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Which French Bulldog conditions are still not claimable after twelve months?

We list the conditions a French Bulldog is documented to face, then read each insurer's own policy wording for every one. The number under each insurer is how many are still not claimable twelve months after you sign.

A French Bulldog
Photo by Ildar Sagdejev (Specious), CC BY-SA 4.0, resized and converted to WebP · original
Conditions on record 6 Strongest signal: nostrils too narrow to breathe through properly
Insurers read 4 Policy documents, not marketing pages
Longest wait before cover 14 to 180 days Spot starts soonest, Figo latest

This page sorts on one thing only: how many of the breed's documented conditions are still not claimable after twelve months. It ignores premium, payout speed, annual limit and customer service.

6 documented conditions for this breed, checked against 4 insurers. Sorted by fewest restrictions first.
Insurer Blocked in year one Second-side risk Longest wait Not documented Policy read
Spot 0 of 6 1 14 days 0 PET-P-20000-1024
Lemonade 0 of 6 1 30 days 0 LEM-PET (09-23)
Trupanion 0 of 6 1 30 days 0 TRU-00001 (08/11)
Figo 0 of 6 1 180 days 0 IAIC FPI POL AI KS 1025

Each number counts only what the insurer's own policy document states. Where a document is silent on a rule, the row says so instead of guessing.

How each number is counted

A condition counts as not claimable when any of these is true on day 365: the waiting period for its class has not passed, the policy excludes it by breed or by age, the policy does not cover its category at all, or the condition is usually bilateral and this insurer treats the second side as pre-existing.

  • Spot
    • covered nostrils too narrow to breathe through properly: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (WAITING PERIODS, page 4; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 2; Exclusions c and f, page 5)
    • covered the breathing problems of flat-faced breeds: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (WAITING PERIODS, page 4; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 2; Exclusions c and f, page 5)
    • covered sore, infected skin folds: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (WAITING PERIODS, page 4; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 2; Exclusions c and f, page 5)
    • covered demodectic mange: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (WAITING PERIODS, page 4; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 2; Exclusions c and f, page 5)
    • covered an ulcer on the surface of the eye: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (WAITING PERIODS, page 4; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 2; Exclusions c and f, page 5)
    • conditional slipping kneecap: This condition usually affects both sides. If one side was already known before you enrolled, this insurer treats the other side as pre-existing. (Definitions, Ligament and Knee Conditions, page 2, which names ligament, patella, meniscus and soft tissue disorders of the knee and calls them bilateral and related regardless of cause; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 2; Exclusions c and o)
  • Lemonade
    • covered nostrils too narrow to breathe through properly: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Waiting periods; Pre-existing conditions; Definitions page 14)
    • covered the breathing problems of flat-faced breeds: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Waiting periods; Pre-existing conditions; Definitions page 14)
    • covered sore, infected skin folds: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Waiting periods; Pre-existing conditions; Definitions page 14)
    • covered demodectic mange: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Waiting periods; Pre-existing conditions; Definitions page 14)
    • covered an ulcer on the surface of the eye: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Waiting periods; Pre-existing conditions; Definitions page 14)
    • conditional slipping kneecap: This condition usually affects both sides. If one side was already known before you enrolled, this insurer treats the other side as pre-existing. (Waiting periods; Definitions, Orthopedic Conditions, page 14, which names elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, intervertebral disc degeneration, patellar luxation and ruptured cranial cruciate ligaments; Definitions, Bilateral Condition, page 14: "a chronic condition that affects both sides of your pet's body, even if clinical signs or symptoms do not present at the same time"; Pre-existing conditions, which excludes bilateral conditions whose signs were present before the start date or before the end of a waiting period)
  • Trupanion
    • covered nostrils too narrow to breathe through properly: Covered after the 30 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Exclusions & Limitations 5.b(2) and 5.c(1); page 3 of 9)
    • covered the breathing problems of flat-faced breeds: Covered after the 30 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Exclusions & Limitations 5.b(2) and 5.c(1); page 3 of 9)
    • covered sore, infected skin folds: Covered after the 30 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Exclusions & Limitations 5.b(2) and 5.c(1); page 3 of 9)
    • covered demodectic mange: Covered after the 30 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Exclusions & Limitations 5.b(2) and 5.c(1); page 3 of 9)
    • covered an ulcer on the surface of the eye: Covered after the 30 day waiting period. (Waiting period at 5.b(2), page 3 of 9; bilateral exclusion at 5.c(2), page 3 of 9; definition at 7.c, page 6 of 9, which names cherry eye, entropion/ectropion and cataracts)
    • conditional slipping kneecap: This condition usually affects both sides. If one side was already known before you enrolled, this insurer treats the other side as pre-existing. (Waiting period at 5.b(2), page 3 of 9; bilateral exclusion at 5.c(2), page 3 of 9, which names luxating patella by example; definition of a bilateral condition at 7.c, page 6 of 9, which names elbow dysplasia including fragmented coronoid process, ununited anconeal process and osteochondritis dissecans, cruciate issues, luxating patella, hip dysplasia, cherry eye, entropion/ectropion, panosteitis and cataracts)
  • Figo
    • covered nostrils too narrow to breathe through properly: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Definitions 44, Waiting Period, page 3 of 13; What We Cover, Illnesses including Genetic Conditions, page 4 of 13)
    • covered the breathing problems of flat-faced breeds: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Definitions 44, Waiting Period, page 3 of 13; What We Cover, Illnesses including Genetic Conditions, page 4 of 13)
    • covered sore, infected skin folds: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Definitions 44, Waiting Period, page 3 of 13; What We Cover, Illnesses including Genetic Conditions, page 4 of 13)
    • covered demodectic mange: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Definitions 44, Waiting Period, page 3 of 13; What We Cover, Illnesses including Genetic Conditions, page 4 of 13)
    • covered an ulcer on the surface of the eye: Covered after the 14 day waiting period. This comes from the policy’s general illness rule; it names no separate rule for this class. (Definitions 44, Waiting Period, page 3 of 13; What We Cover, Illnesses including Genetic Conditions, page 4 of 13)
    • conditional slipping kneecap: This condition usually affects both sides. If one side was already known before you enrolled, this insurer treats the other side as pre-existing. (Definitions 44, Waiting Period, page 3 of 13, which sets the orthopedic waiting period for dogs at six months; Definitions 28, Orthopedic; General Conditions 6, page 4 of 13, on the Orthopedic Waiver Form)
Where each condition comes from. Sorted by how much this breed stands out, strongest first.
Condition How much it stands out Sample Source
Stenotic nares nostrils too narrow to breathe through properly 42.14× n = 2,781 VetCompass 2021
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome the breathing problems of flat-faced breeds 30.89× n = 2,781 VetCompass 2021
Skin fold dermatitis sore, infected skin folds 11.18× n = 2,781 VetCompass 2021
Demodicosis demodectic mange 4.63× n = 2,781 VetCompass 2021
Corneal ulceration an ulcer on the surface of the eye 4.38× n = 2,781 VetCompass 2021
Patellar luxation slipping kneecap 2.31× n = 2,781 VetCompass 2021
VetCompass, Royal Veterinary College. O'Neill et al., Canine Medicine and Genetics, 2021
UK first-opinion practice data from 2016, against 21,850 non-French Bulldogs. The biology carries over to the US; referral patterns and recording habits do not. An odds ratio compares this breed against other dogs and is not the chance that your dog will be affected.
What was measured
dogs under UK primary veterinary care during 2016.

Last checked: . This is the oldest check date of the rows on this page, not the newest.

What makes insuring a French Bulldog different?

The French Bulldog is the hardest common breed to insure well, and the reason is structural rather than bad luck. The VetCompass study behind this page found significantly raised odds on twenty of forty-three specific disorders compared with other dogs, which is close to half. Most of those are not rare catastrophes but everyday, recurring problems: the airway, the skin folds, the eyes. That combination is the expensive one for an insurer, because it produces many moderate claims over a long life rather than one large claim. It also means that the conditions this breed is known for are visible early, often at the very first veterinary examination, which is precisely when a policy has usually not started yet.

Why does the timing of enrolment matter so much for this breed?

For most breeds, enrolment timing is a general precaution. For this one it decides most of what the policy will ever pay. Stenotic nares and noisy breathing are visible on day one and are frequently written into the record at the first health check, and once written they predate any policy bought afterwards. Skin fold dermatitis behaves the same way and, because it is managed rather than cured, never resets. The practical consequence is uncomfortable but simple: the gap between bringing a Frenchie home and starting cover is the single largest lever an owner has, larger than the choice of insurer and much larger than the premium.