Pet health insurance: Why is it a good idea

By Don Hanson, PCBC-A, Bfrap

<Una versión de este artículo fue publicada en Pets and its people on October 10, 2022 >

<Una versión de este artículo fue publicada en la edición de agosto de 2022 de Downast dog news >

< Updated 23Oct22 >

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My wife and I decided that it was worth investigating when we adopted MUPPY in 2013. We had several unplanned veterinarians with previous pets that required emergency surgery or because they were treated by chronic problems for many years. So, when we adopt Boomer that fall, we also buy a policy for him. Nine years later, I think it was a wise investment.

In the fall of 2020, I began to talk about pet health insurance with students in my puppy’s class. Follow the module where we discuss chewing and dogs that consume inappropriate and dangerous articles. I show my radiograph students, that veterinarians have published online, showing some of the terrifying things that dogs have ingested. A partial list includes; coins, toys, spoons, forks, a fish hook, a fishing segment Polo, batteries, socks, tennis balls, 4 gravel pounds and even an 8 -inch kitchen knife. A veterinarian even told me about a dog that had swallowed a brass. Unfortunately, a dog that consumes articles like these is not unusual; Ask your veterinarian.

I discuss pet insurance with my puppies students because this is the time of a dog’s life when they put something in their mouths. However, I also mention it before your puppy swallows something dangerous. Unlike human health insurance, pet insurance generally does not cover pre -existing conditions. Suppose you wait to buy pet insurance until your puppy has consumed something that requires veterinary attention. In that case, the future ingestion of inappropriate articles will probably be excluded from coverage. I have clients with dogs who have had multiple expensive surgeries to eliminate articles swallowed by their dogs. They would have covered whether they had bought insurance before the first incident.

In addition to worrying about swallowing hard goods, there are many other articles that a dog can consume that can be mortal. These include; Tobacco products (nicotine) and marijuana (THC). Products designed to help quit smoking Smoking, such as patches and gum, contain enough nicotine, even after discarding them, to be toxic to dogs. The same is true to vapor products that contain nicotine or THC.

Then there are the things we could consume, which can also be mortal for our dogs. A partial list includes; Nailed marijuana, grapes, raisins, chocolate and anything containing the artificial sweetener Xilitol (birch alcohol). A partial list of products with Xilitol includes sweets and sugar -free rubber, breath mints, toothpaste, children’s vitamins, pudding ready to carry and even some peanut butter brands.

I cannot emphasize enough so that the probability of consuming dangerous things does not end after the puppy or happens only once. Be from a dog that recently ate a chocolate sparks bag that results in a veterinarian bill that approaches $ 2000. I have a client whose dog swallowed a sock six times, requiring surgery. One of the radiographs that I show my puppies students is the stomach of a dog full of 44 socks. I know two people who had dogs who got into the gum containing Xilitol. A dog survived after a three -day stay in the equivalent of dogs of an ICU. A dog died.

So why do pet health insurance? Simply because any of the aforementioned incidents could result in a expensive invoice. In addition, it is not only the ingestion of elements that can cause an unplanned veterinary invoice. Like us, dogs are subject to trauma, orthopedic problems, stroke and tick -transmitted diseases. In addition, there are many chronic diseases to consider; Skin disorders, ear infections, urinary locks, seizures, behavioral disorders, diabetes, kidney disease and cancer. Pet insurance can help with all these expenses if you have it instead before it occurs.

We decided to buy pet insurance for MUPPY due to a previous dog that had seizures for seven years of his life and another that had two disorders of the immune system. The cost of treatment for both was significant. In addition, we bought it for our Boomer cat because we had previous male cats that experienced a blocked urethra that can be deadly and is not economical to treat.

The policies we choose do not cover the annual welfare exams, but we are covered in the case of the unexpected. Muppy has had five incidents in which his insurance paid a significant part of the invoice; 1) Treatment for a back injury, 2) Treatment for Lyme disease, 3) treatment for anaplasmosis, 4) ocular surgery and 5) treatment for another ocular problem. So I think it has been paid more than in dollars and tranquility.

See my article on how to choose a pet insurance provider.

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Don Hanson lives in Bangor, Maine, where he is the co -owner of Green Acres Kennel Shop ( Greenacreskennel.com ) and the founder of Forfreepets.coma Online educational resource for people with dogs and cats. He is a professional canine behavior consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Professional Pet Accreditation Board (PPAB) and a registered animal practitioner of the Bach Foundation (Bfrp). Don is a member of the Professional Pet Guild (PPG)serving in the Board of Directors and the Steering Committee and presiding over the Defense Division. He is also founding director of Pet devocacy international (Piai). In addition, Don Produce and Co-Anphitations THE MEOW WOOF MEOW SHOW Podcast, available in The Apple Podcast application and Don’s blog: www.words woofs-meows.com. The opinions in this article are those of Don Hanson.

© 23Oct22, Donald J. Hanson, all rights reserved
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Meal Integral versus Meat meat: how to detect the difference in ingredients

What is in a name? Does it matter? Yeah!

There are many ways to provide essential nutrients to pets, including a variety of protein sources. Most dogs for dogs and cats contain meat from other animals, typically chicken, turkey, cattle, pigs or fish, although other more exotic animals can also be used.

But what is meat? It may sound like a direct question, but the ‘meats’ used in dogs and cats are not necessarily the same type of meats as you would find in a grocery store or butcher shop. Humans who eat meat generally consume only the muscle tissue of the animal. While muscle tissues are water and protein sources reliably, they contain variable amounts of fats, minerals and vitamins, depending on their location in the body and the type of animal from which they were removed.

In the US, pet food is regulated by an agency called FEED American Control Officials Association; May be familiar with seeing them referenced as AAFCO. Even the ingredients used in pet foods are defined by AAFCO. They have a loose categorization of the ingredients such as ‘older’ or ‘minors’. The meat is considered a main ingredient and, often, will be named after animal, this means that if a product lists the ‘pork’ on the label, it must contain meat from a pig. If a list of ingredients does not include the animal’s name and only says ‘meat’, it can only come from cattle, pigs, sheep or goats. All other animals should be specified (for example: chicken, bison, deer meat). This makes the ingredient easily recognizable for consumers. In comparison, minor ingredients are main sources of minerals, vitamins or other nutrients and may not have a recognizable name. For example, Alfa-Tocoferol, a minor ingredient, is added to diets as a natural antioxidant and to provide vitamin E.

For the definition of Aafco, “Meat” is:

Clean meat derived from sacrificed mammals is limited to that part of the striated muscle that is skeletal or that part that is found in the tongue, in the diaphragm, in the heart or in the esophagus; With or without the fats and portions of skin, tendons, nerves, nerves and blood that normally accompany the flesh.

–AAFCO 2012

This description may sound familiar for the type of flesh that humans consume; This is all the meat that Halo uses in its meat formulas. Meat as used in pet food cannot contain any bone, which means that it is often mechanically separated from the bone, resulting in a finely terrestrial paste product, as well as what is used in processed meats for human consumption (such as hot dogs).

Compared, “Meat byproducts” are:

The clean and not rendered parts, in addition to the meat, derived from the sacrificed mammals. It includes, among others, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, low -temperature low temperature fatty tissue and stomachs and intestines released from its content. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hooves.

–AAFCO 2012

Meat by -products are raw ingredients and include only ‘not rendered’ parts of an animal. The ‘by -product’ qualifier means that it is not a part of the animal that consumes humans in the United States, and therefore is a byproduct resulting from the production of muscle meat. The rendered products are those that have undergone a cooking process. The rendered ingredients are treated with high heat and pressure to eliminate most of the water and fat, mainly leaving the protein and minerals of raw ingredients. The renderized products that are in a powder include the term “food.” Meat meals are not considered appropriate for human consumption in the United States.

Thus, by definition of Aafco, “Meat food” is:

The rendering product of mammalian fabrics, excluding any blood, hair, hooves, horn, concealment cuts, manure, stomach and rumen, except in quantities that may occur inevitable in good processing practices. It will not contain foreign materials not provided by this definition.

–AAFCO 2012

Unlike whole meat (or even the by -products of the meat), meat food does not need to include the name of the animals from which it is derived. If an animal name is voluntarily included, for example, ‘meat flour’, it can only include rendering meat from that animal. Because meat food is a concentrated source of proteins and minerals, there are strict guidelines on the level of allowed minerals, particularly for calcium and phosphorus, and the product must be marked with the minimum raw protein, fat, fiber, minimum phosphorus and minimum and maximum calcium levels.

The whole meat is a raw ingredient and has not undergone heat processing before joining pet food. This means that, like raw meats prepared for human consumption, they must be sent from the slaughterhouse to the processing installation using cold storage. The whole transport and storage of meat requires the maintenance of cold temperatures to avoid bacterial growth and product strip. This is a reason why you will generally find whole meat only in foods of greater price, since it costs more to the company to use these raw ingredients to make your pet food. In comparison, because they have cooked and ground powder, meat meals are relatively light, can be stored in higher volumes for longer periods and do not require cold or storage transport. This makes them a less expensive ingredient to use in pet food, and that is why many pet food companies choose to wear meat meals instead of whole meat in their recipes.

The definitions of ingredients are not only regulated by AAFCO, but also the way in which the ingredients are listed in the packaging of a product. In the US, the ingredients in pet food must appear in decreasing order of greater to lower weight. Due to their water content, meat and meat by -products are very heavy, unlike meat meals that are sources of cooked concentrated proteins. This means that foods containing meat and meat by -products will often have them listed in the ingredient list, while foods that contain meat food can show that lowest ingredient in the list, even if the total dry matter content can be very similar.

So, if you are looking to detect the difference in the ingredients in a pet food label, you can look for the word ‘meat’ and determine what species it is. You can also determine what type of processing has suffered, with the presence or lack of the word ‘food’. Meat meals have suffered a heat and pressure processing that results in powdered meat before joining pet food, while whole meats have not done so. Be sure to check the pet food labels!

My best wishes and tail wags,

Dr. Sarah Dodd

His 3 -month -old kitten could have been at home for a month, but they could also have arrived. Our beautiful Billy had been at home for four weeks when he turned 3 and had his ginger legs firmly under the table. It was energetic, playful and constantly looking for something to hide inside or beat the desk. It was also quite small, weighed around 3 pounds and looked very thin and Limby! Although all kittens are different, there are many milestones that a 3 -month -old kitten should have fulfilled. And many tasks for you, your human family, to help them progress and become a happy and healthy cat.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1i7om6ycui

3 month old kitten – Ready to return home?

All kittens must keep their mother until they have 8 weeks (2 months) of age, which is the minimum age at which they can join a new home. Most rescue shelters will launch kittens at this age, to leave space for new cats that need their care. Many homemade breeders will also launch kittens at this age. But some may insist on keeping their garbage at home until 12 weeks. For pedigree breeders who show their cats, this gives them more time to assess which kitten is most likely to be a show quality when they grow. In other words, which are going to keep.

Then, at 3 months, a kitten would already be quite established in his home. And you may be reading this article to find out what will come next. Or it is possible that you bring them home for the first time at 3 months and ask what to expect. There are advantages and disadvantages of being in any position.

2 month kitten vs. 3 months cat: How old is it better to bring home?

At 8 weeks old A kitten is still within the socialization period. This is an important stage of their emotional development, when they are more open to forming positive associations with new things. Around 9 weeks, the socialization period closes, and it is more likely that kittens react with fear of new things. If a kitten is still with its breeder at 9 weeks, socialization can be lost to important aspects of your home. For example, if you have a dog, but the breeder does not.

On the other hand, studies indicate that kittens that stay with their mother until they are 12 weeks are less likely to behave aggressively towards strangers, and less likely to perform abnormal repetitive behaviors, such as excessive preparation. The kittens attending veterinary appointments with their brothers until they are 12 weeks of age also tend to be less stressed by future visits to the veterinarian as well.

So, there is no perfectly correct or incorrect course of action. But if you plan to take your kitten home at 3 months, it is advisable to talk to your breeder about what socialization they will do while the kitten is under their care.

How is a 3 -month kitten?

At 3 months, or approximately 12 weeks, kittens are still small and beautiful, but their baby looks are beginning to give way to more adult characteristics. Let’s take a look at what physical milestones to take into account at this time.

Eyes

Kittens’ eyes, which were blue when they were born, have reached their adult color at 3 months and is unlikely to change more. You will probably notice that they look very different depending on how brilliant it is. Not only because the pupil contracts with narrow slots or dilates wide circles, but because the amount of light that is refracted through the iris can subtly change the color we see them.

The quality of your view continues to improve and is not completely complete at 3 months. It will not reach maximum efficiency at all levels of light until they are about 4 months old.

Teeth

A kitten must have the 26 deciduous teeth (babies) at 3 months, and some of them could have begun to be expelled by the permanent teeth of adults below. This process continues for 3 or 4 months, until the 30 adult teeth have arrived.

During periods of intense dentition, your kitten can drool a lot and become irritable and sensitive to handling. It can help them by providing adequate toys to chew, but not those that are too difficult, since they can cause broken teeth. The breathing of a trigger in dentition can also acquire a little more smell than usual, which is normal and generally happens once all adult teeth have completely exploded.

Coat

The 3 -month -old kittens still have their ‘kitten coat’, which is finer, softer and less bright than their adult coat. They will endure until the start of the puberty of around 5 to 6 months, so enjoy it while it lasts!

How big is a 3 -month -old kitten?

The size of a 3 -month -old kitten depends partly on its race. The big races of cats, such as Maine Coans and Norwegian Forest Gats, have bigger kittens than small breeds such as Siamese and Singapuras cats. And the big breed kittens also tend to grow faster.

As a very, very loose rule, a three -month kitten weighs around 3 pounds. But they can weigh as little as 2 pounds or up to 4 pounds too. Your veterinarian will help you monitor your weight during this time and advise you if you weigh too much or very little.

3 -month -old kitten behavior

As your kitten grows and coordinates more, you will also notice that you sleep less and spend more time exploring and playing. If they met many people and met all normal home views and sounds during the socialization period, they are likely to explore your new home and interact with you with confidence and arrogance. If his nest remained isolated during the socialization period, then a 3 -month -old cat that joins a new home for the first time could find many scary things.

Game time

If you have adopted a couple of brothers kittens, between 3 months and 4 months you will notice that they start playing less. The social game between cats is rare after 4 months, so take some cute videos while it is still happening! However, they will remain interested in toys long after they stop playing with each other.

In particular, they will enjoy practicing their predator skills, stalking, hunting and “killing” the inanimate objects. But, it may notice that emotion becomes frustration after playing for a while. This is especially common in cats that were weaned earlyAnd frustration comes from the fact that the ‘hunt’ does not end in food. Changing your toy for some edible treats after a game period can help the game to end a sweet note, instead of a bitter.

It is also a good idea to build a collection of toys and take them out in rotation, so they maintain their novel attractiveness.

Taking care of his 3 month old kitten

So we have discovered everything to know about the physical and mental development of your 3 months. Here are some more things you will need to do to provide your kitten the best possible attention:

Vaccines

The final shots in the central kittens vaccination program are between 12 and 14 weeks. These vaccines protect the kittens against feline viral rhinototheitis, calicivirus and panleuchopenia. His kitten could also have begun a series of optional vaccines against the feline leukemia virus and the feline immunodeficiency virus. If you own his kitten when he had his last set of shots, his veterinarian will tell him exactly when this final set is due. Otherwise, your breeder can tell you.

Thinking about sterilizing and castrating

If he has not yet done so, this is a good time to talk to his veterinarian about his intentions of sterilization/castration and program surgery for the future. More than 3 million unwanted cats enter rescue shelters in the United States every year. Sterilization or castration of pets of pets is vital to stop that trend. Traditionally, cats have been sterilized or castrated around 6 months. But to avoid accidental pregnancies before, veterinarians increasingly recommend the 4 months castration – Before the start of puberty.

Inside or outside?

You will probably have a clear idea of ​​whether your cat will be an inner cat or an outdoor cat before obtaining them. And if he brought them home at 8 weeks, 3 months he has the moment he can start letting them explore outside for the first time. (If you bought them at home later, wait until they had 4 weeks to settle).

Before leaving, make sure they are completely vaccinated. They must have a necklace with their contact information about and ideally being microchips. Plan to let them out for the first time in a quiet hour of the day. You can even use a harness and strap to let them explore. Then they can familiarize themselves with their area, without the concern to be lost.

How much to feed the 3 -month kitten?

It is likely that his 3 -month -old kitten is still eating the food to which the breeder wealed. If you prefer to feed them something else, you can make the transition to an appropriate alternative diet for age. Do this in the course of a week, gradually increasing the proportion of the new meal at each meal. For humid and dry commercial diets, follow the sizes of the portions in the packaging. If you are concerned that your kitten does not win weight quickly or be gaining weight too fast, ask your veterinarian to evaluate and advise them. Remember, you must deduce any calories served as training treats of your regular meals.

Training your 3 months

What is this to train a cat? Well, there is still much that your young cat has to learn at this age. Here are some ideas to involve their mature minds:

• Every time you play with your cat, always use a toy instead of playing with naked hands, so that they learn what kind of things they are appropriate to scratch and bite.
• Invest in some puzzle feed toys to challenge your problem solving skills.
• Establish scratch posts near high traffic areas in your home. If you catch your cat scratching elsewhere, recove them and put them in the scratch post. Or relocate the scratch post closer to the place where they try to mark.
• Present them to be handled for medical exams and preparation. Gently touch your lips, ears, feet fingers, tail, legs, etc., immediately followed by a gift. Just work in this for a minute or less at the same time.
• It is also a good idea to use them to travel in a pet carrier. Leave the carrier with some treats to find and close the door briefly, without taking them anywhere.

What was your kitten at 3 months? Share your stories in the comment box below!

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