Southern Cross lists wildest pet insurance claims of 2022

Labradors are considered among the most intelligent breeds, but they are also prone to eating items they shouldn’t. The owner of one Labrador had to make several claims totalling $6,820, with the dog having munched on a blanket tie, rope, tea towel, and blanket – all within the first eight months of the pet insurance policy.

Another hungry Labrador ate the face off a cuddly toy, resulting in an obstruction that had to be surgically removed, racking up almost $2,000 in vet bills.

Southern Cross also shared the case of a German shorthaired pointer cross that may have forgot it was a dog and not a cow, after it was found to have almost one kilogram of grass in its stomach. The removal procedure cost more than $4,000.

Other items that were swallowed by pets include ibuprofen tablets, hard plastic gloves, stones, fishhooks, and a pill box.

In non-ingestion-related claims, a miniature schnauzer needed treatment for hypothermia after falling into an effluent pond, while another dog suffered from injuries to its ear and shoulder after getting into a fight with a particularly feisty cat.

While dogs once again made up the bulk of Southern Cross’ pet insurance claims, one cat did make the list after it licked a driveway cleaning product off the ground and had to be treated for blistering in its mouth.

“Our pets can find themselves in some very unusual predicaments and those often result in some very expensive vet bills,” said Anthony McPhail, CEO of Southern Cross Pet Insurance. “While some of these claims might seem amusing, it can be very stressful when our pets become unwell – but pet insurance can be a great reassurance in those moments. We hope that New Zealand’s pets live their best lives in 2023, and we’ll be there for our customers should they need to make a trip to the vet of an unusual kind.”