Finding The Best Pet Insurance

It is a daunting task, but getting pet insurance can definitely save you in the long run if you end up with a sick furbaby.

When considering pet insurance there are many things to look for. First off, make a list of what you want to have covered for your pet. Take stock of their health and if they have any pre-existing conditions. If they have diabetes for example, your health insurance coverage for your pet will be higher than someone with a healthy cat.

As well, take into consideration the age of your pet. The older your pet, the more your insurance will be. A two year old cat’s insurance is significantly less than a 10 year old cat.

Also, check out companies online and see what their policies are like. What is covered and what is not? How much of a monthly payment must you make vs. how much are they willing to cover once your pet is ill.

When figuring this out, it is a good idea to call your vet and to see if they have a list of companies they already work with, that can help to narrow down who you should research.

Make sure to call each company and talk to an agent and see how well they handle your call, if they are friendly and courteous, and if they understand your needs. Get a firm quote (written, in your e-mail), and go from there to compare each quote and decide who you will go with.

An alternative to this is having a separate bank account where you put a portion of your money or paycheck into each month, specifically for pet emergencies. You can ask your bank to deduct this amount and put it directly into that account monthly or you can set up the payments.

You can compare quotes with one simple website. Just give some basic information, and they will e-mail you quotes within minutes. I would recommend using a different e-mail address besides your main e-mail address as they tend to send quite a few e-mails. If you are okay with that many e-mails going to your main e-mail address then disregard this.

Here is an article that can also help you with your decision to get insurance for your furbaby.

Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Have you noticed that your cat has had chronic vomiting issues, have they had diarrhea often?  Do they tend to have bouts of indigestion?  This is not just something that will “go away”.  This could be what is called Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

The first thing to look at is what you are feeding your cat could be what is damaging the intestinal flora.  What needs to be done is an immediate scheduling of an appointment with your vet and tests need to be performed to see if it is indeed this disease.

There is a great article that explains in great detail what this disease is, what tests are needed and how to treat it.  I would suggest joining this website as it contains a wealth of information on caring for cats.

I have friends whose cats have this disease and who have lived long and happy, healthy lives once it has gotten under control.  I hope this information is helpful to those who have cats who may be suffering from this disease.

 

Flea Control For Dogs

As promised, here is a posting for flea control for dogs.

We all know that fleas are a problem and because of the warmer weather and the craziness this year, fleas could be a huge issue this time of year.

IF you are looking for natural ways to control fleas, here is a great place to start.

Boosting your dog’s immunity is the best and biggest defense and will help ward off the bugs.

There are alternatives that can be bought (usually 6 month supply, find out how much your dog weighs first before ordering).  I have not used this brand, I prefer the natural remedies, but a friend has used this and says it is effective.  The choice is yours, but I would research it before using anything on my pet.

I hope everyone is enjoying the warm weather, especially our furbabies.  Keep them safe and healthy and free from fleas and ticks this season and all year long!

Flea Control For Cats

Next week I will be going over flea control for dogs.  It’s about that time of year here, with the unusually warm weather, fleas could make their appearance sooner than anticipated.  Of course fleas occur year-round, here, they seem to be more apparent in the warmer months.

Make sure to get a fine toothed comb, and if you suspect your cat has fleas, use it.  You can also help to somewhat prevent fleas with some of the medications, although some are very toxic to your animals.

Here is an article that explains what we can do as responsible pet owners to help control flea infestations.

This is another article for more natural ways to keep fleas at bay.

Pet Nutrition – Audio Interview

Here is a great audio interview with Dr. Celeste Yarnall, who has been into pet health and nutrition for over 40 years and has raised 11 generations of tonkonese cats.  The interview is wonderful in learning about raw food diet and proper health care for your pets.  It is well worth a listen.

 

Here is a link for the article before the audio interview.

Here is the link for the interview.  Enjoy!

 

First Aid Kits – Arm Your Pets and Yourself!

Just like humans, pets need a first aid kit for those incidents that can happen to anyone at anytime.  Instead of having to make an emergency trip to the vet (and have it cost an arm and a leg!), there are certain things you can have at home that can help in those situations.

First and foremost, your vet’s number and emergency number (if they are different) should be in there.  Just in case things get out of control, and you may panic, you will have the number right there to call.

Next, the Animal Poison Control number (you may be charged a fee for this call, but it is good to have just in case).  The number is: 888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435).

Items you will need:

• Gauze, strips of cloth, non stick bandages – to help stop bleeding and to wrap up a cut.
• Adhesive tape (DO NOT use human sticky bandages for animal cuts.  They will get stuck in your pet’s fur and having to get that out without hurting your pet will be impossible).
• Activated Charcoal or Hydrogen Peroxide 3% – ALWAYS contact your vet or poison control center before administering these.
• A digital thermometer – you will need a “fever” thermometer since regular thermometers don’t go high enough to read a dog or cat’s temperature. (normal temperature range for a dog or a cat is 100.5 – 102.5 Fahrenheit (38 – 39.2 Celsius).
• An eye dropper – to help flush out wounds.  Now if you have a bigger wound or a bigger dog, you can always get a turkey baster.  I have both an eye dropper and turkey baster.
• A leash – an extra one just in case you get caught somewhere without a leash, this can help transport your pet if they are able to walk.
• Scissors – to cut up bandages.

Petsmart offers a great first aid kit.  You can always buy theirs and add things to it that are relevant to your area.  They include things in theirs that are not on the list, as well, there are things on the list that are not in their first aid kit.  Better to be safe than sorry, I would purchase the kit and add to it as I see fit.

First aid is just as important for pets as it is for humans.  Don’t get caught without something to take care of every day cuts and scrapes.  Your pets will thank you for thinking of them and taking good care of them!

 

Pets as Presents for Christmas – Just Say No

This is one topic that many people just don’t understand.  Buying or adopting a pet for someone at Christmas does not give that person the choice nor the idea of lifetime commitment that a pet truly is.

A pet is forever.  A pet is not an “until thing”, meaning that you don’t get a pet UNTIL you have a baby and then give it back, or UNTIL you get bored of the pet, or UNTIL you move.  A pet is not something to throw away when you feel like it.  When you give someone a pet as a present, even if they say they can handle it and they were going to buy themselves a pet anyway, it still is not a good idea.  What if that person doesn’t want the pet that you gave them, then the pet gets returned to the shelter, or they try to give it back to a breeder and what if they don’t take it back?  That poor pet is stuck without a home, without a family and without the love and kindness the pet deserves.

Christmas is not the best time of year to introduce a new pet to the house.  Everyone is too busy and the house is usually in chaos.  Animals don’t really enjoy chaos and this can cause them severe stress.  They can end up going missing and then you have two issues on your hands.  A missing pet and an animal that you really didn’t want in the first place.

Another thing to consider: would the pet get along with children in the home?  It is such a personal choice when choosing a pet, it’s better left to the person wanting the pet to begin with.

Christmas and New Year’s are one of the worst times for pets being returned to the shelters they came from. People say they didn’t realize the commitment and that they just don’t have the time for the pet, or that they didn’t get the chance to pick out the pet and bond with them.

Please reconsider giving a pet as a surprise Christmas present.  It’s always best for the whole family to find the pet of their dreams together, the bonding process is the most important aspect of the pet selection process.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season and that you take a look at this article.  Get a pet after the holidays, that’s when all the unwanted pets that were given as Christmas presents are now at the shelters.  You’ll give a very deserving pet a home that otherwise wouldn’t have one.  You can pat yourself on the back for taking in a pet that someone got as a present that they didn’t want.  That’s the greatest feeling of them all – taking in a pet that needs love and attention from people who have thought things through.  Happy Holidays to all.