As Tick Season Approaches, New Trupanion Data Reveals Rise in Lyme Disease Claims Among Dogs

SEATTLE, WA—(May 7, 2026)—As temperatures begin to warm and people head outdoors with their pets, the risk of tick-borne illness is moving back into the spotlight.

Trupanion, the leader in pet medical insurance in North America, has released new data showing an 8% increase in the frequency of Lyme-disease-related claims since 2020. Of those claims, 4% included complications from Lyme nephritis, or Lyme-associated kidney disease.

The findings, based on over 7.5 million claims overall, underscore the persistent threat of tick-borne illnesses across the United States. While some regions show signs of stabilizing, others—particularly in the Northeast—continue to see a rise in claim frequency, with one case requiring a staggering $20,000+ in veterinary care.

Key Study Highlights

• Since 2020, the frequency of Lyme-disease-related claims for dogs has grown by 8%, with a total of 11,903 claims.
• While the average claim for Lyme disease treatment is $383, severe complications—such as Lyme nephritis—can drive costs exponentially higher.
• Massachusetts and New York lead the nation in total claim volume, mirroring population density. However, traditionally high-activity states like New Jersey and New Hampshire have bucked the national trend, seeing significant decreases in claim frequency.
• Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont have the highest rates of Lyme-disease-related claims, likely indicating that dogs in these environments face greater exposure to tick-heavy habitats than the rest of the country.

Lyme Disease Among Dogs in the United States

Total claim volume is highest in heavily populated states like Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey, but the frequency of those claims tells a more complex story. Even as national numbers climb, in some high-volume areas like New Jersey and New Hampshire, claim rates have actually declined as much as 26%.

However, a downward trend does not equate to low risk. Despite New Hampshire’s decline in claim rate, it remains one of the top states for claim frequency at 1.18 per 1,000 pets.

Looking at claim rates alone, the disease is most concentrated in the Northeast. Leading the country in claim rates are Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

These regional concentrations closely reflect the CDC’s human Lyme Disease Case Maps, underscoring that where human risk is high, the danger to our canine companions often follows a similar geographic pattern.

Lyme Disease Among Dogs by State (Ranked by Claim Count)

Maine (1.23), New Hampshire (1.18), and Vermont (1.15) have the highest claim rates. While they have fewer total claims than New York or Massachusetts, a dog in Maine is statistically more likely to have a Lyme disease claim than a dog in any other state in this study.

High Claiming Breeds

The data shows that certain breeds, often those with high outdoor activity levels, see higher claim rates than others.

The highest-claiming breeds, like the Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, are traditionally bred for rugged aquatic work, potentially placing them in tick-heavy marshlands more often than urban breeds.

A Notable Case: Lyme Disease leading to Chronic-Active Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis (Lyme Nephritis)

Patient Location: Massachusetts
Claim Amount: $20,677

Sequential Critical Events

The patient was originally diagnosed with Lyme disease in July 2023. While the initial symptom (neck pain) resolved before treatment with Doxycycline began, the disease was not eliminated. The medical team opted to monitor water intake and urine specific gravity through the fall.

In December 2023, the situation turned critical. The patient presented for vomiting, and bloodwork revealed severely elevated BUN, Creatinine, and SDMA—indicators of acute renal damage. The patient was transferred for intensive stabilization of azotemia and anemia.

Advanced Medical Intervention

The patient’s condition escalated into a multi-system failure. Clinical findings included secondary edema, a heart murmur, hypertension, and lymphadenomegaly. To combat the immune-mediated kidney damage, the clinical team implemented:

• Immunosuppression & Blood Pressure Control: High-dose steroids (DexSP), Mycophenolate, and Amlodipine.
• Extracorporeal Therapy: Both plasmapheresis and dialysis were performed to filter toxins the kidneys could no longer process.
• Supportive Care: An albumin transfusion was administered to manage protein loss, alongside CRIs (Constant Rate Infusions) of metoclopramide and various anti-nausea medications.

To reach a definitive diagnosis, the team performed an abdominal ultrasound, kidney biopsies, and a fine-needle aspirate (FNA) of a para-duodenal mass.

Clinical Takeaway

The kidney biopsies ultimately confirmed chronic-active membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis consistent with Lyme disease. This case illustrates the devastating progression of Lyme nephritis, where the initial infection triggers a fatal immune response against the kidneys.

Despite advanced therapies like dialysis, the patient’s clinical status declined, ultimately leading to the difficult decision of euthanasia.

Lyme disease is not always a simple fix of antibiotics. When it progresses to the kidneys, it can become an expensive and complex condition to treat.

For the veterinary team, the presence of insurance meant they could exhaust every modern medical resource—from dialysis to specialized biopsies—without worrying about the pet parent’s financial constraints. It helped ensure the medical team could practice the high-level medicine for which they were trained, even when facing aggressive disease progression.

Note on Canine Risks: While this case highlights a severe canine outcome, it underscores a broader trend with Lyme disease: symptoms are often hidden until a crisis occurs. Statistically, only 5% to 10% of infected dogs show outward signs of illness. Furthermore, approximately 1% to 5% of infected dogs develop Lyme nephritis.

Methodology

Trupanion analyzed the number of Lyme disease-related claims from January 2020 – December 2025. Claims are broken down by national and state levels. It is important to note that while claim counts and rates provide insight into insured pet activity, fluctuations may be influenced by evolving clinical diagnostic practices and environmental factors. Further investigation into environmental variables is warranted to confirm primary drivers behind these trends.

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 and, in Canada, by Accelerant Insurance Company of Canada. 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.