Which Rottweiler conditions are still not claimable after twelve months?
We list the conditions a Rottweiler 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.
Conditions on record 4 Strongest signal: bone cancer
Insurers read 4 Policy documents, not marketing pages
Longest wait before cover 14 to 180 days Spot starts soonest, Figo latest
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 4 | 1 | 14 days | 0 | PET-P-20000-1024 |
| Lemonade | 0 of 4 | 1 | 30 days | 0 | LEM-PET (09-23) |
| Trupanion | 0 of 4 | 1 | 30 days | 0 | TRU-00001 (08/11) |
| Figo | 0 of 4 | 1 | 180 days | 0 | IAIC FPI POL AI KS 1025 |
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
- covered bone cancer: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. (WAITING PERIODS, page 4; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 2; Exclusions c and f, page 5)
- conditional torn knee ligament (the dog version of an ACL tear): 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; Exclusion o)
- covered an ear infection: 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)
- covered arthritis in the leg joints: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. (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)
- Lemonade
- covered bone cancer: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. (Waiting periods; Pre-existing conditions; Definitions page 14)
- conditional torn knee ligament (the dog version of an ACL tear): 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, Orthopedic Conditions, page 14, which names 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; Waiting periods)
- covered an ear infection: 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)
- covered arthritis in the leg joints: Covered after the 30 day waiting period. (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)
- Trupanion
- covered bone cancer: Covered after the 30 day waiting period. (Exclusions & Limitations 5.b(2) and 5.c(1); page 3 of 9)
- conditional torn knee ligament (the dog version of an ACL tear): 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 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) weakness explicitly; definition at 7.c, page 6 of 9, which names cruciate issues)
- covered an ear infection: 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)
- covered arthritis in the leg joints: Covered after the 30 day waiting period. (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)
- Figo
- covered bone cancer: Covered after the 180 day waiting period. (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)
- conditional torn knee ligament (the dog version of an ACL tear): 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 22, Ligament and Knee Conditions, page 2 of 13: conditions involving a ligament, patella, meniscus or soft tissue disorder of the knee, considered bilateral and related regardless of cause; Definitions 44, Waiting Period, page 3 of 13; Pre-Existing Conditions, page 5 of 13, which states that ligament and knee conditions are not considered curable)
- covered an ear infection: 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)
- covered arthritis in the leg joints: Covered after the 180 day waiting period. (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)
| Condition | How much it stands out | Sample | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osteosarcoma bone cancer | n = 905,552 | VetCompass 2023 | |
| Cranial cruciate ligament rupture torn knee ligament (the dog version of an ACL tear) | n = 1,000 | VetCompass 2023 | |
| Appendicular osteoarthritis arthritis in the leg joints | n = 455,557 | VetCompass 2018 | |
| Otitis externa an ear infection | n = 22,333 | VetCompass 2021 |
- VetCompass, Royal Veterinary College. O'Neill DG, Edmunds GL et al., Dog breeds and conformations predisposed to osteosarcoma in the UK, Canine Medicine and Genetics, 2023
- This figure compares the breed against CROSSBRED dogs, not against every other dog, and the distinction changes the number. Crossbreed is the baseline category in the multivariable model. UK first-opinion data from 905,552 dogs containing 331 osteosarcoma cases, so the condition is rare in absolute terms even where the odds ratio is high; eleven breeds showed increased odds. The biology carries over to the US; referral patterns and recording habits do not. An odds ratio is not the chance that your dog will be affected.
- VetCompass, Royal Veterinary College. Pegram C, Brodbelt DC, Diaz-Ordaz K et al., Risk factors for unilateral cranial cruciate ligament rupture diagnosis, The Veterinary Journal 292, 2023
- This figure compares the breed against CROSSBRED dogs, not against every other dog. The study is a case-control design: 1,000 cases of unilateral cruciate rupture against a random sample of the wider population, so the sample size recorded here is the case count rather than the whole population. Six breeds showed increased odds and eight showed reduced odds. The published version sits behind a paywall; the figures here were read from the open repository copy at University College London. 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, Volk AV, Soares T et al., Frequency and predisposing factors for canine otitis externa in the UK, Canine Medicine and Genetics, 2021
- This figure compares the breed against CROSSBRED dogs, not against every other dog. Crossbreed is the baseline category in the final model. Random sample of 22,333 dogs from a population of 905,554; sixteen breeds showed increased odds. The confidence interval on this particular row runs from 1.01 to 2.77, so it only just clears significance and the true effect could be close to no difference at all. The study did not extract laterality or chronicity, so it cannot say how often ear disease recurs. UK first-opinion data: the biology carries over to the US, referral patterns and recording habits do not.
- VetCompass, Royal Veterinary College with the University of Cambridge and the University of Lincoln. Anderson KL, O'Neill DG, Brodbelt DC et al., Prevalence, duration and risk factors for appendicular osteoarthritis in a UK dog population under primary veterinary care, Scientific Reports 8:5641, 2018
- This figure compares the breed against CROSSBRED dogs, not against every other dog. Crossbreed is the baseline category of the breed variable in the final multivariable model at Table 5, adjusted for insurance status, age, sex, neuter status and bodyweight relative to the breed mean. This is the highest breed figure in that model. The authors note that only dogs under veterinary care were included, so the results may not generalise to dogs that rarely attend a practice, and that most participating practices sat within larger practice groups. UK first-opinion data: the biology carries over to the US, referral patterns and recording habits do not.
- What was measured
- dogs under UK primary veterinary care during 2016; dogs under UK primary veterinary care, case-control design; dogs under UK primary veterinary care during 2013.
Last checked: . This is the oldest check date of the rows on this page, not the newest.
What makes insuring a Rottweiler different?
The Rottweiler's headline figure is bone cancer at 26.67 times the odds of crossbred dogs, and it behaves nothing like the recurring skin and airway problems that dominate the flat-faced breeds in this register. Osteosarcoma arrives as one diagnosis with one very large bill rather than as a decade of small ones, so the clauses that decide it are the annual limit and whether cancer carries a category of its own, not the pre-existing rule. Underneath it sits a quieter number that will reach more owners more often: osteoarthritis at 3.11 times crossbred odds, the highest breed figure in that study.
Why does the timing of enrolment matter so much for this breed?
Unlike the brachycephalic breeds in this register, most of what a Rottweiler is documented to face is invisible at the first veterinary examination. Cruciate rupture, arthritis and bone cancer do not show themselves in a puppy, so the pre-existing trap that dominates a French Bulldog policy is a smaller factor here. Two things replace it. The annual limit, because this breed's most expensive condition is large and singular. And the orthopedic waiting period, because arthritis and cruciate rupture both fall inside it, and across the four policies here that clock runs from fourteen days to six months.