Does Pet Insurance Cover Hereditary Conditions?

MetLife Pet Insurance can help cover hereditary and genetic conditions, whether your pet inherits the condition or symptoms develop later in life. However, like most pet insurance companies, pre-existing conditions are almost always excluded from coverage.

Keep reading to learn more about hereditary conditions, how they’re considered different from pre-existing conditions, and how a MetLife Pet Insurance policy can help reimburse you for costs associated with congenital and hereditary conditions.

MetLife Pet Offers Coverage for Hereditary Conditions

MetLife Pet Insurance plans can provide coverage for hereditary and congenital conditions as part of our standard accident and illness policy. This means you could be reimbursed for some of the associated costs, according to your reimbursement rate.¹

What’s considered a pre-existing condition?

As long as your pet isn’t exhibiting symptoms before enrolling or during the 14-day waiting period, they can be covered for any necessary treatment for these conditions, like prescription medication, X-rays and other diagnostic testing, exam fees, and surgeries.

If they exhibit symptoms before then, the condition will likely be considered pre-existing. Check out our coverage and exclusions page for more details about what a policy through MetLife Pet does and doesn’t cover.

What Are Hereditary and Congenital Conditions?

Like in humans, hereditary conditions in pets are genetic disorders caused by genes inherited from parents and previous generations. These may also be referred to as inherited or genetic conditions, and some breeds are known for being more vulnerable to certain hereditary conditions. For example, because of how they were bred, French bulldogs are predisposed to developing Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS).²

Congenital conditions are present at birth, and they may or may not be hereditary. While some congenital conditions are caused by inherited genetic malformations, they can also be caused by environmental factors in utero.³

If you’re bringing home a young pet and know they’re prone to any breed-specific hereditary conditions, it may be worth getting a puppy insurance or kitten insurance policy for them as soon as possible. That way, they could be covered before symptoms arise.

Examples of Hereditary and Congenital Conditions

A number of illnesses are considered both hereditary and congenital conditions, while some are either one or the other.

Common in dogs:^4,5,6

• Heart defects
• Digestive issues
• Hip or elbow dysplasia
• Certain cancers
• Allergies
• Patella luxation
• Hypothyroidism
• IVDD (intervertebral disc disease)

Common in cats:^4,7,8

• Digestive issues, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Diabetes mellitus
• Allergies
• Bladder issues
• Cerebellar hypoplasia
• Heart disease or defects
• Deafness
• Kidney disease

Some of these conditions are fairly common and can result in expensive veterinary bills. For example, a luxating patella surgery for dogs can cost up to $5,000 per leg. To help cover some of those expenses, you may want to consider dog insurance or cat insurance.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Hereditary Conditions

Your pet’s condition likely won’t be diagnosed until they start showing symptoms, and treatment will vary depending on the specific condition. Even if they were born with a congenital condition, they may not show signs of having it for a while.

If you’re aware of hereditary conditions your pet is prone to based on their breed, a pet insurance plan may be worth it so they’re covered if and when the disease appears. This could help you cover treatment over the course of your pet’s life, which can result in significant savings, especially for chronic conditions.

You could get an even better idea of your pet’s health and any genetic markers that cause disease with genetic testing. MetLife Pet’s Preventive Care add-on covers DNA testing when purchased through licensed veterinarians.

Examples of real savings

Take Sally, a 2-year-old dog from New York. She wound up needing surgery for hip dysplasia, but MetLife Pet refunded her family over $3,100 on an almost $3,475 bill.⁹

Or consider Scout, an 8-year-old domestic short-haired cat from Ohio. He was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, and treatment cost $1,425. His pet parents were reimbursed for over $1,125.⁹

Get Coverage for Hereditary Conditions With MetLife Pet

At MetLife Pet Insurance, we know it’s stressful when your pet has a health condition, whether they were born with it or developed it when they were older. That’s why we pride ourselves on our pet insurance that covers hereditary conditions. If your pet is diagnosed with a hereditary or congenital condition, we can offer coverage from the first sign of symptoms to ongoing treatment.

Get a free quote today to start the enrollment process so you can spend your time dedicated to your pet’s wellness, not worrying about vet bills.