Yes, insurance is an additional monthly expense, but it’s an anticipated one that you can budget for. Premiums are fairly reasonable and not having to factor in cost when facing the decision of whether to provide treatment—priceless. Why join the ranks of the estimated 73 percent of people willing to go into debt for their pets?
Another reason to get in on pet insurance now: because it’s set up so that you pay for treatment up front and fill out the forms for reimbursement, vets don’t have to deal with a bureaucracy. And pet insurance companies don’t dictate conventional treatment choices—yet.
That’s not to say you don’t have to do research to get the best deal. Things to consider for comprehensive insurance plans—which are different from discount plans where you pay an annual fee in return for lower prices on vet services—are similar to what you’d look for in human plans. Just be sure to read the fine print. In some cases, for example, claims have to be submitted within 60 days to be accepted.
Take the following items into account when deciding on pet health insurance.
CHOICE OF VETERINARIAN
Most plans let you see anyone you like; others are similar to HMOs, limiting you to certain health-care providers.
WAITING PERIOD
There’s usually at least a 10-day wait so that people don’t sign up immediately after their dog leaps off a precipice. Check and see when a policy will take effect—and watch your pup like a hawk until then.
RATE GUARANTEE
Some companies adjust their premiums on a quarterly basis; that means if they pay a claim they can raise your rates in the next period. Make sure the company you choose offers contracts for at least one year, with no fee-rise adjustments if you submit a claim.
RENEWABILITY
You want a plan that doesn’t consider a condition diagnosed after you first contracted with the company as preexisting, and thus as a reason for not renewing your insurance.
EXCLUSIONS
Typically, dogs younger than six to eight weeks and those older than eight to ten years are ineligible for insurance. Those with preexisting conditions and breed-specific hereditary conditions are generally excluded, too, though in some cases you can pay extra for coverage. Another reason to get a mutt: they’re more easily insured.
WELLNESS
Things like dental care, vaccinations, and heartworm testing should be covered. Some plans don’t take care of neutering or spaying, but that shouldn’t be a deal breaker as clinics often offer deep discounts for those procedures.
PRESCRIPTIONS
You often end up spending far more money on medicines than on office visits and services, so be sure your plan offers good coverage.
DEDUCTIBLES
As with human plans, the higher the deductible, the lower your premium.
SPECIFICITY
You’ll find plans that say they reimburse you for “reasonable and customary fees.” That’s way too much wiggle room. You’re far better off with an insurer that provides a chart detailing what you can expect to get back for what you pay out.
CAPS
There’s usually an annual limit for what a company will reimburse. Find out if there’s also a limit to what insurance will pay for a specific incident.
Although you still have fewer choices for pet insurance than for auto or homeowners’ insurance, more and more companies are entering the field every month. Those with proven track records include Veterinary Pet Insurance (www.petinsurance.com ) and PetCare (www.petcareinsurance.com). Both the ASPCA (www.aspcapetinsurance.com) and the AKC (www.akcphp.com/BHIACMS/) have recently introduced policies, and the Humane Society features discounts on PetPlan (www.gopetplan.com). Check www.PetInsuranceReview.comto get real people feedback on some of the most widely used plans.
28. IS THERE SUCH A THING AS ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE FOR DOGS?
Naturally. The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (ahvma.org; log on to find practitioners in your area) dates back to 1982, and the popularity of its doggie “modalities,” including acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal medicine, and chiropractic, parallels that of its human counterparts. The monthly Whole Dog Journal (www.whole-dog-journal.com) details the latest in natural dog care, while Natural Remedies Dogs and Cats Wish You Knew by Viv Harris outlines treatments for problems ranging from allergies to cancer.
I’m no slave to conventional medicine but my forays into the alternative arena haven’t been terribly successful. Most recently, the search for a nutritionist to help with Frankie’s diabetes led us to Dr. B., who determined that Frankie’s neutering scar was blocking the blood flow to his pancreas. Her suggested remedy: rub flaxseed oil into the area. Initially blissed out by these ministrations—his testicles might be MIA, but his penis hasn’t left the neighborhood—Frankie soon began to squirm away in shame. I immediately ceased treatment. Nevertheless, on our next visit Dr. B. judged the blockage cleared and praised my persistence. I went back to my traditional vet, and Frankie and I resumed our previous, more decorous relationship.
So do what you think works for you and your dog—but not on your own. Take the “complementary” and “integrative” claims of alternative practices seriously: make sure they complement and integrate with the advice of a person who has completed at least four years of veterinary school. The same goes for supplements; just because something’s labeled “natural” doesn’t mean that it’s not naturally toxic to your dog, or that it’s not contraindicated with another supplement or medication she’s taking.
29. HOW WILL NEUTERING OR SPAYING AFFECT MY DOG?
Perhaps a more relevant question is how will it affect you? There’s no evidence that “fixing” causes adverse medical reactions; quite the opposite, in fact. The notion that altering interferes with the development of certain breeds’ distinctive look has been debunked, too. Instead, it’s been shown that the accompanying growth slowdown allows joints and bones to develop correctly. Dogs that have been neutered or spayed tend to grow larger than their unfixed littermates, too. Moreover, dogs don’t have ego issues connected with their sex organs, nor do they sentimentalize motherhood. So if you’re not a breeder, any reservations about having your dog’s uterus or testicles removed are pure projection. (Admit it, the anatomical precision of that description made you more uncomfortable than the terms spaying or neutering. Your dog, on the other hand, would react equally—i.e., not at all—to either expression.)
A prime reason to spay or neuter your dog is to be a good global citizen. One busy bitch can produce as many as 67,000 descendants, exponentially, in six years, and some six to eight million dogs and cats are euthanized annually in the United States alone. Dogs don’t have impulse control and they don’t practice safe sex, so it’s up to you to ensure that they don’t contribute to the misery of their species.
But spaying and neutering offer less altruistic benefits. A female who’s been spayed won’t go into heat, as her twice-yearly reproductive cycles are called—which means less mess for you, less discomfort for her (although as far as I know, no studies have been done about doggie menstrual cramps and PMS), and less upheaval for everyone because hordes of panting male suitors won’t be coming to call. Spayed females also run a lower risk of mammary gland (breast) cancer—not to mention zero risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.
For males, early neutering can minimize aggression; roaming (guy pups are literally heat-seeking missiles, always on the prowl for those busy bitches); and, in some cases, marking (thus allowing you to take a walk without stopping every two seconds for pee dispersal). Neutering may also keep males from humping inappropriate love objects like the legs of your houseguests. Without the distraction of raging hormones, they’re also better able to concentrate on training. Naturally, neutering also eliminates the possibility of testicular cancer.
Those who have a problem with unmanning—undogging?—their pooches can pretend it didn’t happen by investing in Neuticles (www.neuticles.com).21 Allowing your dog “to retain his natural look” and “self-esteem
,” these silicon nut substitutes are available in three sizes and three degrees of firmness. Prices range from $109 per pair for the original rigid ones for small dogs to $1,799 for a customized set of the more pliant ones. I shudder to think how many dog balls needed to be handled to perfect this invention.
The jury is still out on the best age for spaying and neutering. Conventional wisdom once had it that females should be allowed to go through one heat cycle before surgery, but that’s no longer advised (presumably to the dismay of the manufacturers of Bitch Britches, also called season panties). The suggested spaying age is now five to six months, preceding the first heat. Similarly, where four to six months used to be the recommended age for neutering, some vets now say that males as young as eight weeks can safely undergo the operation (though you’d have to wait a while to insert adult-size Neuticles). Although vet consensus is that it’s best to neuter early, before the behaviors the procedure are meant to prevent become ingrained, most agree that neutering can be useful in diminishing aggression later in life, too. Apparently, testosterone poisoning isn’t limited to the very young.
30. WHAT’S THE LATEST WORD ON VACCINATIONS?
Individualize. There’s no question that vaccinations are essential to your dog’s health, but views on the efficacy, frequency, risk, and even type of shots required have shifted in recent years. Annual boosters are no longer advised for most vaccines, for example; three-year updates are now considered sufficient. Similarly, because research has shown that not all vaccines remain effective for the same length of time, the practice of bundling—putting several vaccines together in a single shot—is becoming less common.22 In short, a no-shot-fits-all philosophy is emerging. A responsible vet should take the age, breed, habits, and immune system of your dog—as well as the region in which you live—into account when determining which inoculations to give.
Vaccines fall into two basic categories: the core group, which protect against diseases that are particularly dangerous, are easily transmitted, and/or are dangerous to humans, including distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and rabies; and the noncore group, recommended for dogs at specific risk. Desert-dwelling dogs don’t have to worry about Lyme disease, for example, as those who live in humid, tick-rich areas do; and pups who don’t go to doggie daycare or engage in group overnight sleepaways need not be inoculated against kennel cough. Even with core group medications, however, vaccinations should be considered on an individual basis. The risks of vaccinating very old dogs, dogs with compromised immune systems, and certain toy breeds, say, may outweigh the benefits.
Lately, there’s been a good deal of interest in titer tests, which determine the continuing effectiveness of a vaccine by measuring the level of antibodies present in the blood. At this point, however, many of these tests aren’t considered accurate enough to justify their expense. Results are not consistent for all diseases—many researchers consider only those for distemper and parvo reliable—or even for all breeds.
The bottom line: A series of core group shots are recommended for puppies as soon as they’ve lost their mothers’ immunity, at around four weeks; at the latest, these initial shots should be given at six months. After two years of age, tread—or shoot—lightly. Don’t second guess your vet, but stay informed.
31. AT WHAT AGE SHOULD I GET MY DOG’S EARS CROPPED AND TAIL DOCKED?
At no age, if most veterinarians have their say. Cropping and docking have been outlawed in many countries, and the American Veterinary Medical Association’s policy statement dubs these surgeries “not medically indicated, nor of benefit to the patient,” noting that they “cause pain and distress.”
Historically, tail docking, or surgical shortening, helped prevent working dogs from getting injured. For example, overlong tails of hunting dogs running through brush to retrieve prey might get burrs caught in them, and sheepdogs might be mistaken for wolves threatening the herds and get shot in error. Cutting and bandaging a dog’s ears to make them stand upright, on the other hand, was always purely aesthetic, done to make guard dogs like Boxers and Dobermans look fierce and alert. Now most of these cosmetic procedures are performed—usually without anesthesia in early puppyhood—to make dogs conform to the American Kennel Club’s breed registry standards.
In addition to being cruel and—except in working dogs—useless, tail docking also interferes with communication. How can you know what your dog is trying to tell you if he doesn’t have a tail? And I think cropped ears make a pup appear not so much fierce as astonished—the same look you get from a too-tight facelift.
32. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO KEEP MY DOG HEALTHY?
Dogs need to do the same things that we need to do to stay in shape: eat well and get plenty of exercise. Luckily, it’s an easier regimen to enforce than to stick to: your dog can’t binge on junk food unless you provide it (or he lucks into a McDonald’s dumpster), and you’ll never hear him complain, “Sorry, I’m just not up for walking today.”23
When it comes to disease, human-canine principles converge, too, with prevention, early detection, and early correction being key.
PREVENTION
To keep your dog from getting seriously ill you need to …
Vaccinate (see question 30)
De-bug
Brush teeth
Parasites such as heartworm, fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes are more than just nuisances to dogs; they can be deadly. Pet store shelves are filled with products to eliminate them: pills, topical creams, single doses, combinations … But don’t use anything without consulting your vet.24 If your dog already has heartworm, for example, and you give him preventative medication for it, the nuked worms can clog his cardiovascular system (how’s that for a scare tactic?). And cat medications—even if they look the same as dog remedies and are on sale—can make your dog sick. What part of “different species” don’t you understand?
Yes, you need to brush your dog’s teeth. I’ll explain why in Chapter 4.
EARLY DETECTION
Early detection is important in maintaining your dog’s health.
BE HANDS ON—LITERALLY
One of the advantages of brushing your dog’s coat regularly is that you can feel for any new growths or scabs. While you’ve got him in that pleasure zone of grooming, peer into and sniff at his ears (there’s more on all this in Chapter 5).
Be observant
A change in habits—especially drinking, eating, and elimination—can presage illness.
See your vet annually
Take your dog for a yearly vet visit (twice a year for a senior pet), even if your dog seems fine.
Early correction
Don’t procrastinate. If you don’t take care of a health problem as soon as you discover it, it can get out of hand—and thus become even more expensive to deal with than it was initially.
33. HOW DO I KNOW WHAT’S NORMAL VERSUS WHAT I NEED TO WORRY ABOUT?
Dogs do a lot of stuff that seems very strange to us and perplexes even people with advanced degrees in animalology. Because it’s comforting to know what behavior belongs in the realm of peculiar but not unique, here are some of the most common examples of the peculiar.
EATING
Some dogs eat dirt and/or grass. Others down nonorganic foreign objects, like TV remotes and pantyhose. And still others eat feces—their own, other dogs’, other species’. (There’s even a term for this taste for waste—coprophagia.)
No one is entirely sure why dogs have such eclectic palates. The consumption of indigestible items is the biggest problem, because you’ll have to pay for surgery if those pantyhose don’t pass through without incident. But it’s the poop-eating that seems to drive people craziest, even though it’s not generally harmful. My dog’s adorable, they protest. How could he be so disgusting? Proposed cures include putting meat tenderizer in your dog’s food—apparently it makes the poop less yummy—or sprinkling Bitter Apple on the turds. The most logical solution: clean up after your dog immediately.25
BREATHING/VOCALI
ZATIONS
Along with barking and howling, dogs pant. It’s their method of air-conditioning: they cool themselves off by increasing evaporation in the respiratory tract. Some dogs don’t pant much, except when it’s really warm or after strenuous exercise. Others pant at the drop of a hat, whenever they’re excited or nervous. The length of panting varies, too. The particular functioning of your dog’s self-cooling unit will soon become evident to you.
Dogs also produce many un-doglike vocalizations. When I first heard Frankie sigh, for example, I was terrified that he was the reincarnation of my mother, queen of the emotionally fraught exhalation. I’ve come to see that, although Frankie inspires guilt in his own special way, his sighs signal impatience or satisfaction rather than disappointment with me. At least that’s what I’ve chosen to convince myself they mean.
ELIMINATING
Watch for differences when your dog goes to the bathroom.
Liquid
Marking is the stop-and-start, back-leg-raised urinating that unneutered males do to say “I was here” (also known as pee-mail) or “I see your pee and I pee on it!” (a form of pooch poker called four-legged stud). But cross-peeing is also quite common: some laid-back males, even those neutered late, squat and empty their bladders completely, while some alpha females raise their legs and pee in short bursts. So don’t worry if your pup likes to urinate outside gender stereotypes.
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