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Category: Pet Resources

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Animal Health Pet Resources

Should I Seek Veterinary Care?

veterinarian care

Have you ever woken up one day and started your normal routine only to greet your animal and realize they weren’t themselves? Just like with our children and others we are around often, we can typically tell when something is “off”. Since we can’t talk directly to our pets and have them literally speak back to tell us what’s wrong, we have to start to gather information from the past and present to determine if a trip to the vet is needed. The question of seeking veterinarian care for your pet can be a complex one. There are so many factors that play a part in this decision.

Typically, Yes, You Should Seek Veterinary Care

My quick and basic answer to this question is “Yes”. When a client contacts me and asks if they should call their vet about their pet’s symptoms, my first answer is always “Yes, if you have a concern about symptoms displayed by your pet, you should always seek proper veterinary care appropriate to the condition.”

When making this decision for my own pets, I ask myself, “What is my level of concern?” and “what are the symptoms I am witnessing?” Asking myself these questions first helps me to prioritize my next steps.

For instance, if my cat is experiencing some unusual itching and otherwise seems perfectly normal, my concern level would be low and I would take a common sense, wait-and-watch attitude. If the itching continues after bathing and grooming and then progresses to open sores, I elevate my concern and contact my vet.

However, when my horse suddenly begins exhibiting signs of colic my level of concern is immediately high. I collect the data about vital signs that my vet will need and call them right away.

Let Your Experience Level Inform Your Decision for Veterinary Care

Each individual pet owner must take their own personal experience into consideration when dealing with the health of their pet. New pet owners should rely on their vet to educate and guide them through this learning process. 

I personally have years of experience dealing with all types of health conditions in dogs, cats, and horses. I have collected quite a bank of knowledge and experience in assessing symptoms and prioritizing my level of concern. If my dog breaks a toenail, I feel perfectly confident to treat that bleeding at home. That feels well within my skill and experience.  If my new Guinea Pig looks “a bit off” I have no skills or experience to guide me, so I call my vet immediately.

My personal motto is, “if in doubt, call the vet”.

Finances Always Play A Part In Seeking Veterinary Care

One of the most difficult parts of this decision is the financial consideration related to veterinary treatment.  In this day and age veterinary care has become very expensive. There is no getting around that fact. All too often my clients find themselves having to choose between paying the mortgage and getting the veterinary care that their pet requires. They may have to delay a vet appointment due to a lack of funds for payment. This is not an ideal situation for any pet owner.  

I encourage pet owners to purchase pet insurance coverage in order to reduce the stress of this aspect of the decision-making process. I find that pet owners will seek veterinary care more readily if they know that their insurance plan will cover at least part of the cost of treatment. For more information on navigating pet insurance, please visit my recent blog.

Practice Prevention to Reduce Your Need for  Veterinary Care

One of the very best ways that a pet owner can avoid the tough question, “do I call the vet”, is to prepare ahead and reduce the chance of the health condition before it becomes a problem.  Preventive healthcare maintenance is worth every penny you spend. Your vet can help you determine what your pet needs to stay healthy at any life stage. Some of the key parts of wellness are:

  • Annual exams by your veterinarian
  • A healthy diet and regular exercise
  • Regular grooming
  • Immunizations and parasite control
  • Providing a safe environment free of hazards
  • Careful observation of symptoms of a problem

We all wish for healthy and happy pets. Do your best to support wellness through regular healthcare maintenance and don’t be afraid to rely on your vet to guide you through the inevitable injuries and illnesses that are a part of all pet lovers’ lives.

You can also consider using an animal communicator to help you communicate with your animal about its discomfort and behaviors. Animal communicators can also assist your vet in many ways.

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Pet Insurance Pet Resources

Navigating The Mysteries Of Pet Insurance

pet insurance for the vet
Veterinary clinic. Female doctor portrait at the animal hospital holding cute sick cat ready for veterinary examination and treatment

The decision to include pet insurance coverage in your monthly budget can be a tough one to make in this time of economic uncertainty. Yet, having pet insurance coverage can give you peace of mind and save you thousands of dollars if your family pet were to become sick or injured. Sadly, many pet owners are forced to make heartbreaking decisions each day when faced with an unexpected emergency vet visit for which they cannot pay. In fact, 31% of dog owners say they can’t afford up to $2,000 in vet bills, even if the treatment could extend or potentially save the dog’s life. How would you handle a large veterinary bill if something happened to your pet? 

Pet Insurance Can Save You Money

With the continually rising cost of care, it is worth considering a pet insurance policy. Even if you believe you have enough money to cover veterinary costs, pet insurance could still save you thousands of dollars if your pet gets sick or injured. Especially if you have multiple family pets, your out-of-pocket costs could add up considerably without insurance.

How Does Pet Insurance Work?

Like other types of health insurance, pet insurance can be purchased to transfer the risk of unexpected and unanticipated medical expenses that could be very expensive for the certainty of a fixed monthly premium.  

The monthly cost of pet insurance could be around $45 for your dog and $25 for your cats but these rates vary depending on:

  • The age and breed of your pet
  • The state in which you live (some companies may not cover your state)
  • The deductible you choose
  • The percent of reimbursement offered
  • The custom add-on coverages you select

How Do You Choose?

I decided to consider a pet insurance policy for my new cat after the extended and expensive illnesses of my two other aged cats. I thought choosing a policy would be relatively simple but I was wrong. It seemed that each provider offered different basic and add-on coverages with widely varying rates and I found it difficult to compare one company to the next.

When searching online I found more than a dozen companies to consider. Each company advertises its policy as “the best” but upon reading the fine print I found many hidden pitfalls. I discovered “comparison” sites that offered quick and easy quotes from many companies at once. These comparisons did prove to be helpful but were quite vague about actual coverage. I discovered that many were actually sponsored sites that didn’t honestly select the best choice for my pet but directed me to their sponsoring company. I found it frustrating that no two comparison tools selected the same company for me. Every resource I consulted directed me to a different “best option”.

My head was spinning after hours of research and comparison. I eventually settled on a middle-of-the-road type policy that had good basic coverage for a fair premium. The monthly expense won’t break the bank and I will still have to budget for my basic wellness services and my deductible but I’ll have the $10,000 in coverage in case of an accident or unexpected illness.

I have created a comparison chart containing the information that I was able to collect online from the ten companies that seemed most popular. This was the basic information available at the time I was shopping so I can’t vouch for the current accuracy. This chart is for educational purposes only. Ask Your Animals is not offering insurance advice and is not an insurance expert. Each person utilizing this information is responsible for their insurance choices and due diligence.

Please provide your information below to get the comparison emailed to you.

What Should You Look For When Choosing A Pet Insurance Company?

Although no two companies offer exactly the same coverage, this is a summary of what to expect.

  1. All plans have a deductible. You can select a level ranging from $250 to $750 annually. The higher the deductible, the lower your premium. Read the fine print to see if they are offering an annual deductible or a “per incident” deductible.
  2. Reimbursement for covered expenses ranges from 70% to 100%. The higher reimbursement rates will also increase your premium. 
  3. Some companies offer a discount or bonus for your initial sign-up.
  4. Look carefully for enrollment fees. These can be up to $35 for your first month.
  5. Most plans have a waiting period before coverage begins. The average was around 14 days. Dog owners beware, there could be up to 12 months wait period for coverage of ACL repair.
  6. Plans usually carry an annual limit on coverage. This can be a deal breaker. Don’t pay a $20 premium for a policy that will max out at $5,000 when you can get $10,000 coverage for the same price. One visit to the emergency vet clinic can easily exceed $5,000. Some policies offer unlimited annual limits so check the fine print.
  7. Find out if you are required to take your pet for an annual vet exam in order to keep your policy in force.
  8. Keep your eyes open for upper age limits on coverage and lifetime maximum limits. Read carefully for the limits such as “annual limit”, “per-incident”, and “lifetime maximum”
  9. Find out if the policy pays for actual expenses for an illness or if the coverage is limited by a predetermined “benefit schedule” that caps coverage at a fixed price regardless of complications that arise or additional treatments needed to resolve the condition.
  10. Most companies cover dogs and cats but very few cover exotics or other small animals such as rabbits and birds.
  11. It would be helpful if insurance were to cover preventive healthcare such as routine dental cleaning but, like human healthcare, they focus on only the illness. An annual dental cleaning is an important part of any pet’s wellness plan and including this can prevent problems down the road. Most companies do not cover routine dental cleaning and some even exclude dental illnesses such as gum disease.
  12. Most companies will require you to pay your vet for all services upfront and then submit a claim for reimbursement. Only a few policies will reimburse the vet directly.
  13. A few companies now offer an app that speeds the process of filing claims and offers vet chat services 24/7.
  14. Narrow down your choices and get a quote specific to your pet’s needs from various providers. Make sure they provide a “Sample Policy” for your state so you can review the fine print before signing.

Most plans will cover:

  • Accidental injury
  • Surgery
  • Diagnosis and treatment of illness
  • Chronic disease 
  • Hereditary or congenital conditions
  • Cancer treatment
  • Prescription medication
  • Dental injury (broken tooth)

Most plans will exclude:

  • All plans exclude pre-existing conditions
  • Elective procedures including spaying/neutering
  • Routine or preventive care
  • Wellness exams
  • Routine dental cleaning. Some exclude dental diseases 
  • Pet supplies or supplements
  • Prescription food
  • Flea and tick treatments
  • Vaccinations
  • Vet exam fees
  • End-of-life expenses including euthanasia

Some policies will offer add-on coverage for:

  • Alternative treatments such as acupuncture
  • Vet exam fees
  • Behavior modification
  • Spay/neuter
  • Physical therapy and rehab

These policy add-ons can greatly expand coverage, particularly for routine and wellness care. I found that this coverage comes at a very high price. In some cases, the annual add-on premium was even higher than the average out-of-pocket expense it covers. One company’s Optional Wellness Package more than doubled the original monthly premium. Please be careful to evaluate your expected annual out-of-pocket costs and consider putting the money aside in your savings account rather than purchasing the policy add-on.

Read The Fine Print

All companies do a lovely job of presenting a bright and attractive (and sometimes misleading) sales page with a summary of their coverages. None of them engage in full disclosure upfront. Before purchasing any policy, read the sample contract that details all of the conditions, exclusions, and fine print of their contract.

Dog owners should be particularly careful to read the coverage details for hip dysplasia or surgical repair of an ACL tear. Some companies exclude coverage while others require a 12-month wait period for coverage to begin. This surgery can cost up to $7,000 per knee and a double repair would max out your $10K annual limit.

Only a few companies offer coverage for vet exam fees. This can come as a surprise when you receive a vet bill for $300 and $170 of it is the exam fee. Only the remaining $130 would qualify for insurance reimbursement and then only after you have met your deductible.

In Conclusion

Each family needs to evaluate the expected annual costs of keeping their family pets healthy. No two families have the same needs. Choose a plan that balances the coverage you need with the cost of the premium. Make a budget to cover not only your premiums but the other routine out-of-pocket expenses such as annual vaccines, fleas and tick preventative, dental care, vet exam fees, your annual deductible, and the 10-30% of expenses not covered by your insurance reimbursement. 

Ask the front desk staff at your vet’s office to help you by preparing estimates for routine expenses. Planning ahead and following your budget can save you from taking on long-term debt when surprise expenses arise. After all, the joy and love that our pets bring to our lives is priceless

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Pet Resources

The Pet Gift Guide – Part 2

gift

Now that we know what to consider when purchasing a pet gift, let’s dive into some great gifts for the two most popular pets – dogs and cats. According to World Atlas and to no surprise, the two most popular animals owned as pets in the US are:

  1. Dogs – 48,255,413 households own a dog
  2. Cats – 31,896,077 households own a cat

Gifts for Dogs

  1. The Kong Wubba – These durable, inexpensive toys are great for any dog. Kong offers a wide variety of toys in small to extra-large sizes. They also have different kinds to satisfy different playstyles, which is our top consideration in Part 1 of our Pet Gift Guide.
  2. Chuckit!’s Breathe Right ball – These fetch balls are great for many reasons! They’re hollow so you can put treats in them, they allow airflow which helps dogs with breathing problems, and they float in water. 
  3. Bob-A-Lot – With this toy, you can do so many things at once. Your dog will get exercise while getting fed and will be entertained. It’s a great gift for when you’re busy working from home, entertaining company, or even away for a few hours.
  4. A BarkBox subscription – How cool would it be to get a surprise box every month for you and your dog? You get the excitement of opening it and your dog gets the excitement of playing with them. Boxes start at just $23 a month and your first box includes 4 toys, 4 treats, and 2 chews.

Gifts for Cats

  1. Eco-Kitty Comet – This is great for individual entertainment or for the two of you to play with together and is made of natural materials.
  2. Cork Cat Balls – These eco-friendly toys are great for a game of chase. They’ll keep your cat entertained for hours and
  3. Cat trees or condos – If you have more than one cat, cat trees and condos are an excellent choice! Most of them typically have multiple stations for play and rest.
  4. Robotic Toy – No matter what you’re tied up doing, you can give your cat all the entertainment they need. These robotic toys have a bird, mouse, and feather attachments that you can set and let go for your cat to play with.

A Gift for Any Animal

Regardless of what kind of pet you have, hiring an animal communicator is the perfect gift! Animal communicators can help you have an even more satisfying relationship with your pet and give them a better quality of life. To learn more about what an animal communicator is, read our recent blog.

No matter what gift you give your pet, I hope you have a joyous holiday season!

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Pet Resources

The Pet Gift Guide – Part 1

pet

‘Tis the season! We’re just a few weeks away from Christmas and that means gift-giving galore for many of us. If you’re like me, your pets are your children, so you treat them as such and find so much happiness in giving them something that brings them joy.

How do you determine what to give your pets, though? They can’t write a list to Santa or tell you all the things they want when you walk through the mall. While we can’t get our pets to tell us the exact thing that they want, we can communicate with them to understand their likes and dislikes by working with an animal communicator. If you don’t currently have an animal communicator, here are a few things you may want to consider when buying a gift for your pet.

  1. Playstyle – First and foremost, I consider the pet’s play style. Some pets are happy to play alone, chewing on a bone or chasing a ball around the yard. Others get bored very quickly if left to entertain themselves and prefer to have a playmate for a vigorous game of tug-of-war. Are they high energy, preferring to run like a maniac? Or do they have a more sedate playstyle, lounging around for hours with a stuffed squeaky toy? Take a moment to notice which toys and activities your pet chooses on his own. Then select gifts that fit their particular playstyle.
  1. Engagement and enrichment – Most animals prefer gifts that engage their senses. Food treats are often at the top of their list as they engage the senses of sight, smell and taste all at once. What captures your pet’s attention – is it a bird quickly flitting past the window? Or the scent of bacon in the air? Perhaps it is sound that captures their attention. Or two senses combined, like texture and smell, that engage your pet. 

I use homemade puzzle games to engage my smart cat. Dropping small treats into a puzzle maze made from cardboard gives him the chance to use his sense of smell and sight to locate the treat. This also satisfies his urge to hunt by chasing and catching the treat. How can you challenge your pet mentally and physically to engage them in a satisfying game? To further alleviate boredom for my cat, I fill a few small treat puzzles and hide them around the house for the cat to hunt while I’m away or occupied. A Kong or puzzle works well for dogs in a similar way.

  1. Toy safety – This is high on my list of priorities. If your dog is a chewer, make sure that the gift cannot be chewed up into small pieces and swallowed. In fact, many emergency surgeries are performed around the holidays because chewers swallow even large objects. Check all toys for small pieces, such as plastic eyes, that can easily be pulled off. Or strings that could cause a strangulation hazard. If you have multiple pets in your household be sure that the cat toy is not a hazard for the dog and vice versa. Research where the gift is made and out of what material.  Some items from overseas have been known to contain harmful, toxic ingredients. I like to select gifts made in the USA whenever possible.
  2. Eco-friendly materials – When there is a choice, I always prefer to give gifts that are made and packaged with eco-friendly materials. This can be tough to do these days as so many items are made out of plastic and packaged that way as well. When I visit a pet store, I see lifetimes of plastic pet toys filling our landfills. It takes more effort to find but, there are eco-friendly pet gifts available. Perhaps a cotton sweater for your little pup or a catnip mouse made from natural wool fibers. Handmade gifts are always a great idea as you can make them yourself or find them on Etsy. Most cats are just as happy with a homemade cardboard toy as an expensive plastic one. When your pet tires of last year’s toys, please consider recycling, regifting or donating them rather than sending them to the landfill. 
  3. Longevity – When it comes to pet toys, longevity is less of an issue. Pets tend to get bored with most toys long before the object wears out. These days it can also be an issue of simply too many toys to choose from. Remember that less is more. A good strategy is to take away half of the available toys. Clean and store them away to be reintroduced as “new” at a later date. Or set up a toy exchange with some of your friends. Our pets don’t care if the gifts are new or used. Let them thoroughly enjoy a few toys then cycle them away as you bring out another batch that then receives fresh interest. If there is no fresh interest from your pet, it is probably time to donate that toy to a local shelter or rescue.
  4. The gift that keeps giving – The joy I find in giving does not extend only to my own pets but also to the beloved pets of those that have less to give. For each pet gift you purchase this holiday season, please consider donating one to a local organization that provides pet food or gifts to families in need.  

Now that you know what to consider when purchasing a pet gift, read part 2 to see what toys are trending this holiday season! Remember that no matter what you get, your pet’s favorite thing will be your time and attention. So be sure to give extra love this holiday season.

Wishing you, your family, and your pets a season filled with your favorite gifts!

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Pet Resources

11 Ways to Prevent Having a Lost Pet

lost pet

If you’ve ever lost a pet, you know how it feels to have your heart drop to your stomach when you realize they’re gone. It’s a feeling that we never forget no matter how much time passes. If you’ve never experienced this feeling before, I hope you don’t! In fact, I’ve put together some tips for you so that if you haven’t, you won’t, and if you have, you won’t ever have to feel that gut-wrenching feeling again. 

Typical Tips for Preventing a Lost Pet

There are several things you can do that are more common. For instance:

  1. Make sure your pet can’t go under, over, or through your fence. A fully secure physical fence is key. You can even get an electric fence so you don’t have to worry about securing your yard.
  2. Get your dog microchipped. Thanks to technology, we can use a microchip to locate our lost pets.
  3. Get a collar tag with your contact information on it. In the event your pet is lost, chances are much greater that they will be returned when your information is easily accessible. They even make collars that allow GPS tracking.
  4. Spay or neuter your pet. This will reduce the urge to run off and find a mate.
  5. Teach basic commands like “stay”. This way, when you walk out the door they don’t run through it and if they are outside, they don’t run off. 
  6. Keep them on a leash around other animals. Your pet may not be the dominant one so if they are outside, around other animals, they could get scared and run away if not kept on a leash. 
  7. Get proper training. Teaching the dog an off-leash recall will help you keep them near in the event they aren’t on a leash.

Atypical Tips for Preventing a Lost Pet

While the tips mentioned above are all great, there are some other tips that I’d like to share that many people don’t think about.

  1. Get a harness professionally fitted. So many people just order a harness based on their animal’s weight. If you get a professionally fitted one, they can’t turn into Houdini and escape. 
  2. Use positive reinforcement. When a pet is misbehaving, many owners turn to punishment as a way to correct their behavior. If you use positive reinforcement instead, your pet is more likely to stay around. 
  3. Install an automatic door closer. This gadget ensures that your door shuts tightly so the pet can’t push it open.
  4. Ask them what they want so they don’t run away. Animal communication is a great way to make sure they are happy and enjoying their environment.

How to Recover a Lost Pet

Using an animal communicator is best for prevention as you can’t “talk the pet home”. Many people believe that an animal communicator is psychic and can tell where the pet is going next. This is not the case. You can learn more about what an animal communicator is in our recent blog. 

If your pet is lost, some things you can do are:

  1. Canvas the neighborhood and let your neighbors know.
  2. Post lost pet flyers.
  3. Post on social media, especially on local community pages. Also, ask your friends to share your post.
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Animal Communicator Pet Resources

Celebrate National Pet Month by Enhancing Your Pet’s Life

pet month

As a loving pet owner, whether you own a dog, cat, lizard, hamster, horse, or parrot, you want your animals to be happy. During National Pet Month, we celebrate all of the benefits and joy that pets bring to our lives. It is also an ideal time to consider ways that we can add to their well-being. 

Our pets enhance our lives in countless ways. They provide us with unconditional love, companionship, entertainment, and laughter. They can also reduce stress, encourage us to exercise, and even improve our moods. It’s only fair that we bring them happiness, as well.

What is happiness for a pet? 

We all seek to understand our pets more deeply, including their needs, behaviors, and what brings them joy. Naturally, we tend to assume that what makes them happy is similar to what makes us happy, and it is difficult to shift our perspective to that of our pets. 

One way to understand the difference between our point of view and our pets is to imagine that you and a friend are standing on opposite sides of a room. The two of you may be looking at the same scene, but because you are seeing it from a different angle, it appears completely different. 

To make our pets happy, we need to look at the world and how they experience it through their eyes. For example, if you have a spacious fenced yard where you allow your dog to roam, you may view it as a lovely place for your canine to play while keeping them safe. But your dog might see that fence as a barrier, limiting their ability to explore the outside world.

Trying to understand how a situation might feel to our pets allows us to enhance their wants, needs, and desires. 

Our pets are constrained by human boundaries because we make all of their life decisions for them, from what they eat to who their friends are. So how can we enrich our pets’ lives? Give them choices! 

Here are six ways we can provide our pets with a greater sense of autonomy:

1.     The choice to be petted (or not!) 

You may think it’s an ideal time to pet and snuggle your cat, but he may have other ideas. If you put your cat in your lap and they struggle and immediately leap down, it’s a sure sign that it’s not an ideal tie for physical bonding. Don’t force the issue! Let him walk away. 

2.     Choosing where to walk

Dogs love to follow their noses. If possible, allow your dog to choose the route s/he follows for her walk. This allows exploration of new places and smells.

3.     A choice to retreat to a safe place

Like humans, every animal is different and has fears and desires. Your dog who is terrified of thunderstorms or fireworks may choose to retreat to an enclosed space, such as a bathroom when the noise gets to be too much. If he’s safe, don’t coax him out. Allow him to stay where he feels secure and protected.

4.     Deciding where to sleep

As much as your daughter would love to have your dog sleep in her room, your pup may feel more comfortable sleeping in your room. Many dogs prefer to sleep with whoever they perceive to be the leader of their pack – and that’s often an adult. Don’t force the issue if she chooses to sleep in your room rather than your daughter’s. 

5.     Choosing to train (or not!)

If your parrot is being especially uncooperative, exhibiting aggressive behavior, or acting disinterested during training, take a break. Don’t push them! Let him retreat to his cage. If he is refusing to participate, it is a sure sign that this is not a good time to teach him to perch on your shoulder.  

6.     Choosing favorite foods 

When it comes to feeding, one way to provide your pet with choices is by separating ingredients. For example, for a dog, you could split its different types of food into individual bowls. Which one does he choose more often? This will tell you what he prefers. If possible, you can alter his diet to include more of his favorites.

Ask your pets!

Are you struggling to figure out what makes your pet happy? I can use telepathic animal communication to help you understand your pet through their eyes, including what makes them happy. Want to learn more? Schedule a consultation. 

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