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According to an evaluation of veterinary claims filed with the Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), canine ear infections were the leading cause of vet visits in the United States. In 2009 alone, VPI -- the company that insures almost half a million American pets -- received about 68,000 claims for ear related vet visits. The average cost per visit was $100.
Also among the company's top reasons for doggie vet visits were skin allergies at number two, followed by skin infection/hot spots, gastritis/vomiting and enteritis/diarrhea.
In cats, lower urinary tract disease was the most common concern -- the VPI counted 3,700 claims for cats with urinary issues, costing their owners an average of $260 a visit. The other common reasons felines went to the vet included gastritis/vomiting in the number two spot, followed by chronic renal failure, hyperthyroidism and diabetes.
The good news for pet owners? The most expensive conditions for cats and dogs fell below the top five.
Treating non-cancerous tumors cost an average of $335 per visit for dog owners, but was number nine on the list. While for cats, the costliest problem on the list was periodontitis/dental disease. It came in at number eight and cost an average of $360 per visit.
Many pet owners rely on the Internet to gather information about their pet's health. Following are the top 10 most-searched pet health conditions, according to AOL Search.
Top Searched Pet Health Conditions
1. Pet Skin Allergies
2. Pet Ear Infections
3. Pet Diarrhea
4. Pet Diabetes
5. Pet Skin Infections
6. Pet Rabies
7. Pet Hyperthyroidism
8. Pet Tumors
9. Pet Urinary Tract Disease
10. Pet Chronic Renal Failure
1. Pet Skin Allergies
2. Pet Ear Infections
3. Pet Diarrhea
4. Pet Diabetes
5. Pet Skin Infections
6. Pet Rabies
7. Pet Hyperthyroidism
8. Pet Tumors
9. Pet Urinary Tract Disease
10. Pet Chronic Renal Failure
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Pet owners need to be alerted to the danger of their pet ingesting dental floss. This week my inquisitive Bedlington Terrier retrieved a package of dental floss off the bathroom counter.....perhaps because of the minty smell....and apparently ate the roll of floss and swallowed a piece of the plastic packaging. As the dental floss travels through the digestive system it unravels and creates a sawing action on internal organs. Luckily my dog vomitted much of the floss and had surgery within 3 hours of calling his vet. She removed a piece of plastic lodged between the small and large intestines. Keep dental floss away from pet access just as you would medicines. Do not throw used floss in the trash.
Dog owners should be as aware of the dangers of dental floss as they are of chocolate.
Our cat ate the thread from my serger when I was out of town one day. He had to have surgery and almost died. Thanks for the heads up...I had never thought about dental floss being a problem!
Same goes for cats. They love to play with dental floss they pull out of the trash and then once they begin to swallow it, they can't stop, they must continue to swallow the entire piece and that can do intensive damage or kill your kitty. They are also drawn to the minty smell. We keep a lidded trash receptacle in our bathroom to prevent this from happening.
I'm so glad you were able to save your dog. After many years co-owning a vet clinic, we do not see many pull through intestional blockage. Normally the owner doesn't know the block even exists until it is too late for their pet to survive surgery. Normally the blockages are from chicken bones, pork chop bones and other bones pets should never eat. (And for dogs that roam, junk they pull from garbage cans.)
This is why I have not put dental floss in the garbage for the last 20 years. I had read that Easter grass was a serious danger when ingested by dogs so it seemed logical that dental floss would be also.
I agree about keeping dental floss away from pets. I put my floss on the vanity when getting ready in the morning and watched as my cat tried to eat it. Animals are like perpetual two-year olds. They have to be kept safe from all sorts of harm they can get into.
On another note- when I saw the puppy & kitten photo attached to this story I noticed their expressions are so sad. They are anything but happy. Most pets seem eager to please their owners on camera, there is a brightness in their eyes. But these two have that haunted sad look of abused animals. I wonder how many times they were manually "posed" against their will for this photo? Look at their faces, and you will have the answer. Shame on the photographer.
IMO
Way too many people treat their pet like TOYS !!!
STOP dressing them with outlandish clothes, and STOP posing them for pictures.
SELFISH people always have to AMUSE themselves !!
its better than neglecting them and not paying attention to them at all. dressing up your dog is silly but very harmless, animal rights wackos see cruelty in everything.
Peppa -- You are an idiot.
I have to agree. Peppa you are a BIG IDIOT!!!
Some dogs want to wear clothing--like my terrier with very little hair--if it is under 70 degrees he is shivering constantly. I put a sweater on her and she is fine--
Peppa----so don't be so judgemental!
Another big one= HEARTWORMS. Unfortunately I just found out that our 5yo dog has heartworms, thats also when I found out that the only way a dog can get heartworms is from a mosquito bite, the infection lives in them for 2 weeks after they have bitten an infected animal. Most other animals they bite in that time frame get heartworms also. Our bill is going to end up at about $1,200. Weve had animals on our property for 11 years and not one ever even got sick now this! Watvhout people. Heartworm meds every month will prevent this. I didnt use them because we had never had anything like that and I didnt realize it comes from infected mosquito, I thought it came from the ground or another animal. Wont do that again, ive already stocked up for future use. (after the treatments).
You are right! I'm a volunteer for the Humane Society and heartworms are a HUGE thing that can be prevented each month. The cost is that of a fast food meal. Also, I've taken my doxie to the vet for eating bread!!! I had no idea bread could hurt your pets.
Our dog was having blood work done, for a seizure, and the lab sent back the results that our dog had heartworms. He is 4 years old and has been on heartworm preventative since he was a puppy, so I felt something wasn't right with their results. The vet thought I was nuts for requesting another blood test, just to be on the safe side, before treatment was started. Amazingly, the second test was negative, as has all his subsequent test. Now my vet requires two heartworm test before putting the animal through treatments ,which can kill the dog, not to mention the expense. So anyone facing this issue, request more than one test be done, misstakes can be made, even in laboratories.
Are you people just plain stupid? Put your dental floss away where it belongs. Our pets are like little children in many ways. We just don't have to worry about them putting things into the electrical outlets.
Pinus1, you're the stupid one, I am sure that these folks are talking about the used floss that they throw in the trash. That's what they need to be careful of
I have two rescued Goldens, came with ear infections one was yeast, cleared it up then did what a vet told me, twice a week take half alcohol and half white distilled vinegar gently squirt some into each ear and let the dog shake out, then wipe out with a soft cloth with some of the vinegar and alcohol on it and no more ear infections, and he was 100% correct, it has been 6 years and not one ear infection......
Pat, thank you for rescuing your Goldens!! I work for a handful of rescue groups in Kansas City and I am so sick of hearing people buy from breeders. Just had to say THANK YOU!
"Pat, thank you for rescuing your Goldens!! I work for a handful of rescue groups in Kansas City and I am so sick of hearing people buy from breeders. Just had to say THANK YOU!"
Ya know Sarah some people want pets from caring breeders because they want purebred dogs that have had genetic testing done. This way they know the dogs parents do not have blindness behind them, or maybe heart problems, or bad hips, loss of hearing, dangerous temperments, etc. Mixed breed dogs can have all of this but no one never knows.
While I personally financially support rescue groups of specific breeds often shelter dogs DO come with a lot of baggage. Believe me - sadly the truth is rescuing from a shelter is NOT going to stop the bad breeders or those who think they will make money off a litter stop breeding. These are the people that do not care where the puppies go, unlike ethical breeders that screen new homes and keep their pups until the right people come along. These breeders will often take back the dogs they bred no matter how old so that they do NOT end up in a shelter, the others just want the cash and hope to never hear from the people again.
So stop bashing good breeders as if they are the ones responsible for the pets being in the shelters. Look to your neighbors and educate them instead. I applaud those who works for and with rescues but you know that few dogs that are in shelters come from good breeders = those often involved with breed clubs. Most come from BYBs who think lil Suzie Q just NEEDS to have a litter of puppies so the kids can watch and help the pups grow up, then when the world does not beat down the door wanting those pups - they dump at shelters or give away for free. Just where does anyont think those bait dogs come from for the illegal dog fighters...or the sickies that torture animals. Im of the believe you breed a pup, you see it has a good home FOREVER..even if it means taking it back at 7 years of age to find a new home for it. Those are the good breeders and they surely have a place in the world.
It is especially bad when people put warm clothing on long-coated dogs! Being overheated can be uncomfortable or even dangerous.
Everyday dangers like dental floss, certain plants and flowers, and chocolate can easily be overlooked. I agree with previous posts: Pets are like inquisitive 2 year olds! The most important thing we can do for our pets is to have them examined by their veterinarian every year, maybe even twice a year! My vet noticed that my cat had lost weight... A LOT! Even though she seemed fine at home, she obviously wasn't. Luckily, we found out about her kidney disease early and she is undergoing treatment. I love my vets! Thanks, Cats Only Veterinary Clinic!