When it comes to common pet ailments, itchy skin seems to distress dogs the most and an upset stomach concerns cats.
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance dug into almost 500,000 claims to learn what brought its enrolled dogs and cats to a veterinarian over the 12-month period ending May 31. Skin conditions were the most-cited canine insurance claim, at 22 percent, while 29 percent of feline claims were linked to a stomach issue.
“Every year, we see pet parents spending more and more at the vet, and we know it’s a combination of urgent care, advanced technology and treatment options as well as a firm commitment to keeping our pets healthy,” said Rob Jackson, CEO and co-founder of the Seattle company. “Many pet parents find that they cannot afford an emergency surgery of $1,000, much less $10,000 for cancer treatment, and this is how pet insurance can help.”
For two Healthy Paws-covered animals, $10,000 wasn’t close to what their owners contented with.
A German shepherd dog diagnosed with tetanus toxin exposure — difficulty swallowing and progressive stiffness throughout her body, Healthy Paws reported — racked up a $52,021 claim, of which the insurer paid $46,569.
An Egyptian Mau cat that fell from a five-story window needed $28,126 in medical care. Healthy Paws reimbursed $24,292.
“When your pet is sick or injured, it is comforting to know that you can say ‘yes’ to necessary medical care without having to worry about the cost, because you know you have pet insurance,” Jackson said.
Here were the top 10 insurance claims among dogs and cats:
Dogs
- Skin conditions
- Stomach issues
- Ear infections
- Eye conditions
- Pain
- Growths
- Urinary tract infections
- Allergies
- Cruciate ligament tears and surgery
- Cancer
Cats
- Stomach
- Urinary tract infections
- Skin conditions
- Cancer
- Eye conditions
- Ear infections
- Pain
- Growths
- Foreign-body obstruction
- Allergies
Healthy Paws Pet Insurance released the findings in its “Cost of Pet Health Care 2018” report, available at http://bit.ly/2OcZMm9.