By: H. R.
Pets Best Insurance Editorial Manager
Is Fluffy biting your fiancé’s pant legs again? Does Priscilla persistently hiss when your boyfriend or girlfriend walks through the door? It’s not unusual for pets to take a dislike to someone new in your life— it’s not unusual either for that new someone to dislike your pet.
But if you’re dead-set on keeping them both around for the long haul, it’s important that they bury the hatchet (or bone) and reach a common ground. Below you’ll find five tips on how to unite a once-sullen duo.
1. Eliminate jealousy: Both your pet and your significant other want your undivided attention. Make sure that you are giving them equal amounts of time and affection. Try going on an outing where you can all be involved, such as a walk, or playing Frisbee in the park. This will be good for your dog’s health as well as a good way for the two to bond.
2. Have your significant other help care for your pet: After awhile your pet will see them as a provider instead of as a threat. Ask your partner to help walk or feed your pet. Having your new love give the pup or kitty a treat once in awhile won’t hurt either.
3. Change the language: If you become very serious with your significant other or are cohabitating refer to your pet as “our dog,” instead of “my dog.” This will prompt your significant other to take more of a sense of ownership towards the pet— something the animal will no doubt sense as well.
4. Allow them to bond one-on-one: Need to run to the store? Have a weekend trip planned to Vegas? Ask your significant other to stay at home with the pet. Although your pet might not like it at first, this will allow your two loves to interact without you around. Pets are generally very protective of their owners. If you can get the two to engage while you’re not present, it will fortify the bond between them.
5. Ensure your significant other is treating your pet kindly: If all else fails, take a closer look at the person you’re with. Perhaps they’ve never had a pet before and don’t quite know how to treat Max. Patiently teach them how to speak to and interact with your pet. After awhile, your pet will begin to trust the new person and allow them to become part of your pack.
By: Chryssa Rich
Pets Best Insurance Marketing Associate
Where can you order cable TV, buy a rubber broom, take your picture with a tortoise, adopt a puppy and enjoy a mango Italian ice? That would be the Family Fun Pet Expo, held in Boise, Idaho last weekend.
For the team at Pets Best Insurance, it was the first time we’d participated in this event. During set-up we had a good laugh after noticing we’d been placed across the aisle from a pet crematorium company. We thought that might urge people to consider pet insurance more carefully!
Chilly weekend weather pushed attendance to more than 6,000, and each visitor received a goodie bag upon entrance as well as all kinds of free samples, treats and chances to win great prizes. By the end of the weekend, we’d had the opportunity to educate hundreds, maybe even thousands, of pet owners on the benefits of pet insurance, and everyone loved the local gift certificates we gave away.
In addition to the dozens of super cute animals who strolled by our booth, we enjoyed checking out the adorable baby goats, donkeys and chickens in the petting zoo, as well as snakes, lizards and other reptiles at another booth. A local radio station held a cutest pet contest, complete with Top 40 music and a dog show-type arena where they could strut their fluffy stuff.
Some of the funnier sights included a roly-poly gang of Pugs, a Chihuahua in a hot pink bikini, and a little kid eyeing our bowl of dog treats with his mouth watering. I do have to wonder how many children unwittingly ate pet food over the two-day-span – some of the gourmet dog and cat snacks looked downright delicious (and I’m a vegetarian).
Most cities have pet expos at least once a year, so check your local events calendars and try to visit one this summer. Even if you’re not looking to adopt a new furry friend, you’ll find lots of entertainment and freebies for the pets you already have.
After a weekend of pet expo fun, my family decided to add another to their pack. My sister-in-law’s parents adopted an adorable Black Lab/Terrier mix, Birdie, who has a cute scruffy beard and webbed toes. It took them years to heal after the loss of their last dog, but the weekend event prompted them to become dog owners once again.
By: H. R.
Pets Best Insurance Editorial Manager
You’re driving along in your car, rocking out to Guns n’ Roses, (or something equivalent) when all of the sudden a scraggly-looking dog darts across the road. Maybe you’re already late for work, or in a hurry to get home. Either way you’re not sure what to do. Do you stop and try to help the animal? What if the dog is injured or in poor shape? Should you get the dog health care?
The above is a heart-wrenching set of circumstances for any animal lover. Likely, after you’ve seen the stray dog or cat, you may revere it your duty as a compassionate being to help the creature. After all, it could easily be your pet out there on its own.
But before you pull over, there are ten things you should know when it comes to helping a stray animal:
1. Your own safety is the most important: You won’t be able to help the animal if your safety is compromised, so it’s important that you pull your car over somewhere out of the flow of traffic. Causing a three-car-pile-up to save a kitten won’t make you a hero in the animal or the human world.
2. Envision yourself in the animal’s situation: Whether it’s injured or not, the stray dog or cat will likely be spooked. If the animal looks or acts aggressive, stay in your car and call the local animal control instead.
3. Be cautious: Speak calmly and verbally reassure the animal that you aren’t a threat. Use soft tones and move slowly as to not frighten it.
4. Check for identification: If you are able to transport the animal safely, take it to the nearest shelter. The animal may have a dog or cat microchip that will help place the critter back with its family.
5. Post signs and ads to try to find the pet owner: Hang multiple signs around the area where you first saw the stray animal. Add a picture of the animal with a contact number where you can be reached.
6. If you decide to keep the stray animal: If you have no luck in locating the former owner and decide you want to add the stray to your family, check your local laws. In some states it does not automatically become your pet.
7. Be wary when introducing the dog or cat to its new environment: If you have another animal, keep the stray quarantined as not to transmit any potential diseases to other animals in the house. Take the stray to your local veterinarian as soon as possible to ensure your new pet receives proper health care.
8. Introduce new family members slowly: Have each person in the family come into the room where the dog or cat is, one at a time, to pet and talk to the animal. Encourage younger children to sit on the floor and let the animal come to them. Remember to make sure that children understand not to bother the animal while it eats or sleeps.
9. Let the animal explore on its own: If there are no other pets in the household, let the new dog or cat explore their new territory. The animal will use this time to sniff around and situate themselves in their new environment.
10. Introduce the new pet to other pets: Let both pets see each other but don’t yet allow them to interact. After a few days of this, introduce them in neutral territory, such as the yard. Never leave the pets alone until you are certain they will get along well.
By: Chryssa Rich
Pets Best Insurance Marketing Associate
Every time spring rolls around, I toy with the idea of getting a small dog. But I’ve always been concerned about how my cats would get along with one, and whether we could trust a new dog around my 3 year-old niece.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to check-out a local shelter’s website. They had lots of cute small dogs, so I decided to go see them after work. Unfortunately my two favorites were adopted before I could even get there. Even though there weren’t any other dogs that caught my attention on the shelter’s website, I decided to make the 45-minute drive.
While I was waiting for access to the room with small dogs, I decided to take a look at the big dogs just for fun, even though my small townhouse wouldn’t accommodate one very well. About halfway through, I came across a beautiful brown dog who happily wagged her tail at me when I walked by. She was sort of an in-between size, and the kennel she was in was way too big for her.
I went to the desk and asked to see her first. They went over her health records with me and everything checked out fine. . . but they had no idea how she’d be around cats or kids. No one knew if she was housebroken, and she didn’t even know “sit.”
Still, there was something promising about her. She walked next to me on the leash, and frequently looked up at me to see if I was trying to communicate with her. When I sat down and patted my knees, she gently put her paws up on them so I could pet her face. When I threw toys, she chased them but didn’t bite – just nuzzled them. She was such a sweetheart; I knew I had to give her a chance. The shelter employees also told me I had seven days to make sure we’d be a good fit for each other.
That was a Friday night; I brought her home the next Monday after work and it’s been nothing but fun ever since! I named her Jayda and was happy to discover that she sleeps through the night, is housebroken, and is very polite and gentle around the cats and children. She’d only been home for 48 hours when I noticed the first signs of all three animals playing together, and she took to my niece immediately.
My in-between Jayda has proven to be in-between when it comes to everything – her crate, collars, treats and toys. Nothing is quite the right size for her, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Every morning she’s so wiggly and happy to wake up, and later she’s just as happy to curl up on her bed while we hang out in the living room. She comes to work with me most mornings and loves to hide rawhide bones around the office and look out the window. She gets a little protective of me and barks when strangers or other dogs approach, but we’re starting some training classes soon to correct that behavior.
It’s hard to believe I almost missed out on such a great dog because she didn’t match the search criteria I entered into a website. If you’re thinking about getting a pet, go see for yourself. Most shelter animals will have an “unknown” or two, but the least we can do is give them a chance. My dad calls Jayda “lucky dog,” but I think I’m the one who lucked out.
By: H.R.
Pets Best Insurance Editorial Manager
It was in the middle of the night, just as I had dozed off into oblivion under my soft, down duvet that my miniature teacup Chihuahua, La La, awoke me—as she often does, to alert me that it’s time to go potty, and nonetheless at 3:00 am.
La La, I’ve found, can sometimes be placated just long enough for me to fall back asleep, forego her urge and cuddle down beside me, but this time she would not let up—in fact, she was frantic.
I sighed a deep 3:00 am sigh, and flipped on the switch as she pawed and wiggled around the bed incessantly. But when the lights came on, I was terrified at what I saw. My tiny, 3-pound Chihuahua was scratching at her face in agony and her entire little head had swelled to two times its normal size. In fact, my little girl looked more like a puffy pug than an apple-headed Chi Chi.
I immediately called a family friend who works as a veterinary technician. She advised me to rush La La to an emergency clinic and call ahead to let them know we were coming.
Although it may sound odd, it’s not uncommon for pets to suffer from allergic reactions just as we humans do, and the symptoms are often remarkably similar to ours.
In La La’s case, it was determined she was likely allergic to a bee sting, spider bite or a vaccination. But other common pup and kitty allergies include contact allergens (touching), inhalant allergens (breathing in), ingested, and sub dermal (which are caused by injected medicine.)
Although the latter is less common, all are potentially serious and should be acknowledged by a licensed veterinarian as soon as they are noticed. Treatment and diagnosis for pets’ allergies are also much the same as in you or I.
Your dog or cat may develop rashes and itching, watering eyes, sneezing, coughing, swelling in the face and sniffling.
Food allergies are among the most prevalent in pets, and can often take anywhere from seven to ten days to manifest. Because of this, owners may not know what is wrong with their pet, and often don’t even consider that their pet may have been allergic to something it ate.
After that itchy, swollen, fateful night with La La in the ER, I learned to never ignore her quest for my attention. More-often-than-not, our pets are trying to tell us something when they won’t calm down—and in this case, it could have been life-threatening.
So next time your fur baby is acting odd or showing symptoms of allergies, call your vet stat. It may be the difference between life and death.
