Cold and Creaky: truInsights into How Winter Weather Impacts our Pets

SEATTLE, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Something crisp and biting this way comes. Temperatures are dropping, and as we begin to bundle up for the wintery weather, our pets, particularly older pets, may begin to show additional signs of pain, discomfort and stiffness.

In 2023 alone, pet medical insurance company Trupanion (Nasdaq:TRUP) paid 61,000 limping claims, nearly 35,000 cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture claims, 32,000 arthritis claims and 1,200 hip dysplasia claims. These conditions can be aggravated by cold weather, and Trupanion data shows older pets are significantly more likely to be affected than adult pets, puppies or kittens.

“It’s important to insure pets when they’re young,” says veterinarian and Trupanion General Manager, Dr. Stephen Rose, BVSc (Hons1) M Infotech CVA ACVCHM. “So that as they age, should any chronic conditions such as arthritis and hip dysplasia arise, there are fewer financial barriers to care. If pet parents wait to insure until their pet is older, there is higher likelihood that their pet will have pre-existing conditions and then it may be too late,” said Rose.

Top Musculoskeletal Claims for Dogs (since 2019)

• Limping
• Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture (CCL)
• Arthritis
• Hip dysplasia
• Pain and discomfort
  

Top Musculoskeletal Claims for Cats (since 2019)

• Arthritis
• Limping
• Hip dysplasia
• Pain and discomfort
• Fracture
  

How the Cold Aggravates Musculoskeletal Conditions

Some suggest that cold weather can make our joints feel stiff and uncomfortable, and it could have a similar effect on our pets, especially older ones or those with arthritis. As the cold fronts move in, we can become less active, which can lead to a more sedentary lifestyle and therefore stiffer joints from disuse. However, in colder temps, it’s been theorized that the joint fluid can also thicken – offering another possible explanation for joint stiffness during the colder months. Additionally, the barometric pressure drops, which can cause joint tissues to enlarge, and in arthritic joints, this can be quite painful.

For pet owners looking to keep pets comfortable during winter months, Dr. Rose adds, “Be sure to provide very comfortable bedding that’s easy for your pet to get in and out of—even warming bedding or blankets if appropriate. Watch their diet and try to maintain their exercise routines as best you can—adding extra weight to already stressed joints can cause additional pain. If your veterinarian has prescribed or recommended them, be sure to keep their joint supplements or medications on hand as they may be in more pain during this time of year.”

Musculoskeletal Conditions: By the Numbers

Arthritis is a common concern for pets. From 2019 – 2023, arthritis was one of the three most frequent musculoskeletal claims for both cats and dogs with nearly 93,000 claims. In 2023 alone, Trupanion paid around 29,000 claims for dogs and 3,700 claims for cats.

Arthritis is a chronic condition that appears in higher numbers as pets age. Dogs over 7 years-old are 2,476% more likely to suffer from arthritis than younger dogs. Cats over 7 years-old are more than 3,724% more likely than younger cats. The average arthritis claim is $272 for dogs and $233 for cats. The single highest arthritis claim Trupanion paid was $19,829 dollars.

Top 5 Cat Breeds Claiming for Arthritis

• Siamese
• American Shorthair
• Maine Coon
• Bengal
• Ragdoll
  

Top 5 Dog Breeds Claiming for Arthritis

• Shetland Sheepdog
• Cocker Spaniel
• Great Dane
• Labrador Retriever
• American Pitbull Terrier
  

Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture, or as some may more commonly recognize this, a CCL rupture, is a painful degenerative knee illness. Trupanion sees, on average, 25,085 claims for CCL rupture from dogs each year. From 2019 – 2023 the number of CCL rupture claims that Trupanion paid was well over 125,000, with nearly 34,500 of those claims coming in 2023 alone. Senior dogs (over age 7) are 301% more likely to have a CCL rupture claim than adult dogs or puppies. On average the CCL rupture claims that Trupanion pays are $1,419, with the highest claim being $20,438.

Top 5 Dog Breeds Claiming for Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture:

• Olde English Bulldog
• Rottweiler
• American Pitbull Terrier
• Boxer
• Bernese Mountain Dog

Trupanion pays almost 500 hip dysplasia claims for cats each year on average, paying a total of 2,492 claims from 2019 – 2023. Over 1,200 of these claims were from 2023, and when normalized for growth was a 127% increase year over year from 2022. Much like other conditions, senior cats are 871% more likely to have a hip dysplasia claim than adult cats or kittens. To-date the single highest claim Trupanion has paid was $10,726.

Top 5 Cat Breeds Claiming for Hip Dysplasia:

• Maine Coon
• Mixed Breed
• Siamese
• Ragdoll
• American Shorthair
  

Limping claims also found their way into the top three musculoskeletal claims for both dogs and cats. Limping can be indicative of many different conditions, and these claims are often from vet visits that require diagnostics to assess the underlying cause. From 2019 – 2023, Trupanion paid 208,138 limping claims. 8% of Trupanion’s insured dogs and 1.8% of insured cats have had a limping claim. Just in 2023, Trupanion paid 58,890 limping claims for dogs and 2,263 limping claims for cats. And once more we see the matter of senior pets being impacted at much higher rates, with senior dogs 202% more likely to have a limping claim than adult dogs or puppies, and senior cats 191% more likely than adult cats or kittens. The average limping claim Trupanion paid for dogs was $610, and $312 for cats while the highest claim was $15,976.

Top 5 Dog Breeds Claiming for Limping:

• Border Collie
• Rottweiler
• Newfoundland
• Bernese Mountain Dog
• Olde English Bulldog
  

Top 5 Cat Breeds Claiming for Limping:

• Maine Coon
• Persian
• British Shorthair
• Siamese
• Bengal

Begin Coverage Before the Trouble Starts

As the data shows, senior pets are far more likely to claim for musculoskeletal conditions than puppies and kittens or even adult pets.

“It's vital to insure pets when they’re young, so that as they age, should any chronic conditions such as arthritis arise, there are fewer financial barriers to care,” says veterinarian and Trupanion General Manager, Dr. Stephen Rose, BVSc (Hons1) M Infotech CVA ACVCHM. “If pet parents wait to insure until their pet is older, there is higher likelihood that their pet will have pre-existing conditions and then may be too late.”

Trupanion covers the ailments most likely to happen to a pet, so long as the pet doesn’t show any signs or symptoms of the condition before enrollment or during waiting periods. And as can be seen from the data above, Trupanion pays thousands of claims related to musculoskeletal conditions every year.

About truInsights

truInsights is a data focused initiative introduced by Trupanion and designed to deliver valuable health-related data and insights to pet parents, veterinarians and pet lovers alike. With over 20 years of pet health data, Trupanion has explored its veterinary invoice data from more than two million pets and provides details on data trends, as well as prevention tips for keeping our pets safe.

About Trupanion

Trupanion is a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Puerto Rico and Australia with over 1,000,000 pets currently enrolled. For over two decades, Trupanion has given pet owners peace of mind so they can focus on their pet's recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet parents with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. With its patented process, Trupanion is the only North American provider with the technology to pay veterinarians directly in seconds at the time of checkout. Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "TRUP". The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Trupanion policies are issued, in the United States, by its wholly-owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company and, in Canada, by Accelerant Insurance Company of Canada. Trupanion Australia is a partnership between Trupanion and Hollard Insurance Company. Policies are sold and administered by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590). For more information, please visit trupanion.com.

Contacts:

Media: Trupanion Corporate Communications

Corporate.communications@trupanion.com