How pet insurance treats pre-existing conditions
Short answer: no. Of the 9 UK insurers whose current documents we read on 21 October 2026, 7 exclude pre-existing conditions with no symptom-free period stated and two say some exclusions can be lifted. Your pet can still be insured for new conditions.
Pawwala is not authorised by the FCA. We explain how cover works and do not give advice or recommend insurers. Pawwala earns a fee when you get a quote through a link marked Ad. Always read the policy wording. How we make money
Key facts
- No policy we could verify covers a condition your pet already has when cover starts.
- You can still insure your pet: the pre-existing condition is excluded, and new, unrelated conditions are covered.
- None of the nine verified policies states a fixed symptom-free period that brings cover back.
- Anything that starts in the waiting period, usually the first 14 days for illness, counts as pre-existing.
- Related conditions can be excluded too, such as the second knee after one cruciate injury.
The four types of cover
| Type | How the limit works | Long-term conditions | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifetime | Resets each year you renew | Keeps paying, up to the yearly limit | Premiums usually rise with age and claims |
| Per-condition (maximum benefit) | A fixed total for each condition | Stops once that condition's total is used up | The size of the per-condition total |
| Time-limited | Per condition, for a set time, often 12 months | Stops when the time runs out, even if treatment continues | You pay ongoing costs after that |
| Accident-only | Accidents and injuries only | Illness is not covered | No cover for illness at all |
A pre-existing exclusion applies whichever type of cover you buy. For how the types differ, see lifetime vs annual pet insurance.
Questions to ask any insurer
- What is the vet-fee limit, and is it per year or per condition?
- What is the excess, and is it per condition or per claim? Is there a co-payment, and from what age?
- Are there sub-limits inside the main limit, for example for one condition or for dental treatment?
- How are conditions that affect both sides of the body, such as both knees, treated?
- Are hereditary and breed-related conditions covered?
- What happens to the price and the cover at renewal?
The answers are in the policy wording and the insurance product information document (IPID). If they are not clear, ask the insurer before you buy.
Can pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?
Not on the standard policies we read. Each of the nine insurers we could verify excludes conditions your pet had before cover started. What differs is whether an exclusion can ever be lifted: LV= and Petplan say some exclusions are temporary and can be removed if criteria are met, such as a symptom-free period, but neither states how long. The ManyPets handbook we found (plans from April 2025) uses a 24-month look-back and sells a plan with limited pre-existing cover, but we could not confirm those documents are current.
That does not make insurance pointless for a pet with a known condition. A dog with a treated hip problem can still be covered for cancer, heart disease, stomach problems and many other conditions. The ABI reported an average claim of £685 in 2024 (ABI), so cover for everything else can still matter.
What the policy documents show (9 insurers, read on 21 October 2026)
- 7 of the 9 exclude pre-existing conditions with no symptom-free period stated. LV= and Petplan say some exclusions can be lifted if criteria are met, without a fixed period.
- 8 of the 9 do not cover illness in the first 14 days; one uses 10 days.
Not on sale on the day we checked: Petpals (petpalsdirect.co.uk now redirects to Pet Protect, whose documents page lists no Petpals products.) Saga (Not on sale to new customers: saga.co.uk/pet-insurance shows 'Coming soon'.)
What counts as a pre-existing condition?
The definitions in the wordings we read are broader than many owners expect. A pre-existing condition can include any:
- illness or injury your pet had before the policy start date
- condition a vet noted or checked, even without a formal diagnosis
- symptom that first showed before cover started
- condition that starts during the waiting period, usually the first 14 days for illness (10 to 14 days according to Which?)
- related condition, for example cruciate disease in the second leg after the first, which one wording we read names
Excluded outright vs exclusions that can be lifted
| Approach | How it works | What it means at claim time |
|---|---|---|
| Excluded outright | Anything your pet had before cover, or in the waiting period, is never covered. Some insurers check the vet history when you claim rather than asking you to declare it. | You may only find out what is excluded when you claim. |
| Excluded, can be lifted | Specific exclusions are listed; some are temporary and the insurer may remove them if criteria are met, such as a symptom-free period. | Ask how long and what evidence is needed, and get the answer in writing. |
| Look-back window | Conditions with no treatment, medication or advice for a set period (for example 24 months) before cover starts can be covered. | Check the window and any limit on the cover. |
Can you insure an older dog with pre-existing conditions?
Yes, if the dog is within the insurer's age limit for new policies, but the existing conditions will be excluded. Three insurers' documents set the limit for new dog policies at the 8th birthday (the 5th for some breeds). Older dogs also tend to pay a co-payment: 20% from age 8 to 10 on the policies that publish an age. Our guide to pet insurance for older dogs sets out the ages.
What if a claim is declined as pre-existing?
Ask the insurer for the vet-record entry it relied on, and complain in writing if you think it is wrong. If the insurer's final response does not resolve it, the Financial Ombudsman Service can review the case for free. In Q2 2026, 596 pet and livestock insurance complaints were referred to the Ombudsman and 29% were upheld in the customer's favour (Insurance Times report of Ombudsman data, 17 September 2026). This is general information, not advice on which policy suits you.
What would a claim pay back?
An illustration of how excess, co-payment and limits add up. Your policy wording decides what is actually paid. Some policies apply the excess per condition, others per claim.
Insurer pays
£1,120.80
You pay
£379.20
How it adds up
- Bill £1,500 minus excess £99 leaves £1,401.
- Co-payment of 20% on £1,401 is £280.20.
- The insurer's share is £1,401 minus £280.20 = £1,120.80. That is within the limit left of £4,000, so the insurer pays £1,120.80.
- Your share: excess £99 + co-payment £280.20 = £379.20.
This uses no real insurer's terms. Policies can also have sub-limits, for example for one condition or for dental treatment, and claims for a condition can be declined under the policy's exclusions.
Open it on its own page: pet insurance claim calculator.
How each insurer treats pre-existing conditions, A to Z
Listed alphabetically. This is not a ranking.
What each insurer's current policy wording or IPID says. Ask the insurer how it will treat your pet's history before you buy.
Agria
- Rule
- Excluded
- What the wording says
- Excluded; no symptom-free period stated
- Illness waiting period
- 10 days
- Checked
- 2026-10-21
Animal Friends
- Rule
- Excluded
- What the wording says
- Excluded; no symptom-free period stated
- Illness waiting period
- 14 days
- Checked
- 2026-10-21
John Lewis
- Rule
- Excluded
- What the wording says
- Excluded; no symptom-free period stated
- Illness waiting period
- 14 days
- Checked
- 2026-10-21
LV=
- Rule
- Excluded; can be lifted
- What the wording says
- Excluded; some exclusions are temporary and may be removed on request
- Illness waiting period
- 14 days
- Checked
- 2026-10-21
ManyPets
- Rule
- 24-month look-back
- What the wording says
- Covered if there was no treatment, medication or advice in the 24 months before the start
- Illness waiting period
- 14 days
- Checked
- Awaiting re-check
MORE THAN
- Rule
- Excluded
- What the wording says
- Excluded; no symptom-free period stated
- Illness waiting period
- 14 days
- Checked
- 2026-10-21
Petplan
- Rule
- Excluded; can be lifted
- What the wording says
- Exclusions can be removed if criteria are met, such as a symptom-free period; no fixed period stated
- Illness waiting period
- 14 days
- Checked
- 2026-10-21
Purely Pets
- Rule
- Excluded
- What the wording says
- Not covered
- Illness waiting period
- 14 days
- Checked
- Awaiting re-check
RSPCA Pet Insurance
- Rule
- Excluded
- What the wording says
- Excluded; no symptom-free period stated
- Illness waiting period
- 14 days
- Checked
- 2026-10-21
Tesco Pet Insurance
- Rule
- Excluded
- What the wording says
- Excluded; no symptom-free period stated
- Illness waiting period
- 14 days
- Checked
- 2026-10-21
Waggel
- Rule
- Excluded
- What the wording says
- Excluded; no symptom-free period stated
- Illness waiting period
- 14 days
- Checked
- 2026-10-21
| Insurer | Rule | What the wording says | Illness waiting period | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agria | Excluded | Excluded; no symptom-free period stated | 10 days | 2026-10-21 |
| Animal Friends | Excluded | Excluded; no symptom-free period stated | 14 days | 2026-10-21 |
| John Lewis | Excluded | Excluded; no symptom-free period stated | 14 days | 2026-10-21 |
| LV= | Excluded; can be lifted | Excluded; some exclusions are temporary and may be removed on request | 14 days | 2026-10-21 |
| ManyPets | 24-month look-back | Covered if there was no treatment, medication or advice in the 24 months before the start | 14 days | Awaiting re-check |
| MORE THAN | Excluded | Excluded; no symptom-free period stated | 14 days | 2026-10-21 |
| Petplan | Excluded; can be lifted | Exclusions can be removed if criteria are met, such as a symptom-free period; no fixed period stated | 14 days | 2026-10-21 |
| Purely Pets | Excluded | Not covered | 14 days | Awaiting re-check |
| RSPCA Pet Insurance | Excluded | Excluded; no symptom-free period stated | 14 days | 2026-10-21 |
| Tesco Pet Insurance | Excluded | Excluded; no symptom-free period stated | 14 days | 2026-10-21 |
| Waggel | Excluded | Excluded; no symptom-free period stated | 14 days | 2026-10-21 |
Premiums are not shown on this page. Policy facts come from each insurer's own policy wording or IPID on the date shown in the row. Rows marked 'Awaiting re-check' could not be confirmed against current documents. Limits and excess often depend on the level you choose and are confirmed in your own schedule or certificate. Always read the policy wording and get your own quote.
What changed in this update
- 21 October 2026: Corrected the insurer table from current policy documents: earlier versions listed four insurers as using a 2-year moratorium, but none of the nine we could verify states one. Removed the unsourced list of conditions 'never reinstated'. Added the waiting periods, ABI and Ombudsman figures and a section on older dogs.
Getting quotes
A comparison site shows quotes from several insurers at once. Comparison sites do not cover the whole market, so you may also want to check insurers directly. Compare the cover type, limit, excess and exclusions before the price.
Not advice. Pawwala earns a fee if you get a quote through this link. Read the policy wording before you buy.
Special cases
Sources
- Which?: record numbers take out pet insurance, 5 questions to ask before choosing a policy · 22 September 2024; checked 21 October 2026
- PDSA: A guide to pet insurance (leaflet) · August 2017; checked 21 October 2026
- Association of British Insurers: insurance payouts for pets top £1 billion for third year in a row (2024 data) · May 2025; checked 21 October 2026
- Insurance Times: Financial Ombudsman complaint volumes in Q2 2026 (Insurance DataLab analysis of FOS data) · 17 September 2026; checked 21 October 2026
- Agria: Agria Lifelong policy pack (dog), published 03/2025, and Lifetime IPIDs · checked 21 October 2026
- Animal Friends: Animal Friends policy booklets and IPIDs, January 2026 (v6) · checked 21 October 2026
- John Lewis: John Lewis Pet Insurance policy wording P3431v2 (Pinnacle), October 2025 · checked 21 October 2026
- LV=: LV= Pet Insurance Lifetime policy booklet, plans bought from 6 August 2026 · checked 21 October 2026
- MORE THAN: MORE THAN pet insurance policy booklet MTPET-PB-02, policies from 15 June 2026 · checked 21 October 2026
- Petplan: Petplan Covered For Life and Essential policy booklets, effective 17 June 2024 · checked 21 October 2026
- RSPCA Pet Insurance: RSPCA Pet Insurance policy wording P3338v5 (Pinnacle), January 2026 · checked 21 October 2026
- Tesco Pet Insurance: Tesco Pet Insurance Lifetime IPID IP3416A (Pinnacle) · checked 21 October 2026
- Waggel: Waggel policy wording version 21, effective 17 February 2026 (latest public version) · checked 21 October 2026
More to read
Frequently asked questions
Can pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions in the UK?
Usually not. Of the 9 insurers whose current documents we read on 21 October 2026, 7 exclude pre-existing conditions with no symptom-free period stated, and two say some exclusions can be lifted if criteria are met. You can still insure your pet for new, unrelated conditions.
What counts as a pre-existing condition in pet insurance?
Any illness, injury or symptom your pet had, or that a vet noted or checked, before the policy started, plus anything that starts during the waiting period (usually the first 14 days for illness). Related conditions can count too: one policy we read treats cruciate problems in the second leg as pre-existing if the first leg was affected.
Will pet insurance cover a condition after 2 years symptom-free?
Only if the policy says so. None of the nine policies we could verify states a fixed symptom-free period after which a condition is covered again. Two say some exclusions are temporary and can be removed if criteria are met. Ask the insurer in writing before you rely on it.
Should I disclose all health history when getting pet insurance?
Yes. Answer the insurer's questions fully and accurately. Insurers check vet records when you claim, and a condition that was not disclosed can lead to a claim being declined or the policy being cancelled.
Does pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions for cats?
The same rules apply to cats: the wordings we read that cover both cats and dogs use the same pre-existing rule for each. A cat already diagnosed with kidney disease or hyperthyroidism will have that condition excluded, but can be covered for new conditions.