Care to Your Dog!

Pet insurance is one of those things you can’t buy when you need it. By comparing the various pet health insurance companies and their policies you will quickly discover who offers the most value for your money.

It can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $20,000 for a dog to undergo chemotherapy and surgeries to treat cancer – depending on the size of the dog and the stage of the cancer. A hip replacement for a dog can cost as much as $10,000.

Pet insurance makes treatments for these ailments feasible. Pet insurance is a way to avoid economic euthanasia. Pet insurance is the best way to budget for any unexpected veterinary bills and help to cover day-to-day expenses like vaccinations and office visits as well.

Veterinary medicine continues to advance and so it is increasingly expensive. With the latest developments in veterinarian medicine, new treatments can help cure your pet from diseases that used to result in euthanasia. These treatments can be expensive, but no one wants to deal with the guilt of not being able to afford their pet’s healthcare.

You get pet health insurance to help share the cost of the expensive, unexpected things, not to save money on veterinary bills. But too often pet parents leave it until too late to get pet insurance and then they’re dissatisfied when they find out they cannot insure a sick cat or dog.

If you’re the proud owner of a new puppy, one of the things you can do to ensure your pet is in good health is to purchase dog insurance as soon as possible. There will always be healthcare issues with your new puppy, from annual vaccinations to spaying, neutering or unexpected illnesses. Dog insurance helps defray most of these costs, ensuring you can always afford to take your dog to the vet when he needs care.

Study after study has proven that regular medical care is a prime factor in giving humans longer healthier lives – and the same is true of your dogs and cats. If they are given access to regular medical care they will not only live longer but also maintain a higher degree of energy and mobility into later life.

When you are thinking of getting a new “Rover” or “Fluffy” you think of all of the positive things about having a pet: the company, the fun, the naughtiness – not the financial responsibility, which obviously hits home when something expensive happens.

As a pet owner, you are no doubt concerned with the health and well being of your pet. Sometimes our pets have health issues that we do not have the answers for, and do not always know where to turn to find advice and answers on these pet health questions.

If you are concerned about your pet’s health and are not sure if it is something that should require a trip to the vet or medical attention, you are not alone. Many pet owners have questions on the health of their pets and it is hard to tell when your pet really does need medical attention. Pets have a way of hiding their symptoms and illnesses from us because they do not want to seem weak or hurt. Because of this, we as pet owners need to be responsible for getting them the care that they need when they need it.

Although you may not always be able to tell when your pet is hurting or not feeling well, there are some indicators that he or she may be sick. If your pet is exhibiting changes in the way they act and the amount of attention that they want from you, it could indicate there is trouble. Pets who are normally very affectionate and suddenly seem to be shying away from you, could be hiding the fact that they do not feel good. Pets who are normally very independent and who suddenly want to be around you more and need more attention could also be showing signs that something may not be right.

Other pet health questions owners typically have are in the eating habits of their pets. While it is common from time to time for pets to have different eating habits and some changes are normal, if your pet is showing extreme changes such as not eating hardly at all, or eating all of the time, this could be cause for alarm. If your pet is eating a lot more than normal but not gaining any weight, it could be a sign of worms or other digestive issue that they are experiencing.

Changes in the elimination habits of your pets can also be indicators that a sickness or problem is present. It is important to always keep an eye on the elimination habits of your pet so that you will be able to tell the difference between normal and when something may be wrong.

Changes in the appearance of your pet such as changes in the luster of the fur, texture of the fur and sudden bald spots could indicate ticks, rashes or other skin lesions that may not be visible to the naked eye. Cats who overly groom a particular area and create a bald spot could be exhibiting signs of sickness or even stress. If you notice any behaviors like that in your pet, you should talk to a vet to find out what could be causing it.

Pet health questions can be confusing, and you may not always know where to turn for accurate and helpful answers. There are many pet sources on the Internet that offer advice and information on anything from pet health to pet behavior. There are also sites that offer answers to any questions that you may have that you can ask a professional vet for a small fee and also catalogue previous questions and answers from pet owners that are relevant to your concerns for your pet. You can also check with your local vet to help answer any questions as well.

Every year 1 in 3 pets become ill or injured. Given that a trip to the vet can cost you hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars, it is not surprising that tens of thousands of cats and dogs in this country alone must be put down because owners cannot afford the cost of treatment. Further still, many of these vet visits are unexpected and hard to plan for presenting a unpleasant surprise for the effected pet owners.

In 2007, the top five reasons for an unexpected visit to the vet were:

1) Cuts or lacerations

2) Lameness

3) Road traffic accident

4) Tumor or growth

5) Abscess

The medical technology available to treat injured or ill pets have increased dramatically in reasons years, in many cases being just as good as what is available for humans. While this is great news, it has also meant to that vet fees and costs have steadily increased.

Pet health insurance can protect you from these high and unexpected vet costs, and ensure that you can afford your cat or dogs treatment in its time of need. Not only that, it doesn’t have to be expensive to take out pet health insurance for your cat or dog.

Affordable

Pet health insurance was once considered a luxury reserved for expensive pedigreed or show animals. Nowadays, this is no longer the case. The pet health insurance industry is growing, expecting to double by 2012. This means that there are more and more companies beginning to offer pet health insurance, and therefore policies have become very affordable. From just a few dollars per month, you can help minimize expensive vet bills.

Instant Protection

Typically, the coverage for accidents is immediate under most pet health insurance policies. This ensures that you are instantly protected from unexpected events. You should however, check your policy’s details to see what the waiting period is to have protection from illnesses and if pre-existing conditions are covered.

Peace Of Mind

With pet health insurance for your cat or dog, you will have the peace of mind knowing that you can afford the treatment that will possibly save your furry friend’s life. Furthermore, if your pet develops a long term, chronic illness such as diabetes or arthritis your pet health insurance company will assist you with the ongoing and expensive costs.

Even More Protection – the Added Bells and Whistles

Not only does pet health insurance covers vet bills, many companies offer other benefits too. Your policy may cover the unfortunate situation of your pet being lost or stolen, and may even pay for a reward and advertising for your pet’s return. Furthermore, just like health insurance humans, you can purchase pet health insurance that will cover your pet for any injuries sustained while on vacation overseas.

As you can see, there are having many benefits to having pet health insurance. One word of caution however, you should research any policy you are wanting to buy to ensure that you know what you are getting for your dollar. There are websites available to assist you in this.

Brief meetings with your Veterinarian for checkups or vaccines, etc. normally do not provide enough time for you to learn everything required for your pet to maintain optimal health – namely with regards to pet diet. At all ages and stages, cats and dogs have specific dietary needs. Unfortunately ‘regular’ pet diets, with day-in-and-day-out the same exact food being provided, lack all nutrition required by your cat or dog. Supplements are popular to customize and personalize your pet’s diet by rounding out the nutrients needed for pets of all ages and health conditions.

For instance, a kitten requires colostrum in their diet for the first few days of their life to ensure proper immune and growth health and nursing for eleven weeks from birth is better for their long-term health than sustaining them purely on milk supplements. Another important health tidbit is that if your pet is experiencing pain when walking as related to joint health, glucosamine is a pet supplement that you want to consider discussing with your veterinarian. Supplements are also given as a preventative measure, to stave off pet health issues linked to nutrients often lacking from the ‘regular’, day-to-day pet food diet. With regular, daily pet diets often times the nutrients necessary to maintain pet vitality are absent. Even providing the highest-quality pet food however still may not provide a nutrient density required by your specific pet’s situation. There is a lot to learn when rearing puppies, kittens or caring for these furry friends into old age. Preventative pet care knowledge can save the pet owner from future financial and emotional strain.

Why Pet Supplements? (www.whypetsupplements.com) is a site that we’ve just launched as a starting point for pet owners seeking to learn more about what to look for in their pet’s diet to provide the most rounded nutrition needed for optimal pet health. We invite you to come an explore our articles.