Top 10 Dog Insurance Claims 2006

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, recently reviewed all medical claims received in 2006 to identify the top 10 reasons dogs were taken to the veterinarian.

Compared with last year's list, the usual suspects - skin allergies, urinary tract infections and upset stomachs - remain near the top for both pets. A condition absent from last year's list was Pyoderma (or hot spots) for dogs.

"Almost all pets will have one of these conditions throughout their life," said Dr. Carol McConnell, director of veterinary relations for VPI. "In general, younger pets have a tendency to eat things they are not supposed to eat, which may result in stomach problems. Older pets are prone to tumors and arthritis."

2006 Top 10 Claims by Incident — Dogs

Skin allergies
Ear infections
Stomach upsets
Urinary tract infections
Benign tumors
Pyoderma (hot spots/ bacterial skin infections)
Sprains
Osteoarthritis
Enteritis
Eye infections

The addition of pyoderma to the list reflects the prevalence of skin allergies among dogs. Like humans, dogs can have allergic reactions to food or pollen. Many dogs are allergic to contact with grass or carpet. The most common allergy is a reaction to flea bites. These allergies may cause a dog to lick or chew at an area on their skin until it creates a wound. Infected wounds from self trauma are what veterinarians call “pyoderma.”

With each of the top 10 conditions, early detection by the owner and early treatment from a veterinarian is essential. In order to detect illnesses early, dog owners should pay attention to their dog's behavior and schedule regular visits to the veterinarian. McConnell recommends that young puppies see the veterinarian every two to three weeks and older dogs visit once or twice a year.

“Daily care and attention is important,” said McConnell. “If you are touching your dog every day, you increase the chance of feeling a tumor, discovering an infection, or noticing if they have a sensitive area.” Without detection, dog health problems can become serious and expensive.

“All of these conditions on our top 10 list would affect the dog’s quality of life. Some could even become fatal,” said McConnell. “Veterinarians never want to euthanize a dog, especially for something that could have been managed earlier in the course of the disease. That is why many veterinarians are focusing on preventive health care. VPI wants to help them with that.”

By offering plans that reimburse for routine health care and treatment for common ailments, VPI hopes to keep dog owners from incurring excessive expenses, and keep dogs from unnecessary euthanasia. McConnell recommends that pet owners purchase a dog insurance policy while their dog is still young and less likely to have a pre-existing condition

The majority of VPI’s policyholders understand the importance of health insurance for preventive and medical care, with approximately 85 percent opting for a medical plan with additional coverage for routine care.

Report: www.petinsurance.com.

DogOwner Says:

OK, so this is a US based report, but it's still interesting and applicable to our website.

2006 Top 10 Claims by Incident Dogs - This list was quite revealing, it is quite surprising to see the number one reason as "skin allergies".

"Like humans, dogs can have allergic reactions to food or pollen"....luckily I have never owned a dog that has an allergy, it must be a nightmare?!

It must be quite common though, have a selection of allergy related products.

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