Pet Insurance Blog – Pets Best Insurance

Blog posts Categorized under ‘Pet Adoption’

Lucky little brown dog

Posted on: April 29th, 2010 by

By: Chryssa Rich
Pets Best Insurance Marketing Associate
Jayda the adopted Carolina Dog happily sits in a baby car seat.
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.

Non-shedding dog breeds?

Posted on: March 23rd, 2010 by

So you’d like to adopt or purchase a new dog, but you can’t stand the shedding? Though no dog is completely free of shedding, there are a number of dog breeds out there that are less likely to have the hair and dander shedding issues that cause problems for many dog owners.

Don’t like the mess that comes with a shedding house pet? You might consider a breed that typically sheds very little, such as the Affenpinscher, Havanese, Italian Greyhound, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Poodle, or Schnauzer.

Most types of Terriers also fit this category, including Airedale, Australian, Bedlington, Black Russian, Border, Cairn,  Dandie Dinmont, Irish, Kerry Blue, Lakeland, Manchester, Norfolk, Norwitch, Scottish, Sealyham, Silky, Tibetan, Welsh, and Yorkshire Terriers.

If dander-related allergies are a major problem for you, though, the Bichon Frise might be your dog. Though they sport a thick coat of wavy hair, they have no undercoat. Or how about a Chinese Crested or Mexican Hairless? Both have virtually no hair and very little dander—though they might be a little funny-looking, they can still make great pets.

Got severe allergies? The American Hairless Terrier has absolutely no body hair and sheds almost no dander. Most people who can’t tolerate other dogs will do fine with one of these, though no dog breed can guarantee a 100% allergy-free experience. If allergies or asthma are possible issues, it’s best to try out a pet before you decide to adopt or buy to make sure they won’t cause sneezing or wheezing.

6 Great Tips for Controlling Pet Shedding

Posted on: February 8th, 2010 by

When our kids were very young, my wife and I had an Australian Shepherd with a beautiful coat of white and tan fur. We adored him. Problem was, the dog had chronic allergies and skin problems that contributed to a full-time shedding problem.

It seemed like no matter how often we swept, the loose hair would accumulate, gathering in drifts and piles on the hardwood floors of our tiny house. What was worse, our kids were toddlers, notorious for crawling the floors and picking up anything they could find to put their mouths. We were the only parents on the block whose kids coughed up hairballs.

Whether you have kids or not, if your dog or cat sheds it can be a major nuisance. Here are our 6 top tips for dealing with a pet that leaves hair everywhere:

  1. See your vet. While seasonal shedding is normal for many dogs and cats, excessive shedding may be a clue to a health problem. Your veterinarian may be able to find the root of the problem and may be able to prescribe medicine or suggest supplements (such as fatty acids) that will help control the problem.
  2. Brush your pet every day to reduce the unwanted hair all over your clothes, carpet and furniture. Most pets enjoy the attention, and will look forward to their daily brushing session. Ask an expert at your local pet supply store or check with a groomer for tips on the right tools to use for de-shedding your pet’s specific type of fur.
  3. Shampoo, rinse, repeat. If your dog’s chronically dry, itchy skin is causing him to scratch himself constantly, you may want to bathe him regularly using an oatmeal shampoo to moisturize and soothe his skin.
  4. Train your pet. Make sure dogs and cats have their own beds, furniture, or comfortable areas to lounge. Teach them that these are acceptable places to hang out, and that human furniture is off-limits.
  5. Cover up. Get some stylish throws or use blankets to cover furniture. They’ll keep most of the fur off, and you can just remove them before company comes over. Make sure they’re machine-washable for easy cleaning.
  6. Clean up. Get pet hair off of upholstery and carpet as soon as possible, before it has a chance to work its way into upholstery fabric or carpet nap. Use a tape roller or other pet hair removal tool on furniture and vacuum carpets. For the best results, make a habit of doing this regularly.

How often should I bathe my dog?

Posted on: January 4th, 2010 by

How often should you bathe your dog? Some dog owners follow a strict regimen, bathing and grooming their pets once a week. For others (such as me), it’s bathtime when the dog’s natural perfume (eau de dog) begins to permeate the house.

The truth is, depending on their breed, you may not need to bathe them so frequently. Some shorthair breeds, for example, don’t have much fur so they might do with a weekly rub down with a hound glove, and a full bath just once a month. Frequent bathing can strip the dog’s natural oils. These oils are a cause of the doggy smell, but they also help protect the skin. Bathe him too often and your dog may develop chronically itchy, dry skin, causing him to scratch himself frequently.

Of course, if your pooch just loves the great outdoors, rolling and playing in the dirt and mud, then you’ll need to bathe him more often. This can be fine as long as you’re not using dish soap or a product designed for humans. Veterinary dermatologists say that a mild hypoallergenic soap that’s formulated for veterinary use is all you need. “Formulated for veterinary use” means a product that’s designed to work with a dog’s body chemistry, which is different than the chemistry of a human’s skin and hair. While dish soap or your favorite shampoo might well strip away the dirt (and, more importantly, the odor) from your pet’s coat, it will also strip natural oils from their fur and may irritate their skin.

Experts say it’s safe to bathe your dog with veterinary shampoo once a week. On the other hand, if the veterinary shampoo you’re using contains medication or insecticide, follow your veterinarian’s instructions. Prescription shampoos treat specific problems and might require bathing more or less often than you usually do.

One last tip—make sure to comb your dog’s coat before bathing. Because wet fur mats more than dry fur, a wet tangled coat is harder to brush out and will take longer to dry. You’ll save time and also save your pet from an uncomfortable brushing.

Shopping for cat insurance? 8 great tips.

Posted on: December 30th, 2009 by

Thinking about insurance for your cat or kitten? Good for you! A pet insurance policy for your cat is a smart way to budget for future medical expenses. Pet insurance can help make sure your cat can get the best possible treatment when he or she needs it.

Remember that all pet insurance policies are not equal, though. If you’re comparing various policies from different insurance providers, these 8 great tips will help you know what to look for and what to avoid.

  • Your cat’s doctor should be your decision. Avoid pet insurance policies that enforce health care networks; the best policies let you choose any veterinarian, anywhere.
  • Steer clear of policies that pay according to a predetermined benefit schedule; these schedules limit your cat’s care for any specific illness or injury to the amount the insurance company is willing to pay.
  • Choose a policy that pays a straight percentage, such as 80%, of your eligible expenses. This way, you’ll call the shots when it comes to care options and the overall quality of your cat’s medical care.
  • Your cat may need more care as he or she gets older, so make sure your policy doesn’t have an age restriction. Some policies will actually drop your cat when they get too old!
  • Does the policy offer options to help pay for regular wellness checkups? These checkups can mean early detection of health problems that might be more difficult and expensive to treat later on.
  • Make sure you know about the policy’s exclusions. A policy that says it pays 90% of your expenses won’t be worth much if it excludes many of the ailments that are likely to affect your cat.
  • Check the policy for claim limits, where long-term conditions like arthritis or cancer may only be covered through the end of a policy term (typically 12 months). A pet insurance plan with continuous coverage will help treat long-term conditions from one policy term to the next.
  • Check with your friends who have had experience with pet insurance and make sure to ask your veterinarian what pet insurance policies he or she recommends.

More questions? Try checking out this list of Frequently Asked Questions for answers.

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