Which health problems is the Great Dane prone to?

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat)

What it is. The stomach fills with gas and can twist on itself, cutting off blood flow; it progresses quickly and is life-threatening. ACVS's page lists the Great Dane alongside 4 other breeds: Weimaraner, Saint Bernard, Irish Setter, Gordon Setter. ACVS adds that nearly every breed has been reported with GDV.

Treatments ACVS describes: stabilisation with intravenous fluids and oxygen, decompressing the stomach, surgery to untwist the stomach, sometimes with partial gastrectomy or splenectomy and gastropexy to stop it twisting again.

What it costs. Trupanion's published average claim for gastric dilation volvulus (gdv) is $3,525. That claim equals 55.4 months of the $63.67 premium. With a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement the policy would pay $2,620, leaving $905 plus $764 of premiums, $1,669 for the year against $3,525 uninsured, provided the policy covers the condition at all.

Premiums for the Great Dane

Pawlicy Advisor publishes $63.67 a month for the Great Dane (median monthly premium), $764 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 Great Dane insurance cost page.

Among the 82 dog breeds Pawlicy Advisor prices, the Great Dane is the 33rd most expensive, in the middle half of the list, and 39% more than a mixed-breed dog. A quarter of its quotes were above $93.73 a month; even at that level, the bloat (gdv) claim average equals 37.6 months of premiums.

On a policy with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement, the year's covered bills have to reach $1,205 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

• Irish Setter: bloat (gdv)
• Saint Bernard: cruciate ligament (knee), bloat (gdv)

Sources: ACVS, Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (updated October 30, 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.