In most cases, no. If your pet already has certain health issues before you apply, they won’t be eligible for coverage. Insurance is designed to cover unexpected events, not conditions that are already known.
When your pet can’t be insured
Your pet can’t be insured if they:
have a chronic illness (a condition lasting or expected to last more than 8 weeks)
are currently under medical treatment, or if treatment has already been recommended
had surgery in the last 6 months, or have a planned surgery coming up (except for minor procedures not linked to illness, such as castration or sterilization without medical indication, accidental tooth or claw extraction, or stitching a wound caused by an accident)
Preventive treatments such as vaccinations, deworming, or parasite prevention don’t affect your pet’s eligibility. These are considered routine care, not medical treatment.
Conditions that are always excluded
Some health issues always prevent your pet from being insured, including:
epilepsy
diabetes
thyroid disorders
allergies
hip or elbow dysplasia
tumors or abnormal growths
physical disabilities and malformations such as radius curvus or patellar luxation
Your pet also can’t be insured if a blood test shows signs of contact with blood parasites, even if they don’t have symptoms at the time. These vector-borne diseases include but are not limited to Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, hepatozoonosis, leishmaniasis, and micro- and macrofilariae.
Why these rules exist
Pet health insurance only covers unexpected events. If a pet is already ill or very likely to need treatment, those costs are considered predictable and can’t be insured.