Most Common Medical Conditions for Dogs and Cats

Just like their human counterparts, our pets require regular medical attention to treat minor ailments. While common issues such as ear infections and skin allergies are rarely life-threatening, they can be unexpected and expensive. Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) policyholders spent more than $68 million in 2014 to treat the 10 most common medical conditions affecting their pets. VPI, the nation’s first and largest provider of pet health insurance, recently sorted through its database of more than 525,000 insured pets to determine the top medical conditions that prompted veterinary visits for dogs and cats in 2014. Below are the results:

“To help identify common medical conditions, we encourage pet owners to familiarize themselves with their pet’s daily routines and schedule regular medical checkups as recommended by their veterinarians,” said Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. “The majority of conditions on our top 10 list can be successfully managed if treated promptly by a veterinarian. Early detection can prevent many of these issues from becoming severe and making treatment more costly.”

Last year, skin allergies were the most common canine health issue with more than 80,000 individual claims submitted to VPI at an average cost of $189 per dog. Bladder or urinary tract diseases accounted for the most common medical condition amongst felines with more than 4,700 claims received at an average cost of $425 per cat.

Non-cancerous skin masses accounted for the most costly canine medical condition on the list with an average cost of $339 per dog. The most expensive feline medical condition on the list was Lymphoma, which carries a significantly higher cost of just under $2,000 per cat.