Lifetime dog insurance

Frequently asked questions

• What is lifetime dog insurance?

  Lifetime dog insurance is the most comprehensive type of pet insurance you can buy. Your dog doesn’t have to be a pup to take out dog insurance with us. Benefits of Petgevity dog insurance include:

  Vet fees covered up to your policy limits each year
  Covers recurring or chronic conditions through the lifetime of your policy
  Your policy limits reset each year – as long as you renew and there’s no break in cover.

  Find out more about Petgevity pet insurance.

• Is there an age limit or age restrictions to dog insurance?

  With us, no! Some insurers won’t take on older dogs. But you don’t have to worry about upper age limits with us. All we ask is your dog is more than 4 weeks old.

  Many insurers introduce mandatory contributions if you need to claim. These are usually called ‘co-payments’ and are paid on top of your excess payment when your dog reaches a certain age – usually 8 years old. With us, it’s always your choice.

  When setting up your dog insurance, you have the power to decide how much you’re willing to pay if you need to claim. It’s also a way to keep your premium down.

  If you always want us to pay the whole bill up to your policy limits then you can set your excess to £0 and a 0% voluntary bill share. This will increase the price you pay but means you’ll never be out of pocket when you claim.

• What age can I insure my puppy?

  You can take out pet insurance for your puppy when they are as little as 4 weeks old. Accidents can happen at any time, even with puppies who are exploring a new world. Without the NHS to rely on as we do, you’ll otherwise have to pay the entire vet fee bill yourself.

  It’s your choice when you take out dog insurance, but it is a risk to leave your puppy uninsured.

• Will my dog be covered if it’s lost or stolen?

  You can add Missing Pet cover to your policy. This gives you help in recovering your dog with advertising costs and offering a reward for their safe return.

  This covers you up to the market value of your dog or cover amount – if your dog is lost, stolen or strays and you’re not reunited in 30 days.

• When am I able to claim on my new policy?

  If you’re not switching over your policy to us from another provider, you can claim after the following times, depending on the type of claim:

  Accidental injuries – 2 days
  Illnesses – 14 days
  Missing pets – 14 days

  If you do need help with any of the above situations within these timeframes, you’ll need to pay the bill yourself.

  If you are switching from another lifetime provider, you could claim on your Petgevity policy from the cover start date as long as:

  There’s no break in between your cover.
  The claim you want to make would have been covered with your previous provider.
  And you’re also covered for the claim with your new Petgevity policy.

• Does dog insurance cover teeth cleaning?

  Vet dog teeth cleaning isn’t covered under our dog insurance policy as this is a preventative treatment.

  Professional cleaning can be done as part of a good oral hygiene routine to help look after your dog’s teeth.

• Can I insure a dangerous dog?

  Under the Dangerous Dogs Act of 1991, the following breeds cannot be owned, bred, sold, given away, or abandoned:

  • Pit Bull Terrier
  • Dogo Argentino
  • Japanese Tosa
  • Fila Brasileiro
  • XL Bully

  The UK government thinks of these breeds as a risk to the public and we’re unable to insure them. This is also applicable to any dogs cross-bred or mixed with these breeds. Take a look at our excluded breeds page for a full list of breeds we can’t cover.

• Is it a legal requirement to insure your dog?

  While it isn’t a legal requirement to insure your dog, it’s something to seriously think about getting as a responsible dog parent.

  Your pup’s healthcare is a top priority and, like humans, they can get sick or have an accident at any time. Dog insurance can cover unexpected vet costs and even help you afford more treatment options.

• Do you have to microchip your dog?

  It’s both UK law and a condition of our cover to have your dog microchipped. We go into this in more detail in our handy guide to UK dog laws.

  You’ll also need to keep their microchip database contact information up to date in case they go missing.