Health Insurance
          For Pets?

Edited by Dave Harney

(NAPS)—Call it the $1,500 sock, because by the time your veterinarian reaches the source of Fido’s digestive disruption, that’s about how much that chewed sock can set you back. In fact, socks top a list compiled by pet insurer claims adjusters ranking the most common items surgically removed from pets’ gastrointestinal tracts.

Here is their Top 10 List.

1.       Socks
2.       Underwear
3.       Panty Hose
4.       Rocks
5.       Toy Balls
6.       Chew Toys
7.       Corncobs
8.       Bones
9.       Hair Ties/Ribbons
10.     Sticks

While the most common items are owners’ personal belongings, other frequently ingested objects by our pets include nails, sewing needles, and nipples from baby bottles. Oh, and don’t forget pagers, hearing aids, drywall, snail bait, batteries, rubber bands, toy cars, and sand with bacon grease poured on it.  

Here’s a personal experience:  About a year ago my crazy beagle took it upon herself to chew up and swallow a box that had been shipped and left on our front step.  Inside the box were two gold crowns meant for the dentist to put on my teeth.  Our side yard, where she loves to take her “treasures,” was littered with bits of cardboard box, pieces of dental mold, and foam packing peanuts.  But no crowns were found anywhere.  And, while we “inspected” for several days thereafter, we never found anything resembling expensive gold pieces.  She didn’t suffer any ill effects, but nor did she return the costly items.  And here’s the kicker; the only thing we found left intact of all the items in the box was the invoice! 

So it all can get very expensive, but having insurance can mean reimbursement for X-rays and testing to determine the source of a gastrointestinal blockage, and surgical removal of the foreign body, is necessary.

What Pet Owners Can Do
The best thing pet owners can do to prevent costly foreign body removal surgery is keep a clean living space. Make sure personal items are not left on the floor or within easy reach of your pet and be aware of your pets’ chewing tendencies. Certain objects may appeal more to some pets than others. Knowledge of Fido or Bootsie’s tastes and tendencies can help you exercise caution when letting them near objects that could be accidentally swallowed. And before you feed them from the table, know that table scraps can also be a problem.  They can contain excessive grease, bones, or other objects not easily digested by pets.

“Most of these incidents occur without the pet owner’s knowledge,” says Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for Veterinary Pet Insurance “Pets can get anxious if left alone and start chewing on objects to relieve boredom or stress. Never ignore the signs that your pet may have swallowed something inedible: continual vomiting, dry heaving, and/or coughing. If these symptoms occur, your pet should be examined by a veterinarian.”

Do you have an overactive 4-legged chewer and swallower in your house? Maybe pet insurance is a good idea.  Believe it or not, medical plans for pets are available in all 50 states. It’s not cheap-- the quote for my crazy beagle was $22 a month -- but, as with any insurance, it can be a lot cheaper than not having it if your pet needs a covered surgery.  To learn more, visit petinsurance.com.