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3 Ways to Reduce Cat Hairballs

Posted on: April 26th, 2013 by

A cat with cat insurance gets brushed by his owner.Dr. Jane Matheys is a veterinarian guest blogger for the highly rated pet insurance provider, Pets Best.

Nothing can be done to totally prevent hairballs in cats, but there are things you can do to reduce the likelihood your cat will have hairballs or reduce their frequency.

1. Regular Cat Grooming

The more fur you remove from the coat, the less fur that ends up in the stomach. Comb or brush your cat on a daily basis. I like to use a slicker brush or a fine-toothed comb such as a flea comb. Make sure that your grooming tool is removing the dead fur underneath the coat and not just glossing over the surface. If your long-haired cat won’t allow brushing, consider taking her to a professional groomer for a “lion-cut” once or twice a year.

2. Special Diet

You can try feeding your cat a specialized “hairball formula” cat food. These high-fiber formulas are designed to improve the health of your cat’s coat, minimize the amount of shedding, and encourage hairballs to pass through the digestive system.

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3 Reasons Dog Eyes Water

Posted on: April 24th, 2013 by

Veterinarian Dr. Fiona discusses your dog health questions for the highly rated pet insurance provider, Pets Best.

Hi. I’m Dr. Fiona Caldwell; I’m a veterinarian at Idaho Veterinary Hospital. Today, I’m answering some questions from Pets Best Insurance Facebook page. This question comes from Joey, who asks: Why does my dog’s eyes water constantly? It looks like she’s crying, but she’s never in any discomfort.

This could be due to potentially a variety of different problems. If it’s something that he or she’s always done, it’s probably not a big deal. If it’s a new thing, if it’s one-sided, if it’s accompanied by redness, squinting, or more of a thick green discharge; those can potentially be for more serious problems.

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Top 3 Dog Heartworm Questions, Answered

Posted on: April 18th, 2013 by

A dog outside that is susceptible to a mosquito bite.Veterinarian Dr. Marc, writes for pet insurance provider, Pets Best Insurance.

1) What are heartworms and how do dogs get them?

Heartworm dog disease, or dirofilariasis, is a potentially serious disease seen primarily in dogs throughout the United States (and other areas). Heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquito, meaning that dogs that spend even a short amount of time outside are susceptible to the disease.

Transmission occurs when a mosquito bites an infected host that is shedding microfilariae (immature heartworms). The microfilariae develop within the mosquito until the mosquito bites a new host and the larvae are transmitted. This is clinically important because without the mosquito, heartworm disease cannot be contracted. Once inside the new host, the heartworm larvae migrate and develop until reaching their ultimate destination in the pulmonary arteries. Once in the pulmonary arteries, the adult heartworms will start producing microfilariae and the life cycle starts over.

2) What are the signs and symptoms of heartworm disease?

Due to the systemic nature of having heart problems, many different symptoms are possible with heartworm disease. However, heartworm positive dogs are generally classified into one of 4 categories of symptom severity.

In class 1 animals, they generally have no clinical symptoms with the exception of a possible mild cough.

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Cat Health: Are Hyperthyroidism and Chronic Kidney Disease Connected?

Posted on: April 18th, 2013 by

A senior cat suffering from hyperthyroidism and kidney disease.

Dr. Jane Matheys, a veterinarian, guest blogs for pet insurance provider, Pets Best.

On the Pets Best Insurance Facebook page, Bonnie asked a question about cat health. She asks, “Are hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney disease linked in a causative manner, or are they just associated as many older cats develop both?”

Geriatric cats are prone to both hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney disease, so it’s not surprising that these conditions frequently coexist. The prevalence of concurrent kidney disease in cats with hyperthyroidism is estimated to be about 30-35%1, 2.

For a long time it has been unknown whether a true cause and effect relationship existed between the two, or if they are simply common in the geriatric feline independently. Recent research is slowly helping to make this less of a mystery, and it’s now known that thyroid function can definitely influence kidney function.

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Doing the Math: Pet Insurance vs. Savings Accounts

Posted on: April 16th, 2013 by

A dog with dog insurance rests his paws on a bundle of money.

As someone who loves to travel, I often tell myself I’m going to start a special savings account. I’ll save a few bucks every week and before long, I’ll have enough to take an amazing vacation somewhere exotic.

Like many people, though, I haven’t actually started that savings account. And even if I did, there’s no guarantee it wouldn’t end up going toward car repairs, medical bills or other emergencies (water leaking through the kitchen ceiling, anyone?)

Because I can’t save for a fun vacation, I know I won’t have the discipline to save for un-fun veterinary bills. And I don’t think I’m alone– this is why pet insurance exists.

Can You Save Fast Enough?
Financial advisers sometimes recommend savings accounts instead of pet insurance. They argue that you can put a little away each month in anticipation of future vet bills. In theory, that sounds okay. But what if your “future” vet bill comes next week, or even a year from now? Will your savings account hold enough to cover it?

Even if you’re putting around $20 into the account each month, (which is more than the approximate cost of a pet insurance plan, monthly) basic math exposes the real weaknesses of pet health savings accounts. If your pet gets sick or injured two months in, you’ll only have around $40 at your disposal.

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