More than just emergencies: Helping clients prepare for lifelong care

When pet families think about pet insurance, they often picture an unexpected accident or emergency surgery. However, the most common veterinary expenses typically come from chronic conditions that require ongoing care.

Nationwide's 2025 claims data found that many of the most common claims for dogs and cats involved conditions such as skin allergies, arthritis, dental disease, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and seizures. These conditions often require ongoing medications, diagnostics, monitoring, and follow-up visits.

Costs associated with ongoing treatment can add up quickly

Annual costs based on Nationwide claims data for 2025:

1. Canine arthritis averaged $1,245

2. Canine seizures averaged $1,478

3. Feline inflammatory bowel disease averaged $1,535

4. Feline diabetes averaged $2,194

This data is based on Nationwide claims data in a rolling 24-month period. Treatment cost includes expenses incurred in the first 30 days after initial diagnosis and reflects the 80th percentile of expenses.

That's why many veterinary healthcare teams are beginning to reframe pet insurance as a financial-planning tool for lifelong care, not just for emergency care.

Vet and Pet Owner with small dog

Start the conversation early

The best time to discuss pet insurance if before a pet develops health issues that could later be considered pre-existing conditions.

Puppy and kitten visits, wellness appointments, and preventive care conversations provide excellent opportunities to help clients understand their options before future health concerns arise.

Focus on lifelong care

A simple way to introduce the topic is:

"Many pets develop health conditions are they age. Pet insurance is one option pet families use to help prepare for the ongoing cost of veterinary care throughout their pet's life."

This message reflects the reality veterinary teams see every day and helps clients think beyond a single emergency event.

Helping clients prepare for the future

Long-term care often involves repeated veterinary visits and ongoing treatment expenses.

By shifting the conversation from unexpected emergencies to regularly scheduled care, veterinary teams can help clients understand how costs add up and the value of planning ahead for healthcare needs as pets age.

Download the pdf at the top of this article to access more information and easy action items for your team.

Joanna Robson, DVM, MS, is a Senior Veterinarian in Pet Health at Nationwide. With over two decades of experience in integrative small animal and equine medicine and a Master’s degree in Health Communications, she works at the intersection of clinical practice, human centered connection, and strategic communication to advance pet health outcomes and member engagement. She is a published author and frequent speaker on topics spanning integrative care, embodied communication, and health literacy in veterinary medicine.