Do pet insurance companies often follow up with a call to the veterinary clinic to verify your information?
Posted by admin in Veterinary Pet Insurance on August 11, 2010
If anyone has experience with making claims through pet insurance, I’d really appreciate you giving me some info. I am filing my first claim and am worried that they will call and find out that my dog’s condition was somewhat preexisting. While getting her 3rd round of puppy shots, my vet noticed a place where my puppy had been scratching. He thought it could be a food allergy or just something irritating her skin so he put her on antibiotics to keep it from getting infected. Now, a couple weeks later, she has bumps and lesions. They did a skin scraping and although they didn’t find mites, treated her for scabies due to the pattern and looks of her inflammation. I got pet insurance between the two visits. In your experience, will they call my vet to get more info & if so, do you think the claim will be denied? Thanks!
If the treatment was expensive- yes, it is very much likely they’ll call and ask to have the file faxed to them. If it was very cheap, they may not bother with it. Since the condition existed prior to you taking out pet insurance- yes, the claim will be denied if your coverage excludes pre-existing conditions and they check up on it.
Does anybody use the akc pet healthcare plan?
Is it worth the cost? Is it offered to every person who registers with the akc? Just looking for some input from dog owners. Any input would be appreciated…..
It depends on your situation. I personally don’t use it, but I work at a vet and therefore get a discount on all medical expenses. I have some clients that use it and love it. It is a very reputable plan (unlike some which are just money pits!).
If I were to use a healthcare plan I would use the AKC plan. I think it’s the best one. I do give it as an option to all my new owners.
My breeder said that he does not reccommend Rabies Vacinations after age 18 months.?
Posted by admin in Dog Vacinations on August 11, 2010
He said that once the dog gets the vaccination at 18 months, his body becomes immune to Rabies. He said the vaccination can hurt my dog. The law says I have to get it for my dog. I want to follow the law, but I don’t want my dog to have unnecessary vaccinations. What should I do?
Your dog needs his initial Rabies. Most states go every 2-3 years after the initial vaccine, depending on the incidence of the disease in their area. You may be able to convince your vet to do a vaccine titer (blood test to check immunity) on your dog every time his Rabies is due, and issue you a new tag based on his continued immunity.
I agree that Rabies isn’t necessary for adult dogs — the blood titers support your breeder’s theory. But it’s hard to argue with the law. 
ADD: Rabies is *not* an annual vaccine. All Rabies vaccines produced are certified for 3 years of coverage…it’s up to the individual state to determine how often they want dogs vaccinated (again, depending on how prevalent the disease is in the state), and most are going with every 3 years. Some still require the vaccine every 2 years.
How do you install a dog door into a glass door?
I have a sliding glass door and I really want to get a dog door for it but I’m not sure how this will work or how to install one. I live in Australia so if you’re going to suggest Dog Doors and stuff please make sure you name brands that are here because otherwise I don’t know what you are talking about.
It’s a sliding glass door. So there is one plane of glass that slides over another plane of glass.
I’m not sure about brand names down there but there are some really cool products for just that purpose. They have inserts that go in the door and the existing door just closes on them, and others that actually replace the sliding portion of the door itself, and still others that just work for the screen in the outer section of the door.
Try checking out petsmart.com to see what kinds are available, you might even check ebay, If you’ve got a used pet supply place in your area those are fantastic too, the one here had several last time i went to see what kind of new stuff they had.
Sorry i can’t be much more help, brands and types of products are so different in different places.
What is the best, reasonably priced Dog Insurance?
Posted by admin in Dog Insurance on August 11, 2010
I’m getting a puppy and want advice on obtaining Dog Insurance.
About Banfield, you said the you like the people there….is it local to you. I wonder if they are in my area. Knoxville TN
There are so many loopholes in pet insurance and what it covers that I just deposit whatever the monthly premium would be for a policy into a seperate savings account. It works just as well for me and vet expenses including emergencies.
Your Dog’s Yearly Exam And Picking The Right Vet
Posted by admin in Veterinary Pet Insurance on July 26, 2010
Are you getting your dog his yearly veterinary exam? Do you think that because he is acting fine that he is healthy? Don’t fall into a false sense of peace because you cannot visibly see problems. A yearly exam, which is a comprehensive examination, will help your dog to remain healthy. Your vet will be able to see things that you don’t, usually before they are too bad. Your vet will check several parts of your dog’s body, including:
Abdomen, many abnormalities (lumps, distending, infections, parasitic infestation) can be caught early through checking the abdomen area.
Back, spinal problems can be caught and corrected early.
Eyes, dull eyes can be a symptom of internal parasites. The eyes should also be free of foreign matter and excess mucus. Discharge in the eyes can be a sign of eye infections, which can be contagious to both animals and humans.
Ears, foul odor coming from the ear is often a sign of bacteria and/or infection. Ear mites are also something your vet will be checking for; these are easily transmitted to other pets but not humans.
Feet and Legs, muscle disorders and problems with the paws will be apparent through this.
Heart, listening for abnormal heart rate is very important in catching heart disease in early stages among other things.
Lungs, just like external human chest exams, your vet will listen to the lungs for abnormal breathing, congestion, and coughing. All of these can be signs of more serious problems.
Mouth, abscessed teeth, oral tumors, and unhealthy teeth or gums will be caught through this portion of the exam. Anemia is shown through unhealthy gums, which makes this another very important step.
Nose, nasal discharge can be indicative of a variety of conditions. The most worrisome of these is Canine Distemper.
Skin and Coat, external parasitic infestations will be caught. Your vet will also be looking for any injury to the skin as well as lumps within the skin. The coat is indicative to the internal health of your dog.
Which Vet is Right for You?
With the numbers of options available to most people with dogs, it is surprising to find that very few take much time in choosing their veterinarian. For the most part, gone are the days when there was one vet for several small communities, Today, you can usually find a decent choice of vets within reasonable driving distance from your home. How do you find your vet?
The most obvious way is to look in the phone book. It is not suggested that you choose a vet with only this method, this should be a stepping stone. Find out which vets are close to you, then you will have a list of doctors to check for your dog’s care.
Once you have a good idea which vets are within range for you, begin talking to others about the vet they use. Ask is they feel the vet honestly takes the time to give their dog the attention he needs and if they have been happy with results of visits. You may find that many people don’t actually care for their dog’s vet but don’t take the time to find another one. All vets are not created equal!
After talking to others, you have probably narrowed your list. From this modified list, take a trip, go check the offices, meet the veterinarians and office staff. While you are there, waiting to talk to the vet, chat up the receptionist. Find out how the vet’s moods are, find out if he has dog allergies (surprisingly, many do). If the vet has allergies to dog dander, your dog is better off with another vet as the doctor may rush through visits due to his allergies. You also need to find out what types of payment each vet accepts and, if you have pet insurance, you need to know whether the vet accepts it or not. Ask about emergency contingencies and whether care is available 24 hours, seven days per week.
With a bit of effort, you will be able to find an excellent vet that you are comfortable with. Since dogs are highly sensitive to the moods/feelings of owners, your comfort will help your dog be as comfortable as possible during those times when he has to see the vet.
Kerry Plowright
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/your-dogs-yearly-exam-and-picking-the-right-vet-57195.html
How to Find thePerfect Pet Urn
When you lose a beloved pet, it can almost be like losing one of the family. Many of use develop a close relationship with our pet, enjoying the unconditional love they always show us, even when we’ve had a bad day and snapped at them. So if you’ve been lucky enough to have a special pet in your life, it’s a great idea to use a pet urn as a treasured memento of their life. You can arrange to have your dog, cat or any other pet cremated, and then place their ashes in a pet urn as a treasured keepsake.
Pet urns are available in a huge variety of styles, with different shapes, colors and sizes. Probably the best place to begin is to decide how much you can afford to pay for a pet urn. Then you’ll be able to stick to looking at urns you can afford, without getting carried away. The cheapest urns are usually the simpler, more basic urns, and the more decoration and personalized touches you add, the more expensive they get. If your budget is limited, you can always get a simple pet urn and then use other mementoes, such as a collar, to make it special.
It’s also a good idea to think about what you want to do with the urn. Many people bury them in the yard and plant a memorial tree. In that case, a simple urn is sufficient. However if you plan to put the pet urn on display, then it might be best to choose a more elaborate design to help make it attractive to look at.
If you’ve decided you want to get a more decorative pet urn, there are plenty of varieties to choose from. You can choose a vase-shaped urn decorated with carving, right through to a life-sized replica of your pet. Perhaps you could choose a pet urn with space to put some photos of your pet, or a burial urn that you can bury in the garden that comes with a marker for placing in the ground above the urn. You can even get pet urns shaped like rocks or garden ornaments if you want to place the urn in your garden, but don’t want to bury it in case you move house.
Most people also like to personalize their pet urn in some way. It’s quite common for pet urns to have a brass plate attached, that you can remove easily for engraving. Some urns can also be laser engraved, and others incorporate slots that can be used for inserting photos. Even if the pet urn is fairly basic, you can still place special items around the urn to form a display of your loved pet’s life.
Pet urns are available from a variety of places, including veterinary clinics and pet crematoriums. You may find that a crematorium has a more extensive range, and they can handle the whole process for you. It’s never easy to say goodbye to a good friend, but choosing a pet urn can be a special way to keep your pet’s memory alive forever.
Stephen Dolan
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-find-theperfect-pet-urn-87545.html
Pet Insurance — suss out the answers to 10 key questions
Posted by admin in Dog Insurance on July 26, 2010
If your joints and bones are flexible and strong, they move freely. And that means life can be fun and appreciated to its’ full. But for one in seven people, movement is hindered by a musculoskeletal problem – back pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, fracture, or sports trauma. Faced with such pain you may be delighted to pay £4,000 for orthopaedic surgery to get those painful joints flexible again. But would you be so willing to spend the same money on your pet Basset Hound?
Veterinary care has moved quickly over the last ten years and as pets get older they are increasingly liable to suffer illness that can be expensive and lengthy to treat. Take diabetes for example. Diabetes is relatively common in dogs and whilst it can be successfully treated, the management of the condition is ongoing and expensive — one vet estimated that typically, treatment cost around £2,500 per year. Eczema is yet another of many conditions that require an extended period of treatment.
But as with humans, your pet can need emergency treatment at any time. According to research company Mintel, one in three pets make an unplanned visit to the vet every year. Boxers and Spaniels are susceptible to dodgy hearts, Labradors and Golden Retrievers are prone to progressive retinal atrophy, Setters’ can get canine leucocyte adhesion deficiency and Alsations, hip dysplasia. And then there are always scrapes in which our pets are so likely to become involved. Your cat may have nine lives but you may well land yourself with nine vets’ bills! With a series of x-rays costing £400 and an MRI scan putting you back £1,500 the case for insurance cover becomes convincing.
Against this backdrop, pet insurance is now the fastest growing form of insurance in the UK. Petwise, Petplan, Pet Protect, PDSA, E&L, Animal Friends, and Marks and Spencer are all names in the market. Indeed, competition for your business is fierce with over 60 insurers offering over 220 different policies. With so much choice, the task of choosing a policy becomes somewhat complicated.
So lets try and keep things simple. Pet insurance falls into three basic groups. The first and usually the cheapest form, limits the claim to per condition per 12 months – suitable for one-off emergencies but not too good for diabetes! The second limits the total paid annually whilst the third limits the amount paid per condition.
Faced with all this choice what features do you need to look out for? Here are 10 key questions to ask:
• Are claims subject to a maximum annual limit or on a “per condition†basis?
• If the insurance is limited “per conditionâ€, what is the time limit?
• What is the excess per claim? Sometimes the excess will be a set sum, sometimes a percentage of the cost and more often, a combination of both.
• Is there a limit on vets’ fees? If so, what is it?
• Find out if your pet is prone to any hereditary conditions and whether the plan will cover those. For cats you’ll find information about hereditary conditions at www.petplanet.co.uk/petplanet/breeds/cats-breeds and for dogs you’ll get the answers at www.the-kennel-club.org.uk
• Is your dog covered for third party liability? Remember, if your dog causes injury or damage you could be liable for damages.
• Does the pet insurance cover the cost of advertising and a finders’ reward if you pet is lost or stolen?
• If you pet undergoes urgent surgery shortly before you’re due to go on holiday, will your pet insurance meet the holiday cancellation costs?
• If you go in hospital, does the policy cover kennel or cattery fees? Some policies will payout after the owner has been in hospital for a certain number of days.
• Does the plan make a payout when your pet dies? If so, how much?
How can you get answers to all these questions? Surprisingly, vets are not particularly well clued up. They normally have details of one or two plans in their waiting rooms but are rarely up to date with what else is available in the market. Perhaps not surprising with all the developments in veterinary care to keep abreast of!
No, you’ve already found the best source of information — the Internet! Search for pet, dog or cat insurance and you’ll find all the information you’ll ever need. It might take you an hour to complete your research, and remember to make notes, but it will be worth it in the end.
Michael Challiner
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/pet-insurance-suss-out-the-answers-to-10-key-questions-10613.html
Treating Dog For Dehydration – First Aid Tips For Dog Dehydration
Dehydration is caused by the excessive loss of fluids. The condition must be treated by the replacement of fluids. It can result from a dog being kept in hot conditions for too long or from illness. Vomiting and diarrhea or a high fever will all cause dehydration.
When a dog becomes dehydrating the electrolytes in the dog’s bodily fluids get out of balance. The electrolytes are mineral salts such as sodium, potassium and chloride. This can result in damage to organs such as the kidneys and liver. Ultimately this can prove fatal.
Dogs do not have sweat glands like humans so they cool themselves by panting. This can lead to dehydrations just like excessive sweating can lead to dehydration in humans.
A dog must always have access to clean, fresh water. Keep a bowl of water accessible to the dog at all times in the house, yard and dog pen. If you use a dog pen in the house make sure there is water available there too. Change the water in all the dog’s bowls at least every day.
Never let the dog become overheated. Do not let it stay out in the yard in hot weather unless it has shade. But it is better to bring it indoors especially if you live in a warm climate. Dogs with a heavy coat are very prone to overheating. It may be best to have them clipped for summer.
Dogs should not be left in cars. Even with the window open slightly a car can quickly overheat. This can happen even in winter because the car acts like a greenhouse. So if you need to leave the dog, when you go into a store say, tether it somewhere shady. Encourage local stores to have a dog tethering spot at which water is available.
When you take your dog for a walk and especially if you take it jogging with you make sure it has access to water. Many dogs will happily lap water poured from your own water bottle. You can pour some into your hands if the dog can’t drink from a jet of water. It’s a good idea to keep some water and a bowl in the car.
Dried food is best for a dog’s dental health but always make sure it has plenty of water too. If your dog is drinking from the toilet bowl this is not a good idea because there can be unpleasant chemical cleaners used in the bathroom. Give the door more water in its own bowl.
If your dog becomes seriously dehydrated you will notice that is nose is dry, its eyes look sunken and its skin lacks elasticity. A good test is to press the gums and if the colour comes back quickly after you release the pressure then the dog is hydrated. But if the colour comes back only slowly then the dog may be dehydrated.
A seriously dehydrated dog should only be allowed to drink water in small amounts slowly. Too much water all at once and it will vomit which will only add to the problem.
The same electrolyte solutions that are used for children can be used for dogs and puppies. This can be useful in cases where the cause of dehydration is illness.
If there is no obvious cause of the dehydration such as heat and exertion or a known illness for which the dog is already undergoing treatment than consult your vetinarian.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/treating-dog-for-dehydration-first-aid-tips-for-dog-dehydration-753311.html
Best pet insurance, 2 dogs & UK only?
Posted by admin in Pet Insurance Reviews on July 16, 2010
I’m wanting to insure my 2 year old dog and puppy, with one dog I assumed my savings would cover any issues but we’re getting a puppy in a couple of weeks so wanting pet insurance for them. I’ve gotten quotes from many companies and read reviews but can’t decide, was wondering if people could share their own experiences. I was thinking of Pet Plan but wondered if their annual payments increase dramatically each year?
Pet Plan quoted me £44 for two dogs – both Shih Tzu.
I am leaning more toward the savings account for both… we had no problems with our previous dogs who lived to be 11 years and 16 years but then I think were we just lucky?
More Than are cheap and seem to offer alot for the monthly premium but I’ve read negative reviews on them.
As I’ve answered already to questions like this, while of course it’s your choice, personally I’ve always felt it far better to maybe open a separate Bank account and put a sum aside monthly rather than contribute to Insurance companies. Depends on whether you have an ‘at risk’ breed(s) too (although in that case, your premiums will be loaded!) but provided you have basically healthy dogs, your vet bills should be minimal. Over the years, this has been the case, generally, with our hounds – and as we kept numbers, insuring them was not viable. We had a good relationship with our vet who knew we’d pay her before putting food on our table, if necessary – and she allowed us to stage pay any unexpectedly big bills we did have.
I took quotes on my puppy Whippet when our numbers were down to just two dogs and even with a breed like a Whippet, which is relatively free of hereditary problems, the quotes I got were horrendous. And the excesses were the nail in the coffin. Most set these (UK) at around £75 which, how amazingly, you’ll find most vet visits come out well under – which means you end up paying the vet in any case, plus the monthly premiums!!
I’d advise you to shop around because they do differ – my brother in law, who checks everything (!!) uses More Than, but I think companies like the big supermarkets, Tesco, Sainsburys, are competitive.
Pet Plan came out way more expensive (for what extra?) than others when I checked by the way.
Affilorama Premium
