Your pet's age is one of the main inputs to a pet insurance price. That means a renewal can go up even in a year when nothing else changed. This guide explains what insurers say about age, shows what RenewalDog owners report for each age band, and explains why some policies work differently.
We only use what an insurer publishes about its own pricing, plus reports from owners. We don't model or estimate prices by age. When a band has fewer than 5 reports, we say so instead of showing a number.
What owners report by age
The table below groups owner reports by the pet's age at renewal. It updates as new reports are approved.
| Pet's age | Owner reports | Median increase |
|---|---|---|
| Puppy/kitten–2 yrs | 0 | Collecting data (0 reports) |
| 3–5 yrs | 0 | Collecting data (0 reports) |
| 6–8 yrs | 0 | Collecting data (0 reports) |
| 9+ yrs | 0 | Collecting data (0 reports) |
All insurers together. A band shows a median once it has 5 or more approved reports.
We have 0 owner reports so far. That's fewer than 5, so we don't show a median yet. A median is the middle report. Half of owners saw a smaller change and half saw a larger one. It is not a prediction for any one pet.
Why age moves the price
Insurers explain age pricing in plain terms. Older pets tend to need vet care more often, and that care tends to cost more.
- Lemonade lists your pet's age as the first of four reasons a renewal price can go up. It says age and the vet costs in your area are the biggest factors.
- Embrace lists your pet's age as one of four reasons a price can change at renewal. It notes that older pets tend to need more frequent and more costly vet care.
- Healthy Paws says its rates reflect your pet's breed, gender and age, along with other factors.
So with these insurers, part of each year's change comes from the pet being one year older. The rest comes from things that affect everyone, like vet price inflation or a new base rate filed in your state.
Policies priced on age at enrollment
Not every insurer reprices on age. Trupanion's sample policy lists your pet's age at enrollment as a pricing factor, along with breed, gender and the local cost of vet care. The age that counts is the age when you enrolled, not your pet's age today.
That does not mean the price is fixed. Trupanion's sample policy says the monthly premium may go up or down as the overall cost of vet care changes for pets with your enrollment factors. Its flyer says these trends usually come from more use of vet services, and sometimes from inflation, new technology and new procedures. The policy says changes happen no more than once a year and will not exceed 20%.
If you are not sure which model your policy uses, the policy document or the insurer's pricing page will say. Our insurer pages link the ones we have checked.
Age is only one part of the change
It helps to separate the parts of an increase.
- Your pet's age. With most of the insurers above, this changes every year.
- Vet prices in general. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that veterinarian services prices rose 4.6% over the 12 months to September 2026. All items rose 3.7%.
- A new base rate in your state. Insurers file these with state regulators. Embrace says its base rate rises by the same percentage for all premiums in a state.
- Local claims experience. Healthy Paws says regional claims experience is one of its factors.
- Discounts and coverage changes. A discount that ends, or a change you made, also moves the price.
A state filing average blends pets of every age. So an owner of an older pet may see a renewal above the filed average, and an owner of a younger pet may see one below it. We can't say by how much for any one pet. That is why we collect owner reports by age band.
How the age bands work
We group pets into four bands by age at renewal, in whole years. The bands are 0 to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 and older. Each band shows a median once at least 5 approved reports fall in it. Until then it reads "collecting data" with the count so far.
We use medians rather than averages. One very large or very small report can pull an average a long way. A median moves much less.
Reports come from owners who choose to share their renewal. They are not a random sample. Very unusual entries, such as increases over 200%, are held for review before they count. We also limit repeat entries from the same connection.
Questions to ask at renewal
These questions can help you understand the age part of your own change. They are not advice to keep or change a policy.
- Does my insurer price on my pet's current age or age at enrollment?
- How much of this year's change came from age, and how much from a state rate change?
- Did any discount come off at renewal?
- Which coverage options would change the price, and what would I give up?
Insurers document ways to lower a renewal price, like a higher deductible or a lower annual limit. Each one trades away some coverage. Our insurer pages list what each insurer says.
Help fill in the table
Each report makes the age bands more useful for the next owner. We don't ask for your name, email or policy number.
Sources
- Lemonade, "Lemonade Pet Renewals: What You Need to Know"
- Embrace help center, "Why did my premium change?"
- Trupanion sample pet insurance policy (TRU 00001), section 1c "Changes to your premium"
- Trupanion, "How We Price" flyer
- Healthy Paws, Frequently Asked Questions ("Will my premiums increase?")
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Table 2, September 2026
Sources last checked November 2, 2026. Live figures update as filings and owner reports are added. This is not advice on which insurer or policy to choose.