Pet Insurance Blog – Pets Best Insurance

Blog posts Categorized under ‘Cat insurance’

The 6 Most Expensive Winter Holiday Related Claims

Posted on: December 21st, 2012 by

Dogs can eat ornaments and end up at the emergency vet.The winter holidays are an expensive time of year for most families. The holidays can also mean big pet health expenses if you’re not careful. Here are Pets Best Insurance’s top 6 most expensive winter holidays-related pet insurance claims.

1. Packs of Gum in the Stockings? Think Again…

Sugar-free gum contains an ingredient called Xylitol which is toxic to dogs. Whether it’s because packs of gum are in the stockings, or because gum is more prevalent for all the holiday gatherings, Pets Best Insurance sees thousands of dollars of Xylitol poisoning claims during the winter holidays.

Our most expensive claim goes to Lily the fox terrier for $969, and Pets Best Insurance reimbursed more than $690.

2. Pain Reliever Poisoning

The holidays can be a time of overindulging on more than just food. As the alcoholic beverages flow, the next-day headaches increase. Be sure to keep your bottle of pain reliever out of reach from your pet. Pets Best Insurance sees a dramatic rise in pain reliever (NSAIDs) poisonings this time of year.

Our most expensive claim goes to Sierra the Labrador retriever for $4217, and Pets Best Insurance reimbursed more than $3174.

3. Cats and Christmas Lilies Don’t Mix (more…)

Winter and holiday hazards for cats

Posted on: December 20th, 2012 by

Cat Birth Defect Often Heals Itself

Posted on: December 15th, 2012 by

Hello. I’m Dr. Jane Matheys, from the Cat Doctor Veterinary Hospital and Hotel in Boise, Idaho. Today I’ll be answering your question from the Pets Best Insurance Facebook page.

This question is from Cassy. She says “I have a cat who had a herniated belly button as a baby but as an adult does not seem to have it anymore. He’s a year old now and it’s still growing with no signs of problems; but I always worry if it’ll show back up”.

Cassy is referring to an umbilical hernia which is where a kitten is born with an umbilical opening that doesn’t close.

The most important thing is to make sure that this is checked by your veterinarian, because if there’s still one there, it can pose a threat to the cat.

If the opening is large enough, what can happen is that some of the abdominal contents can slip through that hole and cause problems. Usually it’s just some fat that slips through, but sometimes you could have a loop of an intestine that can slip through and actually get twisted and that’s very serious for the kitty cat.

So for larger hernias there’s a fairly simple surgical procedure to correct that and that surgery typically done at the time of the spay or the neuter. If the hernia is small, and none of the abdominal contents are able to slip through, sometimes they don’t have to be corrected.

In little kittens, as they advance into adulthood, sometimes those hernias can spontaneously close on their own. That sounds like maybe what has happened in the case of Cassy’s cat. (more…)

What if My Pet is Allergic to Anesthetic?

Posted on: December 15th, 2012 by

Hi. My name is Dr. Mark and I’m filming for Pets Best Insurance, answering some Facebook questions for you guys at Broadway Veterinary Hospital in Boise, Idaho.

This question comes from Vera. She asks: “If your pet is allergic to anesthetic, what other options are there if a surgical procedure is needed?”

Vera, that’s a good question because a lot of people have concerns about using anesthetic. The reality is, most of the advanced surgical procedures require anesthetic to humanely be performed. There’s really no substitute to really knock out that pain sensation and have them knowing what’s going on.

But to elaborate on that just a little bit, anesthetic reactions in and of themselves are typically fairly rare. It would be even more rare for an animal to have a reaction to every anesthetic agent out there.

So, if your pet had an unfavorable reaction to a particular class of anesthetics, it would be good to talk to the veterinarian who’s going to perform the surgery, let him know what the anesthetic agent is that you’re concerned about, and a different protocol can usually be devised that doesn’t include that anesthetic agent, and therefore maybe give you a more favorable outcome.

If an animal has a particular condition that would predispose them to having anesthetic complications, for example, a heart problem, again, there’s enough technology with these anesthetic agents right now that we can devise plans that make things as safe as possible for your pet.

If you have any other questions, post them to the Pets Best Insurance Facebook page, and we’ll see if we can answer them for you.

#1 Reason Cats are Dumped & 12 Ways to Prevent It

Posted on: November 20th, 2012 by

A cat uses its litterbox.There is no arguing against the fact that cats make great pets. They are self-sufficient, affectionate and generally very clean critters.  But what if Frisky stops using the litter box?  That cuddly ball of fur is suddenly not so cute when your carpet and furniture are being used as a toilet! Inappropriate litter box behavior is one of the most common reasons for families to relinquish or re-home their cats.

Any cat that suddenly changes its litter box habits and starts to inappropriately urinate should always be evaluated by a veterinarian to ensure there isn’t an underlying medical problem. Once a medical issue has been ruled out and the problem is deemed behavioral, you might consider some  tips and tricks to help with litter box aversion. (more…)

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