The Five Most Common Cat Illnesses That Insurance Companies Process

Cats are poor step-cousins to dogs when it comes to regular veterinary visits.  While people take third dogs in to see the veterinarian, far fewer owners take their cats. It's essential that cats get proper, regular veterinary care, whether you take your cat to the veterinary hospital or if you opt for a veterinarian who makes house calls.

August 22nd was Take Your Cat to The Vet Day which was a nice reminder but, really, any day is a good day to take your cat to the veterinarian. Cats need regular check-ups, core vaccinations  and everything you would expect if you had a dog.  Pet Insurance is available for those owners who want to buy into it.  There are several companies selling pet insurance.  You want one that your veterinarian will accept.  One pet insurance company, Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC has recently produced a list of the five most common cat illnesses that their customers have filed.  It's a good reminder for owners that any one, or more, of these can occur in your beloved feline companion.  These claims represent about 30 percent of the company's claims filed across the United States.  Being aware of those often difficult to identify because cats are masterful at hiding their symptoms so the owner can be blissfully unaware which doesn't bode well for the cat.

Photo Courtesy of Mary Slaney

1. Chronic Kidney Failure - The symptoms can include anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, constipation, depression and weight loss. There are additional warning signs including increased thirst, acute blindness, seizures and comas, blood in the cat's urine, increased frequency of urination and an increased amount of urine. Chronic Kidney Failure represents 8.5 percent of all feline claims received by Pets Best.

2. Hyperthyroidism - The common symptoms are a voracious appetite, weight loss, increased thirst and urination. Vomiting, diarrhea and restlessness. Hyperthyroidism accounts for 7.1 percent of Pets Best Feline Claims.

3. Allergies - Skin allergy symptoms often include raised, thickened raw skin, small scabs, face and ear itching, and bald spots.  Food allergies tend to include scabs and other signs of itching around the face and neck.  Although not life-threatening, allergies can be painful and irritating to cats, as well as costly to treat. The represents 6.5 percent of all feline claims received by Pets Best.

4.  Cancer - Cat owners should watch for symptoms like lumps and bumps on the skin, lack of appetite, lethargy, excessive salivation, difficulty chewing or swallowing, rapid weight loss and abnormal discharges.  Other warning signs include abnormal odors, abnormal defecation and urination, vomiting and diarrhea. All types of cancer, including lymphoma, mammary, oral, thyroid, and lung account for 5.6 percent of all feline claims received by Pets Best.

4.  Diabetes - Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, unusual appetite and rapid weight loss. Diabetes accounts for 3.6 percent of all claims received by Pets Best.

Photo Courtesy of Claire Clayton

While indoor felines are not as subject to injuries and disease as outdoor cats, indoor cats can still develop any of the above illnesses. Keeping your cat safely indoors with environmental enrichment certainly keeps them safer but please don't think this means that you can avoid veterinary visits. Nothing could be further from the truth. The sooner your veterinarian can find an illness the more quickly it can be treated which means a much more likely better outcome. It's really no different from people.  Wellness is important and that includes regular medical check-ups.

Pets Best is offering feline specific insurance policies. Whether or not other companies do this is part of the research the pet owner must undertake when investigating health insurance and various policies and companies. In total, Pets Best's plan covers 21 illnesses and starts at under $5. a month.

Dr. Jack L. Stephens is the founder of Pets Best which was founding in the United States in 1981. You can find out more by pointing your browser to:  http://www.petsbest.com


NOTE: I was not paid for this article. The information came from a press release and I thought it was important enough to bring the information to the attention of my readers.

Air Travel with Dogs and Cats

I used to travel by air with my four-legged companions. I prefer carrying a dog or cat on board, tucking the little one under the seat in a safe carrier, rather than having my hairy companion in the cargo hold. It's one of the advantages of a smaller dog or cat. There has always been a fly in the ointment, however. The airlines do not charge for a carry-on unless there's a dog or cat in it. In other words, if you take your laptop computer aboard in a case, it costs you nothing. If you take your dog or cat in a carry-on case, it used to cost approximately $100. each way. You would pay for the privilege of losing leg room.

When asked, the airlines would cite "allergy" if pushed. No one had a real answer because there is no regulation regarding this. It was simply a matter of charging extra because they could. Seldom did you hear a sound out of the carrier. In fact, in all my years of flying, I've never heard from a dog or cat onboard. I cannot say the same for the infants whose parents didn't have the common sense to put a bottle into a baby's mouth on take-off and landing to counteract the change in air pressure. What I did hear was a lifetime of loudly screaming infants on planes. Then there have been the children who have pulled hair, kicked my seat repeatedly, screamed, yelled, whined. Well, you get the idea.

As for the allergy excuse, and it is my understanding that one airline in Canada has banned pets because some person got a doctor to complain, the excuse simply isn't valid. If dogs and cats are to be banned because of allergy, what about the women reeking as if they were standing next to the perfume counter when it exploded? Or the men who are doused in strong after shave? Anyone with asthma can tell you what that is like. Or a migraineur whose migraine is triggered by strong odors. Or the people who smell of cigarettes and cigars? What of those people who cause discomfort to other passengers and can, in some cases, make them downright ill? I was on a flight from NY to London a few years ago when a horrible stench was suddenly filling the cabin. It was pretty scary since many of us thought there was something wrong with the plane. It turned out to be coming from a woman a couple of rows ahead of me who was using nail polish remover and giving herself a manicure inflight! Often it's the flight attendants who are wearing an unearthly amount of perfume or aftershave.

I have sat next to a woman who threw up all the way across the Atlantic. People with colds and flu passing their germs through the cabin. Never once have I been disturbed by a dog or cat. But those respectful pet owners who care enough to carry their well-mannered dogs and cats with them have been punished by the airlines with exhorbitant charges.

The airlines are losing business thanks to the cost of fuel. They are belt-tightening, which is prudent. However, going after dog and cat owners is not likely to be very prudent. A friend who travels a good deal with her dogs made arrangements for two trips. The news of the new carry-on price for pets was nothing short of sticker shock. Her flight from JFK to Cleveland is $167. for her seat and $300. for her tiny dog to fly under the seat! Yes, you read that correctly: THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS! And she is the only one losing leg room! Her dog, by the way, has hair not fur, so if they're pleading allergy (and I don't think she has heard why they are charging so much), it won't fly. Any pun intended. For her flight from JFK to Long Beach, CA she is paying $299. for her seat and $200. for her dog to fly under the seat.

It is patently unfair.

People carrying dogs and cats to dog or cat shows have found air travel convenient but how many of them will now find it better to drive? It may take a little longer but the fuel costs for driving may well be less than those of flying with a dog or cat when outrageous costs are tacked on by the airlines for a carry-on. That's business lost to the airlines. Maybe they think they can afford it. Maybe they don't know exactly how many people travel for dog shows, cat shows, canine musical freestyle competitions, etc. They may be about to find out.