What Might Your Dog Have in Common With a Professional Athlete? An ACL Rupture

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryan Grant, Daniel Sepulveda and Morgan Burnett would all be headed to Dallas, TX next week, to play major roles in the year's most important game, except for one injury that all three are currently rehabilitating – tears in their Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).  While best known as an excruciating, career-threatening injury among collegiate and professional athletes alike, there is another group in the United States in which this painful injury is equally prevalent – dogs.  

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In reviewing its 2010 claims, Petplan, America's top-rated pet insurer, found cruciate ligament tears in dogs to be the second most frequent claim among its policyholders, with an average claim for surgically repairing the injury at more than $3,000. Commonly torn when a dog slips, makes a sudden turn on its hind legs or experiences a violent collision, dogs – just like professional athletes – will immediately react to the injury by pulling up lame or holding the affected leg off the ground.  Beyond these reasons, dogs are also becoming increasingly affected by cruciate ligament tears due to an increased incidence of obesity.  As more dogs are more pampered and become more sedentary, the amount of pressure put on their hind legs increases, subsequently leading to more cruciate ligament ruptures.  In dogs, much like in athletes, when the cruciate ligament ruptures, the joint becomes immediately unstable.  In the vast majority of cases, without surgical stabilization, the unstable knee will become arthritic and incredibly painful for the life of the pet.

"The prevalence of cruciate tears in dogs has been eye-opening for pet parents as most don't realize that their companions can suffer the same serious injury that their favorite athletes so often do," said Dr. Jules Benson, Vice President of Veterinary Services for Petplan. "Although medium and large breed dogs are more prone to cruciate problems, we advise pet parents of every breed to monitor their dogs closely and keep them physically fit in an effort to avoid this – and other – health problems."

With estimates from 2005 putting the cost for repairing cruciate ligament tears in dogs at $1.3B, it is reasonable to project  that the total costs in 2011 might exceed $2B, based upon increased veterinary fees and an increased cost of care.  With such expenditures made by pet parents, it is hardly surprising that now – more than ever – people are looking to avoid financial burdens that can result from a pet's health crises through insurance.  However, only three percent of American dog owners currently have health insurance for their pet(s).  

To learn more about Petplan and the prevalence of ACL tears in dogs, visit gopetplan.com.  

ABOUT PETPLAN

As America's top-rated pet insurance company, Petplan offers customizable policies to meet any coverage requirements and budget.  Petplan is the only insurer to cover all hereditary and congenital conditions for the life of the pet – without dollar limits per condition. For more information, visit www.GoPetplan.com or call 1-866-467-3875

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Jules Benson: http://www.profnetconnect.com/julesbenson

SOURCE Petplan