--- title: "Pet Insurance for Older Dogs: Costs, Age Limits and Options" canonical: "https://www.simplyinsurance.com/pet-insurance-for-older-dogs/" description: "You can often still insure an older dog, but age limits, pre-existing exclusions and rising premiums apply. Here's how senior pet insurance works." silo: "pet" published: "2026-09-24" updated: "2026-09-24" author: "sa-el" source: "Simply Insurance" --- You can often still get pet insurance for an older dog, but it works differently than insuring a puppy. Premiums tend to rise with age, some insurers stop taking new pets past a certain age, and anything your dog has already been treated for will likely be excluded. That's why accident-only coverage is worth a look for many senior dogs. It averaged $190 a year in 2025, against $836 for an accident and illness plan, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA). Below you'll find when a dog counts as a senior, why coverage costs more, how age limits and pre-existing conditions work, what older dogs commonly claim for, and how to decide. There's a section on older cats too. ## When is a dog considered a senior? It depends on size. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says larger dogs tend to have shorter life spans, so experts suggest treating a dog as a senior once it reaches the last 25% of its breed's expected life span. Using American Kennel Club data, the AVMA puts that at: | Dog size | Considered senior at about | | --- | --- | | Small or toy breeds (under 20 pounds) | 8 to 11 years | | Medium breeds (20 to 50 pounds) | 8 to 10 years | | Large breeds (50 to 90 pounds) | 8 to 9 years | | Giant breeds (over 90 pounds) | 6 to 7 years | Cats are simpler. The AVMA says they're generally considered senior after 10. ## Why pet insurance costs more for older dogs Older dogs get sick more, and insurers price for that. The AVMA says senior pets are vulnerable to aging-related problems and should see a vet twice a year or more. It lists heart disease, kidney or urinary tract disease, liver disease, diabetes, joint or bone disease, obesity, and vision or hearing loss among the most common health problems as pets age. It also says cancer is the cause of death in almost half of dogs over 10. So many insurers raise premiums as a pet gets older. The Pet Insurance Model Act written by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) requires insurers in the states that adopt it to tell you up front whether they raise premiums based on your pet's age. If a policy you're looking at does, ask what that has looked like at renewal for dogs your dog's age. Prices are rising across the board, too. The average accident and illness premium for dogs went from $625 in 2021 to $836 in 2025, about 34% higher, with an 11.5% jump in 2025 alone. Those averages blend puppies with seniors, so an older dog's quote is likely to land above them. ## Age limits: can you insure a dog at any age? It varies by insurer. The NAIC says some insurance companies won't accept pets after a certain age. Others will take a dog of any age but price the policy for it. There's no single cutoff, so check each insurer's enrollment rules for your dog's age before you spend time on a quote. The NAIC's wording is about accepting new pets. That's why getting coverage in place and keeping it matters so much. Ask whether an age limit applies only when you sign up or also when the policy renews. Once your dog is covered, renewal works in your favor in states that follow the model law: - An insurer can't require a vet exam to renew the policy. Delaware, Nebraska, Rhode Island and Vermont have written that rule into their own law. - Waiting periods can't be applied again at renewal. - A condition the policy covered can't be treated as pre-existing when you renew. Those protections don't carry over if you switch insurers. The model defines a renewal as a new policy from the same insurer or an affiliated one, so a policy from a new company starts fresh, with new waiting periods and a new look at your dog's history. ## Pre-existing conditions matter more for an older dog Under the NAIC model law, a pre-existing condition is any condition where, before the policy started or during its waiting period, a vet gave advice, your pet was treated, or your pet had signs or symptoms directly related to the condition. Most pet insurers exclude pre-existing conditions, according to the NAIC. A puppy has a short medical record. An 8-year-old Lab has years of vet visits, and every problem in that record is a candidate for exclusion. That's why a policy for an older dog often covers less, even as it costs more. Some conditions may come back into coverage. The Alabama Department of Insurance explains that insurers may treat a curable pre-existing condition differently from an incurable one. For a curable one, the company may make you wait before covering it. Incurable conditions such as diabetes or cancer may be excluded or covered only on a limited basis. A vet may need to examine your pet to certify its health. Before you buy, pull your dog's full medical record and read each policy's pre-existing condition definition against it. Then ask the insurer how it would treat each problem on the list. ## Accident-only coverage for older dogs Accident-only plans pay for injuries, not illnesses. NAPHIA's examples are "foreign body ingestion, lacerations, motor vehicle accident, ligament tears, poisoning, etc." Here's what they've cost compared with accident and illness plans: | Year | Dogs, accident only | Dogs, accident and illness | | --- | --- | --- | | 2021 | $192 | $625 | | 2022 | $201 | $640 | | 2023 | $204 | $675 | | 2024 | $193 | $749 | | 2025 | $190 | $836 | Accident-only coverage has stayed around $190 to $204 a year while accident and illness coverage climbed about 34%. In 2025 it cost less than a quarter as much, about $16 a month. That can make it a good fit for an older dog in two cases. One is when your dog's record already has several conditions an accident and illness policy would exclude, so you'd be paying for illness coverage you couldn't use for those problems. The other is when a full plan's price at your dog's age is more than you're willing to pay. The trade-off is real, though. Accident-only coverage won't pay for cancer, kidney disease, heart disease or any other illness, and illnesses fill most of NAPHIA's list of the conditions dogs are claimed for most. One detail to check: NAPHIA lists ligament tears as an accident, but the NAIC model law counts a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament, a knee ligament injury, as an orthopedic condition. Ask how an accident-only plan would treat a knee injury that wasn't caused by an obvious accident. ## What older dogs commonly claim for NAPHIA's list of the conditions dogs were claimed for most often in 2025 covers dogs of all ages. It runs stomach and digestive problems, ear infections, skin conditions, anxiety and behavioral issues, allergies, growths and masses, eye disorders, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, musculoskeletal problems, exams and wellness, and vomiting. Several of those line up with what the AVMA flags as common with age: - Growths and masses. The AVMA lists lumps, bumps and discolored skin among the signs of cancer to watch for in senior pets. - Musculoskeletal problems. The AVMA names joint or bone disease as common in aging pets and arthritis as a common cause of slowing down. - Eye disorders. The AVMA says senior pets may develop cataracts and lose some sight. - Urinary tract infections. The AVMA lists kidney or urinary tract disease among the most common problems as pets age. Big bills aren't only an old-dog problem. The largest dog claim NAPHIA recorded in 2025 was $66,600, for a 3-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog with a chronic illness nobody could diagnose. That's an extreme case, and most dogs never come close. But it's a good reminder that the cheapest time to buy coverage is before your dog needs it. ## Pet insurance for older cats The AVMA says cats are generally considered senior after 10, and Cornell University's Feline Health Center says many cats start showing age-related changes between 7 and 10. Several of the conditions cats are claimed for most, including kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, arthritis and diabetes, become more common with age: - Cornell says chronic kidney disease affects up to 40% of cats over 10 and 80% of cats over 15. - Cornell says hyperthyroidism mostly affects middle-aged and older cats. - Cornell lists increasing age among the most important risk factors for diabetes in cats. - Cornell describes dental disease as extremely common in older cats, and arthritis as common. Cats cost less to insure than dogs. In 2025, accident and illness plans averaged $435 a year for cats and accident-only plans averaged $112, per NAPHIA. The same rules apply as for dogs: some insurers cap the enrollment age, premiums tend to rise with age, and conditions already in your cat's record will likely be excluded. If your cat already has kidney disease or hyperthyroidism, a new policy probably won't cover it, which makes accident-only coverage or a savings fund worth comparing. Our full guide to [pet insurance for cats](https://www.simplyinsurance.com/pet-insurance-for-cats/) covers kittens through seniors. ## How to decide on insurance for an older dog Start with your dog's records. List every condition a vet has noted, because those are the ones a new policy is most likely to exclude. What's left to insure is new illnesses and accidents. Next, get quotes for both an accident and illness plan and an accident-only plan, with the same deductible and reimbursement rate so they line up. Our [pet insurance cost guide](https://www.simplyinsurance.com/how-much-is-pet-insurance/) explains how each of those settings moves the price. For each quote, check: - The maximum enrollment age, and whether any age limit applies at renewal. - Whether the premium rises with age, and by how much. - The annual limit, since a serious illness in an older dog can be expensive. - How long the waiting periods are. Our guide to [pet insurance waiting periods](https://www.simplyinsurance.com/pet-insurance-waiting-periods/) explains what they are and how to get one waived. - Whether exam fees and prescription drugs are covered. Then weigh the premium against what you could pay on your own. If you could cover a large vet bill from savings without trouble, putting the premium into a dedicated savings account can work instead. If a bill of a few thousand dollars would mean borrowing or skipping treatment, insurance moves that risk off you, even with exclusions. Keep in mind that insurance won't pay for routine senior care like checkups. That's wellness care, which we cover in [does pet insurance cover spaying and vaccines](https://www.simplyinsurance.com/does-pet-insurance-cover-spaying-and-vaccines/). For the bigger picture, see [is pet insurance worth it](https://www.simplyinsurance.com/is-pet-insurance-worth-it/). When you're ready, [compare pet insurance quotes](https://www.simplyinsurance.com/compare-pet-insurance-quotes-online/) for your dog's age and ZIP code. For more guides, head to our [pet insurance hub](https://www.simplyinsurance.com/pet-insurance/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you get pet insurance for a senior dog? Often, yes. Some insurers won't accept pets past a certain age, according to the NAIC, but others will take older dogs. Expect a higher premium than for a young dog, and expect anything already in your dog's medical record to be excluded as pre-existing. ### Is there an age limit for pet insurance? Some insurers have one and some don't. The NAIC says some companies won't accept pets after a certain age, and the cutoff varies by insurer. Check each insurer's enrollment rules for your dog's age, and ask whether the limit applies only when you sign up. ### Is pet insurance worth it for an older dog? It can be, if a large vet bill would be hard to cover and your dog doesn't already have many conditions a policy would exclude. If your dog's record is long, compare an accident-only plan, which averaged $190 a year for dogs in 2025, against putting that money into savings. ### How much is pet insurance for a senior dog? NAPHIA doesn't publish prices by age. The national average for a dog's accident and illness plan was $836 a year in 2025 and accident-only was $190, but those blend dogs of every age, so a senior dog's quote is likely to be higher. Get quotes for your dog's actual age and ZIP code. ### Does pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions in older dogs? Usually not. Most pet insurers exclude pre-existing conditions, according to the NAIC. The Alabama Department of Insurance notes that some companies may cover a curable pre-existing condition after a waiting period, while incurable ones like diabetes or cancer may be excluded or covered only on a limited basis. ### Is accident-only pet insurance a good idea for an old dog? It can be. Accident-only plans averaged $190 a year for dogs in 2025, less than a quarter of the $836 average for accident and illness plans. They make the most sense when your dog already has conditions a full plan would exclude. They won't pay for illnesses like cancer or kidney disease. ### What age is considered a senior dog? The AVMA says it depends on size. Small and toy breeds are considered senior at about 8 to 11 years, medium breeds at 8 to 10, large breeds at 8 to 9 and giant breeds at 6 to 7. ### Can I get pet insurance for an older cat? Often, yes, with the same catches as for dogs: some insurers limit the enrollment age, premiums rise with age, and existing conditions will likely be excluded. Cats are considered senior after about 10, per the AVMA. Accident and illness coverage averaged $435 a year for cats in 2025, and accident-only averaged $112. ## Sources - North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), [State of the Industry Report 2026](https://naphia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/NAPHIA_SOI2026_Report_HIGHLIGHTS_26-06-24.pdf), published June 2026 and covering the 2025 calendar year. Average premiums by plan type and the 2021 to 2025 trend, product definitions, most common conditions claimed and largest claims paid. - American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), [Caring for senior cats and dogs](https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/senior-pets). Senior ages by size, vet visit frequency, common health problems and cancer statistics. - National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), [Pet Insurance Model Act (#633)](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/model-law-633.pdf), adopted summer 2022. Definitions of pre-existing condition, renewal, waiting period and orthopedic, the age-based premium disclosure, and the renewal rules. - National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), [Pet insurance](https://content.naic.org/insurance-topics/pet-insurance), consumer topic page last updated April 2025. - State pet insurance laws barring a vet exam as a condition of renewal: [Delaware Code, Title 18, § 8805](https://delcode.delaware.gov/title18/c088/index.html); [Nebraska Revised Statute 44-6506](https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=44-6506); [Rhode Island General Laws § 27-83-4](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE27/27-83/27-83-4.htm), effective January 1, 2026; [Vermont Statutes, 8 V.S.A. § 7155](https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/08/149/07155), effective July 1, 2025. - Alabama Department of Insurance, [consumer release on pet insurance](https://aldoi.gov/currentnewsitem.aspx?ID=984), February 2018. - Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell Feline Health Center: [Chronic Kidney Disease](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/chronic-kidney-disease), [Hyperthyroidism in Cats](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/hyperthyroidism-cats), [Feline Diabetes](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-diabetes) and [The Special Needs of the Senior Cat](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/special-needs-senior-cat). 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