Pet Insurance Blog – Pets Best Insurance

Blog posts Categorized under ‘Veterinary Medicine’

What happens during a pet health care exam?

Posted on: June 18th, 2010 by

By Dr. Jack Stephens, DVM
Pets Best Insurance President
A vet holds a small dog.
Pets are dependent on their human counterparts and need routine and wellness care to ensure optimum pet health.

Unlike humans, pets cannot talk or communicate when they have an ache, pain or illness. Instead, they might let out the occasional whimper or simply remain quiet, which is why regular exams are so important.

A thorough pet health wellness exam should be all-encompassing and include equal part examination, vaccination, preventative measures, and testing. The exact health protocol for your pet will vary depending on the pet’s breed, age and current health.

During a physical exam, your veterinarian and their technicians will check for a host of things, such as irregularities in the heart, lungs, eyes, ears and throat. They will also check for lumps and bumps, feel the abdomen for abnormalities, take your pet’s temperature, evaluate your pet’s weight and inspect their mouth for tartar and oral growths.

Lymph nodes and joints will also be examined, and finally, mucus membranes will be checked for abnormalities which can indicate internal organ disease or anemia.

Part of the pet health exam should also include the pet’s health history. Let your veterinarian know if there have been any changes in behavior, appetite, or if the animal has been vomiting. If your pet has insatiable thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, lethargy or depression you should take him or her to the doctor as soon as possible.

Another important part of pet health is vaccination. Vaccines are administered to prevent contagious diseases, which can cause epidemics like distemper, rabies and parvovirus. Young pets that have undeveloped immune systems often require a series of vaccines which are spaced-out several weeks apart to provide temporary protection until their immune system matures.

Some vaccines require at least two inoculations to develop a lasting immunity, while others, such as rabies, provide immunity for several years. Your veterinarian will discuss which vaccines are the best options for your pet. In some circumstances, like when boarding a pet, additional vaccines may be necessary due to the likelihood of disease exposure.

Any good pet health care program should also provide screening tests which helps to identify medical conditions that are present whether or not symptoms have manifested.

An early diagnosis or abnormal finding may result in disease prevention or at least expedited treatment. Some tests, such as blood work and fecal tests, are recommended routinely.

Diagnostic tests after your pet has become ill can be quite expensive without pet insurance and many times could have been avoided by performing a less-costly routine test.

Regular wellness exams, vaccines and certain tests, depending on the age and health of your pet, can go a long way in keeping your beloved friend in the best possible pet health.

*Pets Best Insurance offers an optional Wellness and Routine care plan that can be added on to any of our three accident, illness and injury policies. For more information on pet care insurance, visit www.petsbest.com.

Just an itch or does your pet have allergies?

Posted on: April 22nd, 2010 by

By: H.R.
Pets Best Insurance Editorial Manager

La La the Chihuahua watch dog looks out the window.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.

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.

Is Your Dog Scared of the Vet? 10 Great Tips

Posted on: December 17th, 2009 by

This dog is afraid of the vet.

“When my wife and I were newlyweds we adopted a rescued puppy—a tiny white ball of fluff that eventually grew to be a very smart, loyal Australian Shepherd. While he was still young, though, he contracted parvo and had to spend a week at the vet clinic. We almost lost him and were thrilled when he pulled through.

The incident left scars, though. Afterward, he lived in terror of going to the veterinarian’s office. Whenever we went, he would struggle and claw with all his strength, wrestle his way out of his collar, growl at the veterinary staff, and do everything possible to make sure the experience was miserable for us both.”

Does this Pets Best Insurance employee’s story sound familiar? At Pets Best, we are about more than dog insurance, we are dog lovers and owners, and we know how awful it can be to deal with a dog who hates to go to the vet. So we’ve assembled the following list of advice on the subject from a variety of dog owners and behavior experts. Have any further advice on this topic? Feel free to post it in the comments section below.

10 Great Tips if Your Dog is Scared of the Vet

1) Try changing your own attitude. Because dogs are sympathetic to human emotions, your dog may be picking up on your own nervousness, so stay calm and happy.

2) Reassure your dog that everything’s alright, but don’t do it too much; if you’re saying “It’s okay, sweetie, it’s okay,” over and over, your pet may think there’s reason to be scared.

3) Protective pet? You might try staying in the waiting room during your dog’s exam. Could be your dog is acting tough because he’s trying to protect you.

4) Heard the expression “travel broadens the mind?” If your dog is used to going places and socializing with people and other animals, the vet’s office won’t seem so scary.

5) Start going to the veterinarian’s office just to say “hi.” Your dog will learn it’s not a bad place after all.

6) Whenever you go, keep a bunch of treats in your pocket and reward the dog frequently. Eventually, the dog will associate the veterinarian’s office with food.

7) Small dog? Make sure they feel comfortable, safe and secure by bringing them in their dog crate.

8) Bigger dog? Use a shorter lead when you go to the vet—you’ll have better control and will be able to keep the dog close to you.

9) If your dog growls and snaps at people when scared, consider a comfortable muzzle. Make sure the dog gets used to wearing it at home first, though.

10) If nothing else is working, you may want to ask your vet about prescribing a sedative the dog can take before a visit to the vet. This may reduce the wear and tear that extreme stress can have on the dog’s body.

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On Pins and Needles: Can Acupuncture Really Help Pets?

Posted on: October 15th, 2009 by

Sure, there have been plenty of amazing scientific advances in veterinary medicine, but what may be one of the most exciting new treatments is actually thousands of years old.

Today, non-traditional medicine like acupuncture is becoming more popular than ever. Exactly how acupuncture works is uncertain, though clinical trials have actually shown its effectiveness. In fact, acupuncture has the most scientific support of any form of non-traditional healing methods.

Western doctors believe that acupuncture may help release natural chemicals that promote healing within the body or stimulate of neuromechanical mechanisms that diminish pain and promote healing. As developed by Chinese healers over the course of two and a half centuries, this healing art is based on a principle of restoring balance within the body.

In pets, acupuncture is often used for pain relief and to treat diseases of the liver, kidney, and skin. It may help older dogs feel and act many years younger. Acupuncture treatments can be used together with traditional approaches to healing such as physical therapy and medications.

Veterinary acupuncture may not be widely available, though more and more veterinarians are beginning to offer this type of non-traditional treatment within their practices. And if your pet is covered by a Pets Best insurance policy, benefits are available for acupuncture and other non-traditional treatments (check here for details).

Keep in mind that pet acupuncture isn’t a cure-all, but it’s another tool your vet can use to treat ailments and enhance the quality of your pet’s life.

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