A new study by More Than Pet Insurance reveals that an increasing number of UK pets are suffering from food intolerances and allergies.

Almost 10% of pets suffer from food intolerances, mirroring the trend amongst humans estimated at 40-45% of the population. Contrary to popular belief, food intolerance is likely to be associated with the food that is most commonly eaten. Pets are most often allergic to wheat (e.g. biscuits) and beef; other common allergens include pork, chicken, milk, soy and fish.

Recognising dietary intolerance is difficult for pet-owners as recurring signs are often passed off as minor illnesses. Once diagnosed, healing the problem is not so easy either. This is made worse because of a lack of legislation governing pet food labelling, which means pet owners cannot always clearly identify what they are feeding their pets.

Pet food manufacturers are currently not obligated to name actual ingredients and some pet food labels use general terms such as 'meat by-products? and ?cereal or animal derivatives?. More Than is calling for those pet food manufacturers to use more accurate labelling to help pet owners and vets in diagnosing and preventing food intolerances. Nowadays 87% of UK vets are recommending more specialist diets for pets, compared to five years ago.

More Than's Veterinary Adviser, Sophie de Pelet, comments: "The way that we care and cater for our pets has changed over the last 50 years. Dogs and cats are no longer kept outside and fed on household scraps, but instead live indoors as part of the family. They tend to be fed more dried, cereal-based biscuits and canned food, the contents of which may be contributing to dietary problems. We all like to treat our pets, but feeding them snacks and titbits can also be at the root of dietary intolerance in affected animals."

"Food allergy and intolerance symptoms that pets suffer from are very similar to those seen in humans, for example, eczema, dermatitis, vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy, all of which can be difficult to attribute to diet alone as this can be caused by so many other disease processes. As a result, diagnosis and treatment can be a lengthy and thus costly exercise. Allergy tests carried out by vets can aid diagnosis, but can cost in excess of £200. Exclusion diets (containing unique forms of protein and carbohydrate specifically catered for the animal in question) will be necessary to confirm diagnosis. Most pet insurance policies will cover the costs of testing, so pet owners should check their policy details to avoid unexpected expense."

Paula Peacock, a Veterinary Nurse at Yorktest Veterinary Service, Europe's leading specialist in food intolerances, comments: "Since we launched our allergy testing service for pets in 2000, more than 12,000 pets have been tested for suspected food allergies and the results, together with the subsequent action of both vets and owners, have proved to be beneficial.

"There is now a wide range of veterinary prescription diets available and while normal pet food is often poorly labelled, there is also an ever-growing range of hypoallergenic diets which do state all ingredients clearly to the benefit of pet owners and vets. Vets will often also recommend a home-made diet ? as with humans, prevention is often the best cure."

95% of vets surveyed agreed that pet insurance was a responsible thing for pet owners to have as well as giving you the peace of mind that vet bills will be covered.

Paradise for pet's is to be found in the West Country, but a dog's life in the North of Scotland according to a new nationwide survey from Petplan Pet Insurance.

The survey by YouGov for Petplan, the UK's largest provider of Pet Insurance, identified the West Country as the home of the UK's most pampered pooches and cats. The survey talked to 2,000 pet owners nationwide about their pets' diet, living conditions, and lifestyle.

West Country's Pampered Pets

• 1 in 5 owners 'love pets as much as their children'
• West Country pet owners are the most likely in UK to consider a pet-related pre-nuptial agreement
• Most likely to prepare hand-cooked, organic food
• Most likely to give pets Christmas and birthday presents
• Most likely to give pets a specially designed bed
• Most likely to buy a family car to suit the pet
• Most likely to pay a month's wages in rewards for lost pets
• More than 25% have pet insurance

One in five of the West Country's pet owners say that they love their four-legged friends 'as much as their children'. This may account for the fact that 17% of owners in the West Country have included their pets on pre-nuptial agreements - the highest proportion in the UK.

Such affection also shows in the way they are fed with 20% of West Country pets having developed a taste for hand-cooked meals - the highest percentage in the country. And almost 10% of their lovingly prepared meals are made with pure organic ingredients.

With more than 80% of the South West's dog owners spending more than £10 per month on food for their pets - one of the highest levels in the country - they are clearly prepared to put their money where their heart is.

Almost three quarters of pets in the South West can look forward to a Christmas present this year, with almost a third also getting a birthday present. One in five owners will happily spend more than £10 a time on pet presents.
It's a very different outlook for pets in the North of Scotland where canny owners take a far less sentimental view of their pets. It is perhaps not surprising that pet owners in the North of Scotland reported a higher percentage of 'nervous pets' than anywhere else in the UK.

Pet Purgatory in North of Scotland

• Less money per dog spent on food than anywhere in UK
• Owners are least likely in the UK to offer a significant reward for a missing pet
• Pets least likely to be micro-chipped and insured
• Pets least likely to enjoy hand-cooked food
• Deceased pets least likely to be 'formally' buried

TV Vet Scott Miller, Petplan's Veterinary Consultant, comments: " The age old perception of the 'soft south' and the 'tough north' certainly seems to hold true for pet owners in the UK. Pets certainly do seem to have it better down south.

One surprising conundrum leaped out at me though: a higher proportion of owners in the North of Scotland have taken their dog to a vet for tooth or gum work in the last year than any other group in the UK. Yet the proportion of pets in the North of Scotland which have health insurance to cover vet visits is the lowest in the country.

You'd think the canny Scots would have cottoned on to the fact that they could be saving money at the vet if they had some insurance in place!"

Rising vet fees are forcing UK dog owners to take drastic action leaving 7% with no option but to put down their sick dog.

According to new research from Direct Line Pet Insurance, 22% of dog owners said that they would consider this drastic step if faced with treatment that they couldn't afford.

Britain's dog owners spend over £800 million on vet fees each year, with the average cost of treatment standing at £154 a year. As a result almost one in four (22%) struggle to pay vet bills. More than half of British dog owners (58%) said they suspect some vets inflate their fees by recommending non-essential treatment.

A third of dog owners (34%) believe that vet bills for the same treatment have increased over a five-year period with more than a quarter (27%) believing they've increased by up to 50%.

However, many are risking their long-term financial security to avoid this. One in 10 have put off paying bills, while six per cent have got into difficulties by borrowing money. 15% have raided their life savings in order to fund essential treatment for their pet.

UK dog owners also regularly sacrifice luxuries to meet the escalating cost of treatment. A fifth have forgone purchases including clothes and DVDs, and 5% have cancelled or decided not to book holidays. Head of Direct Line Pet Insurance, Chris Price, said: "With no NHS for animals, dog owners make great financial sacrifices to protect the health of their pets. As vets rarely display prices, many dog owners don't know the full cost of treatment until after it has been carried out, which can cause real problems, particularly for more than 85% of pet owners who are not insured. We are calling on all vets to be transparent with their pricing to prevent owners suffering this unnecessary financial anxiety."