Top five unusual pet insurance claims

Pet insurance is a fast-growing industry and, as in all insurance claims, there are some weird and wonderful claims.

Not to mention expensive. According to Southern Cross Pet Insurance last year, dogs are the most costly when it comes to mending them - with a pericardial effusion(fluid around the heart, threatening a heart attack) costing $9200 in 2015.

Some of last year's most unusual claims were:

1. One cat found his left hind paw caught in a hinged toilet seat, where he was left hanging for some time - resulting in a badly swollen foot and a number of open wounds.

2. An English Bull Terrier was so eager to investigate something it spotted in the back yard, it ran into a ranch slider, shattering the glass. The poor pooch received a cut under the eye requiring stitches.

3. After falling into a pot of acrylic paint, a Birman cat decided to try and clean herself after her owner's best efforts proved fruitless. She ended up being sedated and shaved.

4. A Staffordshire Bull Terrier was so committed to returning a stick from the ocean, she swallowed a large amount of sea water, causing a vet to aspirate the fluid in her lungs and air in her stomach.

5. An opportunistic Tibetan/Terrier Cross decided to get in on the action when the owner's glass of wine fell on the ground and smashed. The vet was needed to remove glass from her mouth.