Top 10 holiday-related pet conditions

According to VPI, these were the most common reasons pets visited the veterinarian during the holiday season last year.

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:

1. Gastritis (vomiting): ingesting “people” food, holiday plants (lilies, hollies and mistletoe) and Christmas tree water
2. Enteritis (diarrhea): eating “people” food and scraps
3. Colitis (loose or bloody stool): eating “people” food; holiday stress
4. Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas): eating fatty “people” food such as roasts, gravy, nuts, egg nog, etc.
5. Gastric foreign body (foreign object in the stomach): ingesting Christmas tree decorations, ribbon, small gifts, and bones from holiday meats
6. Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis (bloody vomiting and diarrhea): eating people food; holiday stress
7. Intestinal foreign body (foreign object in the intestines): ingesting tinsel, other Christmas tree decorations, and bones from holiday meats
8. Gastric foreign body, surgical (surgical removal of foreign object from the stomach): unable to pass Christmas tree decorations and bones
9. Intestinal foreign body, surgical (surgical removal of foreign object from the intestines): unable to pass tinsel, ribbons, or bone fragments
10. 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.