But how many of you were aware that you could get a policy to cover your dog health? Not many I wager. In fact it is a subject that not many people think about. I mean they are just animals after all and we have to follow dog health advice to avoid them getting sick. That’s what many people say when they are asked if they have thought about dog health insurance.

That is until the first time they have to take the beloved four-legged family member in to see the vet to have something taken care of. At that point they see that it is expensive to have the pet taken care of. In fact in some instances it can actually cost more to have similar things done on a dog than it does on a human.

Part of that is because unlike us, the dog can’t tell the doctor that this or that hurts or that he or she is experiencing this dog health symptoms or that one. It is up to the vet to run tests to find that information out. And those tests can prove to be fairly costly.

Even the cost of having a family pet put to sleep can run into a large outflow of cash. And by the time you get to the point of needing the dogs health insurance it is not something that you can buy. Most vets at that point offer financing or payment options to cover something that insurance would have handled for literally next to nothing.

So you weigh the options. The family dog health against your wallet and see where your bottom line comes out. Americans are great gamblers and this decision is a gamble there is no doubt about it.
Animals are generally fairly self-sufficient and as a rule don’t manage to have anything that can’t be handled well by rest and normal Mother Nature. However as we know and have seen the world is far more polluted and full of carcinogens today than it was even a few short years ago. If your dog is an indoor only pet and you follow dog health advice, there is certainly less chance of strange things happening but if he or she is out of doors a lot there are more things out there in the “wild” than you can imagine that can cause serious harm to your pet.

Dog health insurance is not something that we like to think about. Not when it comes to our family and certainly not for the family pet. But dog health is an issue that every owner is going to face at some point in time if he is not following the dog health advice.

Puppies are inquisitive and more prone to accidents and older dogs are more susceptible to old age type problems, so there really is no way to rule out an age group as not needing coverage.

Even though dogs are unlike humans in almost every way that you can imagine, we do have a small number of common issues. As a person, you admit that brushing your teeth on a regular basis, going to the dentist from time to time, and everyday oral care are crucial parts of your mouth’s health. Whether we realize it or not, dogs need the same care on a regular basis.

Ignoring the problem will not make it go away, and eventually the dog’s teeth and gums will begin to have serious problems. Inadequate dental care brings about pain, discomfort, and illness for a dog the same as a human. A dog’s mouth/tooth decline has three distinctive and unique stages:

Plaque accumulates on the teeth.

This is basically the breakdown of sugars and other food particles on the teeth/gums, and it produces bacteria. This is occurring continuously, but is decreased somewhat by eating particular foods, chewing, and drinking water.

Plaque hardens into tartar.

Tartar is an extremely hard, mineralized material that attaches to the teeth. The tartar build-up ultimately brings about gingivitis, a disease recognizable by red or inflamed gums, terrible breath, and infrequently bleeding gums.

Periodontal disease sets in.

When tartar accumulates to a specific stage on the teeth, it begins to build up under the gums as well, giving rise to pockets between the teeth and gums. These pockets are perfect environments for bacteria to multiply in. Damage from periodontal disease is irreversible, and typically includes abscesses, infections, and even tooth loss.

The most important danger with periodontal disease is the potential for bacteria to pervade the bloodstream. If this comes to pass, the dog could be exposed to infections in the cardiovascular system and kidneys. The older a dog is at the time of the onset, the more risky this condition becomes. Your dog can die from complications arising from poor dental health if the condition is left untouched. That’s why appropriate dental care for your dog is so crucial.

Your dog’s dental healthcare should, of course, begin at home. You must give your dog daily oral exams if at all possible, especially active dogs or dogs who chew a great deal. Carefully watch for symptoms of disease or injury: discolored or bleeding gums, chipped or broken teeth, irritated lips or gums, and so on. Anything unusual should be mentioned to your veterinarian as soon as possible. Next, brush your dog’s teeth each day. You can find what you need to do this at any pet store, online, or by asking your veterinarian. Offer your dog toys and food that support tartar prevention, particularly snack food such as dog bones/treats.

Over and above frequent home exams and care, your dog needs steady visits to the veterinarian. Your vet will supply you with routine dental cleanings, which will be made up of the following:

Oral exams that are more in-depth than the daily ones we can perform.

X-rays that are designed to ensure that the teeth can handle an intense cleaning and screen for abnormalities that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Either ultrasonic or manual cleaning, depending on the veterinarian’s preferences. Anesthesia is typically used to keep the dog still and relaxed, and it is a vital part of removing plaque that has already built up on the teeth and under the gum line.

Tools with rotary brushing heads remove scratches and similar surface imperfections that are ideal bacterial breeding grounds.

By being dependable with your dog’s dental health care, you are presenting your pet with a healthy and enjoyable life. To encourage you in this faithfulness, dental insurance is offered for your dog. Talk to your current health or dental insurance provider, or simply type “Pet Health Insurance” into your chosen search engine. Most of all, don’t forget to brush!

Make sure you have all the correct supplies for your hunting dogs including Innotek ADV-1002 and Innotek 300.

When you first think of getting healthcare insurance for your pet you may think it is something that is not within your financial reach. You may also think that is not something that is really necessary and would be a waste of your hard earned dollars.

This may be true for some people, but for those of us who take the time to train our dogs and take them to the vets on a regular basis and generally view our pets as family members, pet insurance may be just what you need.

You know when you bring that cute puppy home that there are certain costs that come automatically with pet ownership. You have the cost of food, training, licenses, shots etc.

Now what about the unforeseen expenses?

Unfortunately accidents do happen with all pets no matter how careful we are. They can get loose and get hit by a car. They can ingest something that they shouldn’t. Just use your imagination and you can come up with a lot more.

We first heard about pet insurance about seven years ago. After purchasing our male Doberman we decided to buy insurance for him and for our older border collie/lab. We first purchased the emergency care. This policy basically covers accidents. If your dog gets hit by a car, swallows something that they shouldn’t have or has an allergic reaction to a bite etc. It does not cover any types of illness.

When our precious border collie lab mix died from liver disease she was not covered for her treatment.  After talking to the vet that treated her he suggested that when our dobe turned two we should increase his insurance to include illness. His opinion was that the majority of dogs do not suffer from serious illnesses until after two. This is provided that your puppy is healthy when you first get them.  So when our male dobe turned two we upped his coverage to include certain diseases and illness.

While doing just a routine check on him in 2003 we found a tiny lump in his neck area. We took him to the vet’s where upon removal we were told he had lymphoma cancer. We were stunned since he was so young. We luckily got him into Guelph Veterinary Hospital immediately. Upon running some tests they thought he was a good candidate for chemo since the cancer was caught early and had not spread.

Although we would have mortgaged the house to have him treated, we had the insurance so eighty percent of the treatment was covered. I am happy to report that the treatment was successful and he has been cancer free now since finishing the 26 weeks of chemo.

So I have to ask you. Can you afford not to have pet insurance? I would much rather pay thirty or forty dollars a month than the thousands it would have cost us if we had not had the insurance.  My view, when it comes to pet insurance, is pay a little once a month or pay a lot at once.

I don’t know about you but I can budget the monthly payments a lot better then being hit with one big bill.

We all hope our beloved pets will never get sick but the reality today is they get the same diseases that we do. With today’s technology, pets can basically receive the same medical treatment that we do.  Actually you might say better since they don’t have the long waits that we sometimes have.

There are many different plans out there for your pet’s medical well-being. Usually each plan has different levels of coverage. If you are considering purchasing insurance check them all out and find the one that suits your financial situation. Is your pet not worth it?

Until next time

Maureen Brownell