Making sure that your dog has the proper pet insurance in place is important, not only for your dog but also for you. Veterinary bills can be very expensive and if you do not have dog insurance then you will not be covered for the costs of any treatments that your pet requires.
If you get your pet from a puppy there are of course the injections and immunisations that they require, maybe you will have your dog chipped for extra security and added protection. Dogs like humans tend to be at a greater risk of health problems when they are very young or when they are every old. This is the time when insurance is most important to make sure that you are properly covered so that the costs of any vets bills can be taken care of by the insurer rather than having to find the money out of your own pocket.
Many insurers do provide dog insurance for older dogs although some do have an upper age limit that they will except a dog. Some insurers will flat out refuse to cover your pet once they reach a certain age whether or not you have a current policy with them. More usual will be if you try to get insurance for a dog that is generally over 7 years old with a new policy you may be turned down.
There are however many pet insurance providers that will insure older dogs, you will however expect the premiums to be higher. Many policies do also have a death exclusion due to illness for dogs over a certain age. Generally the best option is to get cover from when your dog is a puppy or as soon as possible, getting lifetime cover for a fixed annual premium can be invaluable.
If you search the internet you will find many more companies providing pet insurance including Marks and Spencer, Argos and Tesco as well as the traditional insurers. This has meant that competition has increased greatly in recent years pushing down prices which is good new for dog owners. Additionally if you buy your policy online most insurers offer an online discount which can be as much as 20% of the cost of the policy.