A number of people choose to not insure the health of their pets because they feel their pets are too old for pet insurance. And while this is often the case for the majority of pet insurance plans, there is one insurer who will allow you to insure your pet at any age…

Whilst it is obviously a great idea for you insure the health of your pet as early as possible (have a look at this blog post I wrote on why it pays off to insure your pet while they are still young and healthy), it turns out that it’s not too late if you have a pet who is older.

I recently had a few people asking me if it was possible to insure their pet who was older than the age limit that applies for pet insurance. I did some digging and this is what I found out...

The age limit for pet insurance

Most pet insurers have an age limit to their pet insurance plans.

This clause states that your pet needs to be older than 8 weeks and younger than 9 years old. This is the typical age limit for most insurers according to my research. Granted, there are some insurers who allow you to insure your pet at a much older age, but your premium might come with a hefty price tag.

Why it pays to insure the health of your older pet

If you want a more in-depth explanation as to why it pays to insure the health of your older dog or cat, then check out this article for everything you need to know.

For now, let’s just cover the gist of it…

1. Ailments and various health issues significantly increase as your pet gets older

Older pets are more prone to health issues and their chances of new health concerns developing as they age, are very high.

If you are already forking out money every month to pay for your dog’s chronic medication, then you will find yourself even more stretched for cash should your pet get involved in an accident that requires expensive surgery.

2. Common illnesses and accidents in older dogs are more expensive to treat

Not only are health concerns more common towards the end of your dog’s life, but they also tend to be more expensive to treat.

Did you know that 50% of dogs over the age of 10 will develop cancer at some point in their lives?

Cancer is something that is incredibly difficult and very expensive to treat.

Older dogs also require special care and attention, as well as prolonged healing time compared to younger dogs.

3. With the right routine care, your pet will live longer

One of the most convincing reasons to insure the health of your pet is that some pet insurance plans offer cover for vet visits and routine care. These forms of preventive care allow your pet to live a longer, happier and healthier life. Of course, this point applies specifically to insuring your pet as soon as you can.

My dog is too old for pet insurance, now what?

Now that you know why it makes sense to insure the health of your pet as early as possible you might be left thinking that your pet is too old for pet insurance. And in most cases, you are probably right. But I found one insurer that DOES NOT have an age limit on one of their pet insurance plans.

Their name is Oneplan and here’s what they are doing differently…

Just a head’s up - Of course, if you do some digging, you might come across some other insurers who also waive the age limit clause, but there are a few reasons why I chose Oneplan in particular.

Oneplan Pet Insurance: Pet Accident Plan

Oneplan has a range of comprehensive pet insurance plans and cover where you can choose one based on benefits and price.

3 out of their 4 plans have an age limit of 9 years. But their Pet Accident Plan has NO age limit (but your pet still needs to be older than 8 weeks).

Here’s what this plan includes:

Accident cover

Up to R8000 each year (no waiting periods apply)

End of life procedures 

Up to R1 500 for burial, cremation or euthanasia.

What does this plan cost a month?

This is the best part (I almost feel as though this deserves a drum roll)...

R55 a month! That’s it. That’s all you have to pay to insure you are covered for the things you don’t see coming.

What you are covered for

Things you don’t see coming like burns or electrocution, car accidents, falls from a height, actions of another animal, poisoning, near drowning or embedded foreign bodies.

Trauma that results in fractured bones, lacerations, abrasions, punctures or wounds, gastric foreign bodies.

The smart Oneplan App

Oneplan has a smart app that lets you easily load a claim, chat to one of their team members through an in-app chat function and access your policy from the palm of your hand.

They also let you go to ANY vet of your choice and if you have a plan that includes routine care benefits and vet visits, they even pay you BEFORE you see the vet.

The bottom line

First prize is to insure the health of your pet while they are still young and healthy. This way you can also choose a more comprehensive form of pet healthcare with more benefits.

But if you are looking for great insurance to protect you from accident costs and help cover the costs of putting a pet down (which is the worst situation any pet owner can find themselves in), then Oneplan can help ease the financial burden.

Until next time,

The Pet Insurance Team