Category: Animal care services

How to Prevent Mouth Issues in Pets

veterinary surgical proceduresApproximately 46,300,000 households in the United States own dogs, and 38,900,000 households own cats. Every pet should make frequent trips to a vet for routine checkups, but sometimes, veterinary surgical procedures must be performed to keep your pet in good health. If your pet is scheduled to undergo a minor veterinary surgery, rest assured — they’re in good hands. Here’s a look at one of the most common minor veterinary surgical procedures vets perform.

Tooth extraction is listed as the top surgical procedure performed on cats according to Veterinary Pet Insurance. It’s also the third most common procedure for dogs. The average cost of a dental tooth extraction procedure is just under $1,000. It’s important to understand that keeping your pet’s mouth in good dental health is one of the best ways to prevent the need for an emergency veterinarian.

As your pet ages, they are likely to develop periodontal disease as an adult. This causes breakdown of gum tissue that can lead to bacteria escaping into the bloodstream and potentially causing an infection. If your pet’s immune system isn’t strong enough to kill the microbes, it’s likely to lead to a heart infection.

Another little-known fact about cats is that they can be seriously harmed from prolonged cigarette smoke exposure. If your cat lives with someone who smokes cigarettes indoors, the noxious smoke and all its chemical components can actually seep into the cat’s fur. Then, when they groom themselves, which is generally several times a day, the toxins will get into the cat’s mouth and cause some serious issues.

Regardless of the environments in which your pets live, it’s important for them to maintain a healthy diet. Doctors recommend a diet of mostly raw foods that trace back to the animal’s roots. For example, it’s recommended that cats should not eat seafood since ancestors of today’s house cats did not hunt from the sea. Even though most cats enjoy seafood, there are other alternatives your cat will enjoy as well. Remember to look at the ingredients and try to limit the preservatives in your cat’s food.

Overall, keeping your pets healthy is a proactive effort. Taking small steps to reduce health risks, and taking advantage of veterinary services are the best ways for your pet to live a happy and healthy life.

Deciding on Pet Insurance

Animal doctor

There are roughly 1.6 dogs per household in the United States, while there are about 2.1 cats per household — when added up, that ends up being quite a lot of pets!

We want our furry friends to be as healthy as possible, and most of us would go through great lengths to make sure they remain healthy. To help your pet live longer, it would be wise to purchase pet insurance.

Why Pet Insurance? Veterinary services are on the rise, as seen by the $50 billion spend on pets in 2011, and as a result more Americans need insurance to cover rising costs for procedures such as veterinary surgery. If the average cat-owning household spends an average of $191 on basic animal clinic appointments every year, imagine the cost for more expensive medical procedures.

Reasons to Purchase Pet Insurance: Although pet insurance isn’t for everyone, a veterinary office may recommend buying an insurance package due to the rising costs of healthcare for animals. Here are five reasons to purchase insurance.

  1. If you can’t cover expenses. The main reason people choose health insurance for their pets is because they simply can’t cover the cost of keeping them healthy. It’s another monthly bill that eventually adds up. Lets say you have an older dog and they are diagnosed with cancer; would you rather pay the $3,000 for treatment, or $30-$50 a month?
  2. High Risk, High Worry: Most small animals will spend the majority of their lives indoors and away from diseases and potential injury threats. However, outdoor cats and dogs that are active outside are putting themselves (and your wallet) at risk. If you constantly worry that something will happen to your cat or dog, your veterinarian may recommend purchasing pet insurance — just to be prepared for the worst.
  3. Huge Investment: After purchasing a pet, you understand that you have made a huge time, emotional, and financial investment for the next decade or more. If you’ve spent a pretty penny on the cost of a dog or are planning on breeding dogs, there is a lot at stake in terms of financial security, so it would be best to have insurance to cover medications for those expensive pets that can add up.
  4. Financial Stability: Many pet owners just see insurance as just another annoying bill to pay at the end of the month, but in reality if you have a stable income and a pet that may need a lot of medical attention down the road, insurance is a great option. Just make sure you are able to make the monthly payment, which should give you peace of mind knowing that your pet will be covered for most medical expenses.
  5. When You’ll Do Anything: For those that will do just about anything for their pet, health insurance is an obvious choice. Pet owners have increasingly thought of their pets as a part of the family, and therefore believe they are entitled to their own insurance.

If you are thinking about insurance, do your online research and compare rates. Consulting your veterinarian can also be very helpful.
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