From the highest quality food to squeaky toys that make them go crazy, our pets deserve the very best. But to give them the very best means to continuously invest in their health.
Like their human counterparts, pets require routine medical attention — conditions can range from a minor ear infection to diabetes. Regular checkups for dogs and cats are essential to ensure their health's integrity.
However, a regular checkup could break the bank. Last year, Nationwide members spent more than $81 million to treat the 10 most common medical conditions affecting their pets. Skin allergies were the most common health issue among Nationwide insured canines with more than 102,000 individual claims at an average cost of $233 per dog. Dental diseases accounted for the most common medical condition among Nationwide insured felines with more than 5,200 claims received at an average cost of $376 per cat.
"We encourage pet owners to schedule regular medical checkups as recommended by their veterinarians to prevent many common, yet problematic medical conditions," said Carol McConnell, DVM, MBA, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for Nationwide. "Early detection can prevent many of these issues from becoming serious."
Nationwide recently sorted through its database of more than 600,000 insured pets to determine the top medical conditions that prompted veterinary visits for dogs and cats in 2016. Here are the 10 most common medical conditions of dogs and cats:
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10. Dogs: anal gland inflammation
The anal glands can become impacted, infected, and abscessed. Affected pets may lick the anal area, 'scoot' along the floor, or have problems with defecation. This behavior is most commonly linked to anal glands, not to worms, as is commonly believed.
Cats: valvular heart disease
The symptoms associated with murmurs depend on a variety of characteristics, including their grade, configuration, and location. If, however, the murmur is associated with structural heart disease, your cat may display signs of congestive heart failure such as coughing, weakness, or exercise intolerance. Murmurs are caused by disruptions to blood flow through normal or abnormal valves.
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9. Dogs: UTI
When dogs get UTIs, like humans, they may strain or have difficulty urinating, it may be painful for them to urinate, and they may have blood in their urine. Other symptoms include frequently licking the genital area and breaking housetraining.
Cats: skin allergies
Allergies affect cats, like us, in very similar ways. They'll often experience sneezing, insatiable itchiness — on the back or base of their tail, eyes and ears — vomiting and swollen paws.
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8. Dogs: diarrhea
Diarrhea in dogs can get messy. If it develops suddenly, it likely due to stress, a sudden change in diet, scavenging behavior or a viral, bacterial or parasitic infection. More chronic diarrhea can be caused by dietary allergies, stress, some types of parasites, some types of cancer and diseases outside of gastrointestinal tract such as liver failure.
Cats: inflammatory bowel disease
The symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can vary depending on the area of the digestive tract affected. They may include vomiting, weight loss, diarrhea and variable appetite. A definitive diagnosis of feline IBD can only be based on a microscopical evaluation of tissue collected through an intestinal or gastric biopsy.
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7. Dogs: vomiting
It's hard to tell when it comes to vomiting. Like their human counterparts, it could just be a result of too much food in a short period of time. It could also indicate something far more serious, as it can be associated with gastrointestinal and systemic disorders. Vomiting that occurs sporadically over a long period of time can be linked to cancer, kidney dysfunction or liver disease, among others.
Cats: diabetes
If your cat has diabetes, insulin therapy will go a long way. Left untreated, however, it can lead to weight loss, loss of appetite, vomiting, problems with motor function, coma and even death. While it can strike in cats with appropriate body weight, it is more common in obese cats.
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6. Dogs: dental disease
Without proper hygiene, your dog is sure to be a victim of gum disease. After a dog eats, bacteria, along with food, saliva and other particles, begin creating plaque. This can lead to chronic pain, eroded gums, missing teeth and bone loss. It's important to keep an eye on the gums because it is five times more likely to happen in dogs than in people.
Cats: Diarrhea
Diarrhea may be sudden in onset and short in duration. It can also last for weeks to months or occur off and on. A single instance is not cause for concern in cats, but persistent diarrhea should be closely monitored since it can lead to dehydration. Causes can vary, ranging from a change in diet and allergic reactions to colitis and cancer in the digestive tract, among others causes.
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5. Dogs: arthritis
Whether it's a breezy walk in the park or an intense game of frisbee, a dog's joints are getting a shock. The most common cause of arthritis in dogs is crucial ligament problems, where the ligament is degenerating over time.
Cats: excessive thyroid hormone
While there is no known genetic predisposition for hyperthyroidism, it is quite common in cats — often it is seen in late middle-aged and older cats. Because hyperthyroidism affects many organ systems, symptoms are wide and varying. Some reports have linked hyperthyroidism in cats to some canned food diets.
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4. Dogs: skin infection
Where there's a cut or wound, there's an increased risk of infection. Skin infections, also known as pyoderma, refers to a bacterial infection of the skin that is very common in dogs. Lesions and pus-filled swelling on the skin, and in some cases partial hair loss, often occur. While causes can occur in any breed, there are a few types that are more prone to developing a skin infection, including: German Shepherds with short coats, breeds with skin folds and breeds with pressure calluses.
Cats: vomiting
Much like dogs, vomiting in cats needs a careful eye. It can be the result of a cat consuming their meal too quickly, or more serious medical conditions associated with gastrointestinal or systemic disorders. Occasional bouts of vomiting are normal, but frequent vomiting can be a sign of a more serious condition.
Related: 10 holiday hazards for pets
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3. Dogs: non-cancerous skin mass
While it can be a shock to find a skin mass on your dog, it's important to remember that it can turn out to be nothing. Often, they're nothing more than a wart. The warts, which are considered benign tumors, are common among dogs no matter their age or breed.
Cats: chronic kidney disease
Cats' kidneys manage blood pressure, make hormones, stimulate the bone marrow to make more red blood cells and remove waste from the blood. The kidneys begin to fail with age, but can also strike in kittens born with kidney diseases. Untreated, kidney disease can lead to a series of health problems. When it's chronic, there's no cure. With early diagnosis and good care, a cat's quality and length of life are increased.
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2. Dogs: ear infection
There are two types of ear infections — one inflames the dog's middle ear while the other inflames the inner ear. Both are commonly caused by bacterial infection. Symptoms that appear may include pain when opening the mouth, reluctance to chew, shaking the head and altered sense of balance, among others. Additional symptoms may include vomiting and nausea, redness of the ears and ear discharge, among others.
Cats: urinary tract disease
Urinary tract disease is commonly diagnosed in cats and can have a number of different causes. Be prepared to deal with your cat urinating outside of the litter box, however. Potential causes of urinary tract disease in cats range from bladder stones to inflammation of the bladder.
Related: 12 factors impacting dog bite claims
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1. Dogs: skin allergies
As with humans, there's no cure for skin allergies in dogs. There are predominantly 4 types of allergies that dogs suffer from: flea, inhalant, food and contact allergy. Depending on the type, recommendations can include baths with special shampoos to topical treatments like Frontline Plus.
Cats: dental disease
Food particles and bacteria form along the cat's gumline, creating plaque, which can lead to gum irritation. An inflammation of some or all of a tooth's deep supporting structures, and is one of the most common diseases in cats today. If left untreated, it can lead to bone loss, tissue destruction and pus formation in the cavities between the gum and teeth.
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