Poorly Pets
Like humans, pets often suffer from ailments connected in some way to their diets and it’s a fact of life that on occasion, your cat can become as sick as a dog!
A well known international pet insurance company recently evaluated the claims it received during the course of 2007 in order to establish the most common causes of pet insurance claims for that period.
Of canine complaints the most common cause was an ear infection, followed closely by skin conditions, gastroenteritis (vomiting) and enteritis (diarrhoea)
Of the feline complaints explored the most common was a urinary tract infection, followed by gastroenteritis (vomiting) and chronic renal failure, which is traditionally age related in cats.
Surprisingly the top ten for either animal did not include injury from road traffic accidents or broken bones.
It was reported that almost one third of the conditions that motivated pet owners to seek veterinary advice were caused or aggravated by poor diet or sudden dietary changes.
Allergic reactions were present in both top tens. Pet allergies generally become apparent in symptoms such as continual itching, licking or gnawing of the skin, particularly around the paws, eyes and eyes.
In most cases, pet owners were aware of their pets’ daily routines and behaviour patterns and were able to identify the irregularities that indicated ill health in a pet and were able to seek veterinary advice without too much delay.