Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency, Brea, Calif., is selling limited-edition Pet Cancer Awareness collars for dogs to encourage pet owners to support pet cancer research endeavors. Profits go directly to the Animal Cancer Foundation.
"Our motivation for studying and sharing our proprietary claims data was to underscore the prevalence of cancer among dogs and cats," said Carol McConnell, DVM, manager of veterinary education and services for VPI. "The data demonstrates pets suffer from the same cancers as humans. Veterinary medicine has advanced tremendously the past ten years and pets are now receiving the same sophisticated treatments for these cancers that we do, such as chemotherapy, surgical procedures and immunotherapy."
Based on 2004 VPI cancer-related claims data, cancer in dogs and cats represented the third highest number of claims submissions that year. VPI claims data from the past four years reveals that the most common cancers in dogs were lymphosarcoma, skin tumors and osteogenic sarcoma.
For more information, including purchase information, visit Veterinary Pet Insurance.
Posted: Nov. 17, 2005, 3p.m. EST