The Burrow
Feb 26, 2025
Every pet owner wants their furry friends to lead the happiest, healthiest lives possible, so it’s important to care for them and learn about their healthcare needs.
So, what are the pet health questions that have us the most worried? As experts in pet insurance, we dug into the data to see what the top questions people had online for their pet’s health.
We broke our data down by region, to find out what the top pet health concerns are for every area of the country. Our findings showed that each region had the same two top health queries: “dog dental health”, and “cat obesity”. This demonstrates a need for more awareness around dieting and exercise for pets across Australia.
Each location had its own trends to explore, with certain areas taking more interest in different aspects of pet health. Want to know the most common queries where you are, or just curious how the rest of the country compares? Here’s our breakdown of each city’s biggest pet health worries:
Melbourne was the city we researched with the highest Google search volume for pet health worries. Its primary concern was for dog dental health, with 2,180 related searches in January 2025. While this is the most common query across the country, Melbourne saw the highest number of searches for the issue.
Other key topics were obesity in cats, which was the second most searched worry with 1,460 searches, and dog arthritis with 1,250 searches.
Our trends suggest that general health worries about both dogs and cats are especially common in Sydney, with allergies being a common factor in many queries. Pet allergies had 630 searches in January 2025, making it a particular area of interest.
Dog obesity was one of Brisbane’s most common pet health worries in January 2025, with 530 searches on the topic recorded.
Across the city, questions about pet diet and weight seem to be particularly common, with both those about dogs and cats receiving plenty of queries.
Similar to Melbourne, dog arthritis is one of the most common queries in Perth (490 searches in January 2025). Also, with 560 searches for cat obesity and 570 for dog dental health, it’s the city with the smallest gap in search volume between the most common queries.
After the usual most common questions, “pet health” was Adelaide’s third most common concern, generating 190 searches last month. General awareness around pet wellness seems to be a running theme throughout its most common queries.
Searches in Canberra lean towards general questions surrounding pet health and diet. Dog dental health ranks equally with topics such as dog arthritis, cat diabetes, and cat arthritis – all with roughly 120 searches in January 2025.
Hobart bucks the trend of the most common search queries, with dog arthritis ranking as its #1 concern (120 searches). Cat arthritis also ranked as a common concern in the city, with general questions about pet diet and exercise proving to be a frequent trend.
Darwin has the lowest search volume for pet health worries out of any Australian city we researched. The most common questions searched were about dental health in dogs (70 searches), but other common health queries such as dog hearing loss and dietary issues ranked just behind.
The state with the highest search volume for pet health queries in the USA in January 2025 was California, with 95,920 searches. Texas had the second most searches (57,380) while New York came third (50,450). Florida and Illinois rounded out the top 5 states with the most searches for pet health, with 47,200 and 27,530 searches respectively.
Similar to Australia, dog dental health dominated the searches, especially in California and Texas (18,900 and 7,890 searches respectively). Cat obesity was another common concern, but dog obesity received a high search volume compared to Australia. Meanwhile, Google searches in Texas (4,150), Florida (3,050), and Illinois (1,690) are particularly weighted towards their dogs. Pet diets were also a key concern, with especially high search volumes in densely populated states. These numbers rising coincides with an increased interest in pet nutrition and wellbeing.
Dog arthritis seems to be a particular concern in America, with California, Texas, New York and Florida making the most searches on the topic (ranging from 8,860 to 3,740).
As expected, the number of pets in a state influences how common search volume for these topics are. Highly populated states like California and Texas, which had more than 150,000 queries combined, hugely outrank sparser areas like Wyoming and Alaska – which both had just over 2,000 searches each.
It’s clear that there are certain areas of pet health that owners feel like they need to learn more about, so how can you take steps to improve your pet’s health and avoid issues with their wellbeing?
First, if your pet appears to be unwell, be sure to identify whether they have any allergies that affect them. You may notice symptoms such as skin problems (itchy/red skin, hives, patches of fur loss, etc.), sneezing, or problems with breathing. If you suspect these may be allergy related, take your pet to a veterinary clinic for a test. Your vet may prescribe medication such as antihistamines, allergy shots, or nasal sprays to treat your pet’s allergy issues.
Keeping your pet in good shape is also crucial for preventing issues such as arthritis and obesity. Talk to a vet for advice on how often and what to feed your pet, as different animals will have varied diets. Your pet’s age and breed can also change how often they’ll need feeding. Aim to feed your pets at regular times each day, and don’t overfeed them between meals. You can also ensure your pets stay active by giving them regular exercise, such as daily walks for dogs, adding a wheel to your rodent’s cage, playing with your cat, etc. This can prevent mobility issues later in your pet’s life.
If your pet has poor dental health, you can talk to your vet about whether daily tooth brushing could help improve their issues. Your pet’s diet can also affect their breath and tooth health, so be sure to discuss their eating habits with a vet for nutritional advice. Dental chews are also available for animals with particularly tough teeth, such as dogs, giving them an engaging way to improve their dental health without the need for toothpaste.
For cat owners, urinary tract issues are another concern that are often overlooked. If your cat’s urinating habits have changed (small amounts but often, struggling when urinating, showing signs or pain while they pee, etc.), or you’ve noticed blood or clouding in their urine, call a vet to discuss these symptoms. If harmful bacteria is present in the urinary tract, a professional can prescribe antibiotics to combat the infection.
The internet has plenty of answers to help us look after our pets, but the Google search volume for particular issues around the world shows that more awareness needs to be raised about how to care for our animals effectively. Make sure you’re talking to your vet often about any concerns you have with your pet, and ask them for advice on key aspects such as diet, exercise, and allergies to stay on top of their wellbeing.
Compare the Market’s Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, notes that pet insurance can help provide immense peace of mind to pet owners by helping cover their vet bills for various treatments.
“Pet insurance can be a great way to help cover treatment and surgery for our beloved pets if something should happen to them. Vet bills can be quite expensive, and having the right cover can be a massive help and take a load off if something goes wrong,” says Mr Taylor.
“There are different levels of cover that focus on different needs. Some cover treatment for accidents and illnesses, while others cover those and routine vet check-ups, vaccination, medicines and other costs like behavioural training.”
Regardless of the policy you are looking to purchase, be sure to check the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for any limits, exclusions or restrictions to that you can determine whether it’s an appropriate product for your pet’s needs.
The insights are based on Google search data from January 2025 for eight Australian cities, US states and European countries capturing pet health trends across a range of topics.