Summer activities trigger spike in veterinary visits, survey reveals

BREA, CALIF. - 5/11/06 - Ear infections, insect bites, penetrating foreign bodies and heat stroke cases are more prevalent in dogs and cats during summer months.

That's according to 2005 claims submitted to Veterinary Pet Insurance Co., a third-party payer for pet healthcare.

VPI reports receiving at least double the number of claims during June compared to February 2005.Cases of paw-penetrating foreign bodies such as foxtails and glass jumped from 12 claims in February to 87 in July, the agency reports. Heat stroke rose from four February cases to 50 in July while ear infections increased more than 1,000 to reach 4,756 by August, VPI says.

Dr. Carol McConnell, VPI's manager of veterinary education and services, attributes the spike in claims to pets' increased exposure outdoors.

"In the wintertime, pets tend to be indoors comfortably sleeping by the fire," she says. "In the summer, when the weather is warmer, pets are exposed to more insects, higher temperature and bodies of water, such as swimming pools, lakes and oceans."