You may notice that health care costs increase as your dog gets older and becomes more susceptible to accidents and health problems. The right pet insurance for older dogs can ease the financial burden and ensure your pet can get timely care.
Since upper age limits and exclusions for certain conditions can apply, researching multiple pet insurance plans is crucial for finding coverage that suits your aging dog’s health care needs and your budget.
Average monthly premium for dogs
$45.59
Average monthly premium for cats
$26.03
Accident waiting period
3 days (in most states)
On CompareCoverage’s Website
Average monthly premium for dogs
$54.90
Average monthly premium for cats
$29.44
Accident waiting period
None
On CompareCoverage’s Website
Average monthly premium for dogs
$65.07
Average monthly premium for cats
$31.40
Accident waiting period
None
On CompareCoverage’s Website
Methodology
To choose our winners for the best pet insurance for older dogs, we analyzed 16 companies. We judged each company across 13 categories essential to good policies. We used a $250 deductible, an 80% reimbursement percentage and annual coverage limits of $5,000 and unlimited — or the closest options available with each company. We analyzed over 400 data points and used more than a dozen primary data sources during our research. Winners are chosen based on their overall scores and our editorial judgment. Read our full methodology here.
Show summary
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ASPCA
: Best all-around policies for older dogs
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MetLife
: Best if your dog has preexisting conditions
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Pets Best
: Best if you want your insurer to pay the vet directly
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Figo
: Best if you want to waive waiting periods
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Spot
: Great if you’re worried about orthopedic conditions
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Pumpkin
: Best if you want your pet’s end-of-life expenses covered
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Embrace
: Best if you have multiple pets to insure
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ManyPets
: Best if you’re switching from a different insurer
ASPCA
Best all-around policies for older dogs
Why we picked it
ASPCA stood out as the best policies for older dogs. It had the lowest average monthly premium of $30.36 for 7-year-old dogs, compared to our study’s average of $87.93. Key features include comprehensive end-of-life expense coverage, a 10% multi-pet discount, pet exam fee reimbursement and no separate waiting period for orthopedic conditions outside of the 14 days for accidents and illnesses. The curable preexisting condition waiting period is a reasonably short 180 days: This means you only have to wait for 180 days after a qualifying preexisting condition is considered cured to have coverage for it. (Orthopedic conditions aren’t considered curable.)
While ASPCA’s policies include many features, its 14-day accident waiting period is above our study’s average of eight days.
Pros
- Lowest average monthly premium for older dogs in our study
- 14-day waiting period for orthopedic conditions
- Covers curable preexisting conditions (outside of orthopedic conditions) after 180 days
- No upper age limit
Cons
- 14-day waiting period for accidents is longer than competitors’
Who should use it
You want cheap pet insurance for your older dog with comprehensive policy features and below-average waiting periods for orthopedic and curable preexisting conditions.
MetLife
Best if your dog has preexisting conditions
Why we picked it
MetLife is flexible with covering preexisting conditions if you’re switching from another insurer. For example, if your former insurer covered the condition, MetLife might provide coverage rather than exclude it as preexisting. In addition to having no upper age limit or accident waiting period, the insurer had a below-average $70.78 monthly premium for senior dogs.
A drawback of choosing MetLife is that some of its policies include a six-month waiting period before orthopedic conditions are covered.
Pros
- Can cover preexisting conditions if switching from another insurer
- Immediate coverage for accidents
- Below-average monthly premium for older dogs
- No upper age limit
Cons
- Six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions under some policies
Who should use it
You’re considering a switch and your older dog has a preexisting condition that your current insurer covers.
Pets Best
Best if you want your insurer to pay the vet directly
Why we picked it
Pet’s Best offers a direct pay option so that you can avoid paying for your dog’s care upfront with credit or cash. This is convenient if you’re on a tight budget or don’t want to wait for a reimbursement check. Offering accident and illness coverage without an upper age limit, this insurer also had a below-average monthly premium of $65.50 for older dogs.
However, one of Pet’s Best’s plans (Essential) doesn’t include reimbursement for pet exam fees. Additionally, there’s a lengthy 18-month waiting period before any curable preexisting conditions are eligible for coverage.
Pros
- Direct pay available
- Below-average monthly premium for older dogs
- Three-day waiting period for accidents in most states
- No upper age limit
Cons
- Won’t reimburse pet exam fees under all plans
- Won’t cover curable preexisting conditions until after 18 months
- Six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions in most states
Who should use it
You want budget-friendly coverage with the convenience of having your insurer pay your vet directly.
Figo
Best if you want to waive waiting periods
Why we picked it
While it has waiting periods of six months for orthopedic conditions and 14 days for illnesses, Figo gives you a way to waive them. You can take your dog to the vet for a full exam and have them fill out a waiver form within 30 days of your policy becoming effective (although this time frame may vary by state). This provider has no upper age limit, and its average monthly premium of $68.93 for older dogs was below average.
One drawback is that Figo doesn’t reimburse you for claim-related pet exam fees, unless you purchase the applicable add-on. This will increase your potential out-of-pocket costs.
Pros
- Can waive the waiting periods for illnesses and orthopedic conditions if you have a full vet exam
- Below-average monthly premium for older dogs
- One-day waiting period for accidents in most states
- No upper age limit
Cons
- Won’t reimburse pet exam fees unless you pay for an add-on
- Won’t cover curable preexisting conditions until after 12 months
- Six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions without waiver
Who should use it
You’d like to waive the waiting periods for illnesses and orthopedic conditions and you’re comfortable with your older dog having a full exam to do so.
Spot
Great if you’re worried about orthopedic conditions
Why we picked it
Spot has a 14-day waiting period regardless of whether your dog needs treatment for an accident, illness or orthopedic condition. This provides an advantage over other providers that make you wait six months to one year for orthopedic condition coverage. Plus, your dog can qualify for Spot’s accident and illness plan without an upper age limit.
One downside is that Spot’s above-average $101.17 monthly premium for older dogs made it one of the most expensive insurers we reviewed.
Pros
- 14-day waiting period for orthopedic conditions
- Covers curable preexisting conditions (outside of orthopedic conditions) after 180 days
- No upper age limit
Cons
- One of the most expensive monthly premiums for older dogs
- 14-day waiting period for accidents is longer than competitors’
Who should use it
Your older dog’s breed is prone to orthopedic conditions so you want a shorter waiting period to help reduce the likelihood of having a future issue be considered preexisting.
Pumpkin
Best if you want your pet’s end-of-life expenses covered
Why we picked it
Pumpkin stands out for offering comprehensive end-of-life expense coverage, which is especially important for older pets. While some other providers cover limited services, Pumpkin includes euthanasia, cremation and burial costs. Plus, it has no upper age limit for accident and illness coverage.
However, our study found that Pumpkin was one of the priciest insurers for older dogs. Its monthly premium of $146.86 was around $59 higher than our study’s average.
Pros
- End-of-life expense coverage includes euthanasia, cremation and burial
- 14-day waiting period for orthopedic conditions
- Covers curable preexisting conditions (outside of orthopedic conditions) after 180 days
- No upper age limit
Cons
- One of the most expensive monthly premiums for older dogs
- 14-day waiting period for accidents is longer than competitors’
Who should use it
You’re willing to pay more expensive premiums for the peace of mind of comprehensive end-of-life expense coverage.
Embrace
Best if you have multiple pets to insure
Why we picked it
Embrace offers a 10% discount if you need to insure multiple pets. It also had a below-average monthly premium for older dogs at $83.31. Additionally, it has no waiting period for filing accident claims.
Despite these perks, Embrace sets an upper age limit of 14 years for accident and illness plan enrollment. If you have an older dog, you can only get the company’s accident-only plan. And, it only reimburses you for pet exam fees if you choose the optional add-on.
Pros
- Offers 10% multi-pet discount
- Below-average monthly premium for older dogs
- Immediate coverage for accidents
Cons
- Upper age limit of 14 years for accident and illness plans
- Won’t cover curable preexisting conditions until after 12 months
- Six-month waiting period for orthopedic conditions in most states
- Won’t reimburse pet exam fees unless you pay for an add-on
Who should use it
You have multiple pets and want to save with the multi-pet discount and below-average premiums.
ManyPets
Best if you’re switching from a different insurer
Why we picked it
ManyPets offers to waive its 15-day waiting periods if you’re switching from another insurance company. You would need to just send proof of your prior coverage within 24 hours of purchasing your ManyPets policy. This insurer also had a below-average monthly premium for older dogs at $71.76.
On the downside, ManyPets won’t cover hip dysplasia if your dog is 6 years or older when you purchase the policy. It also requires that you enroll your pet by age 14 for coverage in general (as long as you meet this requirement and continue to pay your premiums, your dog can be covered for their full life), has a lengthy 18-month waiting period for curable preexisting conditions and doesn’t offer a multi-pet discount.
Pros
- Can waive the waiting periods if switching from another insurer
- Below-average monthly premium for older dogs
- No upper age limit as long as your pet is enrolled by 14 years
Cons
- Won’t cover hip dysplasia for dogs 6 years or older
- Won’t cover curable preexisting conditions until after 18 months
- Doesn’t offer a multi-pet discount
- 15-day waiting period for accidents (in most states) is longer than competitors’
Who should use it
You’re changing insurers and want to skip waiting periods, and your pet isn’t older than 14.
Our picks at a glance
*Even if an upper age limit is noted for accident and illness coverage, your pet may still be eligible for an accident-only plan with the insurer.
**Preexisting conditions that qualify as “curable” vary by insurer.
***ManyPets won’t cover hip dysplasia if your dog is 6 years or older when you purchase a policy.
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Why do you need pet insurance for an older dog?
- Safeguard your finances: Since you can budget for out-of-pocket costs like your premiums and deductibles and plan on reimbursements for covered health care expenses, pet insurance can reduce the strain on your bank account or need to borrow funds.
- Prepare for age-related conditions: Insuring a healthy older dog now provides peace of mind in case age-related issues develop that require costly treatment and could be excluded as preexisting if you wait to get a policy.
- Ensure your dog’s well-being: Thanks to this financial protection, you could focus more on getting your older dog the necessary care for illnesses and injuries rather than potentially delaying treatments you can’t afford.
Types of pet insurance for older dogs
When shopping for pet insurance for your older dog, you’ll come across these three types of policies:
- Accident and illness plans: Accident and illness plans are the most comprehensive option for when your pet gets sick or hurt. For example, the insurer could reimburse you if your older dog breaks a bone, develops cancer or has a urinary tract infection. Some examples of covered costs include testing, hospital visits, surgeries and medicines. These plans are typically the most expensive and exclude routine care.
- Accident-only plans: Usually cheaper than comprehensive plans, accident-only plans don’t include coverage for routine care and illnesses. They may cover treatment costs if your pet experiences an accidental injury, such as a cut, torn ligament or poisonous ingestion. These plans may be available to older pets when accident and illness plans aren’t.
- Wellness plans: You can typically add wellness coverage to your main pet insurance plan to get reimbursed for typical routine care services. These can include wellness checkups, vaccinations, dental care, diagnostic tests and preventative treatments.
At what age is a dog considered a senior?
The American Veterinary Medical Association says, based on data from the American Animal Hospital Association and American Kennel Club, that the age when your dog will be considered a senior depends on the specific breed. Typically, this is when your dog has reached 75% of their life expectancy. In addition to looking up the specific breed’s lifespan, you can consider some average age ranges based on your dog’s size.
Small dog breeds might become seniors between 8 and 11 years old, and the range is a similar 8 to 10 years for medium breeds. If you have a large dog, the average range is between 8 and 9 years, compared to 6 to 7 years for giant dog breeds.
What to consider when insuring an older dog
When looking into senior dog insurance, consider your pet’s current health, including any preexisting conditions that the policy won’t cover. If your dog currently has a curable preexisting condition or will likely develop an orthopedic condition in the future, check the insurer’s waiting periods and requirements for covering these types of issues. Also, ensure the plan includes sufficient coverage for age- and breed-related health concerns and other preferred features, such as wellness care, direct pay options and pet exam fee reimbursement.
Also consider your dog’s age and life expectancy since those impact plan availability and affordability. Some pet insurance companies set upper age limits of 10 to 14 years and might offer just accident-only coverage (or no coverage at all) for dogs above this threshold. You should also plan for higher insurance premiums and choose your coverage options — like your deductible, annual coverage limit, reimbursement rate and add-ons — wisely to save money.
What’s different about senior pet insurance?
In general, senior pet insurance policies are the same as for younger pets. However, they tend to cost more due to a higher risk of claims for an older pet’s care. Because of upper age limits, you may also have fewer options for coverage, especially if you want a plan covering both accidents and illnesses. Plus, your senior dog might be more likely to have a health condition that pet insurers don’t cover, such as preexisting conditions or hip dysplasia.
Is it more difficult to insure an older dog?
While you can find insurers without upper age restrictions, your options may be more limited depending on your dog’s age. Additionally, since insurers consider your dog’s age in determining risk and premiums, you may find it more difficult to find cheap pet insurance for older dogs.
If your dog has preexisting conditions, finding sufficient coverage gets even more challenging. And, most policies have waiting periods for accidents, illnesses, orthopedic conditions and curable preexisting conditions, so the longer you have to wait for coverage to kick in, the higher the chances your senior dog may suffer from a medical issue that’s considered preexisting. In most cases, you won’t find pet insurance with no waiting periods.
How to reduce the cost of senior dog pet insurance
Here are some ways to reduce your older dog’s pet insurance costs:
- Compare quotes: Research plan prices through multiple insurers that cover older pets. Use comparable coverage, deductible and reimbursement options for a more accurate comparison.
- Get accident-only coverage: Since it excludes coverage for illnesses, an accident-only plan is usually more affordable and accessible for an older pet. This is riskier, though, since you’ll cover all vet costs if your dog gets sick.
- Choose coverage options wisely: You can save if you select a higher deductible, lower reimbursement rate and/or lower coverage limit. Just consider how much out-of-pocket costs you can afford.
- Seek discounts: Some companies offer discounts for insuring multiple pets, belonging to a certain group or having a healthy pet. You might qualify for insurer loyalty and multi-policy discounts, too.
Is pet insurance worth it for senior dogs?
Pet insurance for a senior dog can be worth it if you’re concerned about your pet developing serious health conditions that would strain your budget. The policy could help protect you financially if your dog needs treatment for an accident or illness. You would have peace of mind that you wouldn’t need to forgo care for your dog or potentially drain your finances.
But if your older dog has incurable preexisting conditions, the policy likely won’t help cover those costs. And if your dog needs little veterinary care, the potentially costly premiums may be more than your pet’s actual benefits. Considering your dog’s life expectancy and health risks and your budget will help you decide whether getting pet insurance is the right move.
Methodology
To find the best pet insurance for older dogs, we examined 16 companies. From there, we judged each company across 13 categories essential to good policies.
During our research, we analyzed over 400 data points across the 16 companies and 13 categories and used more than a dozen primary data sources. The following sections describe the category we scored and the weight we gave that category in our scoring model. Note that we’ve condensed the 13 main categories into 10 sections below.
Average premium for older dogs (30%)
For the average monthly premiums for older dogs, we gathered quotes for a 7-year-old medium mixed-breed dog across various ZIP codes in 21 states from PetInsurer.com for the 16 insurance companies we reviewed. We used a $250 deductible (or the closest option offered by each company), an 80% reimbursement percentage when available and annual coverage limits of $5,000 and unlimited. If a $5,000 option was not available, quotes were not gathered for this coverage limit. If an unlimited option was not available, we chose the highest limit offered. We then calculated the average of all quotes gathered for each insurance company.
Upper age limit (15%)
Some pet insurance companies set upper age limits for their policies, so if you have a senior dog, you may find that you have less options for coverage. Insurers without upper age limits received higher scores.
Waiting periods for accidents, illnesses and orthopedic conditions (12%)
Almost all pet insurance policies include a waiting period for accidents and for illnesses before coverage kicks in, and many also apply separate waiting periods for orthopedic conditions and/or cruciate ligament issues, which can range from six months to one year. Since an injury, illness or other condition can occur at any time, finding a pet insurer with smaller waiting periods can be beneficial to ensure claims will be covered as soon as possible. For this category, we looked to see how long the waiting periods for accidents, illnesses and orthopedic conditions/cruciate ligament issues are for each insurer, assigning a 4% weight to each factor for a total of 12%.
Curable preexisting conditions coverage (12%)
Although pet insurance doesn’t typically cover preexisting conditions, some insurers will cover preexisting medical issues that are curable. If your pet hasn’t been treated for or shown any symptoms of the condition after the waiting period specified in your policy, then it may be eligible for coverage. Companies that cover curable preexisting conditions with smaller waiting periods received higher scores.
Pet exam fee (9%)
Not all pet insurance companies cover the exam fees for covered accidents and illnesses, which can increase your out-of-pocket costs. For this category, we looked to see if this coverage is automatically included with each insurer or if an add-on is available.
Direct pay (8%)
Most pet insurers require you to pay the vet first and then submit a claim to receive reimbursement for eligible expenses, which may be difficult for some since you’ll need access to a larger sum of money or a line of credit to make the initial payment. However, some insurers offer an option to pay the vet directly (“direct pay”). In this category, insurers with a direct pay feature were scored higher than those without.
Multi-pet discount (5%)
If you own more than one pet, veterinary care can be even more expensive and managing costs can be more difficult. We researched which insurers offer a multi-pet discount and what the maximum percentage is, if applicable.
Euthanasia/end-of-life coverage (5%)
Some pet insurance companies don’t cover euthanasia or end-of-life expenses (such as cremation and burial costs), although an add-on may be available. After figuring out which insurers automatically provide this coverage, we determined whether or not a covered condition was required.
Routine wellness (3%)
Pet insurance policies don’t generally cover routine wellness or preventative care. However, many pet insurers offer separate plans or add-ons to help pay for these costs. As part of our research, we looked to see if a routine wellness plan was available with each insurer.
24/7 vet helpline (1%)
Some pet insurance companies offer a 24/7 vet helpline to help answer and discuss health-related questions and concerns. This can be helpful for pet owners in managing their pet’s health and determining what the next steps are, so the insurers that offer this service to their policyholders for free received a slight scoring boost.
What didn’t make the cut
Of the 16 pet insurance companies we analyzed for our final rankings, eight didn’t win a category. Two had overall scores below our 3-star threshold: Healthy Paws and Trupanion.
The other six — Nationwide, Paw Protect, Prudent Pet, Fetch, AKC and Lemonade — had overall scores above this threshold but didn’t stand out in any way to be considered winners due to low performances in various categories, such as average monthly premiums for older dogs, pet exam fee reimbursement, multi-pet discounts, waiting periods for accidents and orthopedic conditions and coverage for curable preexisting conditions.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What specific health conditions should I be aware of when insuring an older dog?
Older dogs may have health conditions such as arthritis, dental diseases, kidney failure, thyroid problems, cognitive issues and cancer. Pet insurance can cover such health conditions as long as they begin after your policy’s effective date and applicable waiting periods.
If your dog already has age-related conditions or other preexisting issues, getting a new insurer to cover treatment is more challenging. While many companies will cover curable preexisting conditions when they haven’t shown any symptoms or been treated after a period of time, the waiting period for coverage can range from 180 days to 18 months.
Can I get coverage for a senior dog if they have preexisting conditions?
If your senior dog has preexisting conditions, you could still sign up for a pet insurance policy. However, the insurer usually won’t cover costs for specifically treating existing conditions, unless they’re considered curable and an issue-free waiting period has passed. Pet insurance policies may also cover hereditary conditions that don’t show up until after the coverage’s waiting period.
Do pet insurance waiting periods change for older dogs?
Pet insurance waiting periods usually don’t change based on the covered pet’s age. Instead, they can depend on the insurer, state laws and the coverage type. For example, your policy’s waiting periods could be six months for orthopedic conditions or cruciate ligament issues, two weeks for illnesses and three days for accidents. Curable preexisting conditions usually have longer waiting periods, with the insurers in our study generally requiring 180 days to 18 months.
Are there any additional benefits or services included in senior pet insurance plans?
Senior pet insurance plans usually aren’t a separate product from regular pet insurance plans. However, you might focus on comprehensive plans that have no upper age limits and feature certain benefits and services. Examples include generous coverage for curable preexisting conditions, shorter waiting periods, end-of-life expense coverage and 24/7 access to a vet helpline for questions about your pet’s health. You might also consider riders that cover wellness services to safeguard your aging dog’s health.
How do routine care and wellness plans work for older dogs?
Usually a pet insurance policy add-on, a routine care and wellness plan helps cover your older dog’s vet checkups, screening tests, vaccinations and preventive medications. Depending on the plan, it could cover deworming, dental cleaning treatments and prescription food, too. These plans usually have annual and per-service reimbursement limits but no deductibles or waiting periods.
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Insurance offerings are powered by Marketplace P&C LLC, dba CompareCoverage, NPN 20753534 and CA Lic. # 6011227.
