Breed health problems and what they cost

The American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) names the breeds most prone to 6 conditions covered here, from cruciate ligament disease to liver shunts. Insurers publish what those conditions cost: Trupanion's average claims run from $1,656 to $10,496 across the conditions on its claims page.

1Cruciate ligament (knee) $5,439 avg claim
2Kneecap luxation $4,012 avg claim
3Bloat (GDV) $3,525 avg claim
4Liver shunt $6,267 avg claim

Cranial cruciate ligament disease

The main stabilising ligament of the knee degenerates over time, so the joint becomes unstable and painful and arthritis follows. Trupanion: $5,439 average claim; Healthy Paws: $1,056 average 2025 reimbursement. Breeds ACVS names: Rottweiler, Newfoundland, Mastiff, Akita, Saint Bernard, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Labrador Retriever. (ACVS, updated July 22, 2026)

Patellar luxation

The kneecap slips out of its groove on the thigh bone, usually because the limb developed out of alignment. Trupanion: $4,012 average claim. Breeds ACVS names: Boston Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Miniature Poodle, Chinese Shar-Pei, Flat-Coated Retriever, Akita, Great Pyrenees. (ACVS, updated September 28, 2026)

Intervertebral disc disease

Spinal discs swell or rupture and press on the spinal cord, causing pain, wobbliness and, in severe cases, paralysis. No insurer-published average cost was found. Breeds ACVS names: Dachshund, Pekingese, Beagle, Lhasa Apso, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd. (ACVS, updated December 28, 2023)

Brachycephalic syndrome

Short-headed dogs and cats can have an overlong soft palate, narrowed nostrils and everted laryngeal saccules, which together make breathing hard. No insurer-published average cost was found. Breeds ACVS names: English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Pekingese, Boston Terrier, Persian. (ACVS, updated June 29, 2023)

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat)

The stomach fills with gas and can twist on itself, cutting off blood flow; it progresses quickly and is life-threatening. Trupanion: $3,525 average claim. Breeds ACVS names: Great Dane, Weimaraner, Saint Bernard, Irish Setter, Gordon Setter. (ACVS, updated October 30, 2023)

Portosystemic shunt (liver shunt)

An abnormal blood vessel carries blood around the liver instead of through it, so toxins are not filtered; ACVS calls it congenital in dogs. Trupanion: $6,267 average claim. Breeds ACVS names: Miniature Schnauzer, Yorkshire Terrier, Irish Wolfhound, Cairn Terrier, Maltese, Australian Cattle Dog, Golden Retriever, Old English Sheepdog, Labrador Retriever. (ACVS, updated January 13, 2025)

Breeds without their own page

Chinese Shar-Pei (kneecap luxation), Flat-Coated Retriever (kneecap luxation), Gordon Setter (bloat (gdv)), Irish Wolfhound (liver shunt), Old English Sheepdog (liver shunt), Weimaraner (bloat (gdv)): ACVS names each of these for one condition, and no premium source tracked here publishes a figure for them, so a separate page would only repeat the condition section above. Their premiums fall back to NAPHIA's 2025 averages: $69.67 a month for a dog.

Published claim averages

Trupanion's published average claim for each condition on its claims page (no period given). Bars to scale from $0.

ACVS's hip dysplasia page says the condition is most common in large dogs but names no breeds, so it is not assigned to any breed here; Trupanion's average hip dysplasia claim is shown above for scale. ACVS writes "Staffordshire Terrier" in its cruciate list, which could mean either the American Staffordshire Terrier or the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, so neither page claims it. Premiums for each breed are on pet insurance cost by breed; the guide pre-existing conditions explains why a condition found before cover starts is usually excluded.