Puppy or Senior Dog: When's the Best Time to Get Pet Insurance?

Why younger is almost always cheaper

Premiums for pet insurance generally increase with age, similar to human life insurance. Enrolling a puppy or kitten typically locks in a lower starting rate than waiting until your pet is already a senior.

The pre-existing condition problem

Pet insurance, like most insurance, excludes pre-existing conditions — anything your pet was already diagnosed with or showing symptoms of before coverage started. Waiting until a health issue appears means that exact issue likely won't be covered.

Why senior pets aren't a lost cause

Even if your dog or cat is already older, coverage can still be worth it for anything that develops after enrollment — it just won't retroactively cover anything pre-existing. Getting coverage now is still better than waiting longer.

The waiting period factor

Most policies have a waiting period — often a couple weeks for illness coverage — before coverage actually kicks in. This is another reason earlier enrollment matters: you want that window to pass before you actually need it.

• Enroll as early as possible to lock in a lower starting rate
• Understand that pre-existing conditions are typically excluded going forward
• Account for the waiting period before assuming you're covered
• Don't assume an older pet means coverage isn't worth getting at all

The honest bottom line

If you're debating whether now is the right time, the answer is almost always yes — every month you wait is a month where an undiagnosed condition could become a permanent exclusion.