Pets Best Newsroom

Blog posts Categorized under ‘Pet Industry News’

February is pet dental health month

Posted on: February 7th, 2011 by

A dog with pet insurance prepares to have his teeth brushed.

Pet owners understand the benefits of giving their pets quality food, annual checkups, and the best pet insurance coverage. But if their pet’s dental care is neglected, optimum pet health may be compromised.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports that most pets show signs of oral disease by age two: 80% of dogs and 70% of cats.

These statistics are alarming, because poor cat and dog dental care can cause periodontal disease, which leads to tooth loss and unhealthy bacteria entering the bloodstream. This can cause infection in vital organs like the heart and kidneys.

February is Pet Dental Health Month, the perfect time for pet owners to look into dog and cat dental insurance. The best pet insurance companies often include dental coverage for pets, or offer it as an additional option.

Pets Best Insurance covers routine dental cleanings as part of the BestWellness routine care coverage. Professional cleanings, performed annually by a veterinarian, will not only help prevent tooth loss, but will also prevent other pet health issues that can occur when plaque and tartar ravage a pet’s gums.

In between professional cleanings, pet owners can brush their pet’s teeth with specially formulated pet toothpaste. Pets love the taste, and it is free of fluoride and other ingredients that can be harmful.

Other tools are also available to keep pet mouths healthy, including tartar control treats, water additives, and gels. These products are available from pet stores and veterinary clinics. When treated with professional pet dental care and pet insurance, periodontal disease is preventable. No pet should have to suffer from painful, bleeding gums, tooth loss, or other potential diseases.

Pet health and behavior: Keeping your puppy happy

Posted on: January 27th, 2011 by

A puppy with pet insurance is in good pet health.

Puppies are naturally playful creatures and in order to keep them healthy and happy, you need to put in adequate effort. Unhappy new born puppies can easily turn into frustrated dogs with behavior problems. A happy puppy is one that is well balanced.

Enrolling your puppy in pet behavior training is an important step in ensuring your puppy is happy. Puppies need to learn that you are the leader. Following a confident leader will make the puppy more confident. A dog obedience training class also serves as a socialization class. Allowing puppies to socialize with others helps ensure happiness.

Crate training a puppy can also aid in their contentment. Puppies love to have a safe place they can sleep in, as it provides them comfort and reduces stress.

A final way to ensure your puppy remains happy is to exercise them daily. A long walk can help mentally and physically stimulate your dog. Puppies that are not mentally and physically stimulated can become frustrated. Frustration leads to behavioral problems like puppy barking and chewing.

Keep your puppy healthy and happy by keeping them up-to-date on their vaccines. In addition, ensure that they have regular check-ups. Keeping your puppy healthy will help them live a long and happy life.

With Pets Best Insurance you know the coverage you will receive. There are no hidden surprises, just great coverage at affordable prices.

Pet insurance: Some symptoms seem scarier than they are

Posted on: January 24th, 2011 by

A dog with pet insurance displays odd pet health symptoms.

It seems like every month I’m typing a new symptom into search engines that my dog or cat has displayed. I try to stay on top of cat and dog health care so that I can speak confidently to the vet about what I observe.

There’s nothing better than breathing a sigh of relief when what I thought would surely result in a new dog insurance claim turns out to be nothing.

About once or twice a week, my 10-year-old Catahoula Leopard dog was snorting backwards, seemingly uncontrollably, for up to a minute at a time. I didn’t know if he was having an asthma attack, gasping for breath, choking, or trying to clear himself of post-nasal drip. It didn’t take much searching to find video of other dogs suffering from similar attacks, and find out that this phenomena is called “reverse sneezing,” or “paroxysmal respiration.”

The condition is called reverse sneezing because air is being rapidly pulled in through the nose, the opposite of a sneeze.

“Although it can be alarming to witness a dog having a reverse sneezing episode,” wrote Ernest Ward, DVM, “it is not a harmful condition and there are no ill effects.”

Of course, if a dog does display reverse sneezing too often for comfort, a veterinarian may test for nasal polyps, respiratory issues and collapsing trachea; tests that will likely be covered by pet health insurance, which is why it’s a good idea to ensure you have cat or dog insurance for your pet.

While Dr. Ward claims there is no exact known cause for reverse sneezing, “this problem seems to be exacerbated by allergies and environmental odors such as smoke, potpourri, and perfume.”

Should your pet display any symptoms you are not familliar with, seek the advice of your veterinarian, as Google Video and Pets Best Insurance blog posts should never be substituted for your veterinarian’s expert opinion.

Top 3 things to do when caring for a stray kitten

Posted on: January 20th, 2011 by

New born kittens with pet insurance drink from a bottle.

I don’t know if I smell of catnip or if word has gotten around to the local cats, but I am one of those people who always seems to find the strays and lost kittens in the neighborhood.

I’ve repeatedly exclaimed, “the kitten can stay – but just for tonight,” only to find myself with a growing number of lifelong family pets.

While new born kittens can be slightly more intense than the needs of adult cats, taking in and taking care for a newly rescued stray kitten isn’t so complicated if you keep a few things in mind.

1. A stray kitten will almost certainly have fleas, and may also have worms. Fleas carry parasites, so if your kitten has ingested any fleas while grooming herself, she’s probably taken in a few parasite hitchhikers.

You can purchase a flea control agent and medication, especially for de-worming kittens, at most pet stores. Be sure you buy the type intended for your kitten’s size and weight. Adult dosages can be toxic to small kittens. Dawn dish washing detergent is a gentle and effective kitten flea shampoo. Any stray kitten should be washed immediately if brought into the home to prevent an indoor flea farm.

2. Spaying and neutering is an important part of responsible cat ownership, as is purchasing a pet insurance policy for your beloved feline. A kitten may be sterilized as young as 8 weeks old, so contact your local rescues and research and see if you can find a spay neuter assistance program. Sibling kittens will mate earlier than expected if not fixed.

3. Pet health insurance is an excellent investment for your new kitten. Not only will you pay very low pet insurance premiums due to your kitten’s young age and presumable lack of pre-existing conditions, but many cat insurance policies also offer wellness and routine care packages.

Correcting your puppy’s bad behavior

Posted on: January 18th, 2011 by

A puppy with pet insurance cuddles in a red blanket.

After adopting a new born puppy you’ll likely begin the search for the best pet insurance you can find. After awhile, you are bound to have behavioral problems– which is when pet behavior training can be a useful tool in correcting these issues. Puppy behavior problems can turn into serious issues if they are not addressed immediately.

Common puppy behavior problems can be fixed with simple adjustments to your routine. Puppy barking can be one of the most disruptive problems. Puppies bark for various reasons, the main reason being attention.

If your puppy is barking for attention, it is important that you don’t reward this behavior. You want the behavior to stop so you need to give the puppy a correction. The correction can either be a verbal one or a physical one, but never hit the puppy. An example of a physical correction might be touching the dog to get him to hush. Once the puppy has stopped barking and is relaxed, you can give them affection. You are then praising him for not barking.

Another example of a puppy behavior problem is chewing. Puppies often chew of out boredom, so make sure that your puppy is adequately exercised daily to help curb this behavior. Daily exercise helps your puppy to be both mentally and physically stimulated. An excellent way to exercise your puppy is to take them on a walk.

« Previous Page  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 26 27   Next Page »
powered by SEO Pager