10 of the Most Expensive Health Problems Your Pet Can Face
Updated: Jul. 27, 2021First, the bad news: There are 10 pet accidents and illnesses that can cost you up to $2,000 to fix. But the good news is the treatments usually work.
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Health-care costs aren’t just skyrocketing for humans
The cost of treating your pets can easily top $1,000—and there’s no health-care plan in the works for Fido.
VPI, a provider of pet health insurance, tallied its claims and made a list of those requiring more than $1,000 for treatment.
“While surgical treatment for a torn knee ligament/cartilage occurred with the greatest frequency,” the report said, “the condition with the highest average cost per claim was intervertebral disc disease, for which pet owners paid an average of $3,282 in 2010.”
“Pet owners should be aware that these $1,000 accidents and illnesses can happen to just about any pet—indoor, outdoor, young or old,” says Dr. Carol McConnell, VPI’s vice president and chief veterinary medical officer. “Though the cost of care for these conditions may be high, the prognosis is usually positive, and many of the pets that are treated will recover.” (These are secrets your pets would tell you if they could.)
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Torn knee ligament/cartilage
Number of claims: 6,831
Average cost per claim: $1,578
According to science, your pets can make you stronger, smarter, and more resistant to stress.
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Intestinal – foreign object
Number of claims: 1,005
Average cost per claim: $1,967
Don’t want your pet to get hurt while you’re away? These are ways to keep them happy and safe while you’re at work.
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Stomach – foreign object
Number of claims: 954
Average cost per claim: $1,502
Watch out for these silent signs that your dog is actually sick.
Originally Published: August 24, 2017
