When Should You Get Pet Insurance?

You might think that pet insurance is a luxury, or only something that you’d need for an animal companion who is older, or who has an illness.

But this is precisely the reason you should get your cat or dog enrolled as early as possible. If you wait for them to develop a troublesome illness or ailment, it would be considered a pre-existing condition. 

You’d still be eligible for pet insurance, but your policy wouldn’t cover any costs of treatments related to that specific condition.

Let’s break it down.

At what age should I sign my pet up for insurance? 

Well, as soon as possible. 

With Lemonade, pets as young as eight weeks old can sign up—but your pet doesn’t need to be a puppy or a kitten to get covered. 

Basically, as soon as your cat or dog comes home—whether they’re a tiny puppy or kitten, or a two, three, or four-year-old shelter pet, that’s the best time to sign them up for coverage. 

With pet insurance, there’s no time like the present. 

The earlier you sign them up, the more your insurer is likely able to cover down the line. But don’t skip coverage just because your pet has already had some medical hiccups. 

Inevitably, as your pet ages, they are likely to develop more than one medical condition over the course of their lives. That’s where pet insurance comes in. 

For example, let’s say you adopt a 3-year-old dog named Buster who arrived at the shelter a few months back with a broken leg (poor guy!). 

Now, when you get him covered with pet insurance, there are a few things to keep in mind: 

• Any ongoing treatment Buster needs related to his broken leg would not be covered, like future surgeries, or treatment for arthritis he might develop on that leg—because anything related to that injury would be considered a pre-existing
• But, if Buster gets a stomach bug, develops diabetes, or chips a tooth at the dog park—he’d be covered 
• If you choose to sign Buster up for a Preventative Care package, you could cover his routine care like vaccines, check-ups, and more to keep him as healthy as possible going forward 

Getting your pet hooked up with coverage ASAP helps to maximize their coverage and your savings. 

Set your new pet up for life with Lemonade pet insurance. Get a free quote today!