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My dog has limb issues. Will pet insurance cover related problems?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 2 years and 3 months old | 17 lbs

Hello my jack russell has had frontal Limb Deformities since he was a pup, about 2 months it started showing. I am wondering because I know insurances don’t cover pre existing conditions but does that count as a hereditary disease? I really want insurance but I don’t want them to deny every claim if it ever has anything to do with his paws. Especially if he ever develops arthritis.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 26th, 2018

Opie and the husky are too cute! This appears to be a valgus deformity, which would be a hereditary defect. It is definitely possible that he will have issues with arthritis when he gets older and I'm not sure how insurance companies will deal with this. I recommend calling and talking with an insurance representative. If they say that secondary issues arising from this pre-existing condition are covered, then I would make sure to get that in writing before committing to the coverage. Otherwise, it may be more worthwhile to set aside money in anticipation for veterinary bills in the future. I hope that helps and all is well with Opie.

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