The Conditions Taking Over Your Schedule and Your Clients' Budgets

Nationwide just dropped its 15th annual pet insurance claims report, and if you've been in practice more than a few years, the data won't shock you. But it will confirm what you already feel in your bones every time you look at your appointment board.

Chronic conditions are running the show.

Nationwide analyzed more than 3.3 million pet insurance claims from over one million insured pets in 2025. The takeaway for both dogs and cats is the same: these aren't one-time emergencies. They're ongoing, expensive, and they follow families for years.

Dogs: Same problems, same positions — with one new arrival

Skin allergies hold the number one spot for the 15th consecutive year. Fifteen years. Not a single year off the top. The top nine conditions showed zero movement from the prior year, which tells you something important: these aren't trends. They're the new baseline of canine health in America.

The one change? Seizures entered the top 10 for the first time. Closely behind: kidney disease and cranial cruciate ligament tears. Six of the top 10 dog conditions are chronic — meaning they don't resolve at discharge and they require ongoing management, monitoring, and client education for the long haul.

Cats: Seven out of ten are chronic

On the feline side, digestive issues hold the top spot for the third year running. The top six cat conditions are identical to last year's list. And a striking seven out of ten conditions are chronic — which means the cost of a sick cat isn't a single invoice. It's a relationship.

The bottom half of the list did see some reshuffling: inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and respiratory infection all traded positions, but none of them left.

What this means for your practice

The era of the one-and-done appointment is not the reality most pet families are living. The conditions filling your schedule — the itchy dogs, the vomiting cats, the pets on lifelong medication — are exactly what this data reflects. Chronic disease management isn't a specialty anymore. It's general practice.

That also means the financial conversation is unavoidable. Pet families who don't have insurance and aren't budgeting for ongoing care are going to hit a wall — and they're going to hit it in your exam room. The more proactive the conversation about long-term costs and coverage options, the better the outcome for the pet and the relationship with the client.

Nationwide's Pet HealthZone offers free breed-specific resources for over 100 dog breeds and 11 cat breeds — useful tools for client education if you're looking to send something home after a new diagnosis.

The data is telling us what to expect. The question is whether our clients are prepared for it.