Five Common Puppy Illnesses (and Common Trupanion Puppy Claims)

Puppies are energetic and love to play. Naturally, with their curiosity, they may get into something they shouldn’t. If you happen to be new to puppy ownership, it’s important to be mindful of what could affect your furry family member. For this reason, we sat down with our Trupanion data team to uncover some of the most popular Trupanion puppy claims in our database. Read on to learn more about the five common puppy illnesses every pet owner needs to know.

Common puppy illnesses for every
puppy owner to know

1. Vomiting and diarrhea

An upset
stomach can affect pets of all ages, and puppies are
no exception. For example, “vomiting and diarrhea can be caused by so many
different things…dietary indiscretion, parasites, food intolerance,
obstruction. Also, diagnostic and treatment recommendations vary with historical
factors and presentation,” says Trupanion veterinarian Dr. Caroline Wilde. If
your puppy is experiencing any vomiting or diarrhea please seek medical care.

In addition, the highest-paid claim for vomiting and diarrhea involve a three month-old puppy. The Trupanion policy paid $15,641.

2. Foreign body ingestion

If you have a puppy, don’t be surprised if they try to eat everything. Puppies love chewing and sometimes their chewing indicates something more, like ingestion of a surprise snack! In fact, foreign body ingestion from your best friend may range from a sock, corncob, rock, or a bottle of glue. Of course, “any time a patient is vomiting, we always have to consider foreign body ingestion as the potential cause,” states Wilde.

The highest-paid out claim for foreign body ingestion for nine month-old puppy totaled to $29,121. The Trupanion policy paid $26,209.

A foreign body ingestion can occur at a time when you least expect it.

“Over Christmas my younger daughter and I went to visit family in Scotland, leaving Dougie at home with my older adult daughter. Somehow, he managed to swallow a large rock that got stuck in his intestines. He became very ill, and my daughter took him to the vet.

As you can imagine, this was extremely stressful for me, being in another country when it happened. Our vet contacted Trupanion for us and arranged for pre-approval of the cost of the necessary tests and subsequent emergency surgery, which was carried out as we flew home. The surgery was a success and Dougie is now at home recuperating. 

Without the pre-approval for the treatment, Dougie would not be with us today.”

-Allison,Trupanion member since 2018

3. Lameness and limping

Imagine this – your puppy is in the backyard and all of a sudden starts limping. Unfortunately, lameness and limping is a common puppy illness and all too common Trupanion claim. Whether your furry friend is in the backyard or the dog park, lameness is shown in a variety of dog breeds.

For example, eight month-old Bernese Mountain Dog ended up with quite a claim after a play session. After a $11,031 claim, the Trupanion policy paid $9,928.

4. Fracture

Puppies are unpredictable and may become injured or ill quickly. A fracture can happen with little to no warning whether you’re on a walk or enjoying a family outing.

Aspen: a Trupanion pet since 2017.

“On the night of February 22, every pet parent’s worst nightmare happened. Our sweet 9-month-old puppy who “would never run off” ran out between our legs and went straight for the road. With a pneumothorax, a fractured femur, and a bunch of unknowns, we had a LOT to worry about. But Trupanion took one major worry off our shoulders: cost. As soon as we got home from the vet we received a phone call from a wonderful Trupanion representative letting us know that we didn’t have to do anything but worry about Aspen.”

-Jescinda, Trupanion member since 2017

Further, the highest-paid claim for a fracture came from six month-old puppy for a boating accident. With $11,064 eligible in claims, the Trupanion policy paid $9,733.

5. MPL- Medial patellar luxation

A medial
patellar luxation, otherwise known as an MPL, can affect dogs of all shapes and
sizes. Whether you have a small dog breed or large dog, an MPL may occur and
can be very painful. An active puppy is important, but also be mindful of their
behavior. “The pet’s owner may notice the dog limping or holding their leg out
to the side,” says Wilde.

10 month-old puppy had $14,164 in eligible claims for MPL, and the Trupanion policy paid $12,748.

Common puppy illnesses
need coverage where it matters most

Whether you’re a first-time puppy owner or a seasoned pet owner, every puppy is different. In fact, not all puppies will be unlucky in health or get an accident. But preparing for the unexpected with the help of a Trupanion policy can help put you at ease if something does happen.

To learn more on puppies, Read I Adopted a 6 Month Old Puppy (and this is What I Learned)

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