Is Pet Insurance Right For Me?

The Importance of Pet Insurance may be right for you, but how do you know? Should I get it or would it be a waste?
You may be asking these very questions. First, what is it and how does it work?
Near-term costs. Long-term savings. That’s exactly what pet insurance, just like your health insurance (if you’re fortunate enough to be covered), offers pet parents. And in difficult economic times, pet insurance may be the answer to escalating vet bills.
Veterinary charges continue to rise, largely due to the fact that procedures once used exclusively for human diagnoses (like CAT-scans and MRI’s) are much more commonly used for diagnosing companion animals.
Presently, only 3% of companion animals are insured in America. And yet, that’s still a 50% increase in only one year.
Pet insurance remains a relatively inexpensive way to help families deal with the high costs of the best possible veterinary care. Policies are available through companies like Veterinary Pet Insurance, Pet Health, Inc., ShelterCare and others, both for cats and for dogs, and cover everything from annual exams to specialized treatments.
Before you buy a pet insurance policy, call your veterinarian office to find out what policies will cover costs there. After all, there’s no point getting a policy if your veterinarian doesn’t accept it. Additionally, you might want to discuss which policy will best suit your companion animal’s needs with your vet.

NUTRO recalls dry cat foods - May 21, 2009

FRANKLIN, Tenn., May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Nutro Products announced a voluntary recall of select varieties of NUTRO(R) NATURAL CHOICE(R) COMPLETE CARE(R) Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO(R) MAX(R) Cat Dry Foods with "Best If Used By Dates" between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010. The cat food is being voluntarily recalled in the United States and ten additional countries. This recall is due to incorrect levels of zinc and potassium in our finished product resulting from a production error by a US-based premix supplier.Two mineral premixes were affected. One premix contained excessive levels of zinc and under-supplemented potassium. The second premix under-supplemented potassium. Both zinc and potassium are essential nutrients for cats and are added as nutritional supplements to NUTRO(R) dry cat food.This issue was identified during an audit of our documentation from the supplier. An extensive review confirmed that only these two premixes were affected. This recall does not affect any NUTRO(R) dog food products, wet dog or cat food, or dog and cat treats.Affected product was distributed to retail customers in all 50 states, as well as to customers in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Israel. We are working with all of our distributors and retail customers, in both the US and internationally, to ensure that the recalled products are not on store shelves. These products should not be sold or distributed further. Consumers who have purchased affected product should immediately discontinue feeding the product to their cats, and switch to another product with a balanced nutritional profile. While we have received no consumer complaints related to this issue, cat owners should monitor their cat for symptoms, including a reduction in appetite or refusal of food, weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea. If your cat is experiencing health issues or is pregnant, please contact your veterinarian. Consumers who have purchased product affected by this voluntary recall should return it to their retailer for a full refund or exchange for another NUTRO(R) dry cat food product. Cat owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-800-833-5330 between the hours 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM CST, or visit http://www.nutroproducts.com/.
Recalled Pet Food
The varieties of NUTRO(R) NATURAL CHOICE(R) COMPLETE CARE(R) Dry Cat Foods and NUTRO(R) MAX(R) Cat Dry Foods listed at the website with "Best If Used By Dates" between May 12, 2010 and August 22, 2010 are affected by this voluntary recall.
Source: PRNewswire
You'll also find information on the NUTRO website

Dogs and Drinking Water

Today I was reminded just how important is it to make sure your pets are getting enough water. Today here in the Northeast, it was sunny and around 84 degrees. My dogs and I were out enjoying this very warm spring day, they, with their toys and me with my rake. The sun was beating down on all of us. I stopped several times just to get out of the sun and get a drink. The dogs did the same thing. As I walked back to the house I would say to them "let's go get a drink" and they would come running tongues wagging out the side of their mouths.
It is so very important to supple plenty of fresh drinking water for your pet's. Some dogs are left outside and they don't have the luxury of their mom parent to offer water to them, but please make certain that you check outside animal water containers and keep them full.

Fun with Color - Doggy Style

Here is a handsome pup that enjoys being the center of attention. And what better way than to have a bold new look. With a little color of Sky Baby Blue, Willy is looking fine.

Air travel & Pets

As I sat on a 737 heading for Florida, I thought about the time my little boy Pippin came to live with me. He was a 7 1/2 week old Standard Poodle puppy venturing out on his own with only the small carrier he was in, a toy, towel and his travel information taped to the top of his crate. He needed to travel from a small airport, switch planes and head to Cleveland Hopkins to meet his new mom. That day of excitement and anticipation turned out to be one of the longest and most nail biting experiences I have ever had. You don't ever want to hear the words "We lost your puppy". Read the full story Here

I want to share some tips that I read about on air travel and pets.

Boarding Pass (in the cabin or in the cargo)
If your pet is a small dog or a cat, most airlines will allow you to take the animal on board for an additional fee. Call your airline to check with their specifics for pet travel. When you contact the airline, ask these important questions.
Does the airline allow you to take your cat or small dog on board with you? This is the best option. Pippin was placed in the cabin of one plane but the captain didn't think it would be safe enough, so he had to wait for another plane.
If that option isn't available to you, does the airline have any restrictions on transporting your pet as cargo? some aircraft's are not heated in cargo so animals are not permitted.
Does the airline have any special pet health and immunization requirements? Most do and a health certificate is needed from your veterinarian.
Does the airline require a specific type of carrier? Most airlines will accept either hard-sided carriers (SkyKennel)or soft-sided carriers, which may be more comfortable for your pet, but only certain brands of soft-sided carriers are acceptable to certain airlines. Check the airline for types.
Use direct flights. You can be spared the pain of lost pets and avoid the mistakes that occur during airline transfers and possible delays in getting your pet off the plane.
If traveling with your pet, ask the airline if you can watch your pet being loaded and unloaded into the cargo hold. Try not to cry.
Don't ever ship pug-nosed animals such as Pekingese, Bulldogs, or Persians in the cargo holds. These breeds have short nasal passages that leave them especially vulnerable to oxygen deprivation and heat stroke.
If traveling during the summer or winter months, choose flights that will accommodate the temperature extremes. Early morning or late evening flights are better in the summer; afternoon flights are better in the winter. The outside temperatures play a big part in cabin and cargo compartments.
Just like your suitcases and trunks, attach a travel label to the carrier with your name, address and telephone number, final destination, and where you or a contact person can be reached as soon as the flight arrives.
Do not feed your pet for five to six hours prior to air travel. A small amount of water can be given before the trip. If possible, put ice cubes in a water tray attached to the inside of your pet's kennel. Pippin had a small block or cube in a dish that was attached to his crate. He was such a good little boy, he didn't even mess in his crate.
If you are not with your pet in time of traveling and something does go wrong, you may be entitled to full refund of your ticket price. I was refunded back $175.00 because of the mistakes that were made by the airline. File a complaint if you witness the mishandling of an animal at any airport.
Lastly, arrive at the airport early, exercise your pet, personally place it in its crate, and pick up the animal promptly upon arrival.

Getting Back on Track

Hello everyone. I have been in Florida's Disney World for the past week. Vacation was much needed and even though I was on the go from morning till night, I am ready to resume my posts on The Healthy Dog.
I read some every interesting articles on the plane ride, so I will be telling you some important information about keeping your pet's safe while traveling this summer. Stay tuned.

Dog Arthritis and How you can Help

As dogs age they can develop arthritis. So what can be done to treat arthritis in dogs without the pain medication you get from the vet's that can contain harmful steroid?It is very common for large dogs to develop arthritis, but even small dogs can also develop arthritis in their bones and joints. There is no instant cure for arthritis, but there is a supplement available! It's called NuJoint Plus.

I give them to my own dogs and recommend them to all my customers. Given daily will strengthen bones and joints which makes them more comfortable and improve their lives.Dogs can suffer from many different types of arthritis and finding out exactly which type your dog has can be very time consuming, not to mention Expensive.
There is a list of some the different types of arthritis that can be helped with NuJoint Plus
Degenerative Joint Disease or Osteoarthritis is a chronic, slowly progressing condition that is caused by the breakdown and destruction of your pet's cartilage. The bony structures begin to rub against one another causing pain and discomfort, just like in people.
Hip Dysplasia is characterized by a malformed "ball and joint" socket in your pet. Chronic inflammation occurs; calcium deposits build-up; the muscles become painful; and tissue surrounding the area begin to break down.
Kneecap (dislocation) is usually caused by poorly formed leg bones that allows the kneecap to move or "pop" out of its normal position. This is sometimes an inherited condition or results from poor breeding.
Degenerative Joint Disease involves some kind of a breakdown or destruction in portions of the joint, usually cartilage.
Hypertrophic arthritis is excessive bone growth with or without "spurs" on the joints. If this condition is present, the pet is typically experiencing a tremendous amount of pain.
Knee (stifle) arthritis involves torn ligaments which cause instability in the joint. Dislocation of the knee joint leads to inflammation is common problem from stress and strain.
Rheumatoid Arthritis in pets is similar to rheumatoid arthritis in humans. This type of arthritis results when the body attacks itself or an infectious agent and becomes confused and attacks one or more joints in your pet's body. The cause of this type of arthritis is generally unknown.
Shoulder Degeneration in dogs is a disease that has many causes. Infection or injury to this joint can be contributing factors for the wearing down of the shoulder. This type of arthritis will most often affect the gait of the animal resulting in slow movement.

If you have a dog that is struggling its mobility or a dog that if suffering from joint pain, try NuJoint supplements, these can be a great benefit to your pet.No matter what type of arthritis your dog may be suffering from NuJoint Plus can help.
So what exactly is NuJoint Plus?
NuJoint Plus™ is a natural anti-inflammatory hip and joint therapy, formulated with the finest pharmaceutical, human grade ingredients.Major considerations in formulating NuJoint Plus™ were the pharmaceutical grade quality of ingredients and their healing values, as well as the bio digestibility and utilization into the cellular framework. NuJoint Plus™ has been formulated by leading Veterinarians and Scientist to contain precise percentages of Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and Vitamin C which will help to quickly and effectively reverse and heal the devastating effects of osteoarthritis.NuVet Labs™ has designed a cutting edge formula that we believe will help increase your pets longevity and quality of life. Our scientists performed extensive research and experiments with the ingredients in NuJoint Plus™, finding the most powerful synergistic defense against the harm caused by osteoarthritis.How can you buy NuJoint Plus? Only through pet professionals like me. You need an order code in order to buy NuVet Plus and NuJoint Plus. My order code is 42299 and by using this you can get NuVet Products at pet professionals pricing. So be my quest.

Click on the NuVet Labs logo to go right to their website.
If you call remember to use 42299 to get Breeders/Groomers special pricing. Not Sold In Store