Calendar of Catastrophes Outlines What Month to Expect Pet Illnesses

Lori Ennis
by Lori Ennis
Petplan releases its Calendar of Catastrophes, which shows that the time of year makes a difference in the type of injuries and conditions pets incur.


It sort of makes sense that November and December are months that our pets may indulge. I mean, who of us hasn’t snuck a piece of Thanksgiving turkey or holiday ham (or four) to Fido as he sits looking ever so sweetly at us during the holiday party? Humans also tend to indulge during the holidays, and typically, that goodwill passes down to our pets.


Related: Holiday Indulgences Can Be Dangerous to Pets


Petplan has released data from its 2016 insurance claims, looking at what conditions/illnesses cost pet parents the most money per month. The result: Petplan was able to see a pattern, which enabled them to track the frequency of a particular incident that brought a pet to the vet each month. While gastrointestinal diseases claims in November were the most expensive (approximately $938), more pets visited the vet in December because of allergies (average cost: $787).


Petplan co-founder and co-CEO Natasha Ashton says their ‘Calendar of Catastrophes‘ tracked the spending per condition patterns across just one year. That means there’s no specific correlation that is consistent, but the data does make one wonder. What the heck it is about March that costs the average pet owner over $2,000 to treat intervertebral disc disease?!


Of course, that pales in comparison to what February offers–cruciate (most often ACL) injuries that cost an average of $3,569 to treat. Are dogs slipping on icy sidewalks?


And there’s something about May puts our dogs in a foul mood. Bite wounds tended to cost pet parents an average of $947, which Petplan believes may be due to warmer weather bringing more people (and their dogs) out to play and socialize.


Related: US Postal Service Says Dog Bite Numbers Are on the Rise


Cancer treatments seemed to dominate the month of June, while September was the month of periodontal disease. Ashton says that though they may not know for sure what the correlations are, they do help shape the advice Petplan gives to pet parents to help them care for their pets. It just goes to show how unpredictable our pets’ health can be, and how important it is for us to be ready for whatever situation comes our way.

Lori Ennis
Lori Ennis

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