What are breed specific conditions?
The cost of a pet insurance policy is calculated using a few different factors — with one of the most influential being the breed of dog or cat needing coverage. Why is this important? Well, it’s because some breeds of dog and cat have a higher risk of developing certain illnesses and conditions.
Puppies and kittens obviously inherit a combination of genes from their parents, and there’s a chance that specific health issues can be inherited too. While responsible breeding and screening can help to reduce the risk of hereditary and breed-related conditions in dogs and cats, many pets are still affected.
When pets are affected by an inherited disease, it’s known as a hereditary or genetic condition. With a congenital condition, symptoms don’t develop immediately and may not even appear for years until triggered by another injury or illness.
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Does pet insurance cover breed specific conditions?
Pet insurers offer two core types of insurance coverage – accident and illness, and accident only. But, where do breed-specific hereditary and genetic conditions fit? If a dog or cat has inherited a health issue from birth it’s not really classed as an accident or illness — so many pet insurance companies will specify their coverage terms for hereditary conditions.
Check with your chosen insurer but many do include coverage for hereditary and genetic or congenital conditions as part of an accident and illness policy. Embrace, ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, Figo, Geico, Pets Best and Pumpkin all incorporate coverage for breed-specific conditions in their policies.
Other pet insurers may offer hereditary conditions coverage as an option. With a pet health insurance plan from AKC, for example, you can expand your coverage to include this type of coverage as an add-on. Felix Cat Insurance also offers this coverage at an additional cost.
However, just like many health conditions, if a hereditary issue is a pre-existing condition — your pet was diagnosed with it before a policy was bought — it won’t be covered.
Select an insurer for more info on their breed specific conditions coverage
Types of hereditary and genetic disorders
Do you know how many different types of hereditary and genetic disorders there are for dogs and cats? According to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, there are over 400 hereditary diseases for dogs and approximately 180 for cats.
Some of the most common hereditary disorders in pets include:
Allergies
Affecting cats as well as dogs, allergies and skin conditions can cause itching, redness and inflammation. This can lead to ear infections in dogs and dermatitis in cats, but they affect pets in many different ways.
Hip & Elbow Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia is a genetic disease, diagnosed when the hip joint isn’t aligned properly and causes painful movement. Elbow dysplasia, when the joint isn’t formed correctly, affects the front limbs.
Cancer
Cancer is sadly common, especially in older pets, and some breeds of dog are genetically more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than others. The most prevalent types are Lymphoma, Hemangiosarcoma, Mast Cell Tumors, Osteosarcoma and Melanoma.
Patellar Luxation
Patellar luxation affects the kneecap, which moves into unnatural positions and makes the leg unsteady. There are four different grades of the condition, with No.4 the most serious. It can lead to arthritis and a rupture of the cruciate ligament.
Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD)
IVDD is a disease of the joints in the spine, caused when the discs degenerate. IVDD can range from a mild pain to a serious situation, which can even result in permanent paralysis. Rest can improve moderate cases, but surgery is needed for severe conditions.
Heart Disease
Though heart disease can develop in pets, it’s known to be a hereditary and genetic condition. Common genetic heart diseases in dogs include Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) and Mitral Valve Disease (MVD). Cats can be predisposed to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) and MVD.
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
PKD is an inherited kidney disease, caused only by a mutated gene. With this condition, multiple cysts form in the kidneys. As the cysts grow in size, they can eventually cause kidney failure. While PKD can be treated, there’s no cure and it is a terminal condition.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
PRA affects both dogs and cats, though it’s less common in cats. This genetic disorder affects the retina, which leads to a gradual loss of vision in both eyes and, ultimately, total blindness. Unfortunately, there’s no treatment for it.
Which breeds of dog and cat are most at risk of genetic disorders?
Many different breeds of dog and cat are at risk of having a hereditary or genetic disorder, though it’s widely accepted that purebreds have a higher chance than mixed breeds because of the smaller gene pool when breeding.
Notable dog breeds associated with genetic disease include:
- French Bulldogs, Bulldogs and Pugs – breathing issues due to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS)
- Boxers, Great Danes, Doberman Pinschers – heart conditions, including DCM, and cancer
- Labrador Retrievers – Elbow and hip dysplasia
- German Shepherds — Degenerative Myelopathy
- Dachshunds and other short-legged breeds – Intervertebral Disc Disease
Cat breeds that are known to have genetic health conditions include:
- Persians, British Shorthairs – Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Maine Coons – Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Abyssinians – Renal Amyloidosis
How to find pet insurance with hereditary and breed-specific conditions coverage
If you’re the pet parent of a breed that’s considered high-risk for insurance, it’s important that your policy provides coverage for testing, diagnosis and treatment of a hereditary or genetic disease. Depending on the disease, this treatment could involve surgery, hospitalization and rehabilitation.
Compare quotes and plans from insurance companies, and if you’re unsure whether coverage for hereditary or genetic conditions is included, ask. While many pet insurers will include this as part of an accident and illness policy, others might offer it as an option, at an additional cost. Bear in mind that even with that extra cost, a policy from those pet insurance providers might not necessarily be more expensive overall.
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How much is pet insurance with hereditary and breed-specific conditions coverage?
Pet insurance premiums are calculated using lots of different factors, and the breed of your pet is one of these factors. In fact, it’s one of the key factors. Instead of an off-the-shelf price for genetic disorders coverage, an insurer will consider the breed of the pet being insured when providing a quote.
Insurance prices are essentially based on risk factors. If you’re the pet parent of a dog breed that is more prone to hereditary conditions — such as a French Bulldog or Great Dane — you can expect to pay more for coverage than a lower risk breed.
Breed Specific Conditions Coverage FAQs
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No, not always. Although dogs and cats can genetically inherit illnesses and health conditions from parents, an affected pet may not show any symptoms from birth. A condition may lie in a dormant state until later in life.
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Because of the nature of such conditions, there’s not much a pet parent can do to prevent a hereditary or genetic health issue. If you’re buying a puppy or a kitten from a breeder, make sure it’s a reputable breeder and ask them if the parents were screened and tested for genetic conditions prior to breeding. That should raise any potential concerns early on.
Taking your dog or cat for regular check ups with your veterinarian is the best way of detecting a hereditary health condition. Your vet is likely to already be well aware of the potential genetic disorders that could affect your pet’s breed, and can recommend swift treatment if a condition is diagnosed. -
The likely answer to this is no. If your dog has already been diagnosed with a hereditary or genetic condition before you have taken out a pet insurance policy, it’s likely that this condition will be classed as a pre-existing condition. And, if this pre-existing condition is categorized as an incurable condition, the majority of pet insurers won’t provide coverage for it. You’ll be responsible for all the treatment costs yourself.
If the hereditary disease is a curable condition, it may still be covered. Check your insurer’s terms and conditions. -
The best time to take out a pet insurance policy is when your pet is still a puppy or kitten. Even better, get it before you bring them home. That way, you should still have coverage in place and reduce the risk of having a pre-existing condition.