Care to Your Dog!

Have you ever tried to give your pet a pill?

Sure can be tricky…and scary too!

But when your pet is sick, it often has to be done.  That’s all part of pet heath care.

Next time you have to give your pet a pill, here are the 3 best, proven methods and some tips and tricks for each to make the job easier – for both you and your pet!

Method 1.  Encapsulate the pill in food.  If the medication can be taken with food, this is generally your best bet.  The best foods for dogs are butter, cheese, cream cheese, peanut butter, lunchmeat, liverwurst, bread, and bacon.  For cats, butter, tuna, cream cheese, baby food, and canned cat food work well.  Liverwurst works for cats too.

Experiment with different foods until you find something your pet likes and always praise them when you give it to them.  With the right combination, your pet may actually look forward to pill time.

Use a small bite-size amount of food.  Don’t bury the pill in your pet’s full meal portion because if he doesn’t finish it, he may not get the medication.

It’s often a good idea to occasionally give your pet the food without the pill, so he gets used to eating it quickly.  What you want is for your pet to gulp it down without a second thought.

Method 2.  Grind up the pill and blend it into some moist food.  Again, ensure that the medication can be taken with food.  Also, check with your vet to make sure crushing is OK.  The crushed pill will dissolve much faster in your pet’s stomach and some medications are intended to be digested slowly.

The best foods are those that are a little sticky and have a strong flavor of their own.  These include cream cheese, butter, peanut butter, liverwurst, and honey.  Again, use only a small portion size.

You can have your pet lick the food containing the ground medication off of your finger, or you can put it in their food dish, or spread it on a treat you already know they like.

Again, experiment until you find something your pet really likes and occasionally give them some of the food between pills.  Praise them lavishly whenever you give them the food, making it seem like they are getting a special treat.

Method 3.  Feed the pill to your pet directly.  Use this approach if the pill must be given on an empty stomach or if the pet won’t accept the pill hidden in their food.  Be careful though, as some pets can react badly to having the pill force-fed to them.  With cats, it is generally a good idea to wrap them in a towel to protect against getting scratched.

First, tilt your pet’s head back slightly, then carefully open their mouth and place the pill in the back part of their mouth.  Gently hold their mouth closed and slowly stroke them on their throat or blow on their nose until they swallow the pill.  With cats, it is a good idea to follow the pill with a small amount of water given from an eyedropper or syringe (no needle please).  This helps them to swallow the pill and protects against the pill abrading their esophagus.  Always be calm and gentle.  This will help your pet remain calm.

Whatever method you use to administer the pill, always check to make sure your pet has swallowed it.  Pets can be pretty clever in disposing of the pill when you aren’t looking, so never just assume it went down.

Important:  Learning how to administer pills is an important part of pet health care.  Find a method that works for your pet and always make sure your pet gets his or her meds on time every time.  As a pet owner, that is your responsibility.

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.

Taking care of a pet is quite easy as well as should be well taken care. Pet care is in fact a simple job, and includes the very important functions of grooming and striving to maintain good pet health care. General pet supplies could be considered a definition of useful tools for grooming and keeping your pet in good health.

Let us consider some useful terms which should be taken care for the well being of your pet:

Choosing A Pet:

The process of choosing a pet is very important. Choosing a pet depends on one’s preferences, but there are still some important things that should be kept in mind. One should always choose an animal of good breed. Secondly, the pet should be healthy especially if it is still in the initial stage of its life. A healthy young pet shows good fast growth.

Pet Supplies:

You should make a complete list of pet supplies and include the following: pet food and food bowls, pet id tags and collar, pet medications, supplements and tonics, etc. Some other items to consider are animal carriers, pet houses and furniture, pet beds, clothes, and pet jewelry.

Online Pet Supplies:

Online pet supplies are supplies that can be purchased from pet stores over the Internet. There are numerous pet grooming product manufacturers and pet-grooming stores selling their products online through their individual official websites.

Pet Grooming Supplies:

Pet grooming supplies include items such as grooming clippers, pet hair care products, soaps, shampoo and perfumes.

Pet Health:

Pet health is a very important responsibility of pet ownership. For puppies and kittens, or any other four-legged pets, important treatments would include giving a hygiene bath, cleaning, combing, brushing, checking ears, paws, teeth and underside of the tongue, nail trimming, removing fleas and insects, and fixing regular meetings with a professional veterinary. A good pet owner should follow a regular schedule of grooming sessions.

Pet Care:

Pet care can require a lot of patience. Like children, pets often require special attention. A puppy, kitten or any other pet in its infancy needs to be handled with extreme care. In particular they must be groomed properly, fed carefully, and bedded properly.

Pet Insurance :

When you are treating your pet as your family member why not covering your pet with an insurance policy. Yes! That’s absolutely possible and you will find many insurance companies providing policies for your beloved pet. Pet insurance is now a days very common and used largely by many pet lovers. Though how much you take care of you pet but you never know when an emergency situation arrives.

There is a very famous saying from George Eliot “Pets are such agreeable friends, they ask no questions and they pass no criticisms” about pet animals. Pets have always been friendly to humans and often show their love and affection by licking, hickeys, even love-bites.