Pre-existing pet insurance

A pre-existing condition doesn’t have a fixed time limit in pet insurance. How long it lasts depends on the insurer and your pet’s medical history.

In general, insurers define a pre-existing condition as any illness or injury your pet showed symptoms of, or received advice, treatment or medication for, before the policy started.

Some may look at a specific period of time and only review any illnesses, treatment or diagnoses your pet had during that time.

Insurers may reconsider whether a condition is pre-existing if your pet has been symptom-free and treatment-free for a set period.

In these cases, the condition may be covered again or the claim limit for it may increase.

However, this usually doesn’t apply to chronic, ongoing or recurring conditions, which are often excluded permanently.

Always check the insurer’s definition and confirm what’s covered before you buy.

Allergies are often treated as a pre-existing condition for pet insurance, but this depends on whether they’re ongoing or fully resolved.

If your pet needs regular medication, prescription food or repeat vet visits to manage their allergies, most insurers will class them as a chronic pre-existing condition and are unlikely to offer cover for allergy-related treatment.

However, if your pet had allergy symptoms in the past but has been symptom-free and treatment-free for a set period, some insurers may view the allergy as historic rather than ongoing.

In these cases, limited cover may be available, depending on the insurer’s rules.

Because definitions vary, it’s important to check how each insurer treats allergies and confirm in advance whether past symptoms or treatments would affect cover before you buy a policy.

Pet insurers use different terms to describe long-term health conditions, and each can affect whether you’re covered and how much you pay.

Pre-existing conditions are illnesses or injuries your pet had symptoms of, or received advice, treatment or medication for, before the policy started.

These are usually excluded from new policies or only covered in limited circumstances, which can make insurance harder to find or more expensive.

Hereditary conditions are genetic conditions that are more common in certain breeds, such as hip dysplasia in dogs.

Many insurers will cover hereditary conditions, but usually only if you take out the policy before the condition develops. If symptoms appear before cover starts, the condition is likely to be treated as pre-existing and excluded.

Chronic conditions are long-term illnesses that need ongoing or lifetime management, such as diabetes, arthritis or allergies.

Because they often require regular treatment, medication or monitoring, chronic conditions are the hardest to insure. Insurers may exclude them entirely or charge higher premiums to reflect the ongoing cost.

In general, the earlier you insure your pet, before symptoms develop, the more likely you are to get broader cover at a lower cost.

Yes, you may be able to change pet insurance even if your pet has a pre-existing condition, but it’s important to compare carefully before switching and don’t cancel an existing policy before you've established exactly what a new policy will cover.

Switching shouldn’t simply be about finding a better price. Also look at other factors including which existing conditions are covered, what is excluded, claim limits, and the level of excess.

If you’ve already made a claim, most new insurers will treat the condition you claimed for as pre-existing.

This usually means it will be excluded from cover, even if it was covered under your previous policy. In many cases, a new insurer won’t match the level of cover you already have for that condition.

That said, switching can still make sense in some situations. Your current insurer may have a limit on how much you can claim per condition or per year, and once that’s reached, further treatment may no longer be covered.

In these cases, a new policy could still offer better value by covering new illnesses or injuries, even if existing conditions are excluded.

When comparing policies, don’t just look at cover for pre-existing conditions. Pet insurance can also include benefits such as third-party liability cover, awareness campaigns and rewards for lost pets, boarding fees if you’re taken ill, and cover for death by accident or illness.

Before switching, always check exclusions carefully and confirm in writing what a new insurer will and won’t cover, especially if your pet has a medical history.

No, cover isn’t immediate. Pet insurance policies don’t cover health conditions as soon as you take them out, and most insurers apply a waiting period of around 14 days before cover begins.

During this time, you won’t be able to claim for illnesses or conditions that show symptoms, require treatment or are diagnosed. Some insurers may apply longer waiting periods for specific conditions or types of cover.

The waiting period for accident cover may be shorter.

Always check the policy terms so you understand when cover starts and what is excluded during the waiting period, especially if your pet has a medical history.

It depends on the terms of your policy. An insurer may consider a new condition to be related to a previous illness, even if your pet has not been treated for the original condition recently. If it is considered related, treatment for the new condition may be excluded from cover.

For example, if your dog has previously suffered from a joint condition and later develops a problem affecting the same area, your insurer may consider the two conditions connected.

Some policies may provide cover for a related condition if your pet has been free from symptoms or treatment for a specified period, but this varies between insurers. Check the policy's definition of a pre-existing condition and any exclusions for related, recurring or bilateral conditions before buying.

If an insurer has classed your pet’s condition as pre-existing, but you disagree, your first step is to make a complaint to the company itself.

Written evidence from your vet could be helpful in supporting your case, as part of a range of evidence which the insurer should look at.

If you don’t get a satisfactory response within eight weeks, and you still believe your insurer is in the wrong, you can take your case to the Financial Ombudsman.

They will investigate and decide whether they feel you have been treated unfairly or not. If they feel you have lost money, they may ask your insurer to put things right and may ask them to pay compensation.

Once you have researched and compared the prices from different insurers, comparing the different types of cover, you may decide that the cost of insurance outweighs the benefits, or that you simply cannot afford to take out a specialist policy.

In that case, you have a few options.

It would be a good idea to build a specific savings pot for your animal’s care. This would give you something to fall back on if you had to pay a vet’s bill.

You should also be honest with your vet as they may be able to suggest a lower-cost or phased treatment plan, as well as writing prescriptions for your pet that you can then use in online pharmacies which may be cheaper than buying directly from the clinic.

If you are still struggling, animal charities may be able to support you. The PDSA, RSPCA and Blue Cross offer free or lower cost care, but you have to meet certain criteria to be eligible. You may also be able to find a local independent charity that can help.