Archive for the Category »Featured «

Sep
28

Who would have imagined that pets should also have insurance? Before, this was a laughable idea, but today more and more pet owners are thinking about insuring their pooch as well as their feline companions. This is generally because of the increasing cost of veterinary fees. Pet insurance plans are designed to help pet owners in paying for veterinary costs should their furry buddies become ill or get into an accident.

Taking care of a pet these days can be an expensive endeavor. Just like human beings, proper care should be given to them in order for them to have a longer and happy life. And as such, you have to pay close attention to your pet’s overall health. Knowing this, pet owners are now considering getting a pet insurance. Picking the best, however, can be a tricky process; so here are some of the things you have to keep in mind to ensure that you will be getting the right type of insurance for your furry companion.

Before choosing what kind of insurance policy you should enroll in, you must first thoroughly assess the needs of your pet. Do not just jump into the first offer you get. Consider the breed of your pet, pre-existing medical problems, and general health.

Look into pet insurance quotes online to help you compare various types of policies available. Comparing different pet insurers will allow you to find one offering superb benefits at a great price. You should also know how much is the policy’s monthly premium, as well as the benefits that your pet will get once insured.

Calling the insurer personally is also a good idea since you can ask them vital questions that will help you in deciding which policy you should get for your pet. Contact three or more pet insurers, preferably those with good reputation, and do an extensive background check on each one of them. You can also ask personal recommendations from friends or family who have already bought a pet insurance to ensure that you will be referred to a reliable and trustworthy insurer.

Sep
24

Dogs that have been trained to go to the potty, particularly to urinate, outside may suddenly start peeing indoors for any one of many reasons.  The dog is probably suffering some manifestation of a medical, psychological or behavioral problem that you need to be aware of, therefore you should regard this new development compassionately and do all you can to get to the root cause of the new and unwanted behavior.  Many veterinarians and professional dog trainers assert that pet owners should have their pets professionally evaluated before assuming they can eliminate the problem by using discipline. Once any medical conditions have been ruled out, a pet behaviorist can be consulted to help find out what could be going on in your dog’s mind and to correct the behavior.-Canine diseases such as diabetes can, just as it does in humans, cause a dog to increase its water intake. This in turn leads to more potty breaks, and sometimes the dog’s bladder fills up quickly, and the dog cannot wait for the next walk. Sometimes, you will notice that a sudden onset of incontinence takes place shortly after the addition of a new medication. Calling the prescribing veterinarian may help you to feel better about this in cases where temporary incontinence is a side effect of the medication.- Sometimes, dogs who are in a state of panic or who are facing severe separation anxiety, which is common for pets when they are first left alone, can bring about more frequent and inappropriate urination indoors. Separation anxiety usually exhibits alongside other behavioral clues like chewing or clawing at doors and windows or other openings to the home or places where the animal has seen their owner come and go from. Your dog may also develop anxiety due to something that may have happened in your absence, such as a loud sound from a thunderstorm, or a brief power outage.  Any number of things could be the cause.- In addition to these other potential reasons, male dogs tend to  urinate to mark their territory. They will mark on walls, chairs and table legs or other vertical surfaces both indoors and around the outdoor perimeter of the house and yard. Any time a male dog is introduced to a house, his instinct is to mark the territory.  This behavior can be gradually tapered and discontinued with the right training, so always consult a professional before trying methods on your own that may do more harm than good.

Feb
22

If your considering changing to a better food for you pet, then congratulations!  It’s a great idea to move away from the cheaper foods for your little friend.  What your pet eats, is just as important for their health and longevity as it is for you.  One of the surprising things you may found out, is that it’s not as expensive as you may think to move to a higher quality food.   For one thing, one of the things you’ll discover, is that it takes less food per weight to give your pet the same amount of nutrition as the cheaper foods.  Since they have less fillers, your actually feeding them more of what their little bodies need.

Another thing you can do, is shop around for deals and coupons.  There are plenty of sites online that offer discounts and Blue Buffalo coupons to make the better foods an even better deal.  The other thing to consider is the long term health of your pet.  Veterinary bills are pretty expensive.  I was just reading about an owner whose dog died of kidney failure, and they were moving to a better food for their next pet as a result.  So, in the long term, not only will you save money on the vet, but you will greatly improve the quality of life for your companion.  It’s a good thing for everyone.

Feb
22

There’s definitely something different between the owners of cats and dogs.  They are to very distinct types of people.  If you’ve ever heard, and understood the expression “She’s a cat person”, or “He’s a dog persion”, then you know exactly what I mean.  There is something funny but similar between cats and dogs.  It’s kind of like they’re the same, since their one of the favorite pets around, but they’re so different.  It’s like they’re always in constant battle for our affections.  I think, they’ve even made a few movies based on the premise.  None of them very good, I might add.

Another funny personal a story I can relate was about my view on cats and dogs as a child.  When I was little, somehow I got the notion that cats were the girls, and dogs were the boys.  Apparently, I didn’t quite have a handle on how reproduction worked, but it made perfect sense to me.  Now being a proud pet owner, I must admit I really do like to do the best for them.  They’re like little dependents that need our love and protection.  While it can be expensive to provide the best care for our little ones, if your a cat owner then you may appreciate these Meow Mix couponsThey make it a little easier to do right by our pets, and still keep a little extra coin for ourselves.


Oct
25

So, of all the major life decisions, not to mention the minor day to day ones, now you need to figure out what is the best dog shampoo to get for your ever so lovable Rover.  Well, it would seem that this is your lucky day, as I’m about to let you know.  HydraPlex makes a great dog shampoo, that does everything a good shampoo for your dog should do, plus a few more things.  It’s a terrific moisturizer,   gives your pets coat a brilliant shine, and helps the skin by feeding it.  It’s a premium product, so it’s not exactly cheap, but I figure if your going to be doing the shampooing your self, then it’s still a lot cheaper than paying a professional groomer

Our puppy always great when she comes back from the groomer, but it costs an arm and a leg it seems.  It would make sense to use a dog groomer only when absolutely, and then doing a good shampoo and bathing yourself.  Even if you alternated between you doing the work and the groomer, you save quite a bit, and probably have a happier dog.  In spite of how wonderful our groomer is, our little girl is still not all that keen on going there.  I think you may even find that it’s kind of fun washing your own dog.  Sure your going to get a bit wet, but that’s all part of the fun.

Sep
22

Everybody has their own preconceived notions about what different occupations are like.  Take the veterinary technician for example.  I’m sure that most people assume all they deal with are cats, dogs, guinea pigs, and the occasional gold fish.  But if your considering on getting into the field, you may want to broaden your horizons a little bit.  There are lots of animals all over the city and country that are far more exotic than your regular domestic dogs and cats.  If you have any kind of zoo in your city, then you can be rest assured that they have a staff of vets ready and capable of handling quite a broad variety of animals.  Even smaller zoos, and family owned petting zoos may have vets on call for when they need them.

Then, of course there are all the different farm animals out in the country.  I have in-laws over in Ireland that do nothing, but specialize in large sized farm animals.  It may not seem as interesting as the animals you find in the zoo, but I’m sure the job has it’s own interesting challenges.  If your interesting in traveling abroad and working with animals, then you should be aware there is a nurse shortage.    It could be a golden opportunity to travel to some pretty cool places, and get paid to do it.

Aug
07

Snakes are becoming an ever popular pet these days, especially for those living in flats and shared accommodation where keeping other pets such as dogs and cats is not possible. Snakes can make excellent and very interesting pets and do not take up alot of room as they can be kept in a glass case, or vivarium.

However you must not go ahead with getting a snake thinking that they will be low cost or easy to keep. Like any other pet you need to research their requirements carefully to make sure that you can provide everything that they need to live safely and healthily and the initial set up costs can be quite high.

For a start off a suitably sized vivarium is essential, as is getting the correct reptile heating equipment. Snakes are cold blooded and if you do not keep their environment heated to a constant temperature they will die. You should also provide the right living environment, usually by having the floor of the vivarium covered in wood chippings (not shavings) and providing pieces of bark or strategically shaped stones for them to hide and sleep under. As with all animals a constant fresh water source is also essential.

Food will depend on the type of snake that you choose. Sometimes crickets and other insects will suffice and in other cases you may need to provide baby chicks or even mice. You should purchase these from a reputable pet food supplier such as reptile-food-direct.co.uk and you need to be prepared for the fact that you will be feeding them these fluffy creatures (albeit that they will be dead already).

Finally you need to make sure that you have a veterinary practice that you can take your snake to for medical care and advice – choose a vet that you know has experience with snakes and has the facilities to care for them. It would also be advisable to contact other snake and reptile oweners for advice and to share your experiences – there are many forums and societies to contact online. You may even find that there are other snake and lizard owners in your own area.

Aug
05

Having pets these days is such a simpler experience then it was years ago.  There are so many choices of animals to choose from, and so many options when it comes to taking care of your pets.  It doesn’t matter whether your buying food, grooming products, toys, or dog acne, you have a number of different products and manufacturers to choose from.  I remember when my wife first started looking for products for our new dog just three years ago.  It was our first time actually buying a dog, and was interesting, and quite comical to see some of the products available.  We had the biggest chuckle over the push buggy for dogs.  It was just like a baby buggy, but it was for dogs.  That just seem entirely wrong to us.  If your going to be out walking, shouldn’t your dog be walking also?

Anyway, a few years later, our dog developed a rather severe form of acne.  It’s a rather difficult thing to watch when your pet is uncomfortable or suffering.  Dogs seem to be a pretty sturdy bunch, but there are times when they need your help.  As it turns out, quite often acne problems with dogs is the result of a deficiency in their diet.  Fortunately, there are a number of products available for the immediate treatment of the acne problem, and long term solutions to be sure your favorite is getting the proper nutrition to ensure that acne doesn’t reappear.  Looking around the web is a great place to start, as there is tons of good information to help with problem.

Aug
04

While it may seem like one of those silly extravagances to a non pet owner, those that have a pet know the practical realities of owning an animal include certain financial obligations.  Visits to the vet for even the most routine care can be extremely expensive.  The costs for major surgery and hospital recovery time can be even more prohibitive.  One of the most important things that pet insurance gives me, is the peace of mind in knowing that if one of my pets needs expensive critical health care, I won’t have to decide between my bank account and the health (or life) of my pet.  I have three young children that are incredibly attached to our current dog, and I wouldn’t want to have to explain to them that we couldn’t afford to pay to keep our family pet alive.

Buying pet insurance, is like buying any other type of insurance these days.  There are deductibles, coverage limits, and certain things that are covered and some that are not.  With that in mind, it’s important to compare pet insurance as much as possible.  There can be quite a difference between costs, and the quality of insurance provided by the different insurers.  Factors such as deductible, and the age and type of pet you have are all factors in determining the price and coverage available.

Jul
15

For the longest time, my wife and I held out on buying a dog for the kids.  Neither one of us a really dog people, and had very limited experience with owning dogs as kids.  I never minded other peoples dogs, or at least I tolerated them.  Why is it, that when your sitting in a room with a bunch of people, the dog always insists on getting attention from the one person who is not all that keen on dogs?  It seemed to happen to me all the time.  Anyway, eventually after a couple of years of persistence from our kids we caved in and bought them a shi-poo puppy.  I must admit it’s been a pretty good experience.  It was good that we waited a few years, as the kids were old enough to do the majority of the dog care chores.  With a little reminding of course.

Now, after having our dog for about three years, my daughters have been expressing interests in other dogs.  It’s not like they don’t still love our dog, they just seem to have an attraction for other dogs as well.  My oldest, has a thing for husky puppies.  At least I think it’s a husky, I always get those mixed up with the alaskan malamute dogs.  There’s one in our neighbourhood that’s really caught her eye.  We were a little concerned for it the other day, as it’s owner doesn’t seem to be taking great care of it, but it is a very cute dog.  My second daughter is really enjoying a labradoodle friends of ours recently bought.  It’s a nice looking dog with reddish brown hair, and very pointy teeth.  It likes to chew just about anything and anyone.  Just a puppy thing I guess.