Is My Pet Too Old For Pet Insurance Coverage?
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Eric Stauffer
Licensed Insurance Agent
Eric Stauffer is an insurance agent and banker-turned-consumer advocate. His priority is educating individuals and families about the different types of insurance coverage. He is passionate about helping consumers find the best coverage for their budgets and personal needs. Eric is the CEO of C Street Media, a full-service marketing firm and the co-founder of ProperCents.com, a financial educat...
Licensed Insurance Agent
UPDATED: Mar 30, 2023
Pet Insurance U receives compensation from the third parties included on this site. This includes payment for clicks from our site to insurance providers’ sites and quote requests generated. Our rankings and reviews are not affected by payments from the insurance companies. The compensation we receive allows the site to be free and regularly updated. Our goal is to review every pet insurance provider, but not all companies are listed on the site.
And many of the companies we review do not pay us anything. We simply rate, compare and review their plan because we feel it will be valuable to you. Our reviews are guaranteed to be unbiased, professional and advertising compensation does not influence rankings.
We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about pet insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything pet insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by pet insurance experts.
UPDATED: Mar 30, 2023
Pet Insurance U receives compensation from the third parties included on this site. This includes payment for clicks from our site to insurance providers’ sites and quote requests generated. Our rankings and reviews are not affected by payments from the insurance companies. The compensation we receive allows the site to be free and regularly updated. Our goal is to review every pet insurance provider, but not all companies are listed on the site.
And many of the companies we review do not pay us anything. We simply rate, compare and review their plan because we feel it will be valuable to you. Our reviews are guaranteed to be unbiased, professional and advertising compensation does not influence rankings.
On This Page
If you have an older cat or dog, you might think it is too late in their lives to insure them.
While it’s always beneficial to insure your cats or dog while they are young, it’s never too late.
If you have an older pet, there are a few things to consider to see if pet insurance make sense for you and for your dog or cat and how it works.
The premium for a dog puppy age is much cheaper than buying pet insurance for a 5 year old dog.
Pet insurance for dogs 6 years and older often isn’t offered for larger breeds and is quite expensive for smaller breeds, if offered at all.
Need Pet Insurance?
FACT: Pet insurance pays up to 90% of vet bills when your pet is sick or injured!
Older Pets Are More Prone To Health Issues
Since pet insurance does not cover any conditions that are pre-existing in your older cat or dog, you might think that pet insurance isn’t worth the cost.
Yet, as our pets age, they are more likely to get sick or hurt and will continue to do so as they age.
Even if you can’t cover one condition that might have occurred, you will at least be covered for any other illness that might happen in the near future.
Older cats are more prone to kidney disease while older dogs are more susceptible to arthritis and physical issues.
Related: 10 Things You Must Know Before You Buy Pet Insurance
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Health Issues In Older Pets Are Expensive
Not only are the health issues in older pets more common as they age, but the ones that tend to occur are very expensive to treat.
Many dogs over 10 have a 40% chance of getting cancer or diabetes.
Cancer is very expensive to treat with all the testing, diagnosis and usually chemotherapy or other care that is given.
And the care will need to be for the duration of your dog’s life.
When a serious illness like cancer does occur that can be the choice of life or death, having pet insurance is such an emotional and financial relief.
You can provide your dog with the great care he needs without going bankrupt or taking out a loan as treatment can be upwards of $25,000!
Real Cost Savings from PetFirst Clients
Luna
PetFirst saved his parents
$6,712
A happy energetic Luna one morning couldn’t hold her food down. After months of multiple costly vet visits to specialists and an endoscopy, the problem was discovered and fixed. Luna put 22 pounds back on in no time and her parents were grateful for having PetFirst by their side to pay the bills.
Pets Can Live Longer With Good Care
Just as humans live longer now because of the advance of medical care available, pets are the same.
With veterinary treatments improving, our pets can get the care they need to live longer.
Yet, with those improvements comes to a higher price tag and the cost of veterinary care and treatment has escalated.
Therefore, if you can be ahead of the curve and insure your pet before a big illness occurs, it could certainly help your dog and cat to live longer.
Even a simple illness like a doggie flu or a cold in a cat can be dangerous as your pets’ age.
By having pet insurance, you never have to think twice about going to the vet and worrying about the vet bill.
Most Coverage Will Continue Throughout a Pet’s Life
The good news is that even if you insure your dog or cat at eight to ten years’ old, the coverage will continue throughout your pet’s life.
For instance, some pet insurance providers, like Healthy Paws won’t enroll pets over 13.
However, if your dog has been enrolled at 8 or older, coverage will continue throughout your pet’ life as long as you continue to pay your premium.
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Some Policies Cover End Of Life
While this is never something you want to consider, many pet insurance companies will cover the end of life costs.
It’s really not so much about the expense of euthanasia, but you can know that you can go to your favorite vet to make the end that much more peaceful.
Some pet insurance companies like Figo will even waive the deductible if your dog or cat needs lifesaving care.
Is Your Pet Ever Too Old?
If your dog or cat is already way up in the years and some pet insurance companies won’t accept them, say 14 or 15, it might be the right decision to forgo pet insurance.
At that point, your dog or cat would probably not be the right candidate.
There are some pet insurance providers, like Pets Best and Petplan that have no upper age limit.
Therefore, you can decide if your dog or cat is healthy enough and worth the extra investment.
There are way too many pet owners that regret not having pet insurance as their pets’ age and new conditions and illnesses start to creep up.
Our glossary of the common health conditions for dogs and cats can give you some ideas into not only of all the conditions that can occur but the cost of the treatment of each.
If you want to look at some of the top pet insurance providers and the age limits of the different policies, our top 10 pet insurance companies is a great place to start!
Other articles you may find helpful:
Is Exotic Pet Insurance Necessary?
The Best Pet Insurance By State
Fun Facts, Dog FAQ, And Unsolicited Dog Advice
5 Training Commands to Save Your Dog’s Life
The Ultimate Guide to Safe Foods for Dogs
Pet insurance is similar to other insurances but does have some major differences as compared to your health insurance. Below you will find a definitive list of frequently asked pet insurance questions to help in your decision.
Types of Pet Insurance Coverage
Comprehensive Pet Insurance Explained
Insurance vs. Wellness Pet Insurance Plans
Is Pet Dental Insurance Worth the Extra Cost
Best Pet Insurance Plans with Shortest Waiting Periods
Pet Insurance Coverage Exclusions and Limits
Pet Insurance Benefit Limits Explained
How to Make a Claim on your Pet Insurance
Is my Pet too Old for Pet Insurance Coverage
Top Reasons to Purchase Pet Insurance
How much does Pet Insurance Cost
Pet Insurance for Multiple Pets
Pet Insurance that Covers Spaying and Neutering
Does Pet Insurance Cover Shots
Pet Insurance with Pre-Existing Conditions
Enter your ZIP code below to view companies that have cheap pet insurance rates.
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Eric Stauffer
Licensed Insurance Agent
Eric Stauffer is an insurance agent and banker-turned-consumer advocate. His priority is educating individuals and families about the different types of insurance coverage. He is passionate about helping consumers find the best coverage for their budgets and personal needs. Eric is the CEO of C Street Media, a full-service marketing firm and the co-founder of ProperCents.com, a financial educat...
Licensed Insurance Agent
We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about pet insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything pet insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by pet insurance experts.