These are the top 10 pet insurance claims for 2024
GloabalPETS looks at last year’s trends released by pet insurance players in the US and New Zealand.
As pet parents become more aware of the importance of pet insurance, the demand for pet coverage has grown in countries like the US, where the cost of pet health care has soared in recent years.
Embrace Pet Insurance, based in Cleveland, US, and PD Insurance, headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, have released data on their top 10 claims for 2024.
Embrace Pet Insurance
The Ohio-based Insurance company has published its claims data for 2024, providing a snapshot of the most common pet health issues and the financial impact on pet owners.
Based on the US pet insurance firm’s data, allergic dermatitis remains the top claim for pet owners, with many pets suffering from skin allergies.
However, other conditions, such as gastrointestinal issues, joint problems and ear infections, are also prominent.
2024’s most common claims
Here’s a breakdown of the most common claims and the average cost per claim for 2024:
- allergic dermatitis: $182 (€173.83)
- diarrhea: $224 (€213.94), up 12% year-over-year (YoY)
- osteoarthritis: $156 (€148.99)
- vomiting: $554 (€529.13)
- anxiety: $85 (€81.18)
- otitis externa (ear infection): $204 (€194.84)
- skin mass: $580 (€553.96)
- lameness: $394 (€376.31)
- pruritus (itching): $167 (€159.50)
- cranial cruciate ligament tear: $1,447 (€1,382.05), up 5% YoY
Among these, osteoarthritis saw the most significant increase, with a 49% YoY growth in claims. As pets live longer, joint issues are becoming more common, with the cost per claim averaging $445 (€425.08) across all states.
Record-breaking claims in 2024
In 2024, Embrace paid out more than $212.5 million (€203M), covering 92% of all claims. While many are routine, some reach staggering amounts. The company reported 3 record-breaking individual claims in 2024:
- $41,339 (€39,491) for a Rhodesian Ridgeback with pancreatitis and a gastrointestinal ulcer
- $38,917 (€37,177) for a French Bulldog with intervertebral disc disease
- $37,633 (€35,953) for a Golden Retriever that was hit by a car
PD Insurance’s top claims for 2024
The New Zealand pet insurance company also published its data for 2024, offering insights into its most common pet claims for cats and dogs.
Some trends overlap with Embrace’s data, including skin allergies, ear infections and gastroenteritis. However, PD Insurance also highlights some hazards pet parents should be vigilant about, such as bite wounds and grass seed-related injuries.
Top 10 claims for cats and dogs
In 2024, PD Insurance’s most common claims and incidents for both cats and dogs were:
- skin allergies
- ear infections
- gastroenteritis
- bite wounds
- foreign body ingestion
- limb injuries
- emesis (vomiting)
- abscesses
- poison ingestion
- grass seeds
While some conditions are unavoidable, many of these claims can be avoided through preventive care and regular health checks. The company highlights that bite wounds, often caused by pets being off-leash or engaging in fights, can be prevented through proper training and by supervising their pets.
The data also shows a decline in claims for certain preventable conditions, such as skin allergies and ear infections, suggesting that pet parents are becoming more proactive in preventing these issues.
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