“Of all the things I miss from veterinary practice,
puppy breath is one of the most fond memories!”- Dr. Tom Cat

Finding a veterinarian is often a personal journey, just like finding the perfect pet and choosing an upstanding pet insurance company. There is no rule that says you have to pick the closest veterinarian or the cutest dog or cat. Your personality might gel better with the vet across town, and the quirkier looking cat at the shelter just might steal your heart.

Even if you get a referral from a friend who loves her veterinarian, the chemistry just may not be there between the two of you. There is nothing wrong with taking time to perform veterinarian clinic comparison, pet insurance comparison, and pet food comparison. Such actions just prove that you are a caring, responsible pet owner and that you are concerned about pet health.

It’s well understood that the number-one reason veterinarians choose their field is because they love animals. We would all love to believe that when we take our beloved pet to a vet clinic, the people treating him sees in him exactly what we see. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. A vet clinic is still staffed with people who are at work, and may not be having the best day. Your pet is probably stressed out and not on his best behavior, either.

Likewise, you’re probably as stressed out as every other pet owner there that day, as well. Everyone needs to work together calmly to get to the goal: a happy, healthy, comfortable pet. But during this process, you don’t deserve to be made to feel like a number, or your pet like he’s on a conveyor belt.

If you can find a clinic that remains professional through the chaos, and communicates patiently with you until you understand, you may have found your veterinarian. If you feel calmed by a vet’s bedside manner, and he takes a moment to look into your pet’s eyes when they aren’t shining as brightly as they once were, you may have found a gem.

Dr. Andrew Ward wishes more people would buy pet insurance for their pets, The Observer website reports.

According to the source, the vet feels that insuring pets allows their owners to provide tip top treatment.

“It is a great idea that gives financial backing to us as vets that an animal’s treatment isn’t limited,” Ward told the Observer.

“Quite often people can’t afford things such as tests or surgery.”

Ward told the news provider that he makes it a point to discuss the benefits of a pet care insurance plan with each of his clients—because too often, the only other option is euthanasia.

“Sometimes we have no choice but to euthanize an animal for financial reasons because their owners can’t afford treatment which wouldn’t happen if they had pet insurance,” Ward told the source.

Ward told the provider that when his clients opt to buy insurance for dogs and cats, there are more methods of treatment available.

“I really do hope it is a trend that will catch on.”

No one likes to think about euthanizing animals—but one shelter in West Virginia makes a point of it.

According to the WOWK 13 news source, Kanawha Charleston Humane Society held a candlelight vigil last week to honor the thousands of animals that have been put to sleep.

Shelter volunteers strung 7,574 pet collars around the property to represent each pet that had been euthanized over the past year, the news provider reports.

“It is a terrible feeling because you know you could have helped them… those animals shouldn’t have to be killed because humans didn’t help them by getting them fixed or doing simple things for them,” shelter volunteer Autumn Lenn told the provider.

According to the source, 4 million animals are euthanized each year. In addition to overpopulation, some pets are put down due to expensive vet bills their owners can’t afford.

“Euthanasia of pets for other than humane reasons can be avoided,” explains Dr. Jack Stephens, founder of Pets Best Insurance. “This is why I started pet health insurance (in the US) nearly 30 years ago… as a veterinarian I hated euthanizing pets due to economics.”

In addition to helping cover vet bills due to accidents and illnesses, many pet insurance wellness plans offer spay/neuter coverage to help control pet populations. It’s a one-two punch against the leading factors contributing to euthanasia.

For more information about pet insurance, visit www.petsbest.com.

When Dianne T. opened a can of pet food to split between her four dogs, she was aghast at what she found.

“I saw a brown clump in the food… I was like, ‘what is that?’” the pet owner told ConsumerAffairs.com.

“I flipped it over and it was a dead frog.”

Dianne told the news provider she immediately called Pedigree’s manufacturer, Mars Petcare US, to report the problem, but the company didn’t respond the way she’d hoped.

“They offered me coupons for more dog food,” she told the news source. “I told them ‘I don’t want your coupons.’ Why would I want to give my dogs more of this food?”

According to the website, Dianne purchased the Pedigree Choice Cuts food in early August from a local Sam’s Club.

“Half the cans were chicken and half were beef,” Dianne told the news source. “And my dogs have been eating other cans from this same case.”

Dianne told the site that she contacted her veterinarian for fear that her dog’s health may be in jeopardy from the potentially toxic amphibian.

“I asked him what could happen if the dogs ate from a can that contained a dead frog… and he said they could have diarrhea, vomiting, and neurological problems,” Dianne told the news source.

According to the consumer affairs website, Mars Petcare US called Dianne’s claim “unlikely” in a released statement.

“While it’s highly improbably that this could occur, we’re taking it very seriously and launching a full-scale investigation into this consumer’s claim,” the company wrote in the statement.

Dianne said she has no intentions of suing the company; she just wants them to clean up their facility.

“Frogs belong outside. They belong in a pond – not in my dog’s food,” she told the news provider. “I don’t want anyone feeding their dogs something that is unhealthy.”

When a man kayaking in Boston’s Charles River noticed something unusual in the water, he had no idea he was about to save the life of a helpless creature.

According to the PeoplePets website, “He wasn’t sure what the object was, because there was very little of it above water.”

The news provider explains that the kayaker, who declined to be identified, lifted the crate above water and discovered a full-grown cat locked inside.

The cat, who has since been named “Grandma Moses,” was taken to a veterinarian immediately, where her body temperature was returned to normal thanks to top-notch cat health care.

“Staffers warmed the cat, then treated her bloodied paws, which she presumably injured while trying to escape her sinking crate,” the source reports.

According to PetPeople, X-rays revealed that other than swallowing large amounts of air, likely gasping for breath, the cat sustained no internal injuries.

As Grandma Moses is restored to normal cat health, officials are trying to find out how she got into the river in the first place and why.

“Animal abandonment in Massachusetts is considered animal cruelty, a felony,” the site reports. “It can be punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to five years in prison.”

According to the source, Grandma Moses is now enjoying life, “exploring her surroundings” and patiently waiting for a loving home.

“We’re waiting to make sure she’s healthy, and want to see what the investigation turns up,” officials told the news provider. “But we’ve already had several people contact us expressing interest in adopting her.”

The Columbia Daily Tribune reported secondhand smoke may be dire to pet health.

According to the source, research conducted at Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts showed a link between cats diagnosed with lymph node cancer and contact with secondhand smoke.

“Cats exposed to secondhand smoke developed lymphoma twice as often as cats in smoke-free homes,” the news source reported.

The study also revealed a probable link to other pet health problems in cats, such as oral cancer.

“Because cats groom themselves often, they lick the carcinogens that have been deposited on their fur,” the news provider reported.

Dr. Carolynn MacAllister, a veterinarian at Oklahoma State University, said cat health is compromised because the grooming “exposes the mucous membrane of their mouth to the cancer-causing carcinogens,” ScienceDaily.com reported.

In another study done at Colorado State University, The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that dogs exposed to smoke also had a higher chance of getting cancer.

“In dogs with long noses, the most common type of cancer associated with secondhand smoke was nasal cancer.”

The study found that short-nosed dogs often developed lung cancer.

“The reason short and medium nose dogs have a higher occurrence of lung cancer is because their shorter nasal passages aren’t as effective at accumulating the inhaled secondhand smoke carcinogens,” MacAllister told ScienceDaily.com.

According to the source it’s important, “for [pet health] and others living in the household, that the smoker has a designated area in which to smoke that is physically separated from the home.”

Veterinarian Shannon South knows first-hand that pools and other bodies of water can be dangerous for dogs when they accidentally fall in.

“When you’ve got an older dog or a dog with a handicap, like a dog that can’t see well, definitely get a fence around the pool when you can’t watch them,” South, a D.V.M. at Briarcliff Animal Clinic in Atlanta, Ga. told the Pawnation website.

According to the site, an estimated one out of every 1,027 pets drowns in swimming pools each year, and those that do survive suffer serious pet health problems.

“Even if the dog isn’t attracted to the pool, they could always fall in,” the site reports.

The website also reminds pet owners that not all dogs know how to, or have the ability to swim. On a recent post on the Pets Best Insurance Facebook page, about half of the respondents reported their dogs didn’t know how to swim, hated to swim or had to be taught.

“Certain breeds such as Bulldogs can’t swim at all, and other dogs have physical limitations that put them more at risk in the pool,” the source reports.

Another concern is chlorinated water affecting pet health.

“Pets can get upset stomachs from drinking too much pool water,” South told the source.

South said the chemical also gives off vapors that can bother a pet’s lungs and cause other pet health issues.

“Chlorine can irritate their eyes and their respiratory system,” she told the provider.

The TexasCatsandDogs.com webpage offers six tips to ensure summertime pool safety for owners and pets alike.

• Initially introduce your pet to water slowly so it doesn’t panic.

• Never leave your pet unattended around a pool.

• Be sure to fence the area around your pool and always watch your pooch when it’s within that area.

• Make sure there is an easy way for your pet to exit the pool- should it accidently fall in. Consider products on the market like doggy ramps, or make sure there is a shallow area near the pool steps.

• Never allow your pet to drink the pool water, as this can be detrimental to pet health. Always provide easily-accessible fresh water for your pets on hot summer days.

• Consider investing in a doggy life jacket for your pooch.

The Pawnation site finally reminds owners to monitor their pets around pools, the same as they would their children.

According to the site, pet owners should “be sure to call a time-out so your pooch can recover from its summertime adventures… it may not know when it should take a break from the pool and the sun.”

For more information on pet health and safety, visit the www.petsbest.com/blog/

Kyle Nelson didn’t know his dog’s life would be in jeopardy from a simple fishing trip.

But the California resident got a scary surprise when his Boxer-Dauchshund mix, Della, nibbled on some remnants from a raw fish he had gutted, ABC Action News reported.

According to the source, Della’s veterinarian told Nelson his dog was suffering from severe pet health problems due to salmon poisoning—a malady often found in the Pacific Northwest.

“It’s the first case I’ve ever seen in 35 years of practice,” Dr. Jerry Ratterree or Elsinore Pet Clinic told the news provider.

According to the source, raw salmon and other types of fish can be detrimental to dog health because the fish are often infected with parasites, which are harmless to humans and other animals but lethal to dogs.

The news source reported there a few things pet owners can look for if they suspect their dog has gotten a hold of raw fish.

“Infected dogs typically have a fever, diarrhea, lack of appetite, weakness and swollen lymph nodes,” the source reported.

According to ABC Action News, salmon poisoning can kill a dog within four to five days of ingesting contaminated fish.

“It’s quite deadly,” Ratterree told the source.

Ratterree said if the pet health condition is caught in time, salmon poisoning can be treated with antibiotics.

Veterinarian, Dr. Allan Drusys, told the news source that dogs should never be permitted to eat raw salmon or trout no matter from which body of water it has originated.

Fortunately, Della survived the salmon poisoning.

“I was on an emotional roller coaster,” Nelson told the news source of his dog’s pet health ordeal. “Della is pretty much like our kid.”

Joy Lee, of Los Angeles, CA, said she couldn’t imagine the kind of stress she would have endured if she hadn’t had pet health insurance after finding out her beloved kitty, Knitting G, had a serious heart condition.

“It would have been a lot of financial distress,” Lee said of the costly medication and regular check-ups Knitting G (who’s named after a Korean rice dish) now requires.

“Other people in similar situations have had to put their pets down,” Lee said, acknowledging the cost of treatment is often just too high for some people to pay.

Lee, who has had coverage with Pets Best Insurance for the past three years, said she initially purchased cat health care policies for each of her three kitties: Knitting G, Papillon and Sharif, after moving to a new home.

“When we bought our house there was no way to keep them fully inside so I was worried about other animals they might encounter in our backyard,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure that if anything came up I wouldn’t have to stress out about it.”

Lee calls the coverage through Pets Best Insurance “awesome.”

“First of all, when I researched all the [pet insurance providers] there were several that wouldn’t take Knitting G because of her age,” Lee said. “It seemed like Pets Best was much more comprehensive.”

About six months into her pet health coverage, Lee said her veterinarian, Dr. Krista Schanbel of VCA Arden Animal Hospital, discovered arrhythmia in Knitting G and referred Lee and her feline friend to a cat health specialist.

Lee said the “kitty cardiologist,” Dr. Cathy “Cat” Williams of Animal Surgery and Emergency Center, (ASEC) confirmed the heart condition.

“Now she gets specially compounded medication,” Lee said. “She has to go to the cardiologist every six months.”

Lee said the veterinarian bill would be between $600 or $700 for the office visit alone if she didn’t have pet care insurance with Pets Best. But because of the company’s 80% flat rate reimbursement amount, her out-of-pocket expenses aren’t so daunting.

“Her medication alone is $70 a month, plus taking her to a really great vet hospital with a specialist could really add up,” Lee said. “But since I’ve had Pets Best Insurance it’s allowed me to treat her and make sure everything is covered.”

Lee said she calculated that she’s saved thousands of dollars in pet bills for Knitting G alone.

“With her cardiology [expenses] her insurance has paid for itself,” Lee said of her pet insurance coverage.

“You care about them, you know, you don’t want to see them suffer,” she said. “Knitting G has been a really important part of my life.”

“I may be her human, but she is my angel.”

The American Veterinary Medical Association kicked off National Dog Bite Prevention Week Sunday to remind Americans that dog bites are a widespread problem.

According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dog bites send nearly 400,000 children to the hospital each year.

The United States Postal Service’s website states that aside from children, dog bites occur most frequently in the elderly as well as the USPS mail carriers, and that dog bites exceed the number of reported measles, whooping cough and mumps combined.

According to ZooToo.com there are a number of ways both children and adults can protect themselves from a dog bite or attack.

The news provider reported that dogs often become aggressive when they feel like their space is invaded. The source offered the following suggestions to deflect a potential problem:

1. Always ask a pet owner whether it is okay to pet their dog. Allow the dog to sniff your hand before you touch it.
2. If you encounter an unfriendly dog, do not run. Instead back away slowly. Try to avoid eye contact
3. Do not scream if a dog approaches you. Try to remain calm and speak in a quiet voice.
4. Should you come upon a group of dogs, throw a small object, like a rock, away from you to distract the animals. Then slowly inch away.
5. If you are a parent, ensure your child is never alone with a dog. Do not allow your child to play roughly with the animal or discipline it.

If the problem occurs within the household, GWDtoday.com suggests taking the animal to a veterinarian if it displays behavior problems such as biting. Oftentimes, the news provider reported, the fix can be as simple as spaying or neutering, which can diminish dog aggressiveness.