Dogs Eat the Darndest Things

NEW YORK, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Four-figure claims from pets consuming everything from illegal drugs to razor blades

Eating without limits causes some crazy claims from Embrace Pet Insurance. Embrace picked the top 5 strangest things pets have eaten and the associated claims costs from over a thousand accident claims received annually - the costs for pet ingestion claims range from the lowest being $32 and the highest being $3,000. 

Isabella, A Golden Retriever who became sick with THC intoxication, the active ingredient in marijuana was among the most expensive claims on the list.  She was not alone in her illegal substance ingestion, Daisy, a mixed breed dog cost her owner $553 after munching on marijuana cookies.

Despite dogs dominating this list, one feline friend, Sappho, a Russian Blue cat that ingested a portion of a bra strap also made it onto the list.

Laura Bennett CEO & Co-Founder of Embrace commented, "Pets are inevitably going to get up to devious escapades; most owners do their best to keep furry loved ones safe but this list just goes to show that the dangers and risks to our pet's health often go beyond the boundaries of our imagination. Thankfully all these pets were lucky to have lived to fight another day."

The following list details the top 5 craziest things pets ingested and how expensive each were to put right.

                                      Reason for
    Case      Pet Name  Breed         claim         Claim Amount
                        Golden        THC
    #1        Isabella  Retriever     intoxication  $1,475.50
                                      Razor from
    #2        Sasha     Samoyed       Stomach       $1,452.05
                                      Ingestion of
    #3        Peanut    Labrador      Marbles       $312.25
                        Bernese       Soft Toy
    #4        Regen     Mountain Dog  Ingestion     $156.86
                                      Ingested
                        Russian Blue  portion of
    #5        Sappho    cat           bra strap     $121.46

These claims show that there are risks all around a pet's environment. Inanimate objects aside, there are also dangers associated with poisoning. To help increase awareness of these dangers amongst pet owners Embrace recently launched a pet poison resource center on its website.  

The resource center breaks down poisonous substances into nine categories: human food, household chemicals, human medication, pet medication, animal toxins common poisonous plants, outdoors, malicious poisoning and other.  It also offers suggestions on ways pet owners can prevent poisonings and identify symptoms, as well as what they should do if they suspect their pet has been poisoned.

Notes to Editors
Embrace is an insurance company specializing in dog and cat pet insurance. Embrace provides flexible cat and dog health insurance products, removing the need to choose between necessary, but costly, medical care versus the life of a much-loved pet. Embrace is a privately owned, Ohio-based company and is one of the most highly rated pet insurance companies in the industry.

For more facts and statistics on the US Pet Insurance Industry visit: http://www.embracepetinsurance.com/about-us/press/pet-insurance-statistics.aspx
Embrace is a member of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA). Founded in 2007, the North American Pet Health Insurance Association is committed to educating and promoting the values and benefits of quality pet health insurance to North American pet owners, the general public, and the veterinary community. As an association, it is committed to high standards and transparency in all of our actions and products. To learn more, visit http://www.naphia.org

SOURCE Embrace Pet Insurance