Pets Best Newsroom

Blog posts Categorized under ‘Dog Health News’

Pet health dangers of antifreeze

Posted on: January 4th, 2011 by

A dog that ingested antifreeze is cared for by a vet.

Antifreeze is a sweet smelling chemical that is used to keep a car’s engine from becoming overheated in the summer and freezing in the winter.

The sweet smell attracts dogs and cats and causes them to ingest it.

According to Dr. Justine Lee, associate director of Pet Poison Helpline, “The most important thing to know about antifreeze is you have a really narrow window for treatment.” Dogs must get the antidote within 8 hours of ingestion, while cats must get the antidote within 3 hours.

If the pet receives treatment in time, the recovery prognosis is excellent. The treatment consists of a hospital stay of several days. For a medium sized dog, treatment can easily cost a few thousand dollars. This is one of the many reasons pet owners should have their pets covered by pet health insurance. Not only do companies like Pets Best Insurance offer affordable premiums, but having pet insurance provides owners peace of mind.

Antifreeze poisonings have two stages of symptoms:

• After ingestion, the pet will appear to be drunk with signs including lethargy, uncoordination, staggering, or disorientation. These symptoms will occur approximately 30 minutes to one hour after ingestion and can last for several hours.

• After the initial symptoms subside, the pet may then seem to be better. Symptoms that occur in the second stage can include vomiting and oral and gastric ulcers. During this stage, crystals begin to form in the kidneys. If left untreated, pets will go into kidney failure which will eventually cause death.

Anytime your pet is behaving abnormally or showing signs of pet illnesses, they should be examined by your veterinarian.

Pet health: Winter diet needs

Posted on: January 3rd, 2011 by

A dog sits with some healthy veggies.

It is important that your pet be fed a high quality diet throughout the year. This will provide them the nutrients they need to live a healthier life.

In addition to providing a healthy pet food, you should consider providing your pet quality health care, too, including pet insurance.

According to Richard Pitcairn, DVM, author of “The Complete Guide to Natural Health For Dogs And Cats,” exposure to cold weather demands increased calories to keep them warm. He suggests these calories are best supplied by a high-fat diet. Some examples of foods that provide a balanced protein to fat content include lean hamburger or roasted chicken. Never give your dog bones to eat. Make sure any meat you give your dog is fully cooked to avoid any illnesses due to bacteria.

The amount of food that indoor pets are fed should be monitored as well. During the cold winter months, indoor pets are often less active. This can cause them to gain weight even though they are eating the same amount of food they eat when they are active. To prevent weight gain this winter, engage in daily physical activity with your pet. This can mean a few short walks throughout the day or a game of fetch in the backyard.

Pet insurance options increase as pet health care advances

Posted on: January 2nd, 2011 by

A dog with pet insurance waits for pet health care.

Nancy Keates, an author for The Wall Street Journal, has a theory for the reason behind the 8.5% increase in veterinary costs in 2010 (double the cost from 2000).

She wrote in the article, “The $20,000 Pet,” that advanced treatment options, new technology, and “an increasingly sophisticated cadre of veterinarians” are treating conditions that weren’t even being diagnosed a few years ago.

“With some of the advances in human health care spreading to the animal kingdom, pet owners have many more options for treatment—and many more chances to fork over money to cure their pets or at least prolong their pets’ lives,” wrote Keates.

As veterinary costs continue to rise, so does interest in pet health insurance.

“Once considered an afterthought at best and a joke at worst, insurance for dogs and cats is appealing to more consumers as a way to ease the financial bite of pet care,” wrote Keates.

The number of pet insurance companies is rising as more pet owners realize just what the love of a dog or a cat means to them.

Pets can now be treated for illnesses for which veterinarians were simply prescribing euthanization a few years ago. Dog health care is becoming as specialized and sophisticated as care for humans thanks to MRIs, radiation and CAT scans.

One benefit all this advancement in care may be having: as dogs and cats are now cured and living longer than expected, they are seen increasingly more as loving, cherished creatures for millions of pet loving households.

Pet health: Wet food or dry food

Posted on: January 1st, 2011 by

A white dog with pet insurance looks at a bowl of food.

When it comes to caring for your pets there are many important decisions to make, such as selecting the best pet insurance and choosing food for your pet.

Deciding whether to feed them wet or dry food can be as difficult as choosing the brand. When deciding if you are going to be feeding your pet wet food, dry food, or a combination of both, you should make sure that you choose a high quality healthy dog food or a healthy cat food.

When it comes to choosing pet food, there are several reasons that wet food is an ideal choice. Wet dog food and cat food tends to have higher nutritional value than dry food and contains higher amounts of protein, vitamins and moisture.

It is also more appealing to picky eaters due to the variety of flavors available and the overall texture. Due to the way it is packaged, wet food is less processed than dry food and fewer preservatives are needed. Additionally, wet food is easier to chew, which makes it a good choice for very young and senior-aged pets. The downside to wet food is that it spoils quickly after opening and it is more expensive than dry food. Some people also have a hard time with the scent.

Dry dog food and cat food is a better choice when it comes to exercising your pet’s jaw muscles. Other advantages of dry food are that it is cost efficient and has a longer shelf life once it has been opened. The downside to dry food is its reduced nutritional value due to the baking process. To keep its shelf stability, dry food has more preservatives than wet food.

Pet Insurance is important when dealing with serious health concerns

Posted on: December 31st, 2010 by

A cat and a dog with pet insurance wait for a command.

The winter months bring about a time where accidents and injuries occur frequently in pets.

In addition to accidents and illnesses, pets often get sick during the winter. Having pet insurance for your dog can help with the expenses that come with the treatments you dog may need.

Poisonings happen often during the winter months; antifreeze poisoning is one of the most common. Other chemicals used in the winter, like snow melting chemicals, can also be potentially deadly to pets. Pets can also slip and fall on icy surfaces just as easily as humans, which can easily result in broken bones. If owners have dog and cat insurance for their pets, unexpected accidents like these are often more manageable. Pet insurance companies like Pets Best Insurance reimburse pet owners 80% of the total amount of the vet bill after their deductible, so long as the issue is not preexisting.

Frost bite and hypothermia are common risks for dogs during the winter. Outside dogs are at a much higher risk of developing these conditions. Indoor dogs can be affected as well because they are not used to being in the cold weather.

Skin and feet irritations are another common aliment during the winter. The dry heat indoors can wreak havoc on your dog’s skin. Their feet can become dry and cracked due to salt and various chemicals used to melt ice and snow.

If you don’t currently have dog insurance for your pet, now is a great time to get your pet covered. When choosing insurance, make sure you do a pet insurance comparison. Comparing pet insurance plans will allow you to choose the plan that fits the needs of you and your pet.

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