Creaking joints is the number one reason for claims on pet insurance, according to insurance provider Pet Plan.
Arthritis tops the list of the 300,000 claims the pet insurer receives each year at a total cost of £50m.
Richard Barrett, head of marketing at Pet Plan, said: "The disorders affecting pets are often chronic or recurring, and require ongoing veterinary treatment. While the cost of treating the pet may not be very much in a single year, over the lifetime of the pet it may add up to a significant amount of money."
Among the claims received by Pet Plan is the case of Shoney, a two-year-old cross breed bitch that has suffered from a heart condition since she was a puppy.
The bitch has two holes in her heart and was not expected to live longer than a few weeks. However, advanced treatment has helped keep her alive, but at a cost of more than £1,000 to date.
Pet Plan's top ten list of claims is as follows:
1. arthritis
2. lameness
3. skin inflammation
4. ear inflammation
5. heart disorders
6. tumours
7. growths
8. skin infections
9. teeth and gum disorders
10. skin disorders.
