I think that anyone that owns a dog or cat would be doing themselves a favor by getting pet insurance. It might seem a little excessive in these hard economic times, but if you have to do anything on the list below, it will be quite costly even with insurance. When it comes time to take our pet to the vet I know I cross my fingers and hold my breath waiting for the diagnosis, just hoping whatever it is, it is not something really bad. One, I don't want my pet to go through anything awful, and two, I don't want to see the bill that will come with it. I know that sounds awful, but quite frankly I do the same at my own doctors office, for the same reasons.
K9 Magazine published a great article about this very thing, the Top 10 Health Conditions in Dogs and Cats Requiring Surgery. I felt the article was really informative, it got right to the point and listed some great facts to keep in mind. I was surprised to learn that based on a 2009 research using the claims submitted to the leading pet insurance company, VPI Pet Insurance, dog and cat owners spent over $30 million on these 10 most common conditions.
| Top 10 Conditions Requiring Surgery | ||||
| Canine Conditions | Total Claims | Feline Conditions | Total Claims | |
| 1. Benign Skin Mass | 22,386 | 1. Tooth Extraction | 1,627 | |
| 2. Skin Abscess, Inflammation, or Pressure Ulcer | 11,178 | 2. Skin Abscess, Inflammation, or Pressure Ulcer | 1,015 | |
| 3. Tooth Extraction | 9,476 | 3. Benign Skin Mass | 454 | |
| 4. Torn ACL or Cartilage | 6,782 | 4. Bladder Stones | 185 | |
| 5. Malignant Skin Mass | 4,120 | 5. Cancer of the Abdominal Wall | 126 | |
| 6. Cancer of the Spleen | 2,224 | 6. Malignant Skin Mass | 124 | |
| 7. Cancer of the Eyelid | 1,848 | 7. Multiple Bite Wounds | 92 | |
| 8. Bladder Stones | 1,823 | 8. Cancer of the Liver | 85 | |
| 9. Cancer of the Liver | 1,588 | 9. Cancer of the Mouth | 79 | |
| 10. Auricular Hematoma (swollen, fluid-filled ear) | 1,577 | 10. Cancer of the Nasal Cavity | 77 | |
Now, the most shocking part of the article, the price point for the #1 and #10 surgeries on this list. The most common surgical claim for dogs on the list, benign skin mass, cost VPI policyholders an average of $999 per claim. The least common, auricular hematoma, cost an average of $296 per claim. For cats, the average per claim for the most common condition requiring surgery on the list, tooth extraction, was $924, while the least common (cancer of the nasal cavity), cost an average of $927. That is a lot of cash!
I hope you all find this helpful, I really encourage you all to read the whole article.
To view the entire article, bark on the link: Bark!
