Checklist tool
Breed-to-plan checklist: match the plan to the breed
A plan is only as good as its clauses read against your breed's known health tendencies. Pick your breed below and this page builds your checklist from that breed's profile on this site: its signature conditions, the coverage watch list written for it, and the plan features worth checking for each one. Every item is phrased as a question to verify with the insurer, because the answer lives in that company's policy form, not on this page. Nothing here states what any company covers.
Short answer: what this checklist does
Pick one of the 35 breeds profiled on this site and the checklist is built from that breed's recorded profile: its signature conditions and its coverage watch list, written as questions to put to each insurer. It states nothing about what any company covers. Check each answer against the recorded facts in the company directory, and get a live quote before deciding.
The checklist updates from the breed profile data on this site. Read the full profile for the reasoning behind each item.
The four checks that apply to every breed
1. Hereditary and bilateral clauses
Ask the insurer, in writing: are hereditary and congenital conditions covered for this breed, and if one side of the body is treated, is the other side excluded as related? A bilateral rule can halve the value of a policy for breeds prone to paired joint, eye, or ear conditions. Background: the coverage decoder explains both clauses.
2. Waiting periods for your breed's conditions
General accident and illness waits are only the start. Ask for the specific waits that touch your breed: cruciate and ligament, hip dysplasia, spinal, and any condition the company singles out. The directory records each company's stated periods so you can compare before you call.
3. Chronic-condition rules at renewal
Allergies, skin conditions, and endocrine disease are managed for years, not cured in a visit. Ask: does a chronic condition stay covered at renewal, does the annual limit reset in full, and can the company reclassify a condition as pre-existing in a new policy year? Get the answer in writing before the first premium, not at the first renewal.
4. Limits that match the breed's bills
Compare the annual limit against the emergency example on your breed profile, not against the premium. Then run the two finalist quotes through the worksheet on the same deductible, reimbursement percentage, and annual limit, and check the pre-existing definition in the decoder. Get a live quote before deciding.