10 Most Common Pet Injuries and Accidents

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Any pet owner knows how quickly their beloved cat, dog, or other animal friends can have a great time playing to suffering an injury and needing a trip to the vet’s office. Here we discuss some of the most common pet injuries and accidents you need to watch out for.

Pictured: Borna Bevanda on Unsplash

1. Injecting foreign bodies

Animals like to put things in their mouths, and dogs are notorious for this. If it isn’t food, they still want to carry it around and play with it, which can lead to choking dental damage or illness.

Similarly, cats can get curious about human food, too. If your kitty ends up sneaking some of your dinners, you may see symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and blood in your cat’s stool or lethargy. If this happens, take your pet to the vet right away.

2. Sprained ankle

If your dog or cat gets a little energetic, they can end up landing on their foot wrong and spraining an ankle. They may need to take a day or two off their foot to heal up, and your vet may suggest keeping them on bedrest for that period.

3. Eye injury

If you let your cat, dog, or bird into close proximity with another pet, there is a chance a fight will break out. Even if they are good friends, tempers can flare over food, territory, or possessions. When an animal gets into a fight, it is not uncommon for one to receive an eye injury. It might be a superficial wound or something that needs immediate medical attention, depending on how deep it is.

4. Broken or chipped teeth

We just mentioned that animals like to put things in their mouths, and sometimes they bite down on something a bit too hard for their teeth to handle. This can cause tooth chipping or cracking that may need some dental work to correct. According to research shows that about 6,000-13,000 people each year hospitalize due to dog bites. This fact is one cause of Cynophobia (fear of dogs) when people feel the irrational fear of dogs. Anyone who has symptoms of Cynophobia also needs to go to the clinic and preceding medications.

5. Plant poisoning

Your pet may be a curious animal and sometimes try to eat whatever they come across that seems edible. This can mean eating some plants that are toxic to their systems, like tulips, English ivy, peace lily, or oleander.

6. Drug overdosing

If you leave medications or drugs where your pet can access them, they may try some and perhaps consume so much that they become ill. You have to be very careful where you leave potentially harmful drugs. Even if they are safe for you, they can be dangerous for your pet.

7. Insect bite or sting

What happens when your pet gets into a fight with a territorial insect? Your dog or cat is likely to get bitten or stung. Animals are always getting into fights with bees, wasps, ants, stinging caterpillars, and other little critters to protect themselves and their homes at all costs. Your animal may see a small, harmless creature, but some of those small animals put up a nasty fight.

8. Automobile collision

If your pet gets out onto the road to explore the neighborhood, visit another animal, or just take a walk, there is a chance he or she could end up hit by a car. Your pet can be hard to see, and many people are not looking out for pets in areas where the pets are usually kept inside the house or yard, so it’s understandable that this kind of injury can happen frequently.

9. Large animal bites

We talked about insect bites, but your cat or dog could get injured by a bite from a larger animal, such as another dog or cat. These could lead to infections, bleeding, or other serious problems that will need medical attention.

10. Ruptured ligament

This is another injury that can occur when your pet is just too active and isn’t careful about how they are running or how they stick their landing. Healing may require a few days off their feet.

Conclusion

Some pets are more accident-prone than others. You know your pet, and now you know some of the risks, and it’s worth considering an insurance plan for your pet to keep you and them safe. Find out more about our dog insurance, or get an instant cat insurancequote.