Vet fees up to £15,000
To suit your pet’s needs, choose vet fee cover from £1,000 to £15,000. The limit resets every year you renew.
Design your own pet insurance
Policies as unique as your pet. Set your own limits, excess and optional extras, for cover as snug as a collar.
Switch with unbroken cover
If you switch to us from a like-for-like policy, there’ll be no gap in cover, with protection starting straight away**.
Elbow dysplasia happens when a dog’s elbow joints develop abnormally.
The elbow is made up of three bones, the humerus, radius and ulna. Elbow dysplasia refers to a group of developmental conditions where these bones fail to fit together smoothly.
When the elbow doesn’t articulate properly, this causes pressure on parts of the joint, leading to small stress fractures and pain. As your dog ages, wear and tear can cause the elbow joints to deteriorate and become arthritic, leading to stiffness, pain and discomfort.
The cause of elbow dysplasia is often genetics – the condition is passed down from one or both of the dog’s parents. Growth rate, nutrition, body weight and type of exercise during puppyhood can influence how severely the condition develops – though they’re not usually the primary cause.
It’s possible for any dog to develop elbow dysplasia, but large and giant breeds are especially prone to the condition. Some of these breeds include:
The first signs of the condition can appear from six months old. Mild elbow dysplasia may not show until the dog is older and has developed arthritis.
Dogs with the condition can show symptoms like:
If you think your dog may have elbow dysplasia, take them to your vet. They’ll look for swollen and painful joints, a stilted walk, and signs of pain when flexing and extending your dog’s elbows.
Your vet will also need to take some X-rays of your dog’s elbow, although X-rays alone cannot detect all components of elbow dysplasia. Many cases require further imaging, such as a CT scan. This is the gold-standard imaging method, and it helps to identify subtle bone changes and fragments. In some situations, arthroscopy (keyhole examination of the joint) may be recommended to directly assess the cartilage and confirm the disease.
Management of elbow dysplasia is tailored to the individual dog and depends heavily on which components are present, their severity, the dog’s age, and whether arthritis has already developed. Treatment typically includes a combination of medical management and, where appropriate, surgery.
Your vet may suggest some or a combination of the following:
Being overweight will put extra strain on your dog’s joints, which is why it’s important to keep them at a healthy weight for their breed. This may involve a controlled diet and weight loss programme.
Encourage your dog to have low-impact exercise (such as short, regular walks) that’s appropriate to their breed. Minimise high-impact exercise like running, jumping, turning at speed, boisterous play with other dogs and ball catching.
Physiotherapy and hydrotherapy help to build up your dog’s muscle strength without putting strain on their elbows.
Anti-inflammatory and other pain medications may be prescribed to control the pain and discomfort caused by this condition.
Joint supplements may be recommended to try and maintain joint health as much as possible.
More severe forms of elbow dysplasia may need surgery by a specialist veterinary surgeon. The goal of surgery is not to ‘cure’ elbow dysplasia – because arthritis may still progress over time – but to correct the underlying mechanical problem, remove painful fragments or reduce abnormal forces in the joint.
Options may include arthroscopic removal of bone/cartilage fragments, addressing joint incongruity, or procedures aimed at redistributing weight-bearing forces. Early surgical intervention often yields the best long-term outcomes, but some dogs can manage well with medical therapy alone.
“In practice, elbow dysplasia is one of the most common causes of forelimb lameness I see in young, medium-to-large breed dogs. The early signs can be surprisingly easy for owners to miss – many dogs simply appear a little stiff after rest or reluctant to jump into the car.
“Even when X-rays look fairly unremarkable, clinical pain on flexion and extension of the elbow can be an early indicator that something isn’t quite right. Advanced imaging, such as CT, often provides a clearer picture and helps guide treatment.”
“Most dogs benefit greatly from a combined approach: maintaining a lean bodyweight, controlled exercise, joint-friendly physiotherapy and appropriate analgesia. For some, arthroscopic surgery can make a dramatic difference, particularly when there are loose fragments or significant incongruity within the joint.
“With the right management plan, many of the dogs I treat go on to lead comfortable, active lives despite their diagnosis.”
Emma Chandley – BVetMed PGCert SAS MRCVS
It’s simple and straightforward to get a Petgevity Lifetime Plus dog insurance quote for your dog’s elbow dysplasia.
Just let us know about all the conditions your dog has had in the last two years, and we’ll see if we can cover them*.
Find out more about our dog insurance for pre-existing medical conditions.
Choosing Petgevity to protect your pets gives you more than just vet fee cover. Here's what you get from our policy.
Dental accident
Covers your pet up to the chosen vet fee limit if they have a dental accident or injury. Always be sure to take your pet for annual dental check-ups, and follow your vet’s advice.
Behavioural treatment
Get expert help with your pet’s mental and emotional wellbeing, as advised by your vet. Cover up to your chosen vet fee amount or the cost of up to 12 sessions, whichever is lower (Lifetime Plus); or up to £1,000 (Lifetime).
Complementary therapy
As advised by your vet, this covers alternative treatments like acupuncture or hydrotherapy. Cover up to your chosen vet fee amount (Lifetime Plus); or up to chosen vet fee amount or £1,500, whichever is lower (Lifetime).
Emergency care
If you can’t look after your pet due to an emergency, such as an unplanned hospital visit, this covers you for up to £1,500 (Lifetime Plus) in minding costs.
Third-party liability for dogs
Covers you for legal costs if your dog causes injury to somebody or their pet, or causes loss or damage to someone’s property. Protects you for up to £2 million in a legal action.
Choice of optional extras
Need extra protection? Choose from several optional extras to cover your pet’s needs, including dental illness, or cover if your pet is stolen or lost.
Defaqto 5 star rating when you choose vet fees over £4,000 with all optional add-ons included.
Basic cover alone has 3 star rating
Three-time winner National Insurance Awards Pet Insurance Award 2022, 2023 & 2024.
Awarded Best Pet Insurance Provider at The Money Mentor Awards 2024
†For Lifetime Plus policies only – details correct as of 10 September 2024 via competitor websites. Competitor products are subject to their own T&Cs and can have different limits and requirements for cats versus dogs at different ages. For full details, please check the relevant policy wording. For full details of Petgevity pet insurance, please read our policy wording.
Although the symptoms may wax and wane, elbow dysplasia is a chronic, incurable condition that will need managing throughout your dog’s life. But many pups can live happy and active lives if they respond well to treatment.
Elbow dysplasia is a genetically inherited condition. So, the only way to help prevent the condition from passing onto a puppy is to screen both parents before breeding.
Your vet can arrange for your dog to be X-rayed under the British Veterinary Association’s canine health screening for elbow dysplasia scheme. The x-rays are taken by your own vet and then sent over for scoring by a BVA veterinary surgeon.
Other ways to help keep your dog healthy and fit and slow down the worsening of elbow dysplasia symptoms include:
Always speak to your vet before introducing any natural or complementary therapies to your dog’s routine. Dogs who have elbow dysplasia will likely need pain relief medication alongside complementary therapies as the condition can cause significant discomfort.
*Cover for pre-existing medical conditions is subject to acceptance. They will not be covered unless you have declared them and they are shown on your Confirmation of Cover.
**Illnesses and symptoms won’t be covered in the first 14 days and accidents won’t be covered in the first 2 days of the policy. This is unless you are switching from another lifetime pet insurance product with no break in cover and the claim you want to make would have been covered by your previous policy. Other exclusions may apply to other sections.