Veterinary Pet Insurance analyzed its medical claims received in 2007, and has determined the top 10 most commonly claimed conditions for dogs.
If there was no truth to the saying, “sick as a dog”, then vets would be out of business. But our furry friends do get sick, injured and ill, and these ailments help keep vets’ doors open.
What are the most common reasons we take our dogs to the vet? Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) recently analyzed its medical claims received in 2007, and has determined the top 10 most commonly claimed conditions for dogs.
These top 10 conditions accounted for about 25 percent of all medical claims received last year:
1. Ear infections
2. Skin allergies
3. Pyoderma/hot spots
4. Gastritis/vomiting
5. Enteritis/diarrhea
6. Urinary tract infections
7. Benign skin tumors
8. Eye inflammation
9. Osteoarthritis
10. Hypothyroidism
“Some pet owners may be surprised by what’s not on the list,” said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. “Falling just short of the top 10 are the major injuries that often motivate pet owners to purchase pet insurance — broken bones, poisonings or trauma from car accidents or animal attacks. While many people purchase pet insurance with a primary concern for injuries and accidents, they are often relieved to find that their policy is just as useful for the common conditions that are the more likely reasons to bring a pet to the veterinarian.”
Of the most common canine maladies, the only condition not on last year’s list, hypothyroidism, rose from No. 11 in 2006 to No. 10 in 2007, bumping sprains to No. 13. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone, which is responsible for regulating the metabolism. Dogs with hypothyroidism may appear lethargic and gain weight despite a strict diet and exercise.
Nearly a third of all the common conditions could be related to or exacerbated by diet, diet changes, or dietary indiscretions. These gastrointestinal problems typically result in vomiting or diarrhea. The most effective way to reduce common dietary conditions is to ask your veterinarian to recommend a quality pet food tailored to your pet’s dietary needs and to feed that food consistently.
“Gastrointestinal claims are common each year we publish our top 10 list, but our 2007 numbers indicate that pet owners took their pets’ gastrointestinal and dietary difficulties more seriously this past year, perhaps due to the pet food recall,” said McConnell.
Allergies were another influencing factor for several of VPI’s top conditions in 2007. Pet allergies usually manifest in continual itching or chewing of the skin, especially the skin around paws, ears and eyes. The top three conditions for dogs each involve inflammation or infection of the skin, commonly resulting from an allergic condition.
Some of the top 10 conditions can be associated with age-related changes in a pet, such as osteoarthritis. However, most of the top 10 conditions can occur at any age to any pet — purebred or mixed, those kept inside or outside. No matter what age or breed of pet, pet owners should familiarize themselves with their pets’ daily routine in order to identify abnormal behaviors that might indicate an illness. In addition, regular semiannual physical exams can help prevent and identify certain conditions before they become chronic and costly.
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