Help Your Pet Lead A Fulfilling Life With Cheap Dog Insurance
Like all children, even I was very fond of dogs and dreamed of a house full of dogs when I grew up. Now it seems that I am gradually trying to accomplish my dream since we already have three dogs, two Labrador Retrievers and a Beagle who is just three months old. People often wonder as to how one can juggle a house and a job with three dogs thrown in to be looked after and pampered. I tell them that once you come back home from a hard day at work or after you have just finished slogging at home, a welcoming lick form a dog can chase all your worries away. I can see all you dog owners nodding your head vigorously and I know I am right. However, a word of caution, keeping a dog is not just about his food and games and a cheap dog insurance can make life much easy.
I often wonder why people go in for stress relieving therapies when all they need to do is bring home a pet. Life can become very fulfilling if you have dogs around you because of the selfless love and devotion that they shower on you. On the same note, it is also important for pet owners to provide the best care possible for their dogs. Getting cheap dog insurance helps you provide not only for his regular check ups at the vet but also for all sundry expenses that you might have to undertake for your pet. The cheap dog insurance can cover the grooming costs and many other incidental costs that might arise on behalf of your pet.
Unplanned incidents like a pet getting lost or perhaps injuring your neighbor or his property in some manner, can be sufficiently covered by cheap dog insurance. All you need to do is search out a reliable and reputable company that provides such coverage. You could either surf the internet for such websites or even check out the yellow pages to get the information about the right insurance company providing pet insurance for concerned owners. Also, the vet or other pet owners might be one of the best sources to provide good references for the insurance company and you could accordingly approach them for a suitable plan for your dog.
Cheap dog insurance is beneficial for you and your pet in more ways than you thought possible. The obvious advantage is financial. If you compare the insurance premiums payable each month, to the actual expenditure which you would otherwise have to undertake from your own pocket towards your pet you can the huge amount of dollars that you can save. Also the insurance provides coverage for even the most unpredictable and unforeseen circumstances that would have otherwise landed you in a fix. A pet insurance for instance, may even provide for the a circumstance where you need to cancel a holiday in case your pet falls ill. So consider all options and select the best deal that provides the maximum benefits to both you and your beloved pet.
Veterinary Pet Insurance - The Best Way To Maximize Your Pet’s Healthcare Benefits
At present, most of the pet owners are securing their pet’s life with pet insurance policies. Since every pet faces injuries and other health hazards, these policies enable their owners to provide them with the best healthcare benefits in every situation. In fact, these policies are effectively helping pet owners in arranging best medical facilities whenever their pets are injured or ill. These policies are offering suitable financial back-up to all pet owners so that they may never need to worry about arrangement of finance during illness or injury of their pet. However, these policies charge a fixed amount of premium every month but they cover every veterinary expense form the very first day of buying the policy. Basically, veterinary pet insurance policies are the best way to deal with monstrous expenses of your pet’s treatment, as these policies offer maximum medical benefits. Therefore, if you are a pet owner and worried about the ever-increasing medical expenses of your pet, then throw your all worries aside, as these policies are there to lighten your financial burden. With these policies you can be rest assured that you will never have to disturb your budget for your pet’s expensive treatment.
Veterinary pet insurance covers a wide range of long and short term treatments of your pet, so that your pet’s healthcare needs may met with the most advanced veterinary treatments and procedure available. If you really plan for your pet’s long term health with annual wellness examinations and vaccination, then these policies can help you in preceding your plan without any financial obstacle. In fact, with the help of veterinary pet insurance you can perfectly mange your veterinary expenses, as these policies reimburse all your eligible expenses for accidents, illness and routine preventive care. Moreover, these policies also cover clinic visits, lab fees, X-rays, surgeries, prescriptions and hospitalization expenses of insured pet.
Always get a policy that is well suited to the requirements of your pet; for making highly beneficial selection, you can go for major healthcare plans, as these plans cover A to Z healthcare and hygiene expenses of the insured pet. For people, who are seeking superior insurance plans for their pets, there are many high valued veterinary pet insurance policies available in the marketplace. Such policies are perfect for pets, who are suffering from any long term disease like diabetes. For long term diseases, these policies offer special lifetime coverage facility, so that all minor and routine check-up expenses may also get covered.
Since pets are also the members of your family, it becomes your responsibility to maintain their quality of life. In fact, with veterinary pet insurance you can improve their quality of life by providing them with every possible care. Usually, these insurance plans use a benefit procedure which is associated with the department of insurance therefore, the pet owner can be rest assured about authenticity of these insurance policies. Therefore, simply contact a licensed clinic, pay for the treatment and file a claim for reimbursement. Once your claim is approved your medical expenses will be reimbursed within one week.
Do You Need a Pet Insurance Policy?
How likely are you to need pet insurance? According to one provider of a popular pet protection plan, over one-third of policy holders end up claiming on their policy at least once. And pet insurance isn’t necessarily an indulgence for owners who’ll pay anything to keep their pets healthy, say industry spokesmen. According to the latest figures, a good policy can shield you from hefty vet fees if your furry friend requires medical care.
* £2500 for hip replacement for a typical dog
* £1,200 to set bones and care for a cat injured by a car
A good pet insurance policy will cover expenses in a number of different types of situations.
* Property damage
If rover gets loose and uproots the neighbor’s prize petunias, don’t despair. If your home cover policy doesn’t cover the cost of replacement (some policies do), your pet insurance should. Some policies will cover damage done to your rented flat by your best fiend as well.
* Kennel fees if you fall ill
Who’ll take care of your cat or dog if you end up hospitalised for any length of time? Most policies will pay for kennel fees or cattery fees to board your cat or dog while you’re in hospital. That’s one less worry for you so you can concentrate on getting well.
* Advertising costs
Most policies reimburse you the cost of printing Lost Pet posters and advertising expenses in case your best friend wanders off or is lost.
* Vet bills
The amount that your cover will pay on vet bills varies and can depend upon many factors, and there can be many exclusions. If you own a pet that is prone to congenital conditions, you may find that those are excluded from cover, for instance, as will be most pre-existing conditions.
* Compensation for accidental loss or death
If your pet is lost or stolen, the policy may pay out a death benefit for burial or disposal, as well as replacement cost for the animal. While nothing compensates you for the loss of that particular pet, it can be an important benefit if your cat or dog was an expensive breed that you’d like to replace eventually.
* Payment for holiday cancellation if your pet becomes ill
You may have travel cover, but it’s not likely to pay out if you choose to stay home because your cat is ill. Pet insurance, on the other hand, can do exactly that.
How to Save On Pet Insurance
Like vet bills, the cost of insurance for pet’s is rising steadily, but you can still find some excellent bargains. The key to getting value for money from pet cover is to know what you need and to get it by shopping around. There are currently over 400 different policies on offer in the UK, and prices can vary by quite a lot. Shop online at price comparison sites and get quotes from several different providers.
Don’t make the mistake of buying based on the cost of the premiums alone, though. Compare the benefits offered on the different policies to choose the one that’s the best fit for you, your pet and your budget.
The Importance Of Dog Health Insurance
Owning a dog is a lot of fun and brings us many positive feelings and memories. People are sometimes blinded by all the good that comes from owning a dog that they tend to forget the fact that dogs are expensive. Especially if your dog has a medical issue that requires frequent veterinarian trips, medication or corrective surgeries and procedures. This is why dog health insurance plans have become increasingly popular. Let’s face it; your dog is practically a member of the family and now they can be treated just like any family member under your regular health insurance.
With this insurance your dog will get the best available care without breaking your bank account. It’s no secret that veterinarian fees and dog medical costs are on the rise. This is why a reliable plan is a tremendous way to reduce insane out of pocket expenses. Some dog owners have been known to set money aside in case their dog experiences a medical emergency. There is no longer any need for this with dog health insurance. Your dog can receive the proper medical attention regardless of your financial situation.
It is presented like any other health plan. It comes with premiums, exemptions and a wide selection of coverage plans. Some insurance will exclude dogs with pre-existing conditions while others will cover the same dogs. Some plans are based on the size of your dog or the dog breed. Coverage on these plans will typically start whenever the dog is six to eight weeks old.
You can find a health insurance plan through a simple online search or by asking neighborhood veterinarians, dog groomers, pet store owners or shelters. From there it’s just a matter of contacting the insurance carriers and asking for free price quotes. It’s important to get detailed information about each plan’s coverages, deductibles, exclusions and maximum payouts. Do plenty of research on the web and request brochures or pamphlets.
Finding the right plan is something that must be taken seriously. You want your dog covered regardless of illness or incident. Insurance has become so necessary in recent years that many companies are even offering their employees a pet insurance plan in their benefits package. Don’t let you and your dog go without one. An insurance plan just may prolong the lifespan of your dog and save you some financial woes.
Pet Health Care Insurance - What You Need To Know
Statistics show that people are willing to foot the growing medical bills for their beloved pets, making the need for pet health insurance a real concern. Advances in pet health care can leave owners with big veterinary bills. Pet health care insurance is now affordable and available for dogs, cats and exotics.
If you would not think of being without insurance for yourself and your family, that should include your pet companion as well. Pet insurance is not as expensive as human insurance and might come in handy.
Pet health care insurance is similar to human health insurance. Like all insurance, you hope you never use it. Pet health care insurance will pay or reimburse for veterinary services that are covered under the plan. Medical treatments and technologies used for humans are now being used for pets.
If your pet needs an emergency surgery it would be nice to know that cost is not a factor and you won’t have to pay for everything on your own. The insurance is just sensible.
Purchase insurance coverage ideally when your pet is still young before pre-existing conditions develop. You can enroll as young as 8 weeks. Some plans only allow enrollment up to age 10 for cats and age 8 for dogs (age 6 for some breeds). Once enrolled, your pet may stay in the plan for the rest of its life.
Because of their natural adventurousness and high activity level, very young pets are famous for getting hurt and needing emergency care.
There are many pet insurance companies to choose from, and many different plans available. Read the fine print. Some companies have veterinarians that belong to their network. Under those particular policies, you pay a co-payment up front and the insurance company pays for the covered services. The downside is you have to find a veterinarian that is in the pet health care insurance “network”. Each policy is different and there is no one plan that fits everyone’s needs.
Services covered under many policies include spay surgery, neuter surgery, annual vaccinations, flea preventative, annual heartworm preventative, heartworm test, annual dental cleanings, accidents, illnesses, cancer, x-rays, and surgeries. In many cases, pet health care insurance will cover even more in maintaining the wellness of your loved pet. Your coverage may also include prescription foods, boarding, euthanasia, accidental death, recovery of lost pets, and micro-chip identification. Pet health insurance can prove to be invaluable.
Additional facts to consider when enrolling.
Are pre-existing conditions covered, and what constitutes a pre-existing condition? If a pre-existing condition is covered, what are the deductibles? Does the pet health insurance policy you are interested in cover prescription costs? Will my premium go up over time, as I file claims, or my pet gets older? Does the plan cover chronic or recurring conditions? What are the financial limits of coverage? How are they applied? Do you have more than one pet that could benefit from insurance coverage and are there multi-pet discounts available? Does your particular policy require monthly or annual payments? Talk to your veterinarian about your pet’s health and question the insurance companies about the limits of the pet health insurance coverage before purchasing a particular plan.
Police-dog attack could be costly
Hayward’s Frank Hammed has survived many scary events, but he says being attacked by a Hayward police dog was the worst of them.
Hammed, 42, says he was mauled by a canine named Xipo on July 31, 2005. The dog tore into Hammed’s thigh, hand, arm and eyebrow, inflicting wounds that sent him to the hospital on four occasions, Hammed says.
He has filed a claim against the Hayward Police Department for $250,000 to pay for his medical bills, and possibly will ask for more to cover pain and suffering.
A lawsuit will be soon filed, his lawyer said.
A Hayward police report states that Xipo “unintentionally deployed” from the police car. Hammed, however, is convinced that the officers allowed the dog to attack him, and that they even egged it on.
The scenario started about 3:40 a.m. when Hammed visited his father’s business –a card club –for a cup of coffee at E Street and Mission Boulevard, Hammed said. Afterward, Hammed and a friend, David Sanchez, walked around First Avenue and E Street en route to Hammed’s nearby home, when they saw police cars swarm the area.
According to a police report, the officers were in pursuit of a robbery suspect who had fled on foot. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male adult wearing a red shirt.
The document stated that Officer Phil Divinagracia pulled up with his partner and saw Hammed and Sanchez, who appeared to match the suspect’s description.
In the meantime, Divinagracia “had Hammed and Sanchez lay down on the ground,” Divinagracia wrote in the report. That’s when the dog “unintentionally deployed and made contact with Hammed,” Divinagracia added.
“Made contact” is an insulting euphemism, according to Hammed.
“There was no reason for them to physically damage me for the rest of my life,” Hammed said. “Two officers were standing around laughing. It was so scary I had to try to block it out just to survive. They hurt me so bad it’s unreal.”
According to the police report, employees of the Hayward Fire Department and American Medical Response treated Hammed at the scene. They took him to St. Rose Hospital, and an officer brought him home after he was released.
Hammed said he later developed an infection from one of his wounds, which spread through most of his body and sent him back to the hospital — this time for nine days.
In fact, Hayward officers have given Hammed rides to and from the hospital on at least three occasions during his four visits, he said.
Hammed contends that even though the officers were nice when they chauffeured him, they denied the attack and told him “it was all in my head.”
The Daily Review contacted the Hayward Police Department, but Lt. Reid Lindblom said department employees cannot talk about the case. The city attorney’s office agreed.
“(Hammed) is represented by counsel, which means that we can’t discuss the situation,” said Nancy Hart, a Hayward assistant city attorney.
The city is insured through an insurance pool called Exclusive Risk Management Authority of California, and has a self-retained payout limit of $250,000, Hart said. If a person is awarded that amount and more in court, the insurance pool will pay up to $750,000. Any damages above that amount would have to come out of public funds.
Hammed said he wants someone from the Hayward Police Department to admit to him that he was attacked.
His Oakland-based lawyer, Elliott Pisor of Pisor & Dear, said Hammed has an air-tight case.
“He will win,” Pisor said. “Absolutely. In the police report it admits it was an accident. It admits that the dog attack happened.”
Pisor & Dear has handled police dog attack cases in the past, most of which were in Richmond and all of which were accidental, Pisor said.
He expects the case to go to trial in early 2007.
This process has taken longer than Hammed wants. Between a complicated legal system and a perceived cold shoulder from the Hayward Police Department, Hammed feels like he’s falling through the cracks.
To some extent, he is, said Roxanne McPhee, a certified drug and alcohol counselor at Second Chance Inc., a Newark-based rehabilitation center.
“(Authorities) feel they can just ignore him and I’m sure that has to do with his criminal background of when he was under the influence,” McPhee said. Hammed has a checkered past, full of small drug-related charges, she added.
The past 10 months Hammed has gone to Second Chance for support meetings five to seven times a week and “is a very good client,” McPhee said.
“He comes in and tests whenever we tell him to, and he’s very respectful,” she said. “He has a fairly extensive dysfunctional family, and a lot of his problems deal directly with that.
“Unfortunately for Frank,” she said, “some of the officers know him, so if something is going on, they automatically assume he must be part of it.”
Even if the officers did not sic the dog on Hammed, the dog was not properly restrained, she said.
Traffic, susceptibility, and childhood asthma
Results from studies of traffic and childhood asthma have been inconsistent, but there has been little systematic evaluation of susceptible subgroups. In this study, we examined the relationship of local traffic-related exposure and asthma and wheeze in southern California school children (5-7 years of age). Lifetime history of doctor-diagnosed asthma and prevalent asthma and wheeze were evaluated by questionnaire. Parental history of asthma and child’s history of allergic symptoms, sex, and early-life exposure (residence at the same home since 2 years of age) were examined as susceptibility factors. Residential exposure was assessed by proximity to a major road and by modeling exposure to local traffic-related pollutants. Residence within 75 m of a major road was associated with an increased risk of lifetime asthma [odds ratio (OR) = 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.86], prevalent asthma (OR = 1.50; 95% CI, 1.16-1.95), and wheeze (OR = 1.40; 95% CI, 1.09-1.78). Susceptibility increased in long-term residents with no parental history of asthma for lifetime asthma (OR = 1.85; 95% CI, 1.11-3.09), prevalent asthma (OR = 2.46; 95% CI, 0.48-4.09), and recent wheeze (OR = 2.74; 95% CI, 1.71-4.39). The higher risk of asthma near a major road decreased to background rates at 150-200 m from the road. In children with a parental history of asthma and in children moving to the residence after 2 years of age, there was no increased risk associated with exposure. Effect of residential proximity to roadways was also larger in girls. A similar pattern of effects was observed with traffic-modeled exposure. These results indicate that residence near a major road is associated with asthma. The reason for larger effects in those with no parental history of asthma merits further investigation. Key words: air pollution, asthma, child, epidemiology, traffic.
tudies that have examined the impact of local traffic or traffic-related air pollutants near children’s homes. However, many studies did not evaluate exposure at early age, which may be an important determinant of risk from traffic-related pollution (Zmirou et al. 2004) and which might vary depending on residential stability of study participants. The duration of residence at the same home might also be expected to increase any risk of asthma associated with traffic-related exposure. Other characteristics that might make children more susceptible to this exposure include parental history of asthma and childhood allergy, which are strong risk factors for asthma (London et al. 2001; Peden 2000). A recent study found larger associations of traffic with asthma in children without a parent with asthma (Gordian et al. 2005), and we have previously found that children with incident asthma associated with ozone were less likely to have a parental history of asthma than were other children with asthma (McConnell et al. 2002). Susceptibility to second-hand tobacco smoke exposure, another environmental combustion product, and traffic-related pollutants has been found to vary by atopy in some studies that have examined this relationship (Janssen et al. 2003; Kershaw 1987; Palmieri et al. 1990; Strachan and Cook 1998; Strachan et al. 1996a, 1996b; Zmirou et al. 2004). Some evidence also suggests that girls may be more susceptible than boys to traffic-related exposure (Oosterlee et al. 1996; Pershagen et al. 1995; Shima et al. 2003; van Vliet et al. 1997; Venn et al. 2001).
Concentrations of pollutants in fresh vehicular exhaust are high near roadways but decline markedly within 150-300 m (Gilbert et al. 2005; Zhu et al. 2002). Accurate assessment of this large but very local variation in exposure may be important to identify health hazards. One promising approach has been to estimate residential distance to a major roadway. This can be done with relatively little error in measurement, using geographic information systems and accurately located roadways. Some studies have found increased asthma prevalence in children living within 100 m of a major road, and there is evidence that the risk increases dramatically within 75 m (van Vliet et al. 1997; Venn et al. 2001).
Population. A new cohort was recruited in 2003 from schools in 13 southern California communities (shown in Figure 1). Nine communities were the same as in the original Children’s Health Study cohorts, and four were new. All students present in 2003 in all kindergarten and first grade classrooms (5-7 years of age) in participating schools were given a questionnaire and informed consent to take home for parents to complete. Informed consent, approved for this study by the University of Southern California Institutional Review Board, was obtained, and questionnaires were completed and returned for 5,341 (65%) of 8,193 eligible children.
Assessment of exposure to traffic-related pollutants. We estimated distance of each participant’s residence to the nearest major road, including freeways, other highways, and arterial roads. Participant residence addresses were standardized, and their locations were geocoded to 13 m perpendicular to the side of the adjacent road, using the Tele Atlas Multinet road network data (Tele Atlas Inc., Menlo Park, CA). Distance to the nearest major road was estimated using ArcGIS software (version 8.3; Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc., Redlands, CA). Each direction of travel was represented as a separate roadway, and the shortest distance was estimated from the residence to the middle of the nearest side of the freeway or major road. We included in the analysis only children with addresses that could be accurately geocoded. Specifically, only residential addresses for which the Tele Atlas geocoding software assigned its highest-quality match code were included. These addresses are located on the correct side of the street with their relative position between cross-streets determined by linear interpolation of residence number between the nearest intersections.
Residential distance to a major road was categorized as < 75 m, 75-150 m, > 150-300 m, and > 300 m, based on results of previous studies showing markedly increased exposure and risk of asthma within 75 m of large roadways, which decreased to background levels by 150-300 m (Gilbert et al. 2005; van Vliet et al. 1997; Venn et al. 2001; Zhu et al. 2002). We also estimated residential exposure to fresh traffic-modeled pollutants from local freeway and nonfreeway sources, accounting for traffic volume, wind speed, and direction in each community, using a line source dispersion model, as described in the accompanying online supplemental material (http://www.ehponline.org/members/2006/8594/suppl.pdf).
Health outcomes and other questionnaire information. We classified lifetime asthma based on a questionnaire response to the question “Has a doctor ever diagnosed this child as having asthma?” Current wheeze was defined to include children with any wheezing in the previous 12 months [International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) Steering Committee 1998]. Prevalent asthma was defined as the reported use of controller medications for asthma (inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene inhibitors, cromolyn sodium, or long-acting beta agonists) in the previous year or lifetime asthma with any wheeze in the previous year. In addition, children without a physician’s diagnosis who had severe wheeze in the previous 12 months were included as prevalent asthmatics to identify asthma undiagnosed because of poor access to medical care. Severe wheeze included four or more attacks of wheeze, one or more nights per week of wheeze, or wheeze with shortness of breath so severe as to interfere with speech (ISAAC Steering Committee 1998).
The effects of pollutants in flesh traffic exhaust modeled from traffic volume, distance, and meteorology were generally consistent with those observed for proximity to a major road (see online supplemental material). There were significant associations of nonfreeway (but not of freeway or total) traffic-modeled exposure with prevalent asthma and current wheeze, and these effects were stronger in long-term residents (Table S-2 in the online supplemental material). The stratum-specific pattern of traffic-modeled effects was also stronger in those with no parental history and with no allergic symptoms and among girls (Table S-3 in the online supplemental material).
Discussion
Asthma and wheeze were strongly associated with residential proximity to a major road. These associations were strongest among children with no parental history of asthma who had lived at the same address since early in life. In this group, the highest risk occurred adjacent to the major road, and risk decreased to background rates at 150-200 m from the road. Larger risks of asthma associated with long-term residence within 75 m of a major road were observed among girls than among boys.
If traffic-related pollutants were responsible for the observed associations with asthma, the increased risk among the longer-term residents might be expected because they had a larger cumulative exposure to the pollutant indicators used in this analysis. However, the absence of any effect of a major road among children moving to their residence after 2 years of age (Figure 2) may indicate vulnerability during the prenatal period or infancy. Although the study design did not allow us to distinguish between these two possibilities, there is evidence that other early-life exposures may increase the risk of asthma (Martinez 1999). Recent case-control and cohort studies have found an increased risk of asthma with early-life exposure to local residential traffic-related pollutants (Brauer et al. 2002; Zmirou et al. 2004). In addition, several recent studies suggest that early-life (especially in utero) exposure to tobacco smoke, which like fresh vehicular exhaust is a complex mixture of air pollutants, is more strongly associated with increased risk of subsequent asthma than is exposure later in childhood (Gilliland et al. 2001, 2002). The larger effect of proximity to a major roadway among girls in our study also is consistent with previous reports (Oosterlee et al. 1996; Pershagen et al. 1995; Shima et al. 2003; van Vliet et al. 1997; Venn et al. 2001).
We previously found that children with an increased risk of incident asthma associated with exercise in high-ozone environments were less likely to have a parental history of asthma (McConnell et al. 2002), and another recent study found that the risk of traffic-associated prevalent asthma was larger in children without parental history (Gordian et al. 2005). However, both family history of asthma and child allergy are strong risk factors for asthma independent of exposure to air pollution (London et al. 2001; Peden 2000). In our study, among long-term residents living > 300 m from a major road, parental history was associated with a 3.6-fold increased risk of prevalent asthma [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.3-5.8] and child symptoms of allergy with a 6.4-fold increased risk (95% CI, 4.5-9.1). Therefore, one possible explanation for the larger effects of traffic exposure in children without these strong risk factors is that other risks, for example, dietary factors, indoor allergens, or other environmental exposures, produced asthma in the high-risk group, regardless of traffic-related exposures. It is possible that, among those with parental asthma or allergic symptoms, there was no additional risk of childhood asthma associated with traffic or that any small additional effect of traffic was undetectable in the high background rate of asthma in these children.
Dog-gone good business: Entrepreneurs bullish on pet after-care
Demand for pet funeral services is growing, with cremation for beloved companions now more popular than burial, local service providers said.
“You’re seeing a society in which people are more mobile and they want to take their pets (remains) with them when they move,” said Phil McArthur, owner of Tulsa-based Pets at Peace. “And more people are sharing portions of those remains with other family members. - It’s happening more and more every year. I have been surprised at the way the trend has taken off.”
McArthur and others in the industry pointed to other changes in society that are driving an overall increase in services. The life expectancy for owned dogs, for example, has almost doubled in recent decades, from seven years for a midsize dog to the mid-teens. Because pet health care has improved, people have more time to invest in their companions. “After-care,” as cremation or burial services are called, seems to be even more justified after such a long life, said Precious Pets Cemetery owner Linda McCullough.
“It’s the cyclical nature of our lives, as we live longer, too,” said McArthur, whose company also serves Oklahoma City with pickup trips for bodies and return delivery of remains twice per week. “When your kids are gone, suddenly your pets become your kids. - These pets have become an integral part of our families.”
And the American Pet Product Manu- facturers Association reported its 2005-06 National Pet Owners Survey shows pet ownership is at its highest level, with about 69 million U.S. households with a pet. That’s up from 64 million in 2002 and 51 million in 1988 when APPMA’s tracking began. The association found through its survey that Americans own about 73 million dogs and 90 million cats.
Most pet crematorium businesses offer a range of options for animal ashes. The most personal resolution is to save the remains in an attractive container - McArthur prides himself on the company’s handcrafted urns, for example. If the family doesn’t want a keepsake, Pets at Peace will offer to spread the ashes in a memorial setting of some sort, sometimes with other animals at the same time. The least personal is merely a sanitary disposal, he said.
The APPMA survey found that pet owners are also opting for remembrance memorials that incorporate a lock of pet hair or other remainder mixed with perennial seeds, and man-made diamonds that include a pet’s ashes.
Cindy Smith, owner of Evergreen Place Pet Cremation in Yukon, said the growing industry numbers convinced her to found her own company earlier this year. She saw an unmet need for such services in the western part of the Oklahoma City metro area, for both personal services and disposals arranged by veterinarians. Evergreen is expected to be open for business by late November or early December, she said.
Smith agreed with McArthur and said cremation also allows a pet owner to be buried with a beloved companion: The pet’s ashes can be saved in an urn and placed in the owner’s coffin years later.
“It’s really the only option for them, because animals aren’t embalmed like people are,” she said.
At Precious Pets in Spencer, McCullough noted that the entire pet industry has exploded - a pet owner can now hire pet masseuses to follow up a pet’s grooming, pet-sitters and day-care centers, pet bakeries, pet designer clothes and Halloween costumes, pet insurance and even pet therapists.
“After you consider a psychologist for your dog - well, there’s so much stuff out there now that it makes after-care look pretty normal by comparison,” she said.
Q. Do you think that neutering my miniature pinscher will help him stop barking at everything and everyone? My vet said not to let him out of the house until he had all of his shots, but now he is 5 months old and barks at any dogs or people we see.
A. Unfortunately for you, your dog will not stop barking once he is neutered. Neutering can help, particularly if he is aggressive toward other dogs. But miniature pinschers tend to be protective by nature, and if he senses anything unusual, his natural response is to bark. I would have him neutered as soon as possible, in order to get the male hormones out of the equation, and then start working with him to eliminate the barking. The earlier you start trying to change this behavior, the better off you are.
With some time and effort, you should be able to eliminate the barking. First, you will need to determine why he is barking. Then you can apply specific strategies to each situation. There is an excellent pamphlet on barking by Ian Dunbar available on http:// www.dogwise.com. If you do not feel confident in your training abilities, ask your veterinarian to refer you to a dog trainer or behavior specialist. It’s important not to let the barking progress to aggressive behavior, not to mention you will be happier with him if he is not barking constantly.
Some advice for new puppy parents:
Veterinarians often give a blanket warning to clients not to expose their dogs to other dogs until they are fully vaccinated, usually at 4 months of age. The veterinarian is trying to protect your dog from catching diseases from unvaccinated dogs.
But dog behaviorists know there is a critical period for socializing a puppy to people, dogs and experiences. This period is between 1 and 3 months of age. During these first few months you must balance keeping him healthy with making sure he is socialized. He should be exposed to as many people and situations as possible.
You don’t want to take him to the dog park or let him walk on a city sidewalk. But allowing him to meet your friends’ friendly and healthy dogs, and allowing him to see people walking, running, and riding bikes in your neighborhood are a must. He should be held by as many different people as possible. Allow kids to interact with him under your close supervision.
Q. According to the doctor, my dog has some issues that require surgical intervention. The cost is going to be $1,000 to $1,500, and we are not able to afford the payment. Do you know any nonprofit organization that can perform the procedure at a lower cost?
A. Many people do not have money set aside for their pets’ medical expenses. There isn’t a nonprofit organization that I know of that will pay for your dog’s surgery. But many veterinarians offer payment plans so that you do not have to pay the entire amount of the surgery right away. If your veterinarian doesn’t offer a payment plan, get a second opinion from a clinic that does. You can request your dog’s medical records be transferred so that you do not have to incur the cost of repeating the X-rays.
Unfortunately, many people do not think this far ahead, but funds for future medical care should be a consideration at the time of adopting or buying a pet. The cost just to care for a pet will be $500 to $1,000 a year, but a single medical issue, can easily run that much. While pet medical insurance might be an option (your veterinarian can provide you some names of firms), this does not cover pre-existing conditions. Pet owners reading this would be advised to consider a pet medical savings account, where you put aside a small amount monthly for unexpected medical expenses.
Q. What can I do for a tame, stray cat? He’s about 1 year old, and sleeps outside my apartment door. He’s tame enough to pet and tries to come into my apartment. I already have a cat and can’t adopt another. What can I do?
A. You didn’t mention whether or not you have been feeding this guy. We have a running joke at the shelter about “stray” cats. Basically, if a cat lives in or around your house and you are feeding it, then he’s officially yours and not a stray.
Assuming you are not feeding him, then someone else might be. I would check with your neighbors to see if he “belongs” to any of them first. If he seems to be starving or has a poor quality of life you would be justified in taking him to your county’s animal control shelter. A friendly, young cat is likely to get adopted out of a shelter, but they cannot guarantee that outcome. You may want to try to find a home for him yourself instead with friends and co-workers or find him a home online.
Taming a vocal dog’s yapping takes time, patience to conquer
Q. Do you think that neutering my miniature pinscher will help him stop barking at everything and everyone? My vet said not to let him out of the house until he had all of his shots, but now he is 5 months old and barks at any dogs or people we see.
A. Unfortunately for you, your dog will not stop barking once he is neutered. Neutering can help, particularly if he is aggressive toward other dogs. But miniature pinschers tend to be protective by nature, and if he senses anything unusual, his natural response is to bark. I would have him neutered as soon as possible, in order to get the male hormones out of the equation, and then start working with him to eliminate the barking. The earlier you start trying to change this behavior, the better off you are.
With some time and effort, you should be able to eliminate the barking. First, you will need to determine why he is barking. Then you can apply specific strategies to each situation. There is an excellent pamphlet on barking by Ian Dunbar available on http:// www.dogwise.com. If you do not feel confident in your training abilities, ask your veterinarian to refer you to a dog trainer or behavior specialist. It’s important not to let the barking progress to aggressive behavior, not to mention you will be happier with him if he is not barking constantly.
Some advice for new puppy parents:
Veterinarians often give a blanket warning to clients not to expose their dogs to other dogs until they are fully vaccinated, usually at 4 months of age. The veterinarian is trying to protect your dog from catching diseases from unvaccinated dogs.
But dog behaviorists know there is a critical period for socializing a puppy to people, dogs and experiences. This period is between 1 and 3 months of age. During these first few months you must balance keeping him healthy with making sure he is socialized. He should be exposed to as many people and situations as possible.
You don’t want to take him to the dog park or let him walk on a city sidewalk. But allowing him to meet your friends’ friendly and healthy dogs, and allowing him to see people walking, running, and riding bikes in your neighborhood are a must. He should be held by as many different people as possible. Allow kids to interact with him under your close supervision.
Q. According to the doctor, my dog has some issues that require surgical intervention. The cost is going to be $1,000 to $1,500, and we are not able to afford the payment. Do you know any nonprofit organization that can perform the procedure at a lower cost?
A. Many people do not have money set aside for their pets’ medical expenses. There isn’t a nonprofit organization that I know of that will pay for your dog’s surgery. But many veterinarians offer payment plans so that you do not have to pay the entire amount of the surgery right away. If your veterinarian doesn’t offer a payment plan, get a second opinion from a clinic that does. You can request your dog’s medical records be transferred so that you do not have to incur the cost of repeating the X-rays.
Unfortunately, many people do not think this far ahead, but funds for future medical care should be a consideration at the time of adopting or buying a pet. The cost just to care for a pet will be $500 to $1,000 a year, but a single medical issue, can easily run that much. While pet medical insurance might be an option (your veterinarian can provide you some names of firms), this does not cover pre-existing conditions. Pet owners reading this would be advised to consider a pet medical savings account, where you put aside a small amount monthly for unexpected medical expenses.
Q. What can I do for a tame, stray cat? He’s about 1 year old, and sleeps outside my apartment door. He’s tame enough to pet and tries to come into my apartment. I already have a cat and can’t adopt another. What can I do?
A. You didn’t mention whether or not you have been feeding this guy. We have a running joke at the shelter about “stray” cats. Basically, if a cat lives in or around your house and you are feeding it, then he’s officially yours and not a stray.
Assuming you are not feeding him, then someone else might be. I would check with your neighbors to see if he “belongs” to any of them first. If he seems to be starving or has a poor quality of life you would be justified in taking him to your county’s animal control shelter. A friendly, young cat is likely to get adopted out of a shelter, but they cannot guarantee that outcome. You may want to try to find a home for him yourself instead with friends and co-workers or find him a home online.