Up to £15,000 vet fees
Choose vet fee cover from £1,000 to £15,000 to suit your pet’s needs. Your limit resets each year you renew.
Choose vet fee cover from £1,000 to £15,000 to suit your pet’s needs. Your limit resets each year you renew.
Tailored pet insurance
Your pet is unique. Chose your limits, excess and optional extras to create a policy that fits them like a collar.
Your pet is unique. Chose your limits, excess and optional extras to create a policy that fits them like a collar.
Switch with continuous cover
Switch to Petgevity on a like for like basis, with no gap in cover, and your cover could start immediately**.
Switch to Petgevity on a like for like basis, with no gap in cover, and your cover could start immediately**.
Up to £15,000 vet fees
More info
Choose vet fee cover from £1,000 to £15,000 to suit your pet’s needs. Your limit resets each year you renew.
Tailored pet insurance
More info
Your pet is unique. Chose your limits, excess and optional extras to create a policy that fits them like a collar.
Switch with continuous cover
More info
Switch to Petgevity on a like for like basis, with no gap in cover, and your cover could start immediately**.
Elbow dysplasia happens when a dog’s elbow joints develop abnormally. One or more of the three bones of the joint don’t fit together 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. But other things such as diet, amount of exercise, and growth rate can affect how severely the condition develops.
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 sedate your dog and run x-rays or CTs. This is to look for any internal lesions on the elbows and confidently diagnose the condition.
There are 6 different options when it comes to treating and managing elbow dysplasia. Your vet will recommend the best combination to suit your individual pup.
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. This may include removing bone fragments or altering stress forces on the joint by carefully making small cuts to bone or tendons.
It’s simple and straightforward to get a Petgevity dog insurance quote for your dog’s elbow dysplasia.
Just let us know about all 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
If your pets have a dental accident or injury, you’re covered up to your chosen vet fee limit. Just make sure you’re taking them for annual check-ups and following vet dental advice.
If your pets have a dental accident or injury, you’re covered up to your chosen vet fee limit. Just make sure you’re taking them for annual check-ups and following vet dental advice.
Behavioural treatment
Get expert help with your pets’ emotional and mental well-being, as advised by a vet. Covers up to your chosen vet fee limit (maximum 12 sessions, combined with complementary therapy).
Get expert help with your pets’ emotional and mental well-being, as advised by a vet. Covers up to your chosen vet fee limit (maximum 12 sessions, combined with complementary therapy).
Complementary therapy
This includes alternative treatments like hydrotherapy or acupuncture, as advised by a vet. Cover up to your chosen vet fee limit (maximum 12 sessions combined with behavioural treatment).
This includes alternative treatments like hydrotherapy or acupuncture, as advised by a vet. Cover up to your chosen vet fee limit (maximum 12 sessions combined with behavioural treatment).
Emergency care
If you have an emergency (like an unplanned hospital visit) and can’t look after your pets, you get up to £1,500 towards pet minding costs.
If you have an emergency (like an unplanned hospital visit) and can’t look after your pets, you get up to £1,500 towards pet minding costs.
Third-party liability for dogs
This is when your dog causes injury to someone or their pet, or causes loss or damage to another person’s property. Cover for up to £2,000,000 for legal action made against you or your dog.
This is when your dog causes injury to someone or their pet, or causes loss or damage to another person’s property. Cover for up to £2,000,000 for legal action made against you or your dog.
Choice of optional extras
Choose from a range of optional extras to suit your pet’s needs, such as dental illness and cover if your pets get lost or stolen.
Choose from a range of optional extras to suit your pet’s needs, such as dental illness and cover if your pets get lost or stolen.
Dental accident
More info
If your pets have a dental accident or injury, you’re covered up to your chosen vet fee limit. Just make sure you’re taking them for annual check-ups and following vet dental advice.
Behavioural treatment
More info
Get expert help with your pets’ emotional and mental well-being, as advised by a vet. Covers up to your chosen vet fee limit (maximum 12 sessions, combined with complementary therapy).
Complementary therapy
More info
This includes alternative treatments like hydrotherapy or acupuncture, as advised by a vet. Cover up to your chosen vet fee limit (maximum 12 sessions combined with behavioural treatment).
Emergency care
More info
If you have an emergency (like an unplanned hospital visit) and can’t look after your pets, you get up to £1,500 towards pet minding costs.
Third-party liability for dogs
More info
This is when your dog causes injury to someone or their pet, or causes loss or damage to another person’s property. Cover for up to £2,000,000 for legal action made against you or your dog.
Choice of optional extras
More info
Choose from a range of optional extras to suit your pet’s needs, such as dental illness and cover if your pets get lost or stolen.
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 Insurance Choice Awards 2022.
|
ManyPets | Petplan | Agria | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum vet fees | £15k per year | £15k per year | £12k per year | £20k per year |
| Cover for pre-existing conditions? | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| No compulsory excess? | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| No compulsory co-payments for older pets? | ✓ | 20% (from age 9) | 20% (from age 7) | Min. 10% (from any age) |
| Tailor limits per pet on a multi-pet policy | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dental treatment for accidents? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Behavioural treatment and complementary therapy? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
|
ManyPets | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum vet fees | £15k per year | £15k per year |
| Cover for pre-existing conditions? | ✓ | ✓ |
| No compulsory excess? | ✓ | ✗ |
| No compulsory co-payments for older pets? | ✓ | 20% (from age 9) |
| Tailor limits per pet on a multi-pet policy | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dental treatment for accidents? | ✓ | ✓ |
| Behavioural treatment and complementary therapy? | ✓ | ✓ |
|
|
Petplan | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum vet fees | £15k per year | £12k per year |
| Cover for pre-existing conditions? | ✓ | ✗ |
| No compulsory excess? | ✓ | ✗ |
| No compulsory co-payments for older pets? | ✓ | 20% (from age 7) |
| Tailor limits per pet on a multi-pet policy | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dental treatment for accidents? | ✓ | ✓ |
| Behavioural treatment and complementary therapy? | ✓ | ✓ |
|
|
Agria | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum vet fees | £15k per year | £20k per year |
| Cover for pre-existing conditions? | ✓ | ✗ |
| No compulsory excess? | ✓ | ✗ |
| No compulsory co-payments for older pets? | ✓ | Min. 10% (from any age) |
| Tailor limits per pet on a multi-pet policy | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dental treatment for accidents? | ✓ | ✓ |
| Behavioural treatment and complementary therapy? | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maximum vet fees | |
|---|---|
| £15k per year | £15k per year |
| Cover for pre-existing conditions? | |
| ✓ | ✓ |
| No compulsory excess? | |
| ✓ | ✗ |
| No compulsory co-payments for older pets? | |
| ✓ | 20% (from age 9) |
| Tailor limits per pet on a multi-pet policy | |
| ✓ | ✓ |
| Dental treatment for accidents? | |
| ✓ | ✓ |
| Behavioural treatment and complementary therapy? | |
| ✓ | ✓ |
| Maximum vet fees | |
|---|---|
| £15k per year | £12k per year |
| Cover for pre-existing conditions? | |
| ✓ | ✗ |
| No compulsory excess? | |
| ✓ | ✗ |
| No compulsory co-payments for older pets? | |
| ✓ | 20% (from age 7) |
| Tailor limits per pet on a multi-pet policy | |
| ✓ | ✓ |
| Dental treatment for accidents? | |
| ✓ | ✓ |
| Behavioural treatment and complementary therapy? | |
| ✓ | ✓ |
| Maximum vet fees | |
|---|---|
| £15k per year | £20k per year |
| Cover for pre-existing conditions? | |
| ✓ | ✗ |
| No compulsory excess? | |
| ✓ | ✗ |
| No compulsory co-payments for older pets? | |
| ✓ | Min. 10% (from any age) |
| Tailor limits per pet on a multi-pet policy | |
| ✓ | ✓ |
| Dental treatment for accidents? | |
| ✓ | ✓ |
| Behavioural treatment and complementary therapy? | |
| ✓ | ✓ |
†For Lifetime 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.