Are More Pets Seeking Allergy Relief?

Pet insurance company Trupanion dug into its database to investigate whether allergy-related claims are on the rise.

327,800

In the last year alone, Trupanion received more than 327,800 allergy and ear infection (otitis) claims.

“Skin allergies – which can be a common underlying factor in ear infections – tend to be the most common type of allergy. They can be caused by everything from environmental particles like dust or pollen, to parasites like fleas, to food sensitivities like wheat or dairy,” says Trupanion General Manager and Veterinarian, Dr. Stephen Rose, BVSc (Hons1) M Infotech CVA ACVCHM.

7%

Trupanion reports that the number of allergy-related claims has increased by 7% nationwide and as much as 35% in some states over the last five years. States with the biggest increases are New York (16,598 claims, up 35%), Massachusetts (19,387 claims, up 35%) and Texas (7,584 claims, up 34%).

28.7 allergy claims

People tend to think of allergy season as being in springtime, but Trupanion’s veterinarians and data scientists found that allergy-related claims spike twice per year – during late spring/early summer (May – July) and then again when colder weather hits in October. Over the last five years, October has had more pet allergy claims than any other month. On average there were nearly 29 allergy claims (28.7 to be exact) for every 1,000 pets during October, compared with 21 allergy claims per 1,000 pets in September.

$2,118 and $771

The average cost of treating allergies adds up to approximately $2,118 for dogs, and $771 for cats, over the pet’s lifetime.

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