How to Choose the Right Plan for Your Dog or Cat

Just like human medical costs, pet veterinary bills can be quite expensive, but as pet parents, we’d do anything to keep our furry friends healthy and happy.

To help avoid the most major financial repercussions from unexpected veterinary costs, many pet parents are turning to pet health insurance for their dogs or cats. They subscribe month-to-month for a set fee, and then reap the benefits of coverage almost immediately and every time their pet sees the veterinarian.

But it can be hard to choose the best pet health insurance for Fido or Fuzzy, especially if you’re unfamiliar with how it works. Get informed so you can make a smart decision that’ll save you money as you take great care of your pet.

Is Pet Health Insurance Like Human Health Insurance?

Just as humans have health insurance coverage, pets can, too! All you have to do is enroll your pet in the insurance plan and clear the waiting period, which is usually 10 to 14 days (if applicable). You’ll need to pay a monthly premium to keep coverage active, so you can get access to covered services should your pet fall ill or become injured.

Unlike human health insurance, many pet health insurance plans don’t cover preventative care services and vaccines, but some do – and it’s up to you if you want to purchase one of those plans. You’ll need to shop around to get the best deal.

Coverage Considerations

With no perfect way to predict how much you’ll spend annually on your pet’s medical expenses, your best bet is to review bills from the previous year or two. Remember to consider health issues that may crop up due to your pet’s age; you may want to increase coverage for things like joint problems, heart conditions, vision or hearing loss, cancer, or kidney and liver disease.

And remember: accidents happen. Be sure your plan covers care for physical injury, intestinal blockages, and other issues common with cats and dogs.

As you look for coverage, consider these general categories:

• Wellness and preventative care visits
• Injuries
• Pre-existing conditions (whether your pet has any now)
• Genetic conditions

Not every plan will cover everything. For example, some plans will never cover genetic conditions or preventative care. But if these are important to you, it’s possible to find a plan that covers it.

Numbers You Should Know

Pet health insurance plans come with a range of coverages, which affect the cost of the policy. As you shop for plans, consider your pet’s overall health and the types of issues that may arise as your pet ages. This way, you can be sure that these conditions are covered under your pet health insurance plan.

Typically, the more a plan covers, the more you’ll pay out of pocket for your monthly premiums – but remember that could be quickly defrayed after just one or two pricy visits to your veterinarian.

When selecting a plan for your cat or dog, consider these three financial components:

1. Annual limit: The annual limit is the maximum amount of money you will get reimbursed for each year. Limits usually start around $3,000, but some plans are unlimited. The higher the limit, the higher the monthly premium you’ll pay, however.

2. Deductible: This is the amount of money that you would need to pay before your reimbursement benefits begin. Deductibles can be as little as $100, with $250 being one of the most common amounts. The higher the deductible, the lower the monthly premium. Depending on the plan, you may pay a deductible annually or for every veterinary visit for a new health concern.

3. Reimbursement percentage: This is the amount you’ll be reimbursed. Percentages tend to be from 70 to 90 percent. If your reimbursement percentage is 70 percent, for example, you’ll need to pay the remaining 30 percent out of pocket. The lower the reimbursement percentage, the lower the monthly premium.

So, Which Plan Is Best?

The only person who can determine which pet health insurance plan is best for your pet, your lifestyle, and your budget is you. To make your decision, you’ll need to spend time researching available plans across the many carriers available in the marketplace.

Get a few quotes before choosing the best one for you so you can better choose your annual limit, deductible, and reimbursement percentage.

Remember that this is a difficult decision with a big payoff: the ability to provide more extensive veterinary care to your beloved pet at a much more affordable price.

Getting a new puppy is one of the most exciting things that can ever happen to you. The day you bring your puppy home is filled with joy, but it’s important not to let your excitement overshadow your responsibilities to your new family member. If you’ve ever had a puppy before, you know it takes a lot of work to train them on how to behave and ensure they’re healthy. Being a pet parent isn’t cheap, and you should be prepared for anything. Here are tips for new puppy owners.

1. Start Training Immediately

As soon as you bring your new puppy home, you’ll need to start training. While your puppy might not need behavioral training immediately, you should always start with potty training. Most puppies learn to go potty outside fairly quickly, but you can expect many accidents until they thoroughly learn how to ask for you to take them out.

Once your puppy is potty trained, you can move on to other types of training. It’s best not to train your dog on too many things at once as it can be confusing. Depending on the type of pet parent and your preferences, you can teach your dog which behaviors are acceptable, like sleeping in bed with you, and which aren’t, such as jumping on guests.

When it comes to training, the most effective method is rewards-based training. With this training method, you’ll ask your dog to do any task, including sit, give a paw, or greet guests in a certain way. Once your dog behaves in the way you approve of, you’ll give them a treat. Many pet parents and trainers also prefer clicker training, which can mark the exact behavior you’re rewarding your dog for. In clicker training, you’ll ask your dog to behave in a certain way and immediately click with a clicker. Your dog will eventually associate the sound of a click with a treat and learn about the types of behaviors that are acceptable.

When training your dog, you should never yell or put your hands on them in a negative way. You don’t want to make training or living with you a negative experience. Most dogs can’t learn when they’re being yelled at because they don’t know why they’re being yelled at. Because your dog lives in the present, it’s never practical to scold them for something they did hours ago. For example, if your puppy has an accident while you’re away and yell at them about it, they won’t know what they did wrong.

Additionally, yelling at your dog and spanking them, even if it’s a light tap, can make your dog aggressive and fearful of hands and loud voices, so it’s always best to try a training style that can reward good behavior and ignore the bad behavior.

Believe it or not, training can also ease dog anxiety or prevent it altogether. For example, if your dog gets used to the fact that you leave every day, they likely won’t develop separation anxiety.

2. Find the Right Food

Some dogs will eat just about any dog food, but some dogs can be picky and allergic to certain ingredients. You probably won’t know if your dog will like a particular food until you try it out. For your puppy, it’s best to get high-quality dog food for growing dogs. Dog food for puppies aims to help your dog grow and develop healthy bones and muscles.

As your puppy grows up, you can gradually switch to other foods based on their needs. For example, if your pet has dry skin and a dull coat, you can find food that can help them be less itchy. Additionally, there are many foods on the market for pets with allergies if your dog ever has an allergic reaction to their food.

When introducing new food to your dog, do it gradually. Switching them over to a new flavor with different ingredients or a new brand can cause severe digestive problems, resulting in diarrhea and vomiting.

3. Socialize Them

Dogs need to be socialized to have healthy relationships with people and other pets. Socializing your dog young can prevent them from developing fear-based aggression toward other dogs and people. Additionally, it teaches them how to behave with others. To socialize your dog, you can introduce them to a friend’s dog or take them to a dog park and monitor how they place with other dogs.

You should socialize your pet with people. You shouldn’t introduce too many new people or animals in a short period of time. Your puppy got a new home, so they’re already dealing with a lot. Gradually introduce your puppy to family and friends so they can start forming healthy relationships.

Socialization is important because it can prevent your dog from developing fear-based aggression when faced with other pets and people. It can also make living in an apartment complex with dogs easier. If you live in an apartment, you’ll regularly take your dog out for potty breaks, and they’re more than likely to see another dog. You can train your dog not to get excited by seeing another dog, so they’ll stop pulling on their leash, and you can have a better experience walking your pup.

4. Find a Good Vet

Some vets are great, while others don’t care about the pets they work with. As a dedicated pet parent, it’s always best to find a vet who will take good care of your dog even when you’re not around. Check around for vets in your area and read reviews from current pet parents.

Schedule an appointment once you find a vet you think will be a good match. Even if your puppy doesn’t need any vaccinations yet, you can still schedule a visit to help your dog get acquainted with their vet, who they’ll see at least once or twice a year for heartworm testing and a physical. In addition, visiting the vet for fun can help your dog learn that your vet isn’t there to hurt them and there’s no reason to be scared.

5. Always Have Treats

Dog training is a lifelong dedication. Your dog will learn new behaviors every day, and they should get rewarded when they display the desired behavior. Having treats on you always is a great way to reward good behavior, so your dog can continue to learn no matter where you are. It’s also important to have treats available when your dog displays the right behavior and rewarding them immediately will teach them that what they just did was good.

Final Thoughts

Being a pet parent is a rewarding experience, but it takes work. You can’t simply let your new puppy go potty in the house to jump on guests. Besides, dogs love being trained because it helps them flex their brains, and they don’t hate being rewarded with treats every day either.

CBD oil is becoming a popular treatment for many health ailments in humans and pets. Consequently, the market is flooded with CBD products.

But do you know what the appropriate CBD dosage for dogs is? If you want to know about the right amount and its benefits for dogs, here is the information.

What are the Benefits?

1. Anxiety

Anxiety is a common problem in dogs. It can be caused by innumerable factors, including loud noises, changes in routine, and separation from their guardians. CBD oil is best for reducing anxiety in both humans and animals. A research paper in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs found that CBD oil could reduce anxiety in people with social anxiety disorder.

CBD oil is good for reducing anxiety in dogs. A study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science found that CBD oil effectively reduced stress and improved the quality of life in pet dogs with separation anxiety.

Some common signs of dog anxiety are:

• Panting
• Pacing
• Excessive barking
• Destructive behavior
• Withdrawing from social interaction

CBD oil can help to reduce these signs of anxiety in dogs. If you think your dog may be anxious, talk to your veterinarian about whether CBD oil is right for them.

2. Arthritis

Dogs can get arthritis because of age, just like humans. CBD oil can help relieve the pain and inflammation associated with this condition.

Some common symptoms of arthritis in dogs are:

• Limping
• Stiffness
• Difficulty getting up or lying down
• Decreased activity level
• Pain when touched

Talk to the vet if you think your dog may be suffering from arthritis. They can diagnose the condition and recommend a treatment plan, including CBD oil. CBD oil contains a compound that interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system. This system regulates things like pain, inflammation, and appetite. When CBD is introduced, it can help to reduce pain and inflammation. CBD oil is available in tinctures, capsules, topical creams, etc. Therefore, ensure you choose the suitable format.

3. Cancer

CBD oil has been shown to help inhibit the growth of cancer cells and may provide relief from cancer symptoms. Cancer cells are characterized by their ability to divide uncontrollably. CBD oil may help stop cancer cells from dividing and kill cancer cells.

The oil effectively treats various types of cancer, including breast cancer, brain cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and skin cancer. It is typically well-tolerated by dogs and has few side effects.

If you’re considering giving your dog CBD oil for cancer, it is essential to talk to your veterinarian first. They can help you know the appropriate dosage and monitor your dog’s progress.

4. Epilepsy

Idiopathic epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disorder in dogs. It is characterized by recurrent seizures that are not caused by any known medical condition. Seizures can occur for various reasons in dogs, including trauma, infection, tumors, and poisoning.

CBD oil reduces seizures and improves behavior during intervals. CBD oil for dogs with epilepsy is associated with a significant reduction in seizure frequency.

Your veterinarian should determine CBD dosages for dogs with epilepsy. They will consider the severity of your dog’s condition and other factors such as weight and age. In other words, CBD oil is a safe, effective, and natural treatment for seizures in all cases.

5. Inflammatory Bowel Disease

It is caused by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. They can be caused by various factors, including autoimmune disease, infection, and allergies.

The most common bowel disease symptoms in dogs are vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. CBD oil for dogs with inflammatory bowel disease helps to reduce inflammation and improve gut motility. It also relieves pain and improves appetite.

Your veterinarian should determine CBD dosages for dogs with inflammatory bowel disease. They will consider the severity of your dog’s condition and other factors, such as weight and age.

CBD oil is a valuable and natural treatment for inflammatory bowel disease in dogs.

Some common symptoms of IBD in dogs are:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Lethargy
• Poor appetite
• Abdominal pain

6. Pain Relief

CBD is a natural pain reliever. It can provide relief from chronic pain in dogs. Chronic pain may occur in many forms like:

• Arthritis
• Hip Dysplasia
• Cancer Pain

The best way to use CBD oil for pain relief is to administer it directly into your dog’s mouth via an eyedropper. Many pet parents have found that CBD oil for their dog’s chronic pain has helped them get their furry friends back to their playful selves.

CBD oil may be worth considering if you’re looking for an all-natural way to help your dog with pain relief.

How to Find the Suitable Dosage of CBD for Your Dogs?

There are a few things to consider when determining the appropriate dosage of CBD for your dog, including weight, the severity of the condition, and product potency.

The first step is to find a high-quality CBD product made specifically for pets. These products will have the proper concentration of CBD and none of the psychoactive THC found in marijuana.

Next, you need to calculate the dosage based on your dog’s weight. A good way would be to start with 0.25mg of CBD per pound of body weight and increase as needed. For example, a 50-pound dog would begin with 12. If your dog is dealing with a more severe condition, you may need to increase the dosage to 0.50mg per pound of body weight. For example, a 50-pound dog would then take 25mg of CBD.

It would be best if you also remembered that it might take several weeks of regular dosing before you see any improvement in your dog’s condition. Be patient and consistent, and always check with your veterinarian before starting any new supplement regimen.

Now that you can calculate the appropriate dosage of CBD for your dog, you must get started. Choose a high-quality product and start with a small dose, increasing as needed. You should see improvement in your dog’s condition with regular use within a few weeks.

Conclusion

CBD dosage for dogs can be tricky. You need to ensure that you get the dosage right because too much can be harmful. Start with a low dose and work until you find what works best for your pet.