Pet insurance is important for many reasons—pet owners often don't realize that vet medicine and technology have reached an all-time high. We can now provide our pets with treatments similar to what we might do for ourselves if we become hurt or sick.
Vets today use equipment and procedures similar, if not identical, to those your physician or surgeon might use on you. Because of this, pets live longer and healthier lives, but this high level of care comes at a price, and many pet owners are unaware of just how high the cost of caring for aging dogs and cats can be.
The good news is that Pets Best Insurance offers customizable coverage to suit the needs of senior pets and your budget:
Pet Insurance for Senior Dogs
Since very few pet insurance companies offer coverage for pre-existing conditions, the best time to insure your pet is while they're young. This can help reduce the number of conditions that wouldn't be covered. However, don't let this discourage you from getting senior pet insurance! Pet insurance can still cover hundreds of other conditions, and with customized deductibles and reimbursement, policy costs can be adjusted to help fit your budget.
Can I Get Pet Insurance for My Older Cat?
Yes, you can get pet insurance for your older cat. One of the great things about insuring your senior pet or pets with Pets Best Insurance is that we offer many plan options. Pet owners can also customize their policy to fit both their budgetary needs and senior pet’s needs.
Is There an Age Limit for Senior Pet Insurance?
While some pet insurance companies have an age limit on insuring older dogs and cats, Pets Best has no age limit. Whether your pet is a fluffy baby or shaggy senior, we cover a wide range of accidents, illnesses, hereditary and congenital conditions, and optional routine care. Your pet's age will not determine whether or not they are able to receive insurance coverage, but it will impact plan premiums.
What Can Raise the Premium for Senior Dog Pet Insurance?
Many pet owners are surprised to learn that insurance rates are based on a number of things that are largely out of the insurer's hands—like actuarial data that indicates senior pets file more claims on average and have more health problems overall.
Some of the other premium price-determining factors include:
- Age and breed
- Location
- Plan and deductible selected
- Rising costs of care
Think of pet insurance like human health insurance. For example, a younger individual in their 20's would pay a lower insurance premium than someone in their 80's. The reason is that the older individual will likely have more health issues than someone 60 years younger. The same ideology applies to pet insurance premiums for older pets.
Is Insurance Worth it for an Older Pet?
As pets (and people) age, they are more likely to develop issues like cancers, diabetes, and other age-related conditions. For example, approximately 1 in 4 pets will develop cancer sometime in their life, and it's most often seen in older pets.1
Ultimately, to decide if pet insurance is a good fit for your older pet, you'll want to factor in the following:
- Life expectancy: What is the general life expectancy of your dog's breed? Depending on the age of your pet, your insurance premium will go up the older they get.
- Quality of Life: If your dog does develop a serious condition like cancer, what treatments would you be willing to try? Some treatments can impact your pet's quality of life.
- Coverage: Does the insurance cover everything you're looking for and exclude things you won't need? For example, optional routine care coverage for spaying or neutering probably isn't part of the consideration when it comes to senior pets and would be unnecessary coverage.
As with any other insurance, the same applies to pet insurance, the higher the deductible you choose, the lower your monthly premium and vice versa. Pets Best Insurance offers multiple deductible options to choose from, including $100 to $1000 in $50 increments, or other options.
Aside from the highly customizable deductibles, pet owners can choose from a 70%, 80%, or 90% level of reimbursement. Another great perk, Pets Best Insurance offers a wide variety of coverage and optional benefits like routine care coverage for vaccinations, dental cleanings, and more.*
*Terms and conditions apply. See policy for details.
1 American Veterinary Medical Association. (n.d.). Cancer in Pets. Retrieved from avma.org: https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/cancer-pets