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The UK’s number one pet insurer Petplan, together with its specialist equestrian division, Petplan Equine have a wealth of knowledge of horse and pet illnesses and injuries, with an impressive database of over 1 million animals.

Petplan Equine has recently published the top five most common health problems to highlight the importance of equine insurance and to demonstrate that no matter how well someone looks after their horse some conditions cannot be prevented.

In 2015 Petplan Equine paid over £12 million in insurance claims. The most common health problems were: Arthritis, Colic, Laminitis, Cushing’s Disease and Inflamed Ligaments (Desmitis) and these accounted for close to 20% of all Petplan Equine claims.

“Having insurance is a crucial part of being a responsible horse owner”, said Petplan’s Equine Veterinary expert Gil Riley MRCVS. “Horses can be costly to keep and being faced with an unforeseen vet bill can be a daunting prospect. Claims are often for acute conditions which may need emergency surgery such as colic, or more chronic problems for example Cushing’s Disease which will require ongoing veterinary attention both of which can be expensive and complex. The expertise and knowledge at Petplan Equine enables them to help and support owners at times of need and the security of having an up to date insurance policy is invaluable.” Petplan Equine – Most common claims:

Conditions ranked in order of the number of claims	Condition	Amount Petplan Equine paid in claims in the last 12 months
1	Arthritis	£730,655
2	Colic	£672,216
3	Laminitis	£325,065
4	Cushing’s Disease	£177,380
5	Desmitis / Inflamed ligament	£569,538

Petplan Equine’s recent research shows that 49% of owners said their horse had suffered from an illness or injury in the last year – and 84% of those said they would seek immediate help in this situation. This demonstrates the importance of having appropriate equine insurance in place so you can get veterinary treatment at the earliest opportunity without having to worry about the cost.

Charlotte Gibbs, Senior Marketing Executive for Petplan Equine said, “Knowing which conditions are the most claimed for enables us to be ready when horse owners call for advice and need to make a claim. The team at Petplan Equine all love or own horses so we really do know what it feels like when a problem arises. With most of the top five conditions being illnesses rather than injuries they are often not preventable and are something any horse owner could find themselves having to deal with.”

To find out more about Petplan Equine’s top five health problems and get expert advice from Gil Riley MRCVS on spotting the signs and treatment options visit the Petplan Equine website www.petplanequine.co.uk/top-5

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For more information please contact:

Name	Telephone	Email
Charlotte Gibbs	(0208) 707 8335	[email protected]

Follow Petplan Equine social media:

Facebook www.facebook.com/PetplanEquineUK

Twitter @PetplanEquine

YouTube www.youtube.com/user/PetplanUK

• Petplan Equine offers comprehensive insurance cover for horses and ponies aged from 30 days. Established 27 years ago, Petplan Equine understands the evolving equestrian market and strives to enhance knowledge and understanding of the equine world through employing horse enthusiasts and working closely with the equine industry.
• Petplan Equine is part of the Petplan brand. Founded in 1976, Petplan is the UK's largest pet insurance provider, offering comprehensive cover for dogs, cats, rabbits and horses.

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