Life With Dogs

Dog Pet Insurance Plans

Dog Pet insurance plans are becoming popular options for responsible dog owners. Pet owners are frequently faced with difficult decisions about pet health. Dogs often get sick, injured, or suffer from hereditary problems that require frequent visits to the local veterinarian or emergency facilities.
In the early 2000’s, veterinary costs started rising rapidly and people began looking to an option that has been available for over two decades in the United States, and for the better part of a century in Europe: Pet Insurance Plans.

Pet insurance plans may not be the right decision for every dog owner, as coverage and costs vary depending on factors, such as: options and conditions covered and the health and age of your dog. If you are considering pet insurance, there are some things to consider before making any final purchases. This is a purchase, after all, which will greatly affect the life of your pet, and you as the pet owner not only through your bank account, but your personal relationship with your pet as well.

lady_vet_with_with_golden_puppyPet medical insurance works much the same way as human health insurance. Policy coverage depends on a number of variables such as age of pet, species and breed, and preexisting and hereditary health problems or concerns, and of course on the current health condition of your dog. For instance, pet insurance for olderdog-pet-insurance dogs will most-likely cost more than for a young dog. Careful consideration must be taken when choosing whether or not to purchase a dog health insurance. If you are someone who routinely brings your pet to have checkups, prescriptions, and general wellness care, a pet insurance plan may be something to look into. However you must also consider how much budget you will have and if it makes more sense to pay for the health and care of your pet over a spread out period of time through insurance payments, or if you have enough set aside in case your pet requires any major care such as surgery.

Veterinarians have broken a lot of ground in the abilities to care for pets and the procedures available. MRI scans are much more readily available than in the past, as well as radiation therapy and organ transplants. Along with these new procedures, the cost of veterinary care has raised sky high, with some procedures doubling in price. Veterinary care options that may seem small at first can increase the bill very quickly as well. Such things as overnight stays, shots and minor surgeries can quickly add to the cost. Insurance policies can cut down on the vet bill considerably, with some paying out as high as eighty and ninety percent. There are sometimes caps on pay out though, as well as other costs to the policy holder such as deductibles and co-payments. Pay out options also vary, with some companies offering a percentage on the entire vet bill and others offering a fixed rate depending on the policy agreement at the time of signing. Many pet insurance policies are available right away, of course depending on payment and underwriting procedures. Read the fine print; however, as some are limited for a probationary period and some policies exclude certain conditions and procedures. It is common for diseases such as hip dysplasia and certain other medical procedures to be excluded from insurance policy coverage, though not all companies exclude these. Also, some policies that have exclusions only exclude them for the first month, year, or other probationary period.

Payment for dog pet insurance is done the same way as health insurance for humans. Co-pays, deductibles, and monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual payments can be made to the insurance provider. Many policies allow you to keep your own veterinarian, and it is also common for insurance policies to allow you to use any licensed veterinarian in the country. This of course is very important to know if you plan to do any traveling with your dog, but make sure to find out if the policy you choose includes coverage on your pet when traveling outside of the area.

Often your veterinarian has worked with insurance companies in the past, or has clients who use insurance policy coverage on a regular basis and can give a good list of recommendations. Another option is bundle rates offered by the Veterinarian for things such as routine checkups, dental care, and medical prescriptions. This can be a smart choice for you depending on the needs of your pet and the commitment you as the dog owner want to make to the health and care of your pet.

With the large array of options available, it is important to do ample research and talk to your veterinarian about pet medical insurance. It may be the right decision for you to make regarding the health and care of your dog, and it has the potential to greatly assist in payments in case anything bad happens to your pet. It is becoming increasingly popular due to the continuous rise in veterinary costs and the new technologies that allow procedures that were not available even a few years ago to be available today. Expensive treatments such as MRI, radiation therapy, and transplant surgeries can be an option for pet owners with pet insurance that otherwise might have to say goodbye to a beloved part of the family. Your dog is an important and valued member of your family and he deserves the best care you can give. Dog pet insurance plans can be a valuable assist in allowing you to assure he has that care.

Dog Breeds – Selecting The Right Dog Breed For You

Finding the right dog breeds to fit with your lifestyle can be simple when you have the right facts. Will you choose a small dog breed, extra large dog breed or somewhere in-between?

Whether you are choosing to add a purebred or mixed breed mutt to your family, it is important to know the characteristics of the dogs included in the mix. And remember, check your shelters and rescue groups first. Many purebred dogs are there awaiting a new loving home.

Dogs sold in pet stores or on-line are often from puppy mills which essentially are a cash-crop dog breeding business where dogs are continuously bred in horrid conditions. Even if you find a dog for sale through your local newspaper, check to see if the advertiser has been continuously advertising dogs for sale. Don’t support this kind of torture for profit.

Consider these things when selecting a dog breed for you:

* How large will the dog be when fully grown
* What is the lifespan of the dog breed
* What health problems are associated with the dog breed
* What is the temperament of the dog breed
* How much maintenance and grooming is required with the breeddog-breeds-mastiff

Consider your lifestyle when choosing dog breeds:

* Do you have small children in your household
* Do you have a yard with lots of room or do you live in an apartment
* Are you away from home for extended hours
* Do you have extra time to spend on caring for you dog
* Are your finances sufficient to allow for quality food and Vet care

We want to help you gather information on the dog breeds you are interested in. Click on the links in dog breed facts to learn about different dog breeds and help determine what breed will best fit in with your lifestyle. By learning about the characteristics and traits associated with the different dog breeds, you will be able to make an informed choice and help to assure both you and your new dog will enjoy a long happy relationship.

Rescue Dogs Make the Best Family Dogs

MEET JAKE & LIBBY; Our Rescue-Dogs

Rescue-dogs can be the best choice for great family pets. So often, through no fault of their own, they have been abandoned on the street or dumped in a shelter. They have so much love to give and deserve so much in return.

Two of the most frustrating, curious, stubborn, spoiled and totally wonderful creatures entered our life just about seven years ago. New additions to our family of rescue- dogs.

Libby joined us first. Our business UPS driver told us about her. Another business owner had witnessed her being thrown out of a car. She kept attempting to get back into the car (Such Loyalty!). Angered because she would not take the none-too-subtle hint to leave, the man proceeded to try to back over her. Not sure how the business owner angel intervened but he ended up saving her. He took her rescue-dogsto his Vet. and had her spayed. Her choker chain was so tight, it was embedded into the muscle of her neck and had to be surgically removed.

We named her Liberty Belle because it fit the freedom she now had. She is such a joy! In spite of her horrible beginnings, she is such a happy loving dog. She loves toys, unlimited hugs and an assortment of soft furniture to lay on as she chooses. It took her a while to trust Dan but once she did she was hopelessly in love. The only reminder of her ordeal is the fact that she still, after seven years, doesn’t like feet anywhere near her. She probably associates them with kicking. It is such a pleasure to watch her sleep peacefully as in this picture; not worrying about anything. That’s as it should be for all animals.

Jake joined our family about a week later.rescue-dogs2 We arrived at our business early one morning and Jake was lying on the front lawn. Dan called him, thinking he would probably just take off but he came right up to him. Since we had eight rescue-dogs at the time and our daughter Tina only had one, we nominated her to be Jake’s new mom. So, she took him home. But, not for long.

Several hours after arriving in Tina’s home we received a plaintive phone call. “Mom, you have to come get this dog. He has lifted his leg on every wall in my house and shows no signs of stopping!” He was clearly marking his territory to let Tina’s Golden Retriever know that he was the new Alpha dog in the house. And with eight rescue dogs in our house, we were sure that he would turn into a veritable urine factory.

Imagine our surprise when he did not lift his leg even once in our home that night nor any night or day since that time seven years ago. It was like he knew he was home. He immediately formed an unbelievably close bond with Dan that has not lessened a bit. But, I’m getting a bit ahead here. Rationally, Dan felt that we could not keep him and after advertising in the classifieds that we had found him and receiving no response, we spent a full week contacting rescue groups in an attempt to place him. We finally found someone that agreed to take him but after spending a few minutes in the very chaotic environment, Jake looked up at him with his gorgeous, melting brown eyes, leaned into him and Dan caved. “We’ve decided to keep him.” Dan announced. What a commitment!

Jake, whose official given name is Jacob Montel Abercrombie Fisher, suffered from EXTREME separation anxiety anytime Dan was out of eye-site. We have some very mangled doors and walls to prove it. As quickly as we repaired them, he again destroyed them. Three months of intensive dog training classes accomplished little. We tried dog training collars, dog cages and dog psychology. These things usually help most dogs greatly but there is always the exception and Jake chose to be that exception.

We ended up taking Jake to work with us each day and not going places much when we were home unless a family member volunteered to dog-sit. He did improve some over time as he became more secure of our return. We now can leave him for eight hours or so at a time.

It is amazing that he had the security to ask so much of us considering what he probably came from. His paw pads were quite worn for a young dog and he had scars on parts of his body. The hardest workout those paws now get is when he runs to greet his dad, jumps on the bed or sofa or chases his brothers and sisters around the yard. Ah, a dog’s life!