Pet insurance for older dogs and cats: who still covers them
Most Australian insurers stop starting new accident and illness cover once a dog or cat turns 9, although a few products are written for older pets: Australian Seniors' Basic Accident & Illness Cover and Guardian's Bronze cover take pets under 16 at a 60 per cent benefit, and Guide Dogs' Basic Care is for pets aged 9 and over. If your older dog is already insured, the cheapest way to keep it insured is usually to adjust that policy, with a higher excess, a lower benefit percentage or a lower limit.
Switching is the expensive mistake for an older pet. A new insurer excludes everything already on the vet record as pre-existing, and by 9 or 10 most pets have a history, so keeping continuous cover matters more than finding a lower premium.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team ยท Last reviewed
General advice only. It doesn't consider your circumstances. Read the PDS and TMD before you decide.
Maximum entry ages by insurer
Entry ages are set in each PDS or Target Market Determination. The pattern is consistent: under 9 for most accident and illness products, with a few exceptions. 'Seniors pet insurance' often refers to Australian Seniors, a brand marketed to Australians over 50, so the word describes the owner. Its Basic Accident & Illness Cover is also one of the few products that accepts older pets, alongside Guardian's Bronze cover and Guide Dogs' Basic Care. If you searched for HBF pet insurance, HBF says on its website that it doesn't sell pet insurance.
| Product (document date) | Minimum entry age | Maximum age for new cover | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSPCA Pet Insurance Economy, Ultimate and Ultimate Plus (PDS 30 June 2025) | Over 8 weeks | Under 9 years | Renews for life while the product is issued and there is no break in cover |
| Bupa Pet Insurance (PDS 18 April 2024) | Over 8 weeks | Under 9 years | |
| Medibank Pet Insurance (PDS 10 December 2024) | Over 8 weeks | Under 9 years | |
| CommBank Pet Insurance (PDS 5 December 2023) | Over 8 weeks | Under 9 years | Issued by PetSure |
| Buddy, Everyday and Pet Insurance Australia (2025-26 PDSs) | See PDS | Under 9 years | |
| Budget Direct Pet Insurance (PDS 22 July 2024) | Over 8 weeks | Under 9 years | Cover continues past 9 if renewed with no gap |
| Knose (PDS 15 November 2024) | 6 weeks | 8 years and 364 days | No age limit at renewal |
| Petsy Protection Plus (PDS 15 November 2024) | 365 days | 8 years and 364 days | No age limit at renewal |
| Fetch (TMD 14 September 2026) | Over 8 weeks | Under 10 years | Target market as described in the TMD |
| Australian Seniors Top and Essential (PDS 2021, SPDS 28 August 2026) | 8 weeks | Under 9 years | Its Accident Only Cover is closed to new customers |
| Australian Seniors Basic Accident & Illness (PDS 2021, SPDS 28 August 2026) | Over 8 weeks | Under 16 years | 60% benefit, $2,000 limit per condition a year, $12,000 a year |
| Guardian Bronze (PDS 2021, SPDS 28 August 2026) | 8 weeks | Under 16 years | 60% benefit, $12,000 a year with a $2,000 annual condition limit; Gold and Platinum take pets under 9 |
| Guide Dogs Basic Care (PDS 2021, SPDS 28 August 2026) | 9 years | No maximum stated | Up to 75% benefit, $15,000 a year, $3,200 cruciate sub-limit; Comprehensive and Premium Care take pets under 9 |
| Petinsurance.com.au Best in Show, sold by ahm, Petbarn and Kogan (PDS 1 September 2026) | Not stated in the PDS or TMD | Under 9 years | Renewal offered each year while the product is provided |
| Bow Wow Meow Nose-to-Tail (PDS 6 November 2024) | Not stated in the PDS | Under 9 years | Renewal offered while the product is provided |
| Pet Circle Insurance (PDS 15 November 2024) | 6 weeks | 8 years and 364 days | No age limit at renewal |
| Coles Essential and Ultimate (TMDs 29 August 2025) | Not stated | The TMD isn't designed for first-time cover after a pet's 9th birthday | Coles' website says cover continues for life if bought before 9 and renewed without a break |
Cheap insurance for an older dog: keeping cover affordable
If the premium for an older dog has climbed, change the policy you have before you look elsewhere. These changes lower the cost without creating new pre-existing exclusions, because the cover stays continuous.
Check whether each change can be reversed before you make it. Petsy's PDS lets you reduce the annual limit at any time but not increase it again once the policy has started, and Knose and Petsy only let you add optional extras while a pet is aged 2 years and 364 days or younger, so dropping one may be permanent.
- A higher excess. Knose, for example, lets you increase its annual excess at any time.
- A lower benefit percentage, such as 70 instead of 80 per cent. Knose lets you decrease it at any time and increase it only at renewal.
- A lower annual limit, if your dog's likely bills sit well under the current one.
- A lower cover level, such as accident-only cover, if your insurer still offers it to existing customers. Several accident-only products are closed to new sales.
- Dropping optional extras you no longer use, such as routine care.
Does cover last for life?
Most policies can be renewed each year after the maximum entry age, as long as there is no break in cover. Budget Direct's PDS says cover continues past 9 if you renew without a gap, and Knose and Petsy have no age limit at renewal.
Lifelong renewal is conditional, though. The RSPCA PDS says cover continues for life only while the insurer continues to issue the product and there is no break in cover. Australian Seniors' supplementary PDS of 28 August 2026 removed its 'lifelong cover' question and says policies renew automatically for as long as the product is issued, with a possible replacement policy from PetSure if it stops. Read your renewal notice for changes to limits, excesses and exclusions as well as the premium.
Common conditions in older pets and how policies treat them
The University of Sydney's veterinary teaching hospital lists the health problems it commonly sees in older dogs and cats. Most are chronic, which decides how a policy treats them: covered if they first appear after cover starts and the waiting period ends, and excluded for good if they showed signs before.
| Condition | Common in | How the PDSs treat it |
|---|---|---|
| Osteoarthritis and mobility problems | Older dogs and cats | A chronic condition: once it is pre-existing, the RSPCA, Bupa and Medibank PDSs exclude it permanently |
| Dental and periodontal disease | Older dogs and cats | Often limited: Bupa's major dental benefit has a 6-month wait, Knose applies a 6-month exclusion period to dental illness for pets aged 1 or more, and Buddy sells dental cover as an optional Booster Care benefit |
| Chronic kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes | Older cats; diabetes and other hormonal diseases in older dogs too | Chronic, and hyperthyroidism and diabetes are endocrine diseases, which the RSPCA, Bupa and Medibank PDSs never treat as temporary conditions |
| Heart disease | Older dogs (most commonly valve disease) and older cats | Chronic; the RSPCA and Bupa PDSs also exclude mitral valve replacement surgery and pacemakers |
| Cancer | Older dogs and cats | Covered as an illness if it first shows after cover starts; per-condition limits, such as $2,000 a year on Australian Seniors Basic, cap what is paid |
Pre-existing conditions and older pets
By 9 or 10 many pets have a vet history: a skin allergy, an ear infection, arthritis, a dental problem. A new insurer will review that history and exclude anything that showed signs before cover began. Chronic conditions such as arthritis stay excluded permanently.
Some insurers will reconsider temporary conditions. PetSure-issued brands, including RSPCA, Bupa and Medibank, will lift the exclusion on a temporary condition that has had no signs or symptoms for 18 months, on application with a vet-certified form. Budget Direct covers a fully cured condition after 12 months without symptoms or treatment, but not recurring, related or bilateral conditions. Our pre-existing conditions guide explains how to ask for a review.
If your older pet needs treatment you can't afford
Talk to your vet before treatment starts: ask for a written estimate, whether treatment can be staged, and whether the clinic offers a payment plan. A new policy won't help with a condition your pet already has, because it is pre-existing. No-interest loans, Centrelink advance payments and concession clinics can, and our guide to help with vet bills sets out each option and what it costs.
When insurance stops making sense
There is no age at which you must stop insuring a pet, and the years when claims are most likely are also when cover is most expensive. The practical test is the same at any age: compare the premium plus the share of bills you would still pay with the bills you expect and could not absorb. If most of your pet's likely costs are for conditions already excluded, a savings buffer may do more than a policy. Our pet insurance break-even calculator runs the numbers with your own quote.
General advice only. This information doesn't take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether the product is right for you and read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before you decide. We don't compare every product in the market, and we may earn a commission if you take up a product through our links.
What to watch for
- Maximum entry age is commonly under 9 years for new accident and illness cover.
- A new policy excludes everything already on the vet record. Think twice before switching an older pet.
- Lifelong renewal is usually conditional on continuous cover and the product still being offered.
- Products for older pets can pay a lower benefit percentage with per-condition limits.
- Some changes to limits and extras can't be reversed. Check before you cut cover to save money.
Common questions
Can I get pet insurance for an older dog?
Yes, but choice narrows after 9. Most accident and illness policies set a maximum entry age under 9 years, Fetch's target market runs to under 10, and some products accept older pets on different terms, such as Australian Seniors Basic Accident & Illness Cover, which accepts pets under 16 at a 60% benefit.
Can I get pet insurance for my dog that is older than 8 years old?
Yes, with most insurers, as long as cover starts before your dog turns 9. The RSPCA, Bupa, Medibank and Budget Direct PDSs accept new pets under 9 years, Knose and Petsy up to 8 years and 364 days, and Fetch's target market runs to under 10. After that the choice narrows to products written for older pets.
Can you get pet insurance for a dog over 10 years old?
New cover is harder to find, but it exists. Of the documents we read, Australian Seniors' Basic Accident & Illness Cover and Guardian's Bronze cover accept pets under 16 at a 60 per cent benefit with a $2,000 limit per condition each year, and Guide Dogs' Basic Care is for pets aged 9 and over, at up to 75 per cent and $15,000 a year. If your dog is already insured, keep that policy.
What is the cheapest way to insure an older dog?
If your dog is already insured, keep that policy and adjust it: a higher excess, a lower benefit percentage, a lower limit or fewer extras. A new policy would exclude everything already on the vet record. If your dog isn't insured, compare the few products that accept older pets on their benefit percentage and per-condition limits as well as price.
What pet insurance do most vets recommend?
The Australian Veterinary Association doesn't recommend particular insurers. Its pet insurance policy says exclusions should be explained when a policy is taken out, whole body systems shouldn't be excluded because of an unrelated condition, disputed claims should be reviewed by a vet registered in Australia, and vets should have online claiming.
At what age should you stop pet insurance?
There is no set age. Compare the premium and the share of bills you would still pay with the costs you expect. If most likely claims relate to conditions already excluded, the policy is worth less.
Will my pet insurance premium go up as my pet ages?
Generally yes. Medibank's PDS, for example, says the risk of treatment increases as a pet gets older, so the premium increases. Adjusting the excess, benefit percentage or limit with your current insurer can reduce the cost without creating new pre-existing exclusions.
Does pet insurance cover arthritis in older dogs?
Only if it first showed signs after the policy started and the waiting period ended. Arthritis that is already on the vet record is a chronic pre-existing condition and stays excluded.