Which Chihuahua conditions are still not claimable after twelve months?
We list the conditions a Chihuahua is documented to face, then read each insurer's own policy wording for every one. The number under each insurer is how many are still not claimable twelve months after you sign.
This page sorts on one thing only: how many of the breed's documented conditions are still not claimable after twelve months. It ignores premium, payout speed, annual limit and customer service.
| Insurer | Blocked in year one | Second-side risk | Longest wait | Not documented | Policy read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spot | 0 of 3 | 1 | 14 days | 0 | PET-P-20000-1024 |
| Trupanion | 0 of 3 | 1 | 30 days | 0 | TRU-00001 (08/11) |
| Figo | 0 of 3 | 1 | 180 days | 0 | IAIC FPI POL AI KS 1025 |
| Lemonade | 1 of 3 | 1 | 30 days | 0 | LEM-PET (09-23) |
Each number counts only what the insurer's own policy document states. Where a document is silent on a rule, the row says so instead of guessing.
How each number is counted
A condition counts as not claimable when any of these is true on day 365: the waiting period for its class has not passed, the policy excludes it by breed or by age, the policy does not cover its category at all, or the condition is usually bilateral and this insurer treats the second side as pre-existing.
- Spot
- conditional slipping kneecap: This condition usually affects both sides. If one side was already known before you enrolled, this insurer treats the other side as pre-existing. (Definitions, Ligament and Knee Conditions, page 2, which names ligament, patella, meniscus and soft tissue disorders of the knee and calls them bilateral and related regardless of cause; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 2; Exclusions c and o)
- covered gum disease: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. (Exclusions a and h, page 5 of 8 of form PET-P-20000-1024; WAITING PERIODS, page 4)
- covered a leaking heart valve: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (WAITING PERIODS, page 4; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 2; Exclusions c and f, page 5)
- Trupanion
- conditional slipping kneecap: This condition usually affects both sides. If one side was already known before you enrolled, this insurer treats the other side as pre-existing. (Waiting period at 5.b(2), page 3 of 9; bilateral exclusion at 5.c(2), page 3 of 9, which names luxating patella by example; definition of a bilateral condition at 7.c, page 6 of 9, which names elbow dysplasia including fragmented coronoid process, ununited anconeal process and osteochondritis dissecans, cruciate issues, luxating patella, hip dysplasia, cherry eye, entropion/ectropion, panosteitis and cataracts)
- covered gum disease: Covered after the 30 day waiting period. (Exclusion (8), page 4 of 9 of form TRU-00001 (08/11); general illness waiting period at 5.b(2), page 3 of 9)
- covered a leaking heart valve: Covered after the 30 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Exclusions & Limitations 5.b(2) and 5.c(1); page 3 of 9)
- Figo
- conditional slipping kneecap: This condition usually affects both sides. If one side was already known before you enrolled, this insurer treats the other side as pre-existing. (Definitions 44, Waiting Period, page 3 of 13, which sets the orthopedic waiting period for dogs at six months; Definitions 26, Orthopedic Condition, page 2 of 13, which defines the class by the musculoskeletal system and adds that for the purposes of this policy it includes IVDD, any condition affecting the intervertebral spaces and osteosarcoma; General Conditions 6, page 4 of 13, on the Orthopedic Waiver Form)
- covered gum disease: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. (Exclusion 19 a to d, page 6 of 13 of form IAIC FPI POL AI KS 1025; Definitions 44, Waiting Period, page 3 of 13)
- covered a leaking heart valve: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Definitions 44, Waiting Period, page 3 of 13; What We Cover, Illnesses including Genetic Conditions, page 4 of 13)
- Lemonade
- conditional slipping kneecap: This condition usually affects both sides. If one side was already known before you enrolled, this insurer treats the other side as pre-existing. (Waiting periods; Definitions, Orthopedic Conditions, page 14, which names elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, intervertebral disc degeneration, patellar luxation and ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 14: "a chronic condition that affects both sides of your pet's body, even if clinical signs or symptoms do not present at the same time"; Pre-existing conditions, which excludes bilateral conditions whose signs were present before the start date or before the end of a waiting period)
- blocked gum disease: This policy does not cover this class of condition at all, so no waiting period applies. (Conditions not covered, page 4 of form LEM-PET (09-23), which lists "Any dental illness"; Definitions, Dental Illness, page 15: "An illness affecting the teeth and/or gums"; Definitions, Routine Dental Cleaning, page 19)
- covered a leaking heart valve: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Waiting periods; Pre-existing conditions; Definitions page 14)
| Condition | How much it stands out | Sample | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degenerative mitral valve disease a leaking heart valve | n = 90,605 | VetCompass 2015 | |
| Patellar luxation slipping kneecap | n = 210,824 | VetCompass 2016 | |
| Periodontal disease gum disease | n = 22,333 | VetCompass 2021 |
- VetCompass, Royal Veterinary College. O'Neill DG, Meeson RL, Sheridan A et al., The epidemiology of patellar luxation in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England, Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 2016
- This figure compares the breed against CROSSBRED dogs, not against every other dog. Crossbred is the baseline category in the final mixed-effects multivariable model, which is adjusted for breed-relative bodyweight, age, sex, neuter status and insurance status, with clinic as a random effect. Population of 210,824 dogs. This is the second highest breed figure in that model, after the Pomeranian. UK first-opinion data: the biology carries over to the US, referral patterns and recording habits do not.
- VetCompass, Royal Veterinary College. O'Neill DG, Mitchell CE, Humphrey J et al., Epidemiology of periodontal disease in dogs in the UK primary-care veterinary setting, Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2021
- This figure compares the breed against CROSSBRED dogs, not against every other dog. Crossbreed is the baseline category in the final breed-focused random effects multivariable model at Table 3, adjusted for bodyweight relative to the breed-sex mean, age, sex-neuter and insurance status, with clinic as a random effect; eighteen breed types showed increased odds. Note that in the univariable analysis this breed was not significantly different from crossbreds; the association appears only after adjustment. The study recorded cases without severity and expects to undercount. UK first-opinion data: the biology carries over to the US, referral patterns and recording habits do not.
- VetCompass, Royal Veterinary College. Mattin MJ, Boswood A, Church DB et al., Prevalence of and risk factors for degenerative mitral valve disease in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England, Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 29(3), 2015
- This figure compares the breed against CROSSBRED dogs, not against every other dog. Crossbred is the baseline category in the final mixed-effects multivariable model for diagnosed disease at Table 3, adjusted for sex, insurance status, age at last consultation and maximum recorded bodyweight, with practice as a random effect. The confidence interval is wide, running from 2.85 to 13.30, which reflects a small number of affected dogs in this breed. The study measures diagnosis rather than disease, and only 62.5 per cent of diagnosed cases were confirmed by echocardiogram. English first-opinion data: the biology carries over to the US, referral patterns and recording habits do not.
- What was measured
- dogs attending 119 primary-care clinics in England; dogs under UK primary veterinary care during 2016; dogs attending 93 primary-care practices in England.
Last checked: . This is the oldest check date of the rows on this page, not the newest.
What makes insuring a Chihuahua different?
The Chihuahua's three documented conditions are the classic small-dog set: a leaking heart valve at 6.16 times the odds of crossbred dogs, a slipping kneecap at 5.9, and gum disease at 2.09. It also carries some of the largest documented protections in this register. For ear infections its odds run at 0.20 times those of crossbred dogs and for fatty lumps at 0.26, both five times lower or better. A register of problems is easy to misread. This breed's file is short, and two of the three entries on it are things a veterinarian finds rather than things an owner brings in.
Why does the timing of enrolment matter so much for this breed?
Both of the largest figures here describe findings rather than complaints. A kneecap that slips under the hand and a murmur heard through a stethoscope are the two entries most likely to be in a Chihuahua's record before anybody was worried, and both predate a policy bought afterwards. Gum disease arrives by the same route, through a dental grade written at a routine check. The practical consequence is that for this breed the gap that matters runs from bringing the dog home to the first veterinary appointment, not to the first symptom.