Summer Pet Hazards
From heatstroke and insect bites to traffic-related injuries and foxtails, summertime can be a dangerous time for pets.
Our team of Trupanion data scientists found that claims for certain health issues increased by more than 300% during the months of June, July and August.
Key Findings
- Heatstroke claims increase by 279% during the summer months
- Foxtails claims increase by 303% during the summer months
- Insect bite claims increase by 97% during summer
The Biggest Summer Pet Hazards
Summer is synonymous with heat. But heat isn’t the only pet health hazard that drastically increases during the summer months.
We found that while the number of heatstroke claims increases by 279% across North America, insect bite claims increase by 97%, snake bite claims increase by 145%, and foxtail claims increase by 303%.
The number of pets with traffic-related injuries also rises during the summer months. We found that traffic-related injuries increased by 36% in Canada and 13% in the United States during June, July and August. Traffic-related injuries include both pets being injured while riding in a car and pets being struck by a vehicle.
| Summer Pet Hazards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Country | Increase in heatstroke claims | Increase in foxtail claims | Increase in insect bite claims | Increase in snake bite claims | Increase in traffic-related injuries |
United States | 266% | 288% | 82% | 145% | 13% |
Canada | 338% | 532% | 158% | N/A | 36% |
North America | 279% | 303% | 97% | 145% | 20% |
Summertime Pet Hazards by State
When it comes to the biggest summertime pet dangers, it all depends on where you live. North Carolina has a high number of snake bite claims. Florida has a lot of insect bite claims but very few foxtail claims. And surprisingly, northern states like Connecticut and Idaho have more heatstroke claims than Arizona.
Below is a look at the number of summertime-related claims in each state over the last five years. Keep in mind that these numbers reflect only Trupanion insured pets. Meaning that the total number of these incidents is likely significantly higher.
| Summertime pet hazards in each state | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
State | Heatstroke claims | Foxtail claims | Insect bite claims | Snake bite claims |
Alabama | 7 | 3 | 22 | 22 |
Alaska | 4 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
Arizona | 7 | 7 | 23 | 37 |
Arkansas | 9 | 0 | 8 | 7 |
California | 101 | 3,317 | 591 | 150 |
Colorado | 9 | 52 | 70 | 30 |
Connecticut | 12 | 4 | 88 | 1 |
Delaware | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Florida | 64 | 2 | 175 | 48 |
Georgia | 17 | 2 | 57 | 43 |
Hawaii | 9 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
Idaho | 10 | 52 | 13 | 3 |
Illinois | 7 | 0 | 44 | 1 |
Indiana | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
Iowa | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Kansas | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
Kentucky | 8 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
Louisiana | 6 | 0 | 36 | 7 |
Maine | 5 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
Maryland | 3 | 3 | 23 | 4 |
Massachusetts | 53 | 8 | 212 | 0 |
Michigan | 4 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
Minnesota | 4 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
Mississippi | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Missouri | 14 | 0 | 26 | 4 |
Montana | 0 | 32 | 4 | 8 |
Nebraska | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
Kansas | 4 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
Nevada | 28 | 62 | 32 | 5 |
New Hampshire | 4 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
New Jersey | 36 | 4 | 166 | 0 |
New Mexico | 0 | 24 | 7 | 4 |
New York | 42 | 14 | 241 | 0 |
North Carolina | 17 | 3 | 93 | 122 |
Ohio | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
Oklahoma | 1 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
Oregon | 10 | 172 | 60 | 0 |
Pennsylvania | 6 | 4 | 59 | 3 |
Rhose Island | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
South Carolina | 8 | 0 | 22 | 39 |
South Dakota | 8 | 0 | 22 | 39 |
Tennessee | 8 | 5 | 44 | 24 |
Texas | 35 | 11 | 73 | 82 |
Utah | 1 | 99 | 23 | 1 |
Vermont | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
Virginia | 15 | 5 | 87 | 43 |
Washington | 38 | 215 | 138 | 8 |
West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Wisconsin | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
Wyoming | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
Summertime Pet Hazards in Canada
In Canada, foxtails and insect bites are a far bigger problem than snake bites. Especially in British Columbia and Ontario.
The table below contains the number of summertime-related health issues in each province over the last five years.
| Summertime pet hazards in each province | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Province | Heatstroke claims | Foxtail claims | Insect bite claims | Snake bite claims |
Alberta | 17 | 109 | 90 | 5 |
British Columbia | 46 | 254 | 171 | 0 |
Manitoba | 5 | 16 | 10 | 0 |
New Brunswick | 5 | 1 | 41 | 0 |
Newfoundland and Labrador | 6 | 7 | 50 | 0 |
Nova Scotia | 13 | 0 | 80 | 0 |
Nunavut | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ontario | 57 | 3 | 415 | 3 |
Prince Edward Island | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Quebec | 6 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
Saskatchewan | 3 | 46 | 15 | 0 |
Yukon | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
The Cost of Summertime Pet Health Hazards
Heatstroke and snake bites can be expensive medical conditions to treat. That’s why it’s so important to have high-quality pet medical insurance that protects your pet from the unexpected.
The average cost of treatment ranges from $205 for an insect bite to nearly $2,000 for a snake bite.
| Average claim cost | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Category | Heatstroke | Foxtail | Insect bite | Snake bite |
Dog (USA) | $1,673 | $622 | $337 | $1,319 |
Cat (USA) | $1,890 | - | $280 | $1,960 |
Dog (Canada) | $1,787 | $587 | $285 | - |
Methodology
Trupanion looked at the number of cat and dog claims in the United States and Canada from January 2021 – December of 2025. Claims were then compared on a month-to-month basis to see what types of health issues had the largest percentage increase during the months of June, July and August. All dollar amounts are expressed in the currency of the country.
About Trupanion
Trupanion is a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs throughout the United States, Canada, and certain countries in Continental Europe with over 1,000,000 pets currently enrolled. For over two decades, Trupanion has given pet owners peace of mind so they can focus on their pet's recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet parents with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. With its patented process, Trupanion is the only North American provider with the technology to pay veterinarians directly in seconds at the time of checkout. Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "TRUP". The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Trupanion policies are issued, in the United States, by its wholly-owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company or ZPIC Insurance Company and, in Canada, by Accelerant Insurance Company of Canada or GPIC Insurance Company. Policies are sold and administered in Canada by Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. dba Trupanion 309-1277 Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver, BC V7J 0A2 and in the United States by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590). Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. is a registered damage insurance agency and claims adjuster in Quebec #603927. For more information, please visit trupanion.com.
