Veterinary Pet Insurance Guide

Here’s a post that constitutes cheap pet insurance. The cheapest, really, since it won’t cost you anything you probably weren’t already spending. Karsten Broderlynn, a consultant and contributor to our blog, wants your attention. Particularly if you and your pup are currently sharing a bag of Cheetos in front of the TV right now. Please enjoy his guest contribution.

This post isn’t so much about veterinary pet insurance as it is about what you can do to offset veterinary medical expenses at home. There’s a lot of advice to give on this topic so I’ll be writing several posts over the next few days. For now, understand that, just as with humans, home is where real health care begins.

Think about it; your doctor doesn’t want you to smoke, wants you to eat better foods, reduce stress and get more exercise. All of that is wholly independent from what he or your insurance company will do for you at the doctor’s office. It’s up to you to make those changes at home, in your daily life, which will keep you around longer and reduce your medical expenses. And it’s no different for your dog. So let’s address a heavy subject.

I’m often astounded by the similarities between us and our pets. You’ve probably seen the pictures of owners with their dogs and marveled at how much they look alike. But the trend goes deeper than that. The sad truth is that, as we become fatter people, our dogs are suffering an obesity epidemic right along with us.

It’s a fairly obvious chain reaction. We eat unhealthy garbage. We subsequently feed our pups table scraps consisting of the same unhealthy garbage. As we get heavier, our activity levels decrease. As our activity levels decrease, our dogs (dependent on us for their exercise) suffer from a decreased activity level as well. The end result is a hefty human with a portly pooch.

Now some of you may think that a large Labrador or a chubby Chihuahua is cute. What’s hiding under those extra pounds, though, is a laundry list of potential health issues and a significantly shortened lifespan. All the cuteness in the world doesn’t make up for a dog that won’t be around as long because you loved it to death with unhealthy treats, does it?

Along with the shortened lifespan come a significantly increased likelihood of diabetes, hip and joint conditions and heart disease. They may walk on four legs and bark, but biologically, dogs are just as susceptible to the ailments we risk when we put on weight. If you truly want to show your dog the love it deserves (and yourself, too) it’s time to change some habits. Step one is changing what you put in your dog’s mouth.

Many of us cave in when our pup pins us in place with those so-sad eyes that seem to say “if you really loved me, you’d give me some of that bacon you’re eating.” Every time we do cave in, we’re putting our dogs at risk. Not only do we add to its weight, we are literally taking chances with its health in that many foods we eat can cause illness in dogs. I’ll consider contributing a post in the future that covers some of those items but, for now, understand that the handing out of table scraps has to stop. Commit to that right now. Today.

Your next step is to visit your stash of doggie snacks and get rid of them too. No more processed, fatty, unhealthy treats. Take a stand. Put them in the trash and eliminate the temptation. Don’t worry, I’ll give you some alternatives, but the equivalent of Terrier Twinkies and Husky Ho-Ho’s have got to go. Go to your pantry and chuck all of it out right now. I’ll wait.

Done? Ok, now that all of that is in the trash, it’s time to make up a shopping list. The items you want around to reward your puppy may take some getting used to but they’re pretty simple. Start with veggies such as carrots, green beans and sweet potato. Slices of fruit are also an option but definitely no raisins or grapes which can be very harmful to your pet. Acceptable fruits are apple and pear (but don’t include the seeds).

If your dog is a true carnivore and refuses fruit and veggies in his diet, cook up chicken breasts and cube them, then store them in the fridge for a delicious treat your dog will love. In our home, we’ve switched to low-sodium turkey bacon for our own breakfasts and, while not ideal, our dogs are definitely better off for having a piece of that as a treat rather than the real thing.

Finally, there are commercially available treats in many pet food aisles that are specifically listed as healthy. So the good news is that commercial pet treats aren’t entirely off the list. But do try to get items with as many natural ingredients and as little filler as possible and also feed them in moderation.

Having mentioned moderation, let me close with that. Your dog should not receive a reward or treat for the simple reason that it managed to get its fat bottom off the ground long enough to follow you to the kitchen. Treats and snacks should be rewards for desired behavior and handed out sparingly the rest of the time. Tossing your pup a treat just because he’s standing near you 50 times a day does not qualify as responsible diet effort.

Remember, your dog depends on you for everything. I hate being blunt but it is high time we, as pet owners, accept the responsibility for our animals being unhealthy, obese and closer to death than they should be because WE lack self control, not because of any fault of theirs. Make a promise to do better by your dog and enjoy the extra years you’ll have together. He won’t love you any less for substituting all those cookies with something healthier. Particularly if you toss in some extra quality time giving him scratches as a bonus.

In our next post, we’ll cover a subject that most of us probably cringe over - exercise.