,000 and £5,000, if the pet had a dental exam in the year before and recommended treatment was done within 7 months |
| Direct Line | Essential £4,000 per condition (12 months); Advanced £8,000 per condition, including dental illness up to £1,000 | Not found yet | 14 days | Not covered on Essential or Advanced (treatment, training or therapy for behaviour problems) | Dental illness not covered on Essential; up to £1,000 on Advanced (within the vet fee limit), if your dog has a dental check every year and recommended treatment is done within three months |
| Waggel | 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 | 14 days | Up to £1,000 if diagnosed by a vet and treated by a qualified practitioner; not if caused by not neutering or training | Up to £1,000, if not pre-existing and the pet had a dental exam in the last 12 months |
| More Than | £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% | 14 days | Behavioural problems are excluded except on Premier, up to the limit on your schedule (up to £1,000 on the top level); covered for behaviour changes caused by a medical, mental or emotional condition | Teeth and gums damaged in an accident on every level; dental illness on Premier, up to £1,000 or £2,000 within the vet fee limit |
| ManyPets | Not found yet | Co-payment is shown on the Membership Certificate; the handbook doesn't tie it to an age | Not found yet | Behaviour treatment covered for a change in behaviour; not if general training or neutering could have prevented it | Dental illness and accident cover, limits by plan (for example £1,000 on Standard Care) |
| Agria | £3,000 (Lifetime Lite), £6,500 (Lifetime), £12,500 (Lifetime Plus) or £20,000 (Lifetime Premium) | Not found yet | 10 days, when you first buy the policy (not at renewal) | Up to £750 for behavioural disorders | Dental and gum illness only if your dog had a dental check in the 15 months before it was noted, and any treatment the vet recommended was done within 12 months |
| Sainsbury's | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| John Lewis | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months, and the treatment is to relieve suffering due to illness |
| Tesco | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| PDSA | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| Marks and Spencer | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months, and the treatment is to relieve suffering due to illness |
| RSPCA | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| Argos | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| Post Office | Not found yet | Not found yet | 14 days | Not found yet | Dental illness not covered unless your dog has a history of annual check-ups and any advice was followed within 6 months |
| Churchill | £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 | 10 days | Not covered: treatment for behavioural problems, training or therapy, and medication or pheromones to manage behaviour | Tooth or gum disease isn't covered, nor scale and polish, root canals or crowns |
| LV= | £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 | 14 days | Covered for a change in normal behaviour caused by a mental or emotional disorder, treated by a vet or a behaviourist your vet refers you to (CCAB, APBC, CFBA or ABTC members); not if training or neutering could have prevented it | Dental injury and illness covered if a vet or vet nurse checked your dog's teeth in the 12 months before symptoms, and recommended treatment was done within 6 months |
Everything we checked in LV=’s policy
Each point shows where we found it in LV=’s own document, so you can check it yourself. Where an insurance term needs explaining, we’ve added a short note.
- Type of policy
- Lifetime: a yearly vet fee limit that refreshes at each renewal, so ongoing conditions stay covered. A time limited policy is also soldWhere: If you want to change your level of cover; Veterinary fees
- Most it pays for vet feesThe most the policy pays for vet treatment, per year or per condition depending on the policy.
- £1,000 to £12,000 a year (Lifetime plans)Where: If you want to change your level of cover
- Excess you pay on each claimThe fixed amount you pay towards each claim; the insurer pays the rest, up to your limit.
- A fixed excess, amount on your Certificate of Insurance; can change at renewalWhere: How your excess can change
- What changes as your dog gets olderA co-payment is a percentage of every claim you pay yourself, on top of your excess. Many policies add one when your dog reaches a certain age.
- 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 planWhere: How your excess can change
- Wait before illness is coveredThe time after you buy a policy before you can claim for an illness.
- 14 days. Symptoms of an illness in that time mean that illness, and any with the same symptoms or diagnosis anywhere in the body, is never coveredWhere: If your pet's unwell in the waiting period
- Wait before injuries are covered
- 48 hoursWhere: Definitions: Waiting period
- Problems on both sides of the body, like both kneesIf your dog has problems on both sides (both knees, both hips), many policies treat them as one condition.
- Problems in body parts your dog has two of (eyes, knees, cruciate ligaments and so on) are combined and treated as one condition; a problem on one side in the waiting period rules out the other sideWhere: Bilateral conditions; If your pet's unwell in the waiting period
- Cover for pre-existing conditionsAnything your dog had, or showed signs of, before the policy started.
- Not covered: any injury or illness that showed before cover started, or with the same diagnosis or symptoms, or related to itWhere: If your pet was unwell before your cover started
- Cover for behavioural treatment
- Covered for a change in normal behaviour caused by a mental or emotional disorder, treated by a vet or a behaviourist your vet refers you to (CCAB, APBC, CFBA or ABTC members); not if training or neutering could have prevented it. Pheromone products only within a structured behaviour programmeWhere: When we cover behavioural treatment costs
- Dental cover
- Dental injury and illness covered if a vet or vet nurse checked your dog's teeth in the 12 months before symptoms, and recommended treatment was done within 6 months. No routine scale and polishWhere: When we cover dentistry
- Complementary therapies, like hydrotherapy
- Complementary therapies (acupuncture, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and others) up to 10 sessions of each type per condition each year, within the vet fee limitWhere: Complementary and alternative therapies
- Third party liability (if your dog injures someone)Pays compensation and legal costs if your dog injures someone or damages their property.
- 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 InsuranceWhere: Third party legal liability (dogs only)
- Youngest age your dog can join
- 8 weeksWhere: What this policy doesn't cover
- Oldest age your dog can join
- Not in the documents we read.Where: Not stated in the booklet
- Discount for insuring more than one pet
- 5% when you insure your pets togetherWhere: Multi pet insurance page (LV=’s website, read 5 October 2026)
Source: Lifetime Policy Booklet (LV= pet insurance), LV0036 (June 2026). Read on 5 October 2026. Policies change, so always read the current policy wording before you buy or claim. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.