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Nationwide Pet Insurance Reveals Most Common Claims

Lisa Selvaggio
by Lisa Selvaggio
Published:  March 31st, 2025

Have you ever wondered what the most common causes of veterinary visits are? Well, pet insurance companies that receive claims when pets visit the vet are a good source for answers.


Nationwide is one of many insurance companies that offer pet insurance plans, and they have over one million insured pets in their database. When they analyzed their data, they were able to figure out the top problems that cause dogs and cats to visit their vets. Below is a breakdown of what they found.  

Ermolaev Alexander/Shutterstock

Why Do Dogs See the Vet?


For dogs, the most common health problem was skin allergies—and it’s the top condition for the 13th year. Nationwide also found that the top eight conditions for which dogs required veterinary care in 2023 to 2024 were the same. However, kidney failure made it into the top 10 list for 2024, while respiratory infection, which was the 9th most common condition in 2023, is now in the top 15 conditions.  


Here's the list of the top conditions in dogs, according to Nationwide:


  1. Skin allergies
  2. Gastroenteritis
  3. Otitis externa
  4. Osteoarthritis
  5. Trauma
  6. Dental disease
  7. Urinary tract infection
  8. Valvular heart disease
  9. Liver disease
  10. Kidney failure


Half of the list—skin allergies, arthritis, heart disease, liver disease, and kidney failure—are chronic conditions.


Why Do Cats See the Vet?


When it comes to cats, the top reason that they saw the vet was diarrhea/intestinal upset, and this is the top condition for the second year. Since 2023, the top six conditions were unchanged. However, there were some changes in rankings to the other four in the top 10 list, though the conditions were the same.


According to Nationwide, here are the top 10 reasons why cats see the vet:


  1. Gastroenteritis
  2. Urinary tract disease
  3. Kidney failure
  4. Dental disease
  5. Osteoarthritis
  6. Hyperthyroid disease
  7. Inflammatory bowel disease
  8. Diabetes mellitus
  9. Respiratory infection
  10. Skin allergies


In cats, six of these problems are chronic: kidney disease, arthritis, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and skin allergies.


Pet Insurance Can Help You Cover the Cost of Care


Knowing about the common problems that affect dogs and cats can help you keep an eye out for symptoms and get your pet treatment as soon as possible. With the right pet insurance, you may also get some financial support in covering the costs of vet care.


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Lisa Selvaggio
Lisa Selvaggio

Lisa Selvaggio is a freelance writer and editor, and our resident cats-pert, with certifications in pet nutrition and pet first aid. She enjoys producing content that helps people understand animals better so they can give their pets a safe and happy home.

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