Daily Paws

Pet news, tips, entertainment and opinions from VetLocator.com

Posts Tagged ‘Best’

Is Dog Health Insurance For You?

Friday, May 18th, 2012

It’s tough finding the best dog insurance with the many insurance policies you can choose from today.

We’ve written about choosing pet insurance in the past and it’s worth looking at these past articles.  Dogs in particular have some special considerations when choosing insurance.

 

Here are some tips for you when you are choosing insurance for your pet.

Here are some questions to answer first:

1.  Do you even want insurance?

It is true that veterinary costs have steadily gone up over the past years.  There are good reasons for these price increases including better medications, better equipment, specialized medicine and more life-saving services offered under one roof.

However, being able to do more to help your pet live a longer and better life does come at a price and many pet owners are now not able to afford the very services that veterinarians have invested so much into being able to offer.

This is where insurance can help.  By paying a monthly or annual fee, you are limiting the maximum cost you will have to spend at any one time on your dog.

2.  What type of budget are you able to afford to pay for your pet’s care?

Depending on different factors, just like human insurance, your pet’s insurance rate will vary by plan and by insurance company.

Weigh the costs of monthly premium + deductible vs. having to come up with a lump sum amount all at once.  For example, if your pet is hit by a car and has broken bones that need to be set plus surgery to repair something, that bill can be expensive, often over $1,000.

Your options are:

A.  pay the amount at the time

B. finance the amount using a credit card or financing option

C. pay the deductible for the pet insurance that you have been paying on for just such an emergency.

3.  Determine what the premiums would be based on different insurance companies and the age, breed and preexisting conditions of your dog.

If your dog is older, has had health issues in the past, is of a certain breed that has a tendency for health problems (example, certain breeds develop hip dysplasia easily and some insurance policies will exclude that condition from coverage if that is the breed you have).

4.  Find out if your veterinarian accepts the insurance you are considering

5.  Find out how the insurance company pays if you have a claim.  Do you pay and they reimburse or do they pay and you don’t have any out of pocket besides your deductible?

There are also services that are not insurance but they do offer discounted pet health fees when you pay a premium and use one of their providers.

Armed with the above advice, you will be able to make the decision on whether pet insurance is a good match for you and your dog.

Linda Ferguson
Daily Paws
VetLocator.com

Hiring a Pet Sitter: Choosing the Best Care Giver For The Pet

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

by Therese Kopiwoda

The upcoming time we disappear, whether it’s for company or fun, we may like to consider hiring a pet babysitter to come into the house to care for the dogs. Employing the services of the pro pet babysitter allows the pet to remain comfortable inside his own house, provides we peace of notice understanding he’s secure plus inside capable hands, plus frees we from needing to depend about neighbors or relatives. Before we hand over the keys plus wave goodbye to Rover plus Fluffy though, take time to educate oneself regarding pet sitters as well as the services they offer. Interview a limited pet sitters, reach understand them a bit, plus ask concerns. Find out regarding their experience, how frequently they’ll see the dogs, how extended visits last, what they’ll do when with the dogs, how they’ll handle emergencies, plus fees. Additionally to general information on their services, you’ll like to cover a some crucial points, because indexed under.

· Insurance and/or bonding: This won’t avoid injuries from happening yet it might safeguard we as well as the pet babysitter to a certain extent could a mishap happen. Many sole proprietors are insured, plus many services which employ pet sitters are bonded plus insured. It’s a wise decision to ask for proof of insurance.

· Pet emergency provisions: If a pet becomes ill whenever you’re away, it’ll be significant for the pet babysitter to learn what measures to take should you can not be reached. He or she must have a vet’s contact info, as well as the kind of treatment and/or amounts we authorize should you can not be approached.

· Pet sitter emergency procedures: Ask what measures is taken when a pet sitter becomes ill plus is unable to care for the dogs, when he or she is unable to reach the house due to inclement weather, or inside the event of the all-natural catastrophe.

· Key security: Ask how the key is diagnosed plus stored. Keys ought not to be connected to anything with a name or address about it, plus whenever not used, ideally they ought to be kept secure inside a secured secure or different secure enclosure. Most pet sitting companies may additionally provide to keep a key for future pet sitting assignments.

· Contracts plus different forms: Be certain which the pet babysitter delivers we with a created contract describing these aspects because dates, occasions, services agreed on, emergency procedures, key safety, rates, etc.

· References: Ask for names plus contact info for a some customers. Take time to speak to they plus ask regarding their experiences plus whether they’d hire that pet sitter again. Many pet sitters are moreover happy to provide references from different pet care experts including veterinarians, groomers, or coaches.

· Pet issues: Inform the potential pet babysitter of any health issues, behavioral issues, or additional significant factors regarding a dogs. Giving the pet sitter because much info as possible regarding a pet can help her to provide the greatest care potential.

· Home issues: As with pet issues, make sure to inform the pet babysitter of any oddities regarding a house which might happen inside a absence (bathroom which overflows, doorways which don’t lock correctly, safety sensors, etc.).

Because pet sitting is a individual service, we plus a pet have to be comfortable with all the individual we ask into the house. Look for a sense of professionalism with a individual touch, make sure to consider a gut feeling, plus observe the pet’s response to the pet babysitter we interview. With a little of planning plus research, a pet can remain securely inside his own house when you’re away, plus is there to eagerly greet we with love plus affection whenever we return.

To find a pet babysitter, dog walker, or dog daycare inside a location, or to understand much more about the services they offer, go to http://www.petsitusa.com.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Therese_Kopiwoda

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