Whether your pet has insurance or not, no one hopes for a vet visit. On North's last trip, we met a poor Rottweiler that was so upset to see his owner go that he actually jumped off the second floor balcony, breaking both front legs and needing to be carried in because the cast covered most of his front half. I'd imagine that treatment would be pricey and fairly common with those fearless pets.
I was shocked to learn, in a recent report released by Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the country's largest provider of pet health insurance, that falling short of the top 10 most commonly claimed conditions for dogs and cats are broken bones, poisonings, trauma from car accidents, or animal attacks. Turns out nearly a third of the most common conditions were related to diet – quality food is as important as we knew after all – and vet-approved changes can make all the difference in those gastrointestinal problems.
Most of the top 10 can occur at any age, to purebred or mixed breed pets, and those living inside or outside. See the top 10 lists for dogs and cats when you read more.
| Canine | Feline |
|---|---|
| 1. Ear Infections | 1. Urinary Tract Infections |
| 2. Skin Allergies | 2. Gastritis/Vomiting |
| 3. Pyoderma/Hot Spots | 3. Chronic Renal Failure |
| 4. Gastritis/Vomiting | 4. Enteritis/Diarrhea |
| 5. Enteritis/Diarrhea | 5. Diabetes Mellitus |
| 6. Urinary Tract Infections | 6. Skin Allergies |
| 7. Benign Skin Tumors | 7. Colitis/Constipation |
| 8. Eye Inflammation | 8. Ear Infections |
| 9. Osteoarthritis | 9. Respiratory Infections |
| 10. Hypothyroidism | 10. Hyperthyroidism |
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Marc by Marc Jacobs
COUTURE COUTURE
this stuff is scary! I always wondered if I should get pet insurance. I don't know what I would do if something happened to Bop!
1I have had two cats die in the past two years from Renal Failure, which started out as an UTI.
2diarrhea's the only reason my cat has had multiple vet visits
3ugggghhhh
Sadie just spent the night at the vet due to diarrhea. I get to go pick her up this afternoon...yea!
4CaterpillarGirl, you don't feed your cats kit n kaboodle or seafood flavored food, do you?
5i've heard that can create UTIs in cats
I'm sorry CaterpillarGirl
6We've been to the vet multiple times for the top 3 reasons on the canine side...yikes
7i spent a ga-zillion dollars in vet visits, medication, topical solutions, and changing dog foods because my pup had horrible skin allergies on his pads. the poor little guy was just miserable. miraclously, the skin allergies stopped right after we moved. at the old house, a refinery was just a mile away and i'm sure all sorts of toxic chemicals were leaked into the air everyday and settled on our lawn/dirt. i thinks that what did it to him.
8That poor rottweiler.
9Zena goes to the vet every month to get her toenails clipped and a physical. Our vet checks her ears because she's easily prone to ear infections. Our vet and my family have a good relationship. It's not a huge ordeal for us.
10I'm at the vet all the time right now because my puppy has skin mites. Visits to the vet every two weeks for a dip isn't too much fun.
11What's kinda sucky is that VPI doesn't cover a lot of these things. When I got my kitty from the humane society, they gave me one month of VPI free and the coverage included mostly trauma-related things; not pre-existing conditions or vaccines or anything like that. When I worked at a vet clinic, we saw a LOT of dogs that came in with gastrointestinal issues like pancreatitis, diarrhea, vomiting, and intestinal blockages from eating things they shouldn't have. My dog used to have chronic UTIs that always meant a trip to the vet, but once we moved and I took her away from my parents' house (where she lived with 5 other dogs), she hasn't had one since.
12Desi, i was feeding them all meow mix seafood. Now its Iams indoor formula.
13I'm a cat owner and my vet that specializes in cats constantly tells male cat owners to stay away from Purina Cat Chow. It makes them more prone to UTI's and other urinary problems.
I'm like you Caterpillargirl, I feed mine iams indoor. It's expensive, but well worth it.
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