Which health problems is the Great Pyrenees 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 Great Pyrenees alongside 8 other breeds: Boston Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Miniature Poodle, Chinese Shar-Pei, Flat-Coated Retriever, Akita. 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 66.5 months of the $60.37 premium. With a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement the policy would pay $3,010, leaving $1,002 plus $724 of premiums, $1,727 for the year against $4,012 uninsured, provided the policy covers the condition at all.

Premiums for the Great Pyrenees

Pawlicy Advisor publishes $60.37 a month for the Great Pyrenees (median monthly premium), $724 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 Pyrenees insurance cost page.

Among the 82 dog breeds Pawlicy Advisor prices, the Great Pyrenees is the 39th most expensive, in the middle half of the list, and 32% more than a mixed-breed dog. A quarter of its quotes were above $94.72 a month; even at that level, the kneecap luxation claim average equals 42.4 months of premiums.

On a policy with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement, the year's covered bills have to reach $1,156 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
• Boston Terrier: kneecap luxation, brachycephalic airway
• Chihuahua: kneecap luxation
• Miniature Poodle: kneecap luxation
• Pomeranian: kneecap luxation

Sources: ACVS, Patellar Luxation (Dislocating Kneecap) in Dogs (updated September 28, 2026), 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.