Top 10 Most Common Pet Insurance Claims – Skin Tops The Charts

As the new year is in full swing, Pet Insurance Australia looks at the top 10 most common pet insurance claims of 2022. Giving a good insight into the benefits of pet insurance for Australian pet lovers, particularly those breeds prone to suffer from skin conditions and gastrointestinal upsets.

“As we look back at 2022, we can see the benefits pet insurance provides for pet owners, particularly when it comes to common claims they have made over the year,” Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia says. “Undoubtedly, pet insurance can help with major health issues and accidents, like broken bones and cancer. But our biggest claims are for illnesses prevalent in the Australian cat and dog population.”

With skin conditions topping the list for both dogs and cats, it is a good indication that many Australian pets are heading off to the vet with a case of itchy and scratchy.

“Skin conditions can include a range of issues, including allergies and infections,” Crighton says. “Secondary skin infections caused by allergies is a major concern to many pet owners and can be caused from a mass of reasons including foods, contact allergens, and flea bites.”

With any skin conditions, pet owners should seek advice before skin infections take hold.

“If your pet is showing symptoms such as itching, scratching, biting, odorous coat, flaky skin, rashes, or flapping their ears, it’s best to seek professional advice from a registered veterinarian before the problem escalates into an infection,” Crighton says. “Also, speak to your vet about possible prevention methods such as adding additional omega into their diets.”

Many top Veterinary Dermatologists also recommend the following:

• Specially formulated dog food for skin allergies
• Supplementation with Omega
• Specialised dog allergy shampoo
• Regular flea control
• Swimming in saltwater
• Lots of outdoor exposure during puppyhood
• Bath only using specially formulated dog shampoos that are natural and gentle
• Allergy testing
• Desensitisation programs

“Veterinary Dermatologists also recommend never washing your pet in human-grade shampoo. This is critical for those pets suffering from skin allergies,” Crighton adds. “The PH in specially formatted dog shampoo compared to human-grade shampoo can be radically different. In addition, human-grade shampoo can escalate dog skin allergies.”

Interestingly, both cats and dogs have the same top five claims for 2022: skin conditions, gastrointestinal tract conditions, ear complaints, and arthritis.

“This is a great indication that many who have pet insurance are claiming on common complaints,” Crighton says. “It does showcase the benefits of pet insurance for common pet issues, and this shows in our rate of claims.”

TOP CLAIMS PET INSURANCE AUSTRALIA 2022 

DOGS 

1. Skin conditions – infections/allergies/ other symptoms
2. Gastrointestinal tract conditions
3. Ear conditions
4. Arthritis
5. Accident – tissue damage or fracture
6. Mass Lesion
7. Neurological conditions
8. Eye conditions
9. Neoplasia
10. Muscle/skeletal condition

CATS 

1. Skin conditions – infections/allergies/ other symptoms
2. Gastrointestinal tract conditions
3. Ear conditions
4. Arthritis
5. Accident – tissue damage or fracture
6. Eye condition
7. Mass lesion
8. Muscle/skeletal condition
9. Ingestion of foreign body or toxin
10. Skin conditions – lumps and bumps

Featured by:

• Australian Dog Lover

Photo by Elisa Kennemer

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