November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month!

Did you know that dogs and cats get cancer at about the same rate humans do? If you're one of the many people who considers your pet as your child, then you can agree that it's devastating to find out that your beloved furball has cancer. Now is a great time to get annual veterinary exams for your pets to be sure to catch cancer in its early stages.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, some warning signs of cancer are:

Persistent, abnormal swelling Sores that do not heal Loss of weight Loss of appetite Bleeding or discharge from any body opening Offensive odor Difficulty eating or swallowing Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina Persistent lameness or stiffness Difficulty breathing, urinating or defecating

Just like humans, pets can also get breast cancer. Female dogs that have not been spayed are more prone to mammary cancer which is one good reason to spay or neuter your pets. Cancer is the leading cause of death for our older pets, so if you are the parent of a senior pet, be sure to get him examined by a veterinarian.

Paying for cancer treatments can get very expensive and no one wants to make difficult treatment decisions because of their financial situation. This is a good time to think about pet insurance for your pets. With Trupanion, if your pet is enrolled before any clinical signs of cancer appear, cancer treatments and surgeries will be covered for the life of your pet. After finding out your pet has cancer, the last thing you want to worry about is the cost.
*Find out how Trupanion covered the costs of Tyson's cancer treatments.

*Update - 11/10/09 - Trupanion paid a claim today totaling $3,501.00 to cover lymphoma treatment costs for Charter the dog. We are wishing him the best during his recovery.

To learn more about pet cancer facts and signs, read AVMA's Cancer Brochure.

From the folks at Trupanion pet insurance, we thank you for visiting our blog and being a part of the community. It is our goal to educate pet owners everywhere about the importance of pet care, positive pet parenting, pet safety, and the many advantages of Trupanion pet insurance. Thanks again for visiting our blog and remember to protect your pet and yourself with Trupanion pet insurance.

After a recent posting we did on our Facebook page, I was inspired to delve into the topic of saving the environment and carbon footprints and share some of the tips from that article. Most people may not realize that their pets, too, have an impact on the environment; a carbon pawprint, if you will.

"Going Green" is simultaneously a growing concern as well as a trendy way of life that is catching on as of late. As pet owners, we wouldn't particularly consider our furry friends "consumers" which means we often fail to realize that there are actually many ways that we can alter our lifestyle and pet routines to be kinder to the environment.

Get the good stuff: Invest in a high-quality pet food that lists a protein such as beef, lamb, chicken or fish as the first ingredient rather than a by-product or beef meal. This one change can make a major impact on your pet's health while reducing the amount of poop left to scoop. Keep it simple: Avoid all those packaged, heavily processed treats designed to resemble human junk food. Trust me, your dog can live without corn-based "treats" shaped like mini porterhouse steaks. Recycle: Those cans and plastic food bags don't need to wind up in a landfill. Start by shopping for products with minimal packaging, and then recycle whenever possible. Go green: Most pets enjoy the addition of fruits and veggies in their food bowl. I've had success with arugula, roasted sweet potatoes and baked carrots mixed in with my dog's food. Be prepared for a little trial and error -- Lulu detests bananas while a friend's dog loves them -- and consult your veterinarian before making major changes to your pet's diet. Ditch the plastic: Stainless steel or ceramic food and water bowls remove the risk of exposing your pet to bisphenol A or BPAs. They also last a lot longer. Get the 'green' poop bags: Eliminate plastic grocery bags and shop for corn-based, biodegradable poop bags. A pack of 100 bags from Poopbags.com costs around $20. Dump the clump: Under the best of circumstances, cats can be somewhat resistant to change. So start sloooowly by adding shredded newspaper or wood chips to the kitty litter mix in place of clay-based clumping stuff that winds up festering in a landfill. Embrace hemp: Who knew that hemp could produce durable, eco-friendly pet products? Scope out your pet store and you will probably find rope toys and stuffed animals from brands like Earthdog and Simply Fido that will appeal to the toughest chewers. Petside offers a roundup of the Top 10 Green Pet Toys for cats and dogs. Shop with purpose: Pet toys don't undergo rigorous testing, so those super-cheap squeaky toys overflowing in the dollar bin come with a wealth of unknown risks. But "green" pet lovers have created a demand for products made from renewable resources and recycled products. Companies like Planet Dog responded with an "Orbee-Tuff" line of balls and chew toys made with nontoxic material. West Paw is another popular brand of cat and dog products made with recycled plastic bottles. The company also supports national animal shelters, so purchasing their products is like making a deposit into the karma bank for you and your lucky dog or cat. Get crafty: You can make your own catnip, but remember that finicky felines may require patience and creativity. If you are a cat lover, you already know that.

From the folks at Trupanion pet insurance, we thank you for visiting our blog and being a part of the community. It is our goal to educate pet owners everywhere about the importance of pet care, positive pet parenting, pet safety, and the many advantages of Trupanion pet insurance. Thanks again for visiting our blog and remember to protect your pet and yourself with Trupanion pet insurance.

A claim recently rolled in for a dog who was poisoned by the Sago Palm (The claim was paid, by the way). This inspired a reminder to all pet owners that the Sago Palm and many other common plants are extremely toxic to pets when ingested.

The Sago Palm is particularly toxic to pets causing vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and leads to liver failure. An estimated 75% of animals die from ingestion of any part of the plant despite medical treatment.

Other poisonous plants include (but are not limited to*):

• Amaryllis: Causes vomiting, depression, drooling, and tremors
• Azalea: Causes abdominal pain and irritation, vomiting, and severe cases lead to coma and death
• Castor Bean: Highly toxic, causing drooling, thirst, diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, convulsions and coma
• Chrysanthemum: Causes drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, can lead to loss of coordination
• English Ivy: Highly toxic, causing vomiting, diarrhea, trouble breathing, and can lead to coma and death
• Lilies: Highly toxic to cats, can cause kidney damage
• Oleander: Highly toxic, causing stomach irritation, cardiac problems, and can lead to death
• Rhubarb: Moderately toxic, causing breathing difficulties, weakness, diarrhea, and can lead to death
• Tulip bulbs: Causes stomach irritation, drooling, anorexia, and convulsions
• Yew: Highly toxic, causing breathing and cardiac problems, weakness, stomach irritation and can cause sudden death

Be sure to take all the correct safety precautions in your garden, especially if your pet is a chewer! Though Trupanion can help you pay for the $1073.22 vet bill for Sago Palm toxicity, it’s best to prevent these illnesses in the first place and keep your pet’s life out of harm’s way.

*Read the complete list of toxic plants.

Gastric torsion, more commonly known as bloat is a deadly condition that is a threat to larger dogs. After cancer, it is the second highest condition that causes death to dogs. Bloat is a condition defined by the twisting of the stomach that blocks off the passageways and traps the gases and contents inside the stomach. If not immediately treated, dogs experiencing bloat may survive for up to a day but will typically die within a couple hours.

Dogs that are more prone to bloat are larger dogs that are deep-chested such as Dobermans, Great Danes and German Shepherds. Older dogs, males, and those that are particularly large for their breed are more at risk. Dogs are also at risk if bloat is in their hereditary background.

There are many recognizable symptoms of bloat. The dog will act very restless and anxious and unlike it’s normal self. Its chest will feel very tight. Other common symptoms are foamy saliva, attempts to vomit, coughing, gagging, whining, pacing, and shallow breathing. If these symptoms are observed, you should seek medical care for your pet right away.

Causes of bloat are typically stress or anxiety, eating foods high in fat, drinking too much water before or after eating and particularly rapid eating. Exercise right after eating especially combined with any of the aforementioned behaviors can be lethal.

Ways to prevent bloat are to feed your dog multiple meals a day instead of just one, and to not allow rapid eating. Do not use an elevated food bowl, and avoid dog foods with fat listed as one of the first four ingredients. Try to keep them out of stressful situations and wait at least an hour after eating, if not more, before exercising.

Treatment for bloat requires medical care and surgery. If a dog becomes a victim of gastric torsion, it must receive veterinary attention immediately as untreated animals have little to no chance of survival.

If you have a larger dog, it may be at risk for bloat. You should be cautious and take the appropriate measures to prevent bloat in all possible ways. You may want to consider its risks and insuring your dog as treatment for bloat costs around two to four thousand dollars. That way you know that your pet will be protected in case any sort of emergency should arise.

From the folks at Trupanion pet insurance, we thank you for visiting our blog and being a part of the community.  It is our goal to educate pet owners everywhere about the importance of pet care, positive pet parenting, pet safety, and the many advantages of Trupanion pet insurance. Thanks again for visiting our blog and remember to protect your pet and yourself with Trupanion pet insurance.

With the Summer in full swing, it’s road trip season and more vacationers are choosing to include their pets in the adventure. While we have all heard how crucial it is for us to buckle up, we may not always realize the importance of car safety for our animal companions. Whether you're going on a two-day drive or just a short trip to the grocery store, you should keep your pet's safety in mind when bringing them in the car. Here are a few tips on keeping your pet safe when you take them for a drive.

1.       Pets belong in the back seat. Not the front seat and especially not in the driver’s lap. Pets can be very distracting to the driver, raising the risk of accidents. In the event of an accident, pets riding in the front seats can face severe injuries from airbags or hitting the windshield. Putting pets in the back seats is much safer for both the pet and the driver.

2.       Buckle up! Did you know that more car accident fatalities are due to not wearing a seat belt than by drunk driving? We wear seat belts to save our lives, and should do the same for our pets. Animals who aren’t belted in can easily be injured by quick turns, sudden stops, and of course car accidents. I found a seat belt harness that doubles as a walking harness at Target for only $10.

3.       Pets should keep their heads inside the vehicle while it is moving. A head hanging out the window is at risk of getting hit by tree branches and flying bits of debris such as dust, dirt, and bugs can get into their eyes.

4.       Car seats are available for smaller pets so they are still able to look out the window. Be sure the seat is properly restrained.

5.       Bring a bed or blanket or familiar toy that belongs to your pet to provide a sense of security and the notion that it has its own spot in your car.

6.       It is extremely dangerous for a pet to ride freely in the back of a pickup truck. An unsecured pet can fall out or jump out of the truck bed and get badly injured or wander off and get lost. If they must ride in the back, pets should be securely harnessed or kept in a crate that is fastened in place.

7.       Make sure your pet is wearing an identification tag should it somehow escape from your car and become lost.

8.       If they aren’t used to cars, train them by taking short rides and gradually increasing the length of the drive. Positively reinforce the experience with lots of praise and treats.

9.       There are solutions to driving with anxious riders and carsick pets. Try to avoid feeding them for a few hours before the drive and be sure to provide plenty of water. Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated and try to keep trips short until the pet is more accustomed. You can also talk to your veterinarian about medications.

10.   When going on a longer drive, be sure to make frequent stops for bathroom breaks and water.

A recent poll by the Associated Press and PetSide revealed that half of American pet owners considered their pet as a member of the family. You should treat them that way by protecting their lives and taking the correct safety precautions in the car. Of course, never leave a pet in a parked car on a warm day as your pet can quickly overheat and cause severe illness or even death. Be safe, and happy driving!

From the folks at Trupanion pet insurance, we thank you for visiting our blog and being a part of the community.  It is our goal to educate pet owners everywhere about the importance of pet care, positive pet parenting, pet safety, and the many advantages of Trupanion pet insurance. Thanks again for visiting our blog and remember to protect your pet and yourself with Trupanion pet insurance.