Compared with last year’s list, the usual suspects — skin allergies, urinary tract infections and upset stomachs — remain near the top for both pets. Some conditions absent from last year’s list were pyoderma (or hot spots) for dogs and tooth extractions for cats.

“Almost all pets will have one of these conditions throughout their life,” said Dr. Carol McConnell, director of veterinary education and services for VPI. “In general, younger pets have a tendency to eat things they are not supposed to eat, which may result in stomach problems. Older pets are prone to tumors and arthritis.”

2006 Top 10 Claims by Incident — Dogs	2006 Top 10 Claims by Incident — Cats
1. Skin allergies	1. Urinary tract infections
2. Ear infections	2. Stomach upsets
3. Stomach upsets	3. Kidney failure
4. Urinary tract infections	4. Skin allergies
5. Benign tumors	5. Diabetes
6. Pyoderma (Hot spots/bacterial skin infections)	6. Respiratory infections
7. Sprains	7. Ear infections
8. Osteoarthritis	8. Tooth extractions
9.Enteritis	9. Colitis
10. Eye infections	10. Hyperthyroidism

The addition of pyoderma to the list reflects the prevalence of skin allergies among dogs. Like humans, dogs can have allergic reactions to food or pollen. Many dogs are allergic to contact with grass or carpet. The most common allergy is a reaction to flea bites. These allergies may cause a dog to lick or chew at an area on their skin until it creates a wound. Infected wounds from self trauma are what veterinarians call “pyoderma.”

On the feline side, cats are susceptible to urinary tract infections caused by viruses, urinary crystals, or even stress. Due to differences in the size and position of the urethra, male cats are more likely to get urinary tract infections than female cats. Always monitor a cat’s frequency of visits to the litter box, as urination may increase with an infection.

With each of the top 10 conditions, early detection by the owner and early treatment from a veterinarian is essential. In order to detect illnesses early, pet owners should pay attention to their pet’s behavior and schedule regular visits to the veterinarian. McConnell recommends that young puppies and kittens see the veterinarian every two to three weeks and older dogs and cats visit once or twice a year.

“Daily care and attention is important,” said McConnell. “If you are touching your pet every day, you increase the chance of feeling a tumor, discovering an infection, or noticing if they have a sensitive area.” Without detection, pet health problems can become serious and expensive.

“All of these conditions on our top 10 list would affect the pet’s quality of life. Some could even become fatal,” said McConnell. “Veterinarians never want to euthanize a pet, especially for something that could have been managed earlier in the course of the disease. That is why many veterinarians are focusing on preventive health care. VPI wants to help them with that.”

By offering plans that reimburse for routine health care and treatment for common ailments, VPI hopes to keep pet owners from incurring excessive expenses, and keep pets from unnecessary euthanasia. McConnell recommends that pet owners purchase a pet insurance policy while their pet is still young and less likely to have a preexisting condition.

The majority of VPI’s policyholders understand the importance of health insurance for preventive and medical care, with approximately 85 percent opting for a medical plan with additional coverage for routine care.