Which health problems is the Pekingese prone to?

Intervertebral disc disease

What it is. Spinal discs swell or rupture and press on the spinal cord, causing pain, wobbliness and, in severe cases, paralysis. ACVS's page lists the Pekingese (as "Pekinese") alongside 5 other breeds: Dachshund, Beagle, Lhasa Apso, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd. ACVS names the Dachshund as accounting for 45 to 70% of all cases; Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherd Dogs are its examples of non-chondrodystrophoid breeds that are also affected.

Treatments ACVS describes: conservative care: strict rest, confinement and pain medication, decompressive surgery, often a hemilaminectomy and aftercare: bladder expression, rehabilitation, exercise restriction.

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

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 Pekingese alongside 5 other breeds: English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Boston Terrier, 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.

For scale: a common accident

Trupanion publishes an average claim of $2,964 for swallowing a foreign object, an accident that can happen to any breed. At $110.70 a month that is 26.8 months of premiums; on the terms above the insured year would cost $2,121 against $2,964 uninsured.

Premiums for the Pekingese

Pawlicy Advisor publishes $110.70 a month for the Pekingese (median monthly premium), $1,328 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 Pekingese insurance cost page.

Among the 82 dog breeds Pawlicy Advisor prices, the Pekingese is the 1st most expensive, in the dearest quarter of the list, and 142% more than a mixed-breed dog. A quarter of its quotes were above $110.70 a month and a quarter below $64.01.

On a policy with a $250 deductible and 80% reimbursement, the year's covered bills have to reach $1,911 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

• Beagle: spinal disc disease
• Boston Terrier: kneecap luxation, brachycephalic airway
• Dachshund: spinal disc disease
• English Bulldog: brachycephalic airway
• French Bulldog: brachycephalic airway

Sources: ACVS, Intervertebral Disc Disease (updated December 28, 2023), 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.