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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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Dog Hemorrhoids – Is There Such a Thing?

Posted on: April 15th, 2013 by

Dr. Marc, is a veterinarian and guest blogger for the highly rated dog insurance provider, Pets Best Insurance.

Hi. My name is Dr. Marc and I’m filming for Pets Best, answering some dog health Facebook questions for you guys at Broadway Veterinary Hospital in Boise, Idaho. This question comes from Sherry. Sherry has a 13 year old Sheltie. She says he has a quarter-sized hemorrhoid next to his anus. She first noticed this a couple of months ago. She kept an eye on it, and it hasn’t changed in size, and it doesn’t seem to bother him. Her question is, “Should I be concerned or not?”

My concern for you, Sherry, is that this has the potential to be something besides a hemorrhoid.

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Why Pet Insurance? The $2,000 Pistachio

Posted on: April 11th, 2013 by

Tulah ate a pistachio that caused an intestinal blockage requiring surgical removal.

Dr. Marc is a dog dad of two, and a veterinarian guest blogger for dog insurance provider, Pets Best.

As a veterinarian, it is important to be able to relate with your clientele and patients not just on a professional level, but on a personal level as well. In part, this is why I’ve decided to write a blog about a medical case that involved my own dog, Tulah.

What happened and how did it start?

For the Christmas holiday in 2012, we had my wife’s family visit from another state and spend 5 days with us. As is traditional for our family, we had lots of snacks and good food for the season. On the second day during their visit, my little Pomeranian (Tulah) vomited. For her, this is very uncharacteristic. Furthermore, it was not just a little bit of spew, but several cups all over our couch. She seemed to be acting normal and eating ok so we were hopeful that the problem wasn’t serious. Over the course of the next 24 hours, she became lethargic and continued vomiting to the point that she couldn’t hold any food down at all.

Off to the vet clinic with her dad…

Knowing that Tulah had some serious ailment, I took her into my veterinary clinic. After running a blood panel, completing x-rays, and even performing a barium study (an x-ray dye study to watch how her intestines are moving),

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2 Ways Vets Measure Your Dog and Cat’s Health

Posted on: April 8th, 2013 by

Dr. Fiona, DVM, is a guest blogger  for the highly rated pet insurance provider, Pets Best Insurance.

Hi. I’m Dr. Fiona Caldwell; I’m a veterinarian at Idaho Veterinary Hospital. Today, I’m answering some questions from the Pets Best Insurance Facebook page. This question comes from Donald, who asks: How do you assess the health of my pet?

This is a great question. I think it really allows me to explain what your veterinarian is doing when you have those annual exams, and why are they important.

There’s basically two big ways that we can assess the health of a pet:

-One is with a physical exam, and

-Another is with regular blood work

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On a physical exam, specifically the things I’m looking for is your pet’s body condition. Is it overweight? Is it too thin? I’m looking for lumps, bumps, and masses. I look for oral health; it’s a huge issue in pets. Dental disease can be a source of infection, so we want to make sure your pet’s mouth looks really good.

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