Veterinary Pet Insurance Reveals

Top Infectious Diseases

Deadly Viruses and Tick-borne Diseases Among Most Common Pet Threats

Brea, Calif. (May 19, 2008) — Based on pet health insurance claims, 2007 could be dubbed the “Year of the Tick.” Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, recently analyzed its 2007 claims data on infectious diseases and discovered an increase in tick-borne canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis, conditions often characterized by fever, lethargy and joint discomfort. Another common tick-borne condition, Lyme disease, topped the list of infectious canine diseases for the third year in a row. Together, these three conditions accounted for 47 percent of canine claims for infectious diseases in 2007.

VPI’s infectious disease data proved similar to previous years, with the exception of canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. In 2005 and 2006, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis combined were the fifth most commonly claimed infectious diseases, representing about 8 percent of canine infectious disease claims. In 2007, these conditions ranked third among infectious diseases, accounting for 13 percent of canine infectious disease claims. The increase of these conditions in 2007 is consistent with recent veterinary research indicating that ticks, and the diseases they harbor, are on the move.

“Traditionally, tick-borne diseases were limited to certain regions of the country,” said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. “Now veterinarians are seeing evidence of disease-carrying ticks in a much wider range of locations. Urbanization and expanding housing developments bring more people and pets into environments that contain ticks. Concurrently, the same expansion projects diminish the population of ticks’ preferred wildlife hosts, such as deer, and force ticks to search for new hosts.”

Fortunately, pet owners have the power to stop ticks before the transfer of disease-causing bacteria and microscopic parasites. The most effective preventive measure is the use of quality flea control products that kill ticks as well as fleas. In addition, pet owners should regularly examine any pet that has been outside, especially in rural or wooded areas known to contain ticks. If a tick is spotted on the skin, it should be carefully removed using a pair of tweezers.

“Once the bacteria have entered a pet’s bloodstream, it may take days or weeks before the pet displays symptoms,” said McConnell. “To complicate the problem, symptoms may come and go, or even mimic other conditions, making tick-borne diseases difficult to diagnose. In general, tick-borne diseases may result in symptoms such as high fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, runny eyes and nose, and/or loss of appetite. Lyme disease in particular is characterized by arthritis, swollen joints, reluctance to move, and single-leg pain or lameness.”

VPI policyholders submitted more than 25,000 claims for infectious diseases and paid nearly $6 million to treat these conditions in 2007. Besides tick-borne conditions, other common canine infectious diseases included papillomatosis and Valley Fever. Papillomatosis is a virus that causes the growth of benign tumors, or papillomas, usually around the lips, tongue and mouth. Papillomas often clear up with time and rarely require surgical removal. Valley Fever is caused by a fungus that lives in desert soil. When the soil is disturbed, spores are released into the air and inhaled by pets. The fungus grows in the lungs and, in its primary form, can result in coughing, fever, and pneumonia. Treatment requires an extensive course of antifungal medication.

For felines, upper respiratory infections resulted in the greatest number of infectious disease claims, followed by the herpes virus. The three conditions of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) combined, resulted in 10 percent of feline infectious disease claims. FIP is caused by a mutation of the feline coronavirus and often results in the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen accompanied by kidney or liver failure. There is no definitive treatment or cure. To reduce the transmission of feline coronavirus, pet owners should regularly clean litter boxes. FeLV and FIV suppress the immune system. FeLV is spread through saliva, tears and urine, while FIV is spread primarily through cats biting other cats. The viruses can be detected with a test and may be prevented by vaccination, but, once FeLV or FIV is contracted, a cat can be managed, but not cured.

For infectious diseases that can be treated, early detection is necessary. VPI Pet Insurance plans are designed to defray veterinary costs associated with the testing and treatment of infectious diseases contracted subsequent to the policy effective date. A VPI Pet Insurance policy can help relieve financial hesitations and encourage pet owners to seek immediate treatment. In addition to medical plans, VPI offers WellCare enhancements to help pay for routine procedures that can prevent and detect infectious diseases, such as vaccinations, flea and heartworm preventive and FeLV/FIV testing.

About Veterinary Pet Insurance

Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency is the nation’s oldest and largest pet health insurance company. Providing pet owners with peace of mind since 1982, the company is committed to being the trusted choice of America’s pet lovers and an advocate of pet health education. VPI Pet Insurance plans cover dogs, cats, birds and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. Optional Pet WellCare Protection^SM for routine care is also available.

Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 1,600 companies nationwide offer VPI Pet Insurance as an employee benefit. Policies are underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company in California and in all other states by National Casualty Company, an A+15 rated company in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information about VPI Pet Insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit petinsurance.com.