Using its database of over 1.2 million animals, the insurance coverage group has actually evaluated the more than 1.43 million claims it got in 2015 for treatment associated to medical conditions affecting dogs and cats.
For the 11th year in row, skin allergic reactions were the most typical health concern impacting dogs, with more than 373,000 specific claims gotten (up from 335,000 in 2021). Meanwhile, for cats, persistent kidney illness was the most typical medical condition, getting more than 18,400 specific claims.
“When we talk about protecting pets from the unexpected, many families might envision things like traumatic injuries, poisoning, or foreign body ingestion,” says Nationwide’s vice president of animal health and chief veterinary officer, Jules Benson, BVSc, MRCVS. “While these are definitely situations where it’s beneficial to have pet health insurance, our data actually shows the majority of claims come from extremely common conditions.”
The leading medical conditions triggering veterinary sees for dogs and cats in 2015 (according to Nationwide) are as follows:
For dogs:
- Atopic or allergic dermatitis
- Otitis externa
- Enteropathy
- Gastropathy
- Pyoderma
- Anal gland sacculitis
- Arthritis
- Benign skin neoplasia
- Cystitis
- Dental illness (tooth infection, cavity, abscess)
For cats:
- Chronic kidney illness
- Cystitis
- Gastropathy
- Enteropathy
- Hyperthyroid illness
- Dental illness (tooth infection, cavity, abscess)
- Diabetes mellitus
- Atopic or allergic dermatitis
- Upper breathing infection
- Otitis externa
“Year over year, we see that ear infections, urinary and gastrointestinal disease, and skin allergies account for huge portions of the claims Nationwide receives for cats and dogs,” Dr. Benson says. “And, as clinicians know, all are conditions that can start out small but become serious, even chronic, if left untreated. Having a pet protection solution in place can make a big difference in whether pet parents seek veterinary care early, and then in what diagnostics and treatments are viable for them.”
For a single dog, the greatest cost with a skin allergic reaction medical diagnosis can be found in at $9,480 from a dog in New York which has several persistent conditions. For cats, the greatest cost for any of the leading 10 conditions can be found in at more than $19,821 for a cat from Georgia which suffered an extreme diabetic episode (the cat is not getting insulin to handle the condition and is succeeding at home).
