Condition guide
Bilateral conditions: if one knee (or hip) is out, does the other side get covered?
“both-sides” means both sides. Many pet policies treat knees, hips, or eyes as a pair. If one side is already in the record, the other side can be left out too, even if it looks fine today.
What “both-sides” means on a pet policy
Embrace’s coverage FAQ defines a both-sides condition as a condition or disease that affects both sides of the body, and names hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament tears as examples. Spot’s California insurer disclosure says ligament and knee conditions are both-sides and related regardless of cause, an occurrence on one side affects both.
Fetch’s pre-existing page uses the same idea for bone-and-joint both-sides conditions: a prior cruciate on one knee typically takes the other knee with it.
The practical owner question is usually the second knee: the first tear (or dysplasia note) already sits in the record, and the “good” side looks fine today. Under both-sides rules, that second side may never be eligible on that policy.
Related pages: ACL / cruciate, hip dysplasia, bone-and-joint waiting periods, and problems already in the record.
The short answer
- One side already pre-existing:
- Embrace, Fetch, and Spot (CA notice) say publicly that the other side is not covered for that related both-sides condition.
- Pets Best’s MN sample policy language we previously mapped also treats both-sides conditions as pre-existing when present before the wait ends.
- Verify your state’s issued policy.
- First side covered, then the other side later: Embrace’s FAQ states the flip case: if a pet is diagnosed with one covered both-sides condition, Embrace will also cover the condition if it occurs on the other side. That only helps when the first side was eligible, not when it was already excluded.
- Knee / ligament often cannot “cure” out: Lemonade says knee/ligament conditions cannot use the 12-month cured path. Fetch lists torn ligament as lifelong. Spot’s 180-day cured path does not apply to ligament and knee. Waiting out a year rarely unlocks the second knee.
Carrier-by-carrier both-sides language
Facts below come from public pages fetched or re-checked in September 2026. They are not personalized underwriting.
Label anything operational stale-prone: verify on the quote form and the issued policy.
- Embrace:
- Coverage FAQ, both-sides examples include hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament tears.
- Because the pet runs a higher risk of the same condition on the other side, a pre-existing instance means Embrace is not able to cover the condition on the other side.
- If one covered both-sides condition occurs, the other side can also be covered when it happens later.
- Fetch: problems already in the record page, torn-ligament example: with bone-and-joint bilateral conditions, the pet runs a higher risk of the same condition on the other side, and future occurrences (such as a cruciate tear on the left after a prior right tear) are treated as already there and not covered. Torn ligament is listed as lifelong on that page.
- Spot (CA disclosure): Ligament and knee conditions are both-sides and related regardless of cause, an occurrence on one side affects both sides. Spot’s can clear up / 180-day path does not apply to ligament and knee. Other states may differ, verify.
- Pets Best:
- State-specific.
- The MN sample policy booklet we previously mapped treats both-sides conditions (along with chronic and intervertebral-disc conditions) as already there if present before the effective date or wait end.
- Confirm your state’s booklet rather than assuming MN language.
- Lemonade:
- Public pre-existing guide we fetched does not use the word “both-sides” the way Embrace and Spot do.
- It does say knee or ligament conditions cannot be cured under the 12-month symptom-free path, and that chronic conditions stay excluded.
- Do not invent a Lemonade both-sides clause, verify how your issued Lemonade policy treats the contralateral knee or hip.
- Trupanion:
- US pre-existing FAQ we successfully fetched defines pre-existing with an 18-month lookback and does not publish a single nationwide both-sides sentence on that page.
- Eligibility for a specific condition is often determined at claim time.
- Verify on the quote form and issued policy.
| Carrier | Pre-existing | Curable path | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemonade | Not covered. A pre-existing condition is any issue the pet showed signs of, was diagnosed with, or was treated for before the waiting period ended. Pets with pre-existing conditions can still be insured; related bills are not reimbursed. | In most states Lemonade describes a 12-consecutive-month symptom- and treatment-free path for some temporary conditions. Knee/ligament conditions and chronic conditions (examples Lemonade lists: arthritis, allergies, asthma, cancers, endocrine diseases) cannot be ‘cured’ under that rule. | Get a quote from Lemonade |
| Embrace | Not covered. Embrace defines a pre-existing condition as any injury, illness, or irregularity noticed by you or your veterinarian before the end of the waiting period, even if the pet never saw a vet for it. | Curable vs incurable: Embrace lists diabetes and allergies as examples of incurable pre-existing conditions. Ear infections and undiagnosed vomiting or diarrhea are examples of curable issues that may be eligible after 12 months symptom-free. Bilateral conditions (hip dysplasia, cruciate tears): if one side is pre-existing, the other side is not covered. | Get a quote from Embrace |
| Fetch | Not all pre-existing conditions are covered. Fetch says no pet insurance covers all of them. Defined as any injury, illness, or condition noticed before signup, before the effective date, or during the wait of up to 15 days. | Fetch describes a two-year path for curable conditions (UTI, URI, bite wounds, ear infection, diarrhea, etc.): 1 year symptom- and treatment-free, with a second chance in year 2. Incurable examples Fetch lists: torn ligament, allergies, arthritis, IVDD, diabetes, thyroid disease. Orthopedic bilateral: a prior cruciate on one knee typically excludes the other knee. | Get a quote from Fetch |
| Pets Best | Not covered. Pets Best: any condition present before the end of waiting periods, even if not formally diagnosed. Signs or symptoms before the policy started mean no coverage for that condition. | Pets Best says some conditions (examples: broken legs, kennel cough) that heal and require no further treatment are not treated as pre-existing once healed. The MN sample policy treats chronic conditions, bilateral conditions, and intervertebral-disc conditions as pre-existing if present at any time before the effective date or wait end, with an 18-month lookback for other conditions. | Get a quote from Pets Best |
| Trupanion | Not covered. Trupanion’s US FAQ: a pre-existing condition is any illness, condition, or injury for which signs or evidence of potential manifestation existed within the 18 months prior to the effective date or applicable waiting periods. Recurrence of a prior injury is also pre-existing. Eligibility for a specific condition cannot be determined until a claim is submitted. | Trupanion’s US FAQ example: allergies diagnosed as a puppy remain excluded even after years without symptoms. Trupanion does not describe a 12-month ‘cured’ path on the US pre-existing FAQ we fetched. A hip-dysplasia example was covered when Trupanion found a medical disconnect from an old sprain. We do not treat ACL/cruciate as curable on Trupanion based on that page. | Get a quote from Trupanion |
| Spot | Not covered. Spot: any illness or injury that shows signs before the policy and before the wait ends, usually including undiagnosed issues. | Spot: cured/curable pre-existing conditions (examples: broken bones, foreign-object ingestion) may be covered later if the pet has gone 180 days symptom- and treatment-free. This does not apply to ligament and knee conditions. Spot’s CA notice: ligament and knee are bilateral and related regardless of cause, one side affects both. | Get a quote from Spot |
Why the second-knee question shows up so often
Cruciate disease and hip dysplasia are common in Labs, Goldens, German Shepherds, French Bulldogs, and other breeds owners already worry about. The first side often appears as intermittent limping, a “soft tissue” note, or a rule-out before anyone buys a policy.
Once that note is in the chart, both-sides language can lock out both sides even if the contralateral joint still looks clean on exam day.
Bone-and-joint waiting periods compound the problem: a limp during the wait can make that side, and, under both-sides rules, often the other side, pre-existing for the life of the policy. See bone-and-joint / cruciate waiting periods.
For dogs already in the senior chart with joint notes, see senior dogs over 8.
| Carrier | Waiting periods | Quote |
|---|---|---|
| Lemonade | Lemonade’s waiting-period guide (fetched Aug 2026): 0 days for accidents, 14 days for illnesses, 30 days for orthopedic conditions. Policy effective 12:01 a.m. the day after purchase. Preventative-care packages, if purchased, start when the policy activates. Some states use different waits, Verify on the quote form and the issued policy. Terms vary by state. | Get a quote from Lemonade |
| Embrace | Embrace’s waiting-period page: 14-day illness wait; accident coverage starts on the policy effective date. Orthopedic waits vary by state. Embrace help articles and sample terms describe a 180-day (6-month) orthopedic wait for dogs, sometimes reducible with a vet orthopedic exam. Verify on the quote form and the issued policy. Terms vary by state. | Get a quote from Embrace |
| Fetch | Fetch’s public coverage pages: no waiting period for accidents (new injuries on or after the effective date, described as 1 day after you sign up). Illness waiting period of up to 15 days. Optional wellness: no waiting period. Verify on the quote form and the issued policy. Terms vary by state. | Get a quote from Fetch |
| Pets Best | Waiting periods vary by state. A Pets Best sample policy booklet (MN) lists 14 days for illnesses, 3 days for injuries, and 6 months for cruciate ligament events. Pets Best also publishes a Waiting Period Health Assessment form (dated 03/2025) that may waive waits if a qualifying exam is done 3 days before or 7 days after the effective date. Verify on the quote form and the issued policy. Terms vary by state. | Get a quote from Pets Best |
| Trupanion | Trupanion’s US public FAQ pages we successfully fetched do not publish a single nationwide waiting-period number. Waiting periods are state-specific. Do not rely on Australian Trupanion pages for a US policy. Verify on the quote form and the issued policy. Terms vary by state. | Get a quote from Trupanion |
| Spot | Spot’s California insurer disclosure (fetched Aug 2026): 14-day accident and illness waiting period on the first policy period; ligament and knee conditions also 14 days. Conditions during a wait are pre-existing. A Waiting Period Health Assessment may modify the wait. Other states may differ. Verify on the quote form and the issued policy. Terms vary by state. | Get a quote from Spot |
What a quote still can (and cannot) do
- A dog with one bad knee can often still get a quote. That is not the same as coverage for either knee.
- New, unrelated accidents and illnesses after waits can still be in scope on an accident-and-illness policy. both-sides exclusions are condition-specific, not a total denial of every future claim.
- Switching carriers generally starts new waits and a fresh medical-history review. A prior cruciate on carrier A is usually still history for carrier B. Do not assume a move unlocks the second knee.
- Accident-only plans will not stand in for illness / bone-and-joint both-sides coverage on the “good” side. See accident-only vs wellness.
Get a quote (official carrier URLs)
We do not run a fake quote widget. These buttons open the carrier. both-sides definitions, waiting periods, and premiums are state-specific, verify on the quote form and the issued policy.
Sources (fetched 30 August 2026)
Facts below come from official public carrier pages. Waiting periods, age caps, and premiums change by state and over time. Label anything operational as stale-prone: verify on the quote form.
- Lemonade: Lemonade: pre-existing conditions · Lemonade: waiting periods · Lemonade: Golden Retriever page · Lemonade: French Bulldog page · Lemonade: Labrador Retriever page · Lemonade: German Shepherd page
- Embrace: Embrace: coverage FAQ · Embrace: dog insurance · Embrace: waiting periods · Embrace: orthopedic waiting period
- Fetch: Fetch: pre-existing conditions · Fetch: coverage
- Pets Best: Pets Best: coverage · Pets Best: FAQ
- Trupanion: Trupanion: pre-existing conditions FAQ · Trupanion: get a quote (age copy on form)
- Spot: Spot: pre-existing conditions · Spot: CA insurer disclosure · Spot: older pets