Petgevity Pet Insurance Review: No Forced Co-Payment, Even for Older Dogs
Our Petgevity review: lifetime cover up to £15,000 a year, no compulsory co-payment on Lifetime Plus, declared pre-existing conditions considered, up to eight pets on one policy, and what we found in the policy wording.
Published 28 October 2026
Petgevity is one of the best options in the UK for an older dog, or a dog with a medical history. Its Lifetime Plus policy pays up to £15,000 of vet fees a year, has no upper age limit, never forces a co-payment, and can cover pre-existing conditions you declare and it accepts. The catches are dental illness as a paid extra, £2,000 caps on cruciate treatment and scans, and no cover while your dog is with a walker or minder. It ranks 6th in our guide to the best pet insurance providers in the UK.
Petgevity at a glance
| Petgevity Lifetime Plus | |
|---|---|
| Best for | Older dogs, dogs with a declared condition, and homes with several pets |
| Skip it if | You use a dog walker or minder, or your breed is prone to cruciate problems |
| Vet fees | You choose, from £1,000 to £15,000 a year, reset every renewal |
| Excess | £0 to £500, per condition each policy year |
| Co-payment | None compulsory. Optional 0% to 30% |
| Pre-existing conditions | Can be covered if you declare them and Petgevity accepts them |
| Joining age | From 4 weeks, no upper age limit |
| Dental | Accidents covered. Illness is an optional extra, up to £5,000 or your vet fee limit |
| Caps | £2,000 each for cruciate treatment and for MRI or CT scans |
| Multi-pet | Up to eight pets on one policy, £1 a month off for each pet you add |
| Claim deadline | 12 months from treatment |
| Trustpilot | 4.3 out of 5 from more than 6,600 reviews |
Checked against Petgevity's website and policy documents on 28 October 2026.
Our verdict
Petgevity does the two things most insurers refuse to do. On Lifetime Plus there is no compulsory co-payment at any age, so an older dog does not start paying a fifth of every bill on its 8th birthday, and pre-existing conditions are not automatically excluded. You declare them and Petgevity decides case by case. For a dog of 9 with a history of ear infections, that can be the difference between real cover and a policy that excludes the very thing you are worried about.
The trade-offs are in the limits and the extras. Cruciate treatment and scans are each capped at £2,000, which a single cruciate operation can exceed. Dental illness costs extra. And the price of low excess, no co-payment cover for an older dog will be high, so set the excess and the optional co-payment carefully.
What you get
Petgevity sells two lifetime policies. Both let you choose your annual vet fee limit from £1,000 to £15,000, and both reset that limit every year you renew.
| Lifetime Plus | Lifetime | |
|---|---|---|
| Excess | £0 to £500 | £100 to £500 |
| Co-payment | Optional, 0% to 30%, at any age | Optional until 8, then a compulsory 20% |
| Pre-existing conditions | Can be covered if declared and accepted | Not covered |
Puppies can join from 4 weeks and there is no upper age limit. Dental accidents are covered as standard, and dental illness can be added, up to £5,000 or your vet fee limit if that is lower. Petgevity can pay your vet directly, and you have 12 months from treatment to claim.
Several pets, one policy. You can put up to eight cats and dogs on one policy, each with its own cover level and excess, and Petgevity takes £1 a month off for every pet you add.
Petgevity and pre-existing conditions
This is the feature that sets Lifetime Plus apart. When you get a quote, you declare anything diagnosed or treated in the past two years, apart from routine flea, worming and vaccination treatment. Petgevity then decides whether each one can be covered, and any it accepts are listed on your Confirmation of Cover.
It is not a promise to cover everything. A serious ongoing condition may still be refused. But most UK insurers exclude every pre-existing condition outright, so for a dog with a history it is worth a quote. ManyPets is the other mainstream insurer that covers some pre-existing conditions, through a separate plan with a £1,500 yearly limit for them.
What it costs
There is no fixed price. Petgevity's structure lets you trade the excess and the optional co-payment against the premium, which is useful: a £0 excess and 0% share is the most expensive combination, and raising either brings the price down. For a young, healthy dog, a moderate excess and a small voluntary share can make sense. For an older dog with a condition, you will usually want the lower excess, and that costs more. Our guide to pet insurance co-payments shows what each percentage adds to a claim.
The catches
- No cover with a walker or minder. Incidents while your dog is with a dog walker or pet minder are excluded. If someone else walks your dog regularly, that matters.
- Cruciate and scan caps. Cruciate ligament treatment and MRI or CT scans are each capped at £2,000.
- A health check to start. Your dog needs a vet health check in the 12 months before cover starts, or within the first 14 days.
- Dental illness is extra. Only dental accidents come as standard.
- The standard Lifetime policy is different. It has a £100 minimum excess, a compulsory 20% co-payment from 8 and no pre-existing cover, so make sure the quote is for Lifetime Plus if those features are why you are buying.
The small print, in short
These are the points from the policy wording that are easy to miss.
- Some dogs cannot be covered. Dogs that live at premises selling alcohol, such as a pub, and dogs that have bitten or shown aggression are excluded.
- Switching is easier. Waiting periods are waived if you switch from another insurer with no gap in cover.
- Hidden perks: boarding or a minder is paid if you spend just 24 hours in hospital, and up to £250 towards euthanasia is paid with no excess.
Should you buy it?
If your dog is older, has a condition another insurer would exclude, or you have several pets, Petgevity Lifetime Plus is worth a quote, and it may be the only policy that covers what you need. If your dog is young and healthy, Agria offers higher limits with no age limit to join, and Waggel also never forces a co-payment. Our guide to pet insurance for older dogs compares the age rules across insurers, and the full UK pet insurance guide compares all ten.
Sources
- Petgevity: dog insurance and FAQs
- Petgevity: multi-pet insurance
- Petgevity: policy documents (Lifetime Plus and Lifetime policy wordings, PD_0726, from 20 July 2026)
- Trustpilot: Petgevity
Details checked on 28 October 2026. Insurers change their policies often, so always read the policy documents before you buy.
Common questions
Is Petgevity good pet insurance?
For an older dog, or a dog with a declared condition, it is one of the better options in the UK. Its Lifetime Plus policy never forces a co-payment, has no upper age limit, and can cover pre-existing conditions it accepts. The catches are dental illness as a paid extra, £2,000 caps on cruciate treatment and scans, and no cover while your dog is with a walker or minder.
Does Petgevity cover pre-existing conditions?
On Lifetime Plus, it can. You declare anything diagnosed or treated in the past two years when you get a quote, and Petgevity decides whether each condition can be covered. Accepted conditions are shown on your Confirmation of Cover. The standard Lifetime policy does not cover pre-existing conditions.
Does Petgevity have a co-payment?
Not a compulsory one on Lifetime Plus. You can choose a share of each bill from 0% to 30% to lower the premium. On the standard Lifetime policy, a 20% co-payment becomes compulsory from age 8.
Is there an upper age limit with Petgevity?
No. Puppies can join from 4 weeks old and there is no upper age limit, so an older dog can start a new lifetime policy.
Does Petgevity give a multi-pet discount?
Yes. You can put up to eight cats and dogs on one policy, each with its own cover level, and Petgevity takes £1 a month off for every pet you add.
Who is behind Petgevity?
Petgevity is a trading name of TICORP Limited, which arranges the insurance, and the policies are administered by Howserv Limited. Its website does not name the underwriting insurer, so check your Confirmation of Cover or ask Petgevity.
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