Jun
Vets Reveal top 10 Reasons Pets Need Treatment
Many Common Conditions Linked to a Pet’s Diet or Allergies
There’s no way around it: sometimes Fluffy gets stuffy and even cats can end up sick as a dog. Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, recently analyzed its medical claims received in 2007 to determine the top 10 most commonly claimed conditions for dogs and cats. For both canines and felines, the top 10 conditions accounted for about 25 percent of all medical claims received last year.
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
“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.
The most dramatic change on either list was the rise of feline enteritis from No. 16 in 2006 to No. 4 in 2007. Feline enteritis, which is characterized by dark, watery diarrhea, can be triggered by anything from stress, a change in diet, infection, or intestinal blockage.
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 and renal failure. 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.
If left untreated, any of the top 10 conditions could result in serious health problems and cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to treat. In 2007, the most expensive of the common canine conditions was benign skin tumors, with an average submitted claim fee of $327. For cats, the most expensive common condition was renal failure, with an average submitted claim fee of $279.
“The cost to treat pet illnesses may catch some pet owners off guard, especially if additional testing or ongoing medication is required,” said McConnell. “It is important for pet owners to plan for their pet’s unexpected health care expenses just as they do for pet food or grooming expenses. A VPI Pet Insurance policy provides an easy, affordable way to help take the sting out of pet health care expenses.”
I notice hypothyroidism sits at no. 10 for dogs. However, when added together, all the conditions, from 1-9 can be symptoms of an underlying thyroid problem in dogs. How interesting ….. especially after your dog has been treated for several years for all these separate conditions – and you (or the insurance company) have paid out ££££££££ only to eventually discover (perhaps when your dog is 8 years old) that simple thyroid treatment could have saved you a fortune and your dogs years of suffering. Call me cynical, but that is precisely what happened to one of my dogs, and suffer the poor soul did.
Our former vet used to love it when we arrived. The card machine, or the cash drawer would be poised for action the second we walked in the door. Once my dog was diagnosed (on a second opinion) with a thyroid condition – that vet didn’t want to know anymore and sent us away (as if I would have stayed with him in any case!!!!). Of course thyroid treatment is pennies compared to treating all of the above listed conditions separately!!! Please be careful.
My thoughts on hypothyroidism:
This is relatively rare in other mammals and certainly not on the top ten for others. Firstly, is there a correlation to leash use? Secondly is there a higher incidence of other thyroid/parathyroid conditions in dogs over other mammalian species.
Out walking with my own dog, my parent’s dog or even alone, it is amazing the number of individuals you see with a dog straining continually on a leash – I’ve pointed out that I needed to train such behaviour out of my wakling pattern – or pulling particularly hard when approaching another dog.
Quite clearly, using a choke collar (or any other ‘tightening’ device) for dog control creates more than adequate tension to cause trauma to the sensitive gland tissue in the neck. However, soft collars or leather collars may also cause similar damage with sufficient pressure – less likely as the muscles in the side of the neck are a bit more protective.
As a forensic scientist, I feel it would be interesting, if not conclusive, to establish the cummulative effect of collar pressure when compared to the less traumatic harnesses and halters. Is anyone aware of such a study?
Clearly there is no one perfect solution as harnesses may cause considerable strain to chest muscles and shoulder joints and halters can potentially strain necks. The only solution is to train the strain out.
Stuart