Top 10 Puppy Accidents Revealed

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, recently analyzed data from more than 480,000 insured pets to reveal that the top 10 puppy accidents cost VPI policy holders a combined $1.5 million in the past year, with the most common accidents being soft tissue trauma, lacerations or bite wounds, and cruciate ligament injury.

"Pet owners falsely assume that they don't need pet insurance because their pet is young and healthy. While younger pets are less susceptible to serious illnesses such as cancer, our data shows that pets of all ages can suffer costly accidental injuries. Pet insurance is designed to defray unexpected treatment costs - whenever they may occur. It's important for owners of puppies and kittens to keep in mind that just because their pets may be young, they're not indestructible," said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI.

Top 10 Puppy Accident Claims:

• Soft Tissue Trauma
• Laceration or Bite Wound
• Cruciate Ligament Injury
• Sprain
• Insect Bites and Stings
• Abrasion
• Torn Nail
• Eye Trauma
• Drug Toxicity
• Oral Cavity Trauma

VPI recommend that to avoid such accidents, owners of young dogs "baby-proof" their homes. For example, you should clear obstacles both inside and out of the home to prevent collisions during playtime, remove items that could be mistaken for food and keep medications tightly sealed and secured.