Puppy insurance
Bringing a new puppy home? Puppy insurance is ordinary pet insurance taken out while your dog is young, and it's one of the best times to buy it. Your puppy has no health history yet, so nothing has had the chance to become a pre-existing condition, which insurers won't cover. Most US insurers we compare accept puppies from 8 weeks, and a few take them even younger.
When can your puppy join each insurer?
Each bar is one insurer. Find your puppy's age in weeks along the bottom: where the bar turns teal, your puppy can join. Remember that cover doesn't start straight away: there's a waiting period, the time between buying a policy and being able to claim, which is usually 14 to 30 days for illness with these insurers.
Why it pays to insure your puppy early
- 1
Nothing is pre-existing yet
Insurers won't cover anything your dog had, or showed signs of, before the policy started. A young puppy has the shortest history, so more of their life is covered. Pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions.
- 2
Some conditions are only covered if your dog joins young
Healthy Paws only covers hip dysplasia for dogs who join before age 6, and Embrace excludes hip dysplasia, knee and spinal disc problems for life if they show signs in the first 180 days. Does pet insurance cover hip dysplasia?
- 3
The waiting period is over before most puppy mishaps
Puppies chew, swallow and tumble. Taking out a policy as soon as your puppy can join means the waiting period is behind you sooner. Pet insurance waiting period.
Does puppy insurance cover vaccinations and spaying?
Not as part of accident and illness cover. Routine puppy care, like vaccinations, spaying or neutering and flea treatment, is either excluded or sold as an extra. Here's what the insurers who mention it say.
- TrupanionNot covered (vaccinations, spay/neuter, parasite prevention)
- Healthy PawsNot covered (vaccinations, flea control, heartworm, spay/neuter)
- NationwideOptional Wellness coverage; otherwise not covered
- LemonadeOnly with a Preventative Care package
Your questions answered
When should I get pet insurance for my puppy?
As soon as your puppy is old enough to join, which is 8 weeks with most US insurers we've read, and earlier with some. Anything that shows signs before cover starts, or during the waiting period, is excluded as pre-existing, so insuring early gives your puppy the widest cover for life.
What is the best puppy insurance?
There isn't one best policy for every puppy, so it helps to think about what matters most to you. If you're bringing your puppy home very young, check the joining age above. If your breed is prone to hip problems, look at how each insurer handles hip dysplasia, because the rules differ a lot. And if you'd like vaccinations and other routine care included, you'll need a wellness or preventive add-on.
Does puppy insurance cover vaccinations?
Not on its own. In the policies we read, vaccinations, spaying or neutering and other routine care aren't covered by accident and illness insurance. Some insurers sell an add-on for them: Nationwide has optional Wellness coverage and Lemonade has Preventative Care packages.
Does puppy insurance cover hereditary conditions?
It depends on the insurer, and on there being no signs before your puppy joined. Embrace lists hereditary disorders as covered, while Nationwide covers congenital and hereditary conditions only with an optional add-on. This is another good reason to insure early, before any signs appear.
Joining ages are from each insurer's own website, read on 5 October 2026, because the sample policies don't state them; each insurer's page links to the exact page. Other facts are from the sample policies. Terms can differ by plan and state, so check before you buy.
More guides to dog insurance: Pet insurance for senior dogs · Multi-pet insurance · Dog insurance by breed · Pet insurance that covers pre-existing conditions · Does pet insurance cover dental? · What does dog insurance cover? · Pet insurance waiting period · Pet insurance deductible · Does pet insurance cover hip dysplasia? · Does pet insurance cover cancer? · Does pet insurance cover surgery? · Does homeowners insurance cover dog bites? · Costco dog insurance · PetSmart dog insurance · USAA dog insurance · State Farm dog insurance · Geico dog insurance · Trupanion vs Pets Best · Healthy Paws vs Trupanion