Top 10 holiday-related pet conditions

From snacking on human treats to biting colorful light bulbs, as the winter holiday season draws closer, remind pet owners that they must keep a watchful eye on their four-legged friends. In 2011, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) policyholders spent more than $22.8 million on medical conditions commonly associated with the holidays. The company recently sorted its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine the 10 most common holiday-related medical conditions last year. Here are the results:

• Gastritis (vomiting): ingesting “people” food, holiday plants (lilies, hollies and mistletoe) and Christmas tree water

• Enteritis (diarrhea): eating “people” food and scraps

• Colitis (loose or bloody stool): eating “people” food; holiday stress

• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas): eating fatty “people” food such as roasts, gravy, nuts, egg nog, etc.

• Gastric foreign body (foreign object in the stomach): ingesting Christmas tree decorations, ribbon, small gifts, and bones from holiday meats

• Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (bloody vomiting and diarrhea): eating people food; holiday stress

• Intestinal foreign body (foreign object in the intestines): ingesting tinsel, other Christmas tree decorations, and bones from holiday meats

• Gastric foreign body, surgical (surgical removal of foreign object from the stomach): unable to pass Christmas tree decorations and bones

• Intestinal foreign body, surgical (surgical removal of foreign object from the intestines): unable to pass tinsel, ribbons, or bone fragments

• Methylaxanthine toxicity (chocolate toxicity): eating chocolate or other caffeinated products.

The most expensive condition on the list, intestinal foreign body, surgical, cost an average of $2,328 per pet, while enteritis, the least expensive condition on the list, cost an average of $105 per pet. The most common condition on the list, gastritis, cost an average of $279 per pet. In order to ensure a safe holiday season, remind pet owners should safeguard their homes and protect their furry friends from potential holiday dangers.

Click here for a photo gallery of holiday hazards to warn clients about.