Coverage for Hereditary Conditions

A lot of us love pure bred dogs and cats, but they do have a higher incidence of hereditary conditions than their mixed breed cousins. I'm corresponding with a woman now that has a Wheaten Terrier with Glaucoma secondary to hereditary lens luxation.

She's looking at some pretty pricey surgery by a veterinary eye specialist to save her dog's sight. I wish she had a PurinaCare policy. We cover hereditary conditions. In her case we couldn't cover it now because it is pre-existing.

Most of the other companies do not provide coverage for hereditary problems under any circumstances.

 

A few cover hereditary conditions with limits on benefits or age limits or both. I could find only one other company that provided the same coverage that we do at PurinaCare. And be aware of the differences between congenital and hereditary conditions. 

 

At PurinaCare we will cover hereditary conditions that are not pre-existing. Hip dysplasia is a common hereditary condition in lots of large breed dogs. In many cases the signs of hip dysplasia don't show up until a dog is three or four years old. In some cases of severe hip dysplasia signs can show up earlier than that.

 

If you insure your large breed puppy with us before there are clinical signs and your puppy or dog is clinically normal and he develops hip dysplasia after you have him insured, we will cover him. We'll cover him as long as you keep the policy in force just like we cover anything else. As I said, I could only find one other company with similar coverage.

 

If you are looking for pet health insurance dig deeply into the policy details. You might find that there are age limits applied to hereditary conditions. You might find that hereditary coverage is available but at a higher rate or with a rider attached. In most cases you'll find it's not covered at all. In one case you'll find a six page list of all the breed specific conditions that are not covered. 

 

If you are considering buying a new puppy or kitten and you want a pure bred dog take a look at the hereditary conditions that are common for that breed. Ask the breeder is they have ever had any problems with these conditions. Many breeders practice selective breeding and won't breed known carriers of hereditary conditions. That's the breeder you want to go with. 

 

And if you're worried about the possibility of hereditary problems, PurinaCare is the pet insurance you want to go with. Just be sure to insure early, before the problem surfaces.