Pet insurance for older dogs
Looking for pet insurance for an older dog? The good news is that most UK insurers will still cover your dog in their later years, and only a few set an age limit for starting a policy. What usually changes is how much of each vet bill you pay yourself: most of the policies we read add a co-payment, or a higher excess, from around age 8. Here's when that starts with each insurer, so you can plan ahead.
At what age does pet insurance cost more?
Many policies ask you to pay more of each vet bill once your dog reaches a certain age. Usually this is a co-payment: a percentage of every claim you pay yourself, on top of your excess (the fixed amount you pay per claim). Each bar below is one policy. Find your dog's age along the bottom: where the bar turns yellow is the age you start paying more.
Which policies won't take on older dogs?
These policies won't start new cover once your dog is past a certain age, marked by the dark line. If your dog is already insured, the policies we read keep renewing whatever their age.
What would you pay on a claim?
A co-payment can make a real difference once your dog is older. Put in a vet bill, your excess and your co-payment to see how a claim splits between you and your insurer. We take the excess off first, then the co-payment from what's left, which is how Churchill's policy describes it.
Example to start: a £1,000 bill with Admiral's £99 excess. With no co-payment you'd pay £99; with a 20% co-payment you'd pay £279.20.
Before you insure an older dog: 5 things to check
- 1
Is there a starting age limit?
Most policies we read don't publish one, but a few stop at 9, 11 or 12. If an online quote stops at your dog's age, phone the insurer before you rule it out.
- 2
When does your share of each claim go up, and by how much?
This is the biggest difference between policies for older dogs. Admiral moves you to its higher excess from 6, Churchill adds 20% from 7, most add a share from 8, and Petplan waits until 10. Waggel and ManyPets don't add one because of age.
- 3
Is it lifetime cover?
If your dog develops arthritis or another long-term condition at 9 or 10, a lifetime policy keeps covering it every year you renew. Time limited and maximum benefit policies stop after a set time or amount. Compare lifetime pet insurance.
- 4
What's already in your dog's vet records?
Anything your dog has had, or shown signs of, before cover starts will be excluded as pre-existing. An older dog usually has a longer history, so read through it before you apply. Pet insurance for pre-existing conditions.
- 5
Which extras stop as your dog gets older?
Cover for your dog dying from an illness often ends at a set age, so don't count on it for an older dog:
- Admiral: Doesn't apply to dogs aged 6 and over
- Petplan: Removed at the renewal after the 8th birthday (5th for select breeds)
- Sainsbury's, John Lewis, Tesco, PDSA, Marks and Spencer, RSPCA, Argos, Post Office: Not paid for death from illness at 8 or older (5 for some dogs)
- More Than: Ends at the 9th birthday
- Churchill: Not paid for death from illness at 11 or older
Is there an age limit to start a policy?
- Napo (£2,000 cover)Only for pets under 9 at the start
- Muddy Paws (Ruby)No cover if your pet is over 11 at the start
- Lifetime Pet CoverOnly for pets under 12 at the start
- PetplanOnline quotes stop at 16; you're asked to phone
- AdmiralNo maximum starting age in its summary document
- More ThanNo maximum starting age in its summary document
- Direct LineYour dog mustn't be older than the age shown on your Pet Insurance Details; the booklet doesn't give a number
- ChurchillYour dog mustn't be older than the age shown on your Pet Insurance Details; the booklet doesn't give a number
The full age rules for each policy
- AdmiralThe higher £199 excess always applies from the renewal after age 6
- Churchill20% of every claim from age 7
- LV=A 20% excess from the renewal after age 8, except on the £1,000 plan
- Animal FriendsA co-payment on every claim from the renewal after age 8, which can't be removed
- Petgevity20% of each bill from age 8
- Perfect Pet15% co-payment for dogs over 8
- Cover My PetA compulsory percentage excess from age 8
- Frank and Whistle & WagCost sharing usually starts at 8
- The Insurance EmporiumA higher amount if your dog is 8 or over when the policy starts
- More Than20% of each claim for pets over 9 (a choice of 0%, 10% or 20% before that)
- Napo20% of each claim from age 9
- PetplanAn extra 20% excess from the renewal after age 10 (7 for some breeds)
- WaggelIts co-payment is optional and chosen by you; none is added because of age
- ManyPetsAny co-payment is on your certificate; the handbook doesn't tie it to age
What owners of older dogs are saying
Your questions answered
Can you get pet insurance for older dogs?
Yes, you can. Many UK policies don't publish a maximum starting age at all. A few do: we found limits of under 9, over 11 and under 12 at the start of the policy. Some online quote forms also stop at a certain age (Petplan's stops at 16) and ask you to phone instead, so don't be put off if that happens.
What is the cheapest pet insurance for older dogs?
We don't list prices, because they depend on your dog and change all the time. What makes the biggest difference to your own costs as your dog gets older is the co-payment or higher excess most policies add from around age 8, so it's worth comparing those alongside the monthly premium. The calculator above shows how much they can add to a claim.
What is the best pet insurance for older dogs?
It depends on what matters most to you, but three things are worth looking for: no starting age limit, a co-payment that starts as late as possible (or not at all), and lifetime cover, so a condition that appears at 9 or 10 stays covered every year you renew. In the policies we read, Waggel and ManyPets don't add a co-payment because of age, and Petplan's starts latest, at 10 (7 for some breeds).
Can I insure my 10 year old dog?
Yes, with many insurers. At 10, most policies on the timeline above will already ask you to pay a share of every claim from day one, so check how much that is. Remember too that anything your dog already has will be excluded as pre-existing.
Can I get pet insurance for an 11 year old dog?
Yes, though your choice narrows a little: of the starting age limits we found, Napo's £2,000 cover is only for dogs under 9 and Muddy Paws (Ruby) won't cover dogs over 11. Many other policies publish no limit, so it's worth asking.
Is there an age limit for pet insurance in the UK?
Some policies limit how old your dog can be when you first take out cover, as shown above. Once your dog is insured, the policies we read don't stop renewing because of age. Instead, they ask you to pay a bigger share of each claim through a co-payment or a higher excess.
From each insurer’s own policy documents and summaries (IPIDs), read in October 2026; Petplan’s quote age from its online quote form. Terms differ by plan and change over time, so check the policy before you buy. Barklopedia doesn’t arrange UK insurance.
More guides to dog insurance: Third party liability insurance for dogs · Dog insurance by breed · Multi dog insurance · Lifetime pet insurance · Pet insurance for pre-existing conditions · Does pet insurance cover dental? · What does dog insurance cover? · Pet insurance excess