November Marks Fifth Annual National Pet Cancer Awareness Month

Cancer Among Most Common and Costly Pet Conditions

BREA, Calif., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer is not strictly a "human"
condition. As the No. 1 disease-related killer of dogs and cats, cancer claims
millions of pets each year. This November, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI),
the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, will seek to
increase awareness about the prevalence, detection and treatment of pet cancer
during its fifth annual Pet Cancer Awareness Month. To raise funds for pet
cancer research, VPI has partnered with the Animal Cancer Foundation (ACF) and
organized its third annual VPI K9K Pet Cancer Awareness Walk in Long Beach,
Calif. on Nov. 14. VPI also provides pet cancer detection tips and urges ACF
donations through the purchase of pet cancer awareness collars and wristbands
at www.petinsurance.com/cancer.

VPI started Pet Cancer Awareness month in 2005 after noticing that cancer
diagnoses often caught pet owners by surprise. Many either did not know their
pets could develop cancer or underestimated the cost to treat cancerous
conditions. In 2008, VPI received nearly 30,000 claims for pet cancer. The
most common form of pet cancer, lymphosarcoma, made up about a fifth of those
claims. Other common forms of pet cancer included: mast cell tumors,
fibrosarcomas (which stem from connective tissues), and hemangiopericytomas (a
tumor generally located on a limb). Other types of neoplasias --defined as a
growth or tumor--were commonly found on the liver, spleen or eyelid.

Overall, cancer claims were the sixth most common type of medical claim
received by VPI in 2008. According to VPI's claims data, which draws from a
population of more than 474,000 insured pets, following are the 10 most common
types of cancer found in dogs and cats:

Top Pet Cancer Claims in 2008
-----------------------------
1. Lymphosarcoma 6. Neoplasia - Liver
2. Mast Cell Tumor 7. Neoplasia - Thorax
3. Neoplasia - Spleen 8. Neoplasia - Brain or Spinal Cord
4. Neoplasia - Eyelid 9. Fibrosarcoma
5. Osteogenic Sarcoma 10. Hemangiopericytoma

The cost of treating a pet with cancer varies depending on the type of cancer
and the length of therapy. If chemotherapy or radiation treatment is required,
costs can reach more than $10,000 over several sessions. To ensure that VPI
policyholders are able to pursue optimal cancer treatment, VPI offers an
optional cancer-specific rider that attaches to its base medical plans. The
cancer rider supplements benefit allowances available for treatment of
eligible cancerous conditions.

To detect cancer early, pet owners should be attentive to any growing lump or
sore that fails to heal, drastic changes in a pet's appetite or weight,
unusually strong odors coming from a pet, discharge or bleeding from any body
opening, difficulty chewing or swallowing, or an unwillingness to exercise.
More detection tips and information on Pet Cancer Awareness Month can be found
at www.petinsurance.com/cancer.

For more information on the Animal Cancer Foundation, visit
www.acfoundation.org.

Note to editors: VPI can provide state-specific cancer data and digital images
of Pet Cancer Awareness dog collars and wristbands. Send requests to
gbiniasz@petinsurance.com.

About Veterinary Pet Insurance
Veterinary Pet Insurance Co./DVM Insurance Agency is the nation's oldest and
largest pet health insurance company and is a member of the Nationwide
Insurance family of companies. Providing pet owners with peace of mind since
1982, the company is committed to being the trusted choice of America's pet
lovers and an advocate of pet health education. VPI Pet Insurance plans cover
dogs, cats, birds and exotic pets for multiple medical problems and conditions
relating to accidents, illnesses and injuries. Optional VPI CareGuard(SM)
coverage for routine care is also available.

Medical plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
More than 2,000 companies nationwide offer VPI Pet Insurance as an employee
benefit. Policies are underwritten by Veterinary Pet Insurance Company in
California and in all other states by National Casualty Company, an A+15 rated
company in Madison, Wisconsin. Pet owners can find VPI Pet Insurance on
Facebook or follow @VPI on Twitter. For more information about VPI Pet
Insurance, call 800-USA-PETS (800-872-7387) or visit petinsurance.com.

SOURCE Veterinary Pet Insurance Co.

Grant Biniasz of Veterinary Pet Insurance Co., +1-714-984-2431, mobile,
+1-714-496-9771, gbiniasz@petinsurance.com