From chocolate toxicity to accidents, vet telehealth is set to help pet parents during festive period
23 December 2023 Sydney, Australia – With a 12.6% YoY rise in pet insurance claims paid* in December, vet telehealth is set to service the high holiday demand for festive pet health mishaps, according to PetSure, Australia’s leading pet insurer.
According to the Animal Medicines Australia (AMA) “Pets in Australia” report^, Australia’s pet population is nearly 29 million across 6.9 million households. The report also describes how the pet ownership boom has led to a large proportion of new owners who need tailored information and services, with vets remaining the most trusted source of pet healthcare advice.
From chocolate toxicity to ingestion of foreign body to accidents, PetSure’s claims database shows the holiday season is a peak period for seasonal pet health risks. With a nationwide shortage of vets and with many vet clinics temporarily closed for the festive period, pet parents may want to consider vet telehealth for non-urgent pet care in their moment of need these holidays.
PetSure claims data for 2022 shows key seasonal pet health risks that typically peak in December during the holiday period.
Top 5 pet health conditions during the holiday period:
| Pet health condition | % uplift on previous month (Dec vs Nov 2022)~ | Average treatment cost ($AUD)~~ |
| Toxin exposure – chocolate | 60.13% | $447 |
| Toxin exposure – plant, grape/raisin | 56.46% | $451 |
| Ingestion of foreign body – grass seed | 52.97% | $388 |
| Gastrointestinal tract condition (hemorrhagic gastroenteritis) | 10.68% | $610 |
| Accident – Tissue Damage or Fracture (wound laceration) | 7.01% | $491 |
~Where logical claims value was greater than 400, comparing the claims volume for December compared to November 2022 for seasonal conditions with the highest month-on-month percentage increase.
~~Average amount claimed for the condition, based on PetSure claims for the past 24 months
VetChat is the vet in your pocket 24/7 – a vet telehealth service that connects pet parents with Australian registered vets for expert advice and triage via video or messaging consultations. In 2022, VetChat saw a 76% increase in the volume of consultations in summer compared to winter in 2022^^^ reflecting strong demand for vet telehealth during the holidays.
Australians looking to travel domestically this holiday period, or who may not have access to their local vet, can easily connect with an Australian qualified vet through VetChat on weekends, public holidays and after normal business hours.
PetSure CEO Alex Thomas says vet telehealth is an important value-add service for PetSure underwritten policies.
“VetChat is available on a majority PetSure policies as a complimentary value-add services. If you’re unsure if VetChat is available on your existing policy, check your insurance provider’s website or customer service portal.
“Similar to human health, people value instant and personalised healthcare advice especially with pets often viewed as members of the family,” she says.
VetChat Founder Dr Claire Jenkins says vet telehealth can be helpful for a range of pet care queries.
“Pet parents can describe and show their pet’s health issue and receive advice and clarity on next steps within minutes. While vet telehealth is complementary to bricks-and-mortar vet clinics, vet telehealth is a convenient option for non-emergencies, general pet care advice or when a local vet clinic isn’t available.
“The festive period is a time for pet health mishaps, so whether your pet ate something they shouldn’t have or is behaving strangely while you’re travelling and away from your vet, keep a close eye on your four-legged friend and contact VetChat immediately if you have any concerns,” she says.
Visit www.vetchat.com.au to learn more.
VetChat case study – Dunja & Fred:
On New Years Eve morning, Fred, a two-year old Dalmation had vomited several times in a 30-minute period. His family were very concerned and wanted to know how serious it was and what to do. The pet carer Dunja was relieved to access VetChat to seek veterinary advice while she was travelling during the festive period.
“Our dog started vomiting several times in a short period. We were an hour away from home and started heading back to our vet when I remembered this service. After the very prompt and wonderful advice that we followed to the letter, we felt in control and knew what symptoms to look for that would require immediate vet assistance.
“This is an invaluable service especially when we start travelling this year. Wouldn’t be without it,” – VetChat customer, Dunja
Sources:
*12.63% rise in PetSure count of paid claims for December, 2022 vs 2021
^Pets in Australia: A national survey of pets and people, Pets in Australia: A national survey of pets and people – Animal Medicines Australia (Animal Medicines Australia, November 2022)
^^Pet Rescue Australia, The state of pet adoption report 2021-2022, The state of pet adoption report 2021-2022 – PetRescue (Pet Rescue, February 2023)
** PetSure gross sales by pet age cohort, for the 2022 calendar year January was the month with the highest number of sales for new animals aged 0-1 years
^^^Increase in volume of monthly average VetChat consultations for summer months in 2022 (December, January and Februrary) compared to winter 2022 (June, July and August)
Disclaimer:
Insurance products are issued by The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd ABN 78 090 584 473, AFSL 241436 (Hollard) and/or PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 95 075 949 923, AFSL 420183 (PetSure) (from 8 May 2023 only), administered by PetSure and promoted and distributed through their authorised representatives and distribution partners. Any advice provided is general only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Meet our partners at petsure.com.au/partners.
VetChat Services Pty Ltd is a related company to PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd.
