Posts Tagged ‘Vet’

How do you get a kitten to use a litter box?

Friday, April 9th, 2010
Kristen asked:


I recently took in a 5-week-old kitten I found on the side of the road. I took her to the vet and was told she had a severe ear infection, but other than that she appeared okay. She’s been receiving her antibiotics and is now running, jumping, eating solid food, drinking water, and maintaining a normal life like any kitten would. The only problem is that the kitten has not gone to the bathroom in over 48 hours. What can I do to help with this problem? I’ve heard of rubbing a warm towel on her rear until she goes to the bathroom, but will this work for a kitten of this age? Will she do it on her own if I get her introduced to the litter box? I’m worried that something may be wrong if she hasn’t gone to the bathroom in so long, but she seems fine. Any advice?

Do You Know Which Pet Insurance You Should Get?

Monday, November 16th, 2009
Cindy Heller asked:


If you have just got a pet, you most likely will not know that there are a variety of ways in which you can protect your pet. As your pet grows on you, so will its age and no time is sooner than now to get it a pet insurance.

To get started, let’s get you familiarized with three types of pet insurance:

1) Pet Life Insurance

As veterinary care becomes more and more expensive, it only makes sense that you should get a pet life insurance. Not only will it help you in taking care of hefty medical bills but your pet should be able to live a healthy life because you are able to take it to see the vet for its routine check ups or shots.

In most cases, pet life insurance would also protect your pet from injuries that may affect them and get preventive care under the plan. Some pet life insurance plans will also provide your pet coverage for illnesses after thirty days of taking the plan.

This is how a pet life insurance will work for you. If the pet becomes injured or has fallen sick, all you have to do is to take it to a licensed veterinarian and pay them for their services after which you can submit a claim along with relevant receipts.

However before taking out a pet life insurance policy, you may need to consider a few necessary issues such as:

i) What should be covered by the insurance policy

ii) Different levels of pet insurance

iii) Limits of pet insurance

iv) Whether the plan will cover hereditary condition

v) You should consider the means to pay the premium

vi) You should know if the policy provides third party liability or not

vii) Whether there will be any payment when the pet dies.

You should also get a pet life insurance in the event your pet deliberately injures another pet or a person in which you may have to pay a sum of money for compensation.

There are different types of pet life insurances in which you have to compare prices, consider policy excess, get lifelong cover, and consider all benefits available. You also have to understand the small print to be well informed.

2) Travel Pet Insurance

Travel pet insurance basically put, is going to help you take care of your pet by the same way as a regular insurance, but when you travel. This means that if your pet gets sick or hurt, you will not be able to use your regular pet insurance to take care of your pet but you can use your travel pet insurance.

You can purchase a temporary policy that will give you travel pet insurance. This policy will generally last a number of days or even weeks. During this period of time if your pet gets sick or injured, you are going to be able to take advantage of the policy to pay for your pet’s recovery.

Another type of travel pet insurance provides your pet protection in case you have to ship it some place. This type of travel insurance covers these costs and anything that might go wrong when you have arrived to your destination.

3) Embrace Pet Insurance

Embrace pet insurance allows you to customize your pet insurance policy. This means that you can decide on what you want to include or not include in your embrace pet insurance policy.

All of embrace pet insurance policies comes with the basic built-in coverage such as: accidents and illness, genetic conditions, cancer, alternative and complementary therapies, hospitalization, surgery, laboratory and diagnostic testing and drugs administered by your vet.

The basic coverage of the embrace pet insurance policy is quite complete already that even if you do not add in for more services, your pet is being protected enough.

When customizing your embrace pet insurance, you can make it suit your budget and the needs of your pet. You can opt for your policy maximum, the deductible, co-pay and other options that can help you make your policy more suitable for you and your pet.

However it takes the age, health and status of your pet that will determine the parameters on how you can customize your embrace pet insurance policy. For example, if you have a cat and it is relatively young, healthy and stays indoors most of the time, you may be able to take up a policy that will cost you less. You have to evaluate the policy closely and find out where you can save some money.



Save Money On Pet Meds With These Tips

Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Josh Webber asked:


Pets are valued members of many families across the globe. When a pet is part of your household, they seem to complete your home and your family. Most people who have pets couldn’t imagine their lives without them.

Taking your pets to the vet on a regular basis and making sure that they are healthy is of course very important. Regular trips to the vet will help ensure that your pet is in the best possible condition health-wise. This habit of keeping a close eye on your pet’s behavior is a great way to take the best care possible of your furry friend. Therefore, your pet’s medication is also important.

There are many different types of pet medication that might be appropriate for your pet. Some of the pet meds are medicines that animals need for a specific reason, such as pain or a medical condition. There are medicines to deal with injury pain, to deal with the pain of conditions like hip dysplasia, and to deal with just about any type of pain that there might be. There are also pet medications like medications for heart worm, or for illnesses that come up, or for conditions like urinary tract infections. No matter what might be wrong with your pet, or what condition they might suffer from next, there are going to be medications that you can give them to make them feel better.

There are also pet medications that you use to prevent certain conditions. Heart worm pills are given to dogs and cats so that they don’t get a horrible condition. Flea and tick medication is given to pets to keep the fleas and ticks off of them, so that they can stay healthy and have less risk of disease. Therefore, some of the medication that you might give your pet is preventative. It exists to help you keep your pet healthy in the short term as well as in the long term.

Of course, medicine is good for your pets, assuming they are prescribed by a qualified and trustworthy vet. Which means, when your pet has a condition, or when you need to have medications for your pet for whatever reason, you are going to have to get the money together and pay for the medicine, even if it is expensive. Many people do this each and every day, because they want to be sure that their friendly pets stay healthy and can live long and wonderful lives. However, these pet medications can be expensive, especially if you order them from the vet. You might spend more on medication than you ever thought possible, so it is important to discover some ways that you can save money on pet medication. Saving money is very important today and everyday, and there are a few things that you can do when it comes to your pet’s medication to make sure that you are able to save money as well as possible.

You might want to consider being able to ask your vet about products that are not name brand. There are generic forms of the medication that you give your pet, and often the generic brands are exactly the same, except for the fact that they do not have the name brand. Your vet might be able to give you those generic medications and you will pay less. However, you will still be paying quite a bit.

Another way to save money on pet medication is to buy it in bulk. If you have lots of animals, or you know that you are going to have animals for a long time, it might work to buy the medication in bulk. There are some medications that will keep for a long time, and if you buy it all at once and then give it to your pet, you will probably end up saving money in the long run with it. Perhaps you have friends or family members that you could go in together with to buy the medication.

Although these are ways of getting medication at a less expensive price, the best way to get the proper medication for your pet is to order the medication online. Ordering pet meds online is something that many people do because it is a convenient way to get great deals on the medications that you would be buying for your pet anyway. If you are able to order your pet meds online, you can get them delivered directly to your door, and this will save you both time and money. With the right pet meds, you can afford to allow your pet to live a long and happy life with you!



Is my veterinarian legally obligated to give me my pets records on request?

Friday, October 23rd, 2009
KCL asked:


I know they will send them to another vet, but if i walk in there and ask for a copy of my pets record, do they have to give them to me or can they rightfully refuse?

Boarding Your Pet

Saturday, July 4th, 2009
Help Your Pets asked:


Vacations are extremely difficult for those who have pets. –We are always trying to figure out where we can leave them in safe, capable hands. For those who have friends they can trust, they often leave the pet at home or with their friend. If you don’t have someone the dog or cat knows to take care of them, you may want to look into boarding your pet.

Boarding your pet can be a difficult decision because choosing the wrong place will allow for bad behavior or neuroses to develop. What to look for when you are boarding your pet is rather simple, if you read these below tips:

• Check more than one boarding house.

• Compare the cost of the boarding houses you have looked into. You are looking for a moderately priced boarding house for your pet. If the price seems outrageously cheap, there could be a chance that the proper equipment and care are lacking. Boarding houses on the more expensive end might offer extra luxuries, however it’s up to you to decide if those luxuries are within your affordability. Before deciding, you should compare the offers of each boarding house to make sure you are not overpaying for the same services you could find at a less costly boarding house.

• Get a bit of background information about the staff that will be handling your pet. Are they loving pet owners? Is this just another summer job for an inexperienced individual? Do they want to be a vet? There are all types of questions to ask regarding their personal tastes. Someone who isn’t into pets, but has the job because that was all that was available is probably not going to be the best handler. On the other hand, someone who wants the knowledge for further education may be the best person you ever find.

• When choosing to board your pet you should choose a facility that has no more than ten pets at a time. The facility should also be able to comfortably house those ten pets. This type of place offers a better likelihood of giving your pet individual attention and care, as opposed to an over-crowded and under-staffed place.

• You also have the option of boarding your pet with a private person. A private pet sitter usually allows the pet to stay in their home, and they treat the pet as if it was theirs while you are gone. It is a more intimate surrounding and can help the pet feel less anxious in your absence.

• No matter where you choose to board your pet you should always personally check out the facility beforehand. Make sure the cages are spotless, that there is no overwhelming pet odor, and see the activities they offer for the pets—sit in on a few if they allow it. In fact, a surprise inspection never hurts. You can find out a lot by showing up and asking to see the facilities without calling ahead.

Once you have found the place to board your pet, you will need to introduce your pet to the staff, as well as the other “tenants”. This can be done with a couple of visits a week before you are actually going to leave. Pets can become very stressed in surroundings and situations they are unaccustomed to, therefore the more you familiarize your pet with the boarding kennel, the less likely they are to feel anxiety when you leave.