Which health problems is the Boston Terrier prone to?

Patellar luxation

What it is. The kneecap slips out of its groove on the thigh bone, usually because the limb developed out of alignment. ACVS's page lists the Boston Terrier alongside 8 other breeds: Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Miniature Poodle, Chinese Shar-Pei, Flat-Coated Retriever, Akita, Great Pyrenees. ACVS lists small breeds as most affected and says the large breeds named are now considered predisposed as large-breed cases rise.

Treatments ACVS describes: soft-tissue reconstruction around the kneecap, deepening the groove in the femur, moving the tibial crest to realign the kneecap and straightening a bowed femur with a bone plate.

What it costs. Trupanion's published average claim for patellar luxation is $4,012. That claim equals 80.9 months of the $49.62 premium. With a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement the policy would pay $3,010, leaving $1,002 plus $595 of premiums, $1,598 for the year against $4,012 uninsured, provided the policy covers the condition at all.

Brachycephalic syndrome

What it is. Short-headed dogs and cats can have an overlong soft palate, narrowed nostrils and everted laryngeal saccules, which together make breathing hard. ACVS's page lists the Boston Terrier alongside 5 other breeds: English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Pekingese, Persian.

Treatments ACVS describes: soft palate resection (staphylectomy), widening narrowed nostrils (stenotic nares), removing everted laryngeal saccules and temporary or permanent tracheostomy in severe cases.

What it costs. None of the insurer claim pages checked for this site (Trupanion, Healthy Paws, Fetch) publishes an average for brachycephalic syndrome, so no figure is shown. A treatment estimate from a veterinary hospital for the pet in question is the only reliable number.

Premiums for the Boston Terrier

Pawlicy Advisor publishes $49.62 a month for the Boston Terrier (median monthly premium), $595 a year. NAPHIA's 2025 average for all insured dogs is $69.67 a month. Every published figure for the breed, with dates, is on the Boston Terrier insurance cost page.

Among the 82 dog breeds Pawlicy Advisor prices, the Boston Terrier is the 58th most expensive, in the middle half of the list, and 9% more than a mixed-breed dog. A quarter of its quotes were above $58.19 a month; even at that level, the kneecap luxation claim average equals 68.9 months of premiums.

On a policy with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement, the year's covered bills have to reach $994 before the policy has paid back the premiums. Most claims are much smaller than the conditions above: NAPHIA's 2025 list of the most common dog claims starts with gastrointestinal, ear infection (otitis), skin conditions, anxiety, behavioral or neurological, allergies and growth or mass.

Hereditary conditions and policy terms

Breed-linked conditions are where policy wording matters most. Under the NAIC Pet Insurance Model Act, an insurer must disclose before sale whether it excludes pre-existing, hereditary, congenital or chronic conditions (Section 4A). A condition counts as pre-existing if a vet advised on it, treated it or recorded signs of it before cover began or during a waiting period (Section 3F), and illness and orthopedic waiting periods are capped at 30 days (Section 5B). States adopt the model on their own timetable, so the policy and the state insurance department are the authority. The guides on pre-existing conditions and waiting periods go further.

Other breeds with the same conditions

• Akita: cruciate ligament (knee), kneecap luxation
• Chihuahua: kneecap luxation
• English Bulldog: brachycephalic airway
• French Bulldog: brachycephalic airway
• Great Pyrenees: kneecap luxation

Sources: ACVS, Patellar Luxation (Dislocating Kneecap) in Dogs (updated September 28, 2026), ACVS, Brachycephalic Syndrome (updated June 29, 2023), Trupanion claims examples, Healthy Paws 2025 reimbursements, Pawlicy Advisor, NAIC model #633. Last checked October 20, 2026. This page summarises veterinary references; it is not veterinary advice.