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How much should I feed my pet, Doc? | Pet Insurance

Posted on: June 15th, 2010 by

By: Dr. Jack Stephens, DVM
Pets Best Insurance President
Torrey the Chihuahua gets a workout on the steps
As a veterinarian, before I worked in the pet insurance industry, pet owners were constantly asking me how much they should feed their pets.

The amount of food each pet requires is dependent upon a host of variables, including breed, size, genetic predisposition, amount of exercise and type of food they’re being served.

Pet owners may suspect their pets are a little overweight, but they often make excuses for it or fail to realize how many extra pounds (or ounces) their pets are actually carrying. It’s a natural tendency to show our pets love with food, and that can quickly result in overfeeding. After the cycle of treat-giving or overfeeding begins, pets become patterned and begin to expect it.

My Chihuahua, Torrey, will beg for her morning treat every day at the same time due to a pattern we established years ago. Your pet may guilt you into overfeeding by looking up at you with big puppy dog eyes and pretending to be famished after a meal. But remember, it is their nature to overeat when given the opportunity. In the wild, dogs and cats may not eat for several days, so their instincts tell them to fill up while they can. Understanding this can help relieve your guilt and ensure proper pet health.

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Working with your veterinarian will help you address all the variables that can cause pet health problems related to being overweight or obese. Ask your veterinarian if your pet’s weight is too high, and try not to take the response personally.

While genetics or breed predisposition may play a role in some pets being fat, it is not necessarily their destiny. Good nutrition can improve your pet’s health and even aid with impending problems. Studies have shown that reduced weight relieves arthritis from hip dysplasia and of course, healthy pets can live significantly longer than overweight pets because there’s no extra strain on the heart or other organs, and the risk of cancer is reduced.

Your pet’s activity level will also help determine how much you should feed him or her. A sedentary lifestyle requires fewer calories than an active lifestyle, just as with humans. Also, neutered pets tend to require fewer calories than unneutered pets. Treats and rawhide bones can be high in calories and should be factored into diet discussions with your veterinarian.

Some pet owners like to stay healthy with their pets by walking and jogging together. In fact, people who walk their dogs lose weight faster, keep it off, lower their blood pressure and are more likely to meet the activity guidelines provided by the Center for Disease Control & Prevention. Of course, dogs like my Torrey are not ideal for walking. A few retrievals of her stuffed giraffe toy and she is done for the day. But keeping her weight down allows her to repeatedly bound up and down the stairs, and more importantly, it means she will be with me much longer.

There are a few simple ways to determine if your pet is overweight. First, feel your pet. Does it feel muscular or have extra padding? Second, stand over your pet and look down at them. There should be a slight indentation above the hips, just as in a healthy human.

If you learn your pet is overweight, in addition to making exercise changes for pet health, make food changes. Only younger pets need the high-fat kitten and puppy formulas. If you have indoor cats, choose an indoor formula since they won’t need as many calories as outdoor kitties. Right after eating, take your pet for a walk or offer a favorite toy to prevent begging for more.

The good news is, it only takes a few small changes to make a big difference in pet health. And the payoff is well worth it – extra years together. As I always say, “Pets are good for us.” Keep an eye on your pet’s health and they will also ensure you will be healthier and happier.

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Surprising summertime pet health dangers

Posted on: June 11th, 2010 by

By: Dr. Jack Stephens, DVM
Pets Best Insurance President
A small, brown puppy sits in the grassWe.
One of the most costly dangers and causes for dog health care in the summer may surprise you.

Grass Awns, most commonly called “Foxtails,” often become lodged in pets’ fur and can cause severe infection and other pricey pet health problems.

Foxtails, also known as “cheat grass,” come from tall grass that has gone to seed. They have sharp points and are difficult to extract given their barbed shape. They are also the same aggravating plants that get stuck in your socks when walking through high, dry grass and are usually found in vacant lots or overgrown areas.

Foxtails often get stuck in between pets’ toes, inside their ear canals, in their eyes and in extreme cases they can be inhaled through the nose. If this happens, a dog will suddenly have a violent repeated sneezing episode. When they become lodged in fur or other body parts they can cause abscesses which often require surgery and immediate dog health care. Generally, long-haired dogs and dogs with floppy ears are are at a higher risk.

Cats can also get Foxtail infections, but these are not nearly as common, likely because they groom themselves and are able to remove the Foxtails before they become problematic.

Foxtails can also become lodged deeper into the oral cavity, chest cavity or abdomen causing life- threatening pet health problems. Once they migrate into these cavities, major surgery, which can be very expensive without pet insurance, may be required.

Sometimes the Foxtail is so hard to find and has migrated into the pets’ body so deeply, it can require multiple surgeries to locate. The migration may also cause infected tracts that can go into the lungs.

Untreated, these migrations can result in serious pet health problems and even death.

The treatment costs depend on how complicated, how much infection and where the Foxtail ultimately lodges. But the bills can be upwards in the hundreds of dollars for surgery alone, and additional for aftercare and medications.

The ultimate key to preventing the pet health problems caused by Foxtails is brushing and inspecting your pet often and keeping grassy areas where your pet has access well-manicured so Foxtails don’t grow.

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Dog Health Care – Protective dogs: endearing or problematic?

Posted on: June 10th, 2010 by

By: Chryssa Rich
Pets Best Insurance Marketing Associate
Jayda lays down to form a physical barrier to protect her owner from a coworker.
I adopted my dog Jayda about six weeks ago, after I began working for a pet insurance company. We bonded quickly and within days, people were already commenting on how much she seemed to love me.

Almost overnight, our bond got a little too serious. At the Pets Best Insurance office, she’d growl and bark at anyone who came near me. At home, she’d snarl anytime someone came to visit. At the dog park, she’d snap at other dogs if they came too close to me. And anytime I drove through Starbucks, she’d bark and lunge at the window when the barista reached toward my car.

A quick Google search on dog health care turned up what I’d feared: Jayda was showing territorial aggression. People would say, “Oh cute! She’s protecting her owner!” But of course, Jayda wasn’t just protecting me—she was being obnoxious and scaring people.

I read that the best way to deal with territorial aggression is to teach the offending dog that its human is the pack leader. Pack leaders don’t need protection and dogs instinctively know it, so they don’t need to scare anyone away. The second aspect is instilling confidence in the dog so she starts assuming the best of strangers instead of the worst.

In addition to obedience classes, I started making small changes at home. For example, I stopped letting her jump up on the couch whenever she felt like it. Instead, she had to be invited. After a few days she began to understand that I was the pack leader.

I also made her “sit” before she received anything from me, including her meals. When she became defensive outside the home, I removed her from the situation and made her sit quietly to show her that I was in charge. At drive-through windows, I’d praise her being quiet before we approached the barista and throughout the transaction as long as she was quiet. Over a few visits, her barking and lunging tapered off into just one bark, then one muffled “woof,” and now nothing.

Lately people have been telling me “She’s like a different dog!” Jayda hardly flinches when people come in and out of the pet care insurance office, and a tiny squirt from a water bottle calms her down when she slips up. She’s quiet at home and friendly at the dog park. We took our first camping trip last weekend and she was extremely well-behaved, even staying quiet most of the time when the other dogs barked.

If something is odd about a situation or she hears a noise at night, Jayda still gives a low warning “woof.” I think this is the perfect balance – a friendly, sociable dog who’ll only alert me when she thinks it’s really important.

If I’ve learned one thing from adopting Jayda, it’s that dog health care is multifaceted. There’s much more to owning a dog than feeding and walking it—it’s also part psychology.

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Top five boating tips for pet health and safety

Posted on: June 8th, 2010 by

By: Donna Cejalvo
Pets Best Insurance Director of Partner Programs
Piper the Pit Bull and Dodger the English Pointer Mix sit on the bow of their boat wearing dog life jackets.
Now that Memorial Day has come and gone and our boat is prepped for the upcoming summer, our weekends will be spent enjoying the clear waters and warm summer sun on the lake with our dogs Piper and Dodger.

Piper, our sweet Pit Bull, must have been a fish in another life. Not only does she love to swim, but she can spend hours diving into the lake after her Water Wubba (fetch toy).

Dodger, on the other hand, (or paw) is our English Pointer mix who enjoys watching all the action from the boat, and prefers to stay dry and warm.

During boating season, there are several precautions we take to ensure the pet health and safety of our four-legged best friends while we’re on the water.

1. Personal Flotation Devices for pets
If your dog is not a natural swimmer, (and surprisingly, not all are) life jackets are a must. In the spring and early summer months, the water temperature can be quite frigid, so hypothermia and exhaustion are concerns. Although Piper is a strong swimmer, we make sure she wears her life jacket on the boat—that way we are able to rest easy knowing that if she accidentally fell overboard or jumped in to chase a duck, she would be safe. Doggy life jackets can be purchased at most major marine stores and at some local pet shops.

2. Give them time to find their sea legs
Dodger loves both car and boat rides, but not all dogs do! If your dog is prone to motion sickness in the car, boating may not be for him. However, if you do decide to bring them along, allow your pets to familiarize themselves with the boat while it’s still on land. It’s also a good idea to give them a bit of time to get used to the rocking motion and the sound of the engine before you jet off.

3. SPF Protection
Sunscreen is a must if your dog has short hair, light-colored fur, or pale skin. Dodger has all of the above and is prone to nose burns if he’s out in the sun even for a few minutes. Areas where dogs have less fur such as their abdomens and the inside of their legs are more-likely to burn. If you can’t provide your dog with ample shade while enjoying the warm summer sun, try a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating sun screen. If you can’t find sunscreen specially formulated for dogs, try sunscreens made for children and babies.

4. Fresh H20
Keep dog health care in mind when you’re on the water! Unlike humans, dogs only have sweat glands on their noses and on the pads of their paws. They’re unable to cool themselves down as efficiently as humans, so they’re at a greater risk of overheating. Dogs cool themselves off by panting and drinking water, so make sure you have plenty available. Traditional dog bowls don’t work well on bouncing boats, so we use a spill-proof travel bowl. Water bottles are also a good option to keep your pooch hydrated.

5. Bladder Relief
Give your dog the opportunity to go ashore before you jump aboard. And if your boat allows, you can train your dog to do his business in a designated spot.

We keep these tips in mind whenever we go boating to make sure our two first-mates get the best possible dog health care and supervision on the lake.

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Treat your significant other like a dog to improve your relationship

Posted on: June 3rd, 2010 by

By: H.R.
Pets Best Insurance Editorial Manager
A small, black dog sits with a happy couple.
Dr. Suzanne Phillips thinks people often treat their pets better than their spouses.

While dog and cat health care, emotional demands and physical needs are often readily met by owners—they often neglect to provide the same for their human counterpart.

In her article on PsychCentral, the psychologist argues that we can learn how to improve our human interactions by focusing on how we treat the relationships we’ve fostered with Fluffy or Fido.

According to the news provider, pets “throw up on rugs, pee in the house and steal food from the countertops. Yet we accept their flaws because we love them so much.”

When pet health needs attention, they don’t like their new food, or they badger owners for a walk, the pet owner gladly folds to meet their pet’s demands, yet The New York Times reports “people often describe pets as undemanding and giving unconditional love, when the reality is that pets require a lot of time and attention.”

In her work, Dr. Phillips told the news source, she thinks it’s remarkable how much two people can differ—but when it comes to their pets, they’re most usually on the same page.

“Although couples may vehemently disagree on most topics, they usually both soften in manner and tone to agree that the dog, cat, bird or horse is great,” Dr. Phillips wrote in her PsychCentral article.

The New York Times reported a few ways Dr. Phillips suggests we can improve our relationships with our significant others (in treating them more like the beloved pet.)

Amp up your greetings: Even after a rotten day people greet their pets with excitement. Try doing the same with your significant other.

Let go of that grudge: After wrecking the furniture or making a mess on the floor, we don’t stay mad at pets. If your wife or hubby forgets to pay a bill or get the oil changed, let it go.

Give the benefit of the doubt: When a pet does something wrong we don’t take it personally and we forgive rapidly. When your significant other seems to be out of line, try reacting with an open mind.

“The old expression ‘you get what you give’ may apply here,” writes Dr. Phillips in her article. “Maybe it has potential to enhance your relationship.”

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