Pet Health Care Expenses Could Cost you your Pet
Derek Wood asked:
If you are like most Americans you are living paycheck to paycheck each week. You know how this affects you, but what about how it affects your pets? All too regularly I see people cutting back or bypassing needed veterinary care for their pets simply because they cannot afford to pay the bills. Any pet owner knows the bills I am talking about. Making the decisions to bypass needed pet health care such as rabies vaccinations, parvo vaccines, booster shots, checkups, specialty dog foods, and a host of other expenses for our pets, could cost us our pets in the long run.
Why is it that we think we can skip needed medical treatments for our pets and hope everything will turn out ok? Perhaps it is because as a society we tend to do this to ourselves. I know I **** going to the doctors on a regular basics. It costs money, never makes me feel any better, and never seems to do anything for me. I am stubborn too, so I am sure that does not help.
But I am not a dog or a cat, and they have things a little differently then we do. First off, we do not sniff each others ***** all the time. While pets do this as a manner of socialization, we must understand that there is potential for bacteria transfer. Same goes with the area where pets relieve themselves outside. Sure we can scoop the poop, but unless you are washing the grass, there are still bacteria present. Your pets are walking through this area daily, and they are barefoot. If they get a cut on their foot this could lead to a high chance of infection.
What about running through the woods all day? Your pets are prone to parasites like fleas and ticks simply by running through some bushes. Sure these same ticks could land on you, but they do seem to like animals better. And any potential pest carries along a number of problems. Fleas can carry worms which pets can get by ingesting (eating) the flea when they chew on them. Sounds disgusting, but that’s how they get them.
These are just two of the common problems you might not even think about when you own a pet. Worst of all, there are a lot of other hazards out there for your pets to encounter, such as broken glass, rabid animals, stagnant water sources, rusty nails and who knows what else.
Do your pet a favor. Spend less money on tennis balls and chew toys and get them all of the required shots, medications and vaccinations they need. These are more important to your pets overall health and could end up saving your pets life. They will be much happier to spend more time with you with only one chew toy then the alternative.
If you are like most Americans you are living paycheck to paycheck each week. You know how this affects you, but what about how it affects your pets? All too regularly I see people cutting back or bypassing needed veterinary care for their pets simply because they cannot afford to pay the bills. Any pet owner knows the bills I am talking about. Making the decisions to bypass needed pet health care such as rabies vaccinations, parvo vaccines, booster shots, checkups, specialty dog foods, and a host of other expenses for our pets, could cost us our pets in the long run.
Why is it that we think we can skip needed medical treatments for our pets and hope everything will turn out ok? Perhaps it is because as a society we tend to do this to ourselves. I know I **** going to the doctors on a regular basics. It costs money, never makes me feel any better, and never seems to do anything for me. I am stubborn too, so I am sure that does not help.
But I am not a dog or a cat, and they have things a little differently then we do. First off, we do not sniff each others ***** all the time. While pets do this as a manner of socialization, we must understand that there is potential for bacteria transfer. Same goes with the area where pets relieve themselves outside. Sure we can scoop the poop, but unless you are washing the grass, there are still bacteria present. Your pets are walking through this area daily, and they are barefoot. If they get a cut on their foot this could lead to a high chance of infection.
What about running through the woods all day? Your pets are prone to parasites like fleas and ticks simply by running through some bushes. Sure these same ticks could land on you, but they do seem to like animals better. And any potential pest carries along a number of problems. Fleas can carry worms which pets can get by ingesting (eating) the flea when they chew on them. Sounds disgusting, but that’s how they get them.
These are just two of the common problems you might not even think about when you own a pet. Worst of all, there are a lot of other hazards out there for your pets to encounter, such as broken glass, rabid animals, stagnant water sources, rusty nails and who knows what else.
Do your pet a favor. Spend less money on tennis balls and chew toys and get them all of the required shots, medications and vaccinations they need. These are more important to your pets overall health and could end up saving your pets life. They will be much happier to spend more time with you with only one chew toy then the alternative.
Caring for Cats – the Easy Way
Mark Buckingham asked:
You will need a great deal of commitment in order to own a cat as they do require some care (although not as much as dogs!) and can live as old as 15 years (or even longer in some cases).
Cats require feeding (daily), care and ‘play time’ on a regular basis. You will also have to take into consideration, before getting your cat, that you will have vets’ bills to pay for annual vaccines, worming and if treatment is required for any illnesses. These bills can sometimes be very costly, but you can purchase insurance for pets – it may be a good idea to ‘shop around’ to get the best deal.
Before getting your cat, you should purchase bowls for food and water, a collar (if you want the cat to wear one), a bed (or pet quilt), a few suitable toys, and some food.
A kitten should be fed throughout the day 4 times with a small amount of food each meal, reducing to 3 times a day at 3 months old, then at 6-8 months 2 meals per day. Older cats (over 12 months) should only be fed twice in the day (usually morning and early evening).
Cats groom themselves, but using a soft brush on the cat, especially the long haired variety, will help to cut down the number of hairballs in the cat’s stomach, which are caused by them licking / grooming themselves.
If you decide to have a cat-flap fitted to your door in order that the cat can come and go as it pleases, you will have to train it to use the flap. You can use tit-bits to entice the cat to go through the flap, when it is fully open. Start by opening the flap fully, just showing the tit-bit, then next time close the flap a little bit and keep on doing so until the cat realises that the flap will open with a small push of the head.
Cats like to sharpen their claws on most household furniture! Suites, corners of walls (thick paper), carpets. Invest in a scratch post – there are many to choose from. When the cat starts to scratch, lift the cat and place him/her next to the scratch post, they will soon get the message and use the post instead of the furniture.
If you are concerned about your cat going missing, or it being involved in an accident, you can have a micro-chip (approximately the size of a grain of rice) inserted into the back of the cat’s neck. The chip contains information, which can help to identify the cat as belonging to you.
It is often said that ‘a cat looks after itself’. This is obviously not really true, but they do have a more independent nature than some other domesticated pets. That said, they still make ideal companions when they ‘allow’ you to be their friend.
You will need a great deal of commitment in order to own a cat as they do require some care (although not as much as dogs!) and can live as old as 15 years (or even longer in some cases).
Cats require feeding (daily), care and ‘play time’ on a regular basis. You will also have to take into consideration, before getting your cat, that you will have vets’ bills to pay for annual vaccines, worming and if treatment is required for any illnesses. These bills can sometimes be very costly, but you can purchase insurance for pets – it may be a good idea to ‘shop around’ to get the best deal.
Before getting your cat, you should purchase bowls for food and water, a collar (if you want the cat to wear one), a bed (or pet quilt), a few suitable toys, and some food.
A kitten should be fed throughout the day 4 times with a small amount of food each meal, reducing to 3 times a day at 3 months old, then at 6-8 months 2 meals per day. Older cats (over 12 months) should only be fed twice in the day (usually morning and early evening).
Cats groom themselves, but using a soft brush on the cat, especially the long haired variety, will help to cut down the number of hairballs in the cat’s stomach, which are caused by them licking / grooming themselves.
If you decide to have a cat-flap fitted to your door in order that the cat can come and go as it pleases, you will have to train it to use the flap. You can use tit-bits to entice the cat to go through the flap, when it is fully open. Start by opening the flap fully, just showing the tit-bit, then next time close the flap a little bit and keep on doing so until the cat realises that the flap will open with a small push of the head.
Cats like to sharpen their claws on most household furniture! Suites, corners of walls (thick paper), carpets. Invest in a scratch post – there are many to choose from. When the cat starts to scratch, lift the cat and place him/her next to the scratch post, they will soon get the message and use the post instead of the furniture.
If you are concerned about your cat going missing, or it being involved in an accident, you can have a micro-chip (approximately the size of a grain of rice) inserted into the back of the cat’s neck. The chip contains information, which can help to identify the cat as belonging to you.
It is often said that ‘a cat looks after itself’. This is obviously not really true, but they do have a more independent nature than some other domesticated pets. That said, they still make ideal companions when they ‘allow’ you to be their friend.
