Kim asked me what I think about pet insurance. Me? I love it. It means people who would normally be unable to afford an emergency surgery or illness are able to get their pet treatment. Most veterinary clinics don't offer payment plans. We all wish we could. The problem is not that we don't want to deal with it, but that they never work. There are too many people who renege on it and ruin it for everyone else, so the only way we can stay in business is to be paid at the time ... Read more »
Archives for November 2009
Health
Hour 15: FIV and you
I had a request to cover the topic of FIV in cats and what someone who was considering adopting such a cat needs to know. First of all, anyone who adopts a special-needs pet has an extra special place in heaven. :) Always good to accumulate good karma. Here are the basic things you need to know (which I have summarized from the excellent article at Veterinary Partner: ) 1. FIV (or feline immunodeficiency virus) is not an automatic death sentence. The average life ... Read more »
Hour 11: ER Dos and Don’ts, Part Deux
In Part 2 of the ER guest post, Dr. Baebler divides some of the most common emergency complaints into three categories based on degree of urgency. PART 2: DO I NEED TO GO INTO THE EMERGENCY ROOM OR NOT? Onto the meat of this post. Below are a list of signs/disease conditions and the urgency with which they should be attended: Get thee to the ER doctor ASAP (remember to call us to let us know you're on your way!): - Trouble breathing or choking - Trauma - obvious broken bones, open ... Read more »