Pet anxiety insurance claims up amid increased awareness
By Christine Won
While anxiety-related pet insurance claims are up, that does not necessarily mean more pets are anxious, says Dr. Wailani Sung, senior director of animal admissions and wellbeing at Joybound People and Pets in Walnut Creek, California.
The animal behaviorist, who was featured on the 2022 Netflix documentary, "Inside the Mind of a Cat," drew packed crowds for her two sessions on anxiety and phobias at AVMA Convention 2025 in July in Washington, D.C.
Pet insurance company Trupanion in May released data showing pet anxiety claims nationwide are up 93% on average since 2019. The claims primarily covered medication and behavioral modification, according to Trupanion.
Six states—New York, Nevada, South Carolina, North Carolina, Washington, Louisiana—and Washington, D.C., all respectively saw increases of 100% or higher in pet anxiety-related claims between 2019 and 2024.
Trupanion received over 25,000 pet anxiety claims in 2024, with the biggest jumps in Louisiana (121) and Washington state (2,830), at 150% and 149%, respectively.
The data, broken down by state and breed, further showed the most claims for Australian Cattle Dogs and Siamese cats. Other breeds with the most anxiety-related claims were Terriers, Portuguese Water Dogs, Shetland Sheepdogs, and American Pitbull Terriers among dogs; and Siberian cats, Bengals, Ragdolls, and Maine Coons among cats.
Multiple explanations could account for this rise.
"The sharp rise in anxiety-related claims could be due to a multitude of factors, including increased awareness, pet owners spending more time with their pets and better options for care," according to Trupanion.
Dr. Sung agrees that it is difficult to truly say if anxiety is on the rise in pets or whether owners are better informed.
"I think more owners are aware about anxiety. They know how to recognize and advocate for their pets, and they want to help them," Dr. Sung told AVMA News.
She said she has seen more dogs with anxiety come to her behavior specialty practice in the past 10 years, whereas previously, she saw more aggression cases. Dr. Sung is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, a veterinary specialty organization recognized by the AVMA American Board of Veterinary Specialties.
In her presentations, Dr. Sung stressed early recognition to improve a pet’s quality of life and timely treatment before it can lead to other behavioral and health issues.
"The owners also have to be doing their homework," she said.
This means early exposure to new people and environments, such as puppy socialization or kitten kindergarten, as well as confidence-building activities, including obedience training, positive reinforcement over punitive measures, and environmental enrichment to provide both mental and physical outlets.
"Set the dogs up for success for when the owners leave," she said.
Dr. Sung recommended training to reduce anxiety, behavior modification exercises, and psychoactive medications, adding that a majority of separation anxiety cases require its use.
A consistent daily routine is key: exercise, play time, and rest time on their own in a safe place where they can get REM sleep that has been shown to aid emotional regulation.
"It’s really important that they can have some fun to enjoy on their own without their owner," she said.
Providing agency is also key, such as making multiple toys and beds available for pets to choose.
"We are the boss of their world—we control every single aspect of a dog’s life," Dr. Sung said. "Environmental control allows them to have some choices. This is really important to give them a little bit of agency."