Tag Archives: vet

Love Your Pet but Not the Cost? How to Reduce the Cost of Raising Your Best Friend

Have you ever taken the time to calculate how much your furry or feathered friends are costing you each month? There is food, vet care, that regular application of flea and tick protection, grooming fees, litter or bedding, and of course toys, treats and equipment such as carriers, cages and the like. Depending on where you live and how eco-friendly or upscale you want to go with food and supplies, expect to pay up to $1,500 for a cat and $2,000 for a dog during the first year. Rabbits, hamsters, birds and fish are somewhat less expensive. Let us take … Continue reading →

Drawing the Line: At-Home Care or the Vet’s Office?

Moose’s recent illness has had me thinking a lot about my judgement as a pet owner. Because Moose often has a sensitive stomach, I often end up treating him at home. This last time, we needed the vet. But did I call for help quickly enough? Could I have saved him (and me) some suffering by calling the vet in sooner? Between writing about pets for more than three years, working at the cats-only boarding and vet, and reading a lot of pet health books, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of what’s an emergency and what … Continue reading →

Find a Vet Before You Need a Vet

Be prepared… isn’t that the Boy Scout motto? It’s a pretty good motto for just about anyone — especially pet owners. I recently read a story of a woman who took her dog on vacation with her. While on vacation, the dog began suffering from bloat — a serious and life-threatening condition. She brought her dog to the nearest vet. The story could have ended badly except for one thing: the dog’s owner was an experienced vet tech. She recognized the bloat from the x-rays and overruled the vet’s desire to do more tests before acting. As soon as the … Continue reading →

The Cat Carrier: A Symbol of Trouble!

There is no question that whenever a cat sees a carrier suddenly appear in a place where a moment ago there was none, there is or soon will be feline hell to pay. To a cat, a carrier can only mean one of two or three unpleasant things; a trip to the vet, the groomer or a boarding facility. All of these kitty-unacceptable locations demand an alteration of their daily schedules and are, therefore, worthy of non-cooperation. Cats associate the carrier with a change of routine and so you must be very careful and try to outsmart them (ha!) if … Continue reading →

First Aid: Eye Problems

Late last night my Moose started to have some trouble with his left eye. He was pawing at it constantly, and there was a clear gooey discharge. Like any concerned parent would do, I tried to pry his eye open for a look. No dice. Moose was not interested in having me investigate his eye problem. So… the pawing continued. All night long. This morning? Same story. Pawing at his eye, clear discharge. The area around the affected eye is warm to the touch, warmer than the other eye. It seems to be a little swollen, as far as I … Continue reading →