Pets are members of the family, and it can be very distressing when your pet gets injured or ill. Providing a healthy lifestyle for your pet will help keep vet visits to a minimum and your pet’s medical bills low. Committing to doing so is quite simple.

Keeping your furry pal happy and healthy is possible with three easy steps: keep up with their vaccinations, conducting biannual check-up exams, and enrolling them with a pet insurance plan to lessen any unexpected medical costs.

Disease prevention is important in protecting your pet from exposure to illness. This should be the first step to helping protect your pet from any threats of contracting an illness while at the dog park, or just being accidentally exposed to something harmful. Using preventive measures such as vaccinations can help prevent any serious illnesses from occurring and extra pet medical bills down the road.

Pets also age at a faster rate than humans. This means that they should also get vet check-ups at a faster rate, about twice a year. Health problems can arise more quickly in pets, therefore allowing your vet to diagnose and quickly treat those issues, which will benefit your pet's overall health.

Getting your pet insured is also very beneficial for your pet, your wallet, and yourself. It would help diffuse any stressful money problems if your pet were to suddenly get injured or ill and you did not have adequate funds to treat your pet. Having your pet covered at a young age, or soon after you get it, would make it easier to treat medical conditions and accidents later down the road. With a smaller financial burden on you, your pet would receive the proper treatment it needs in order to remain healthy and happy.

Having your pet vaccinated, examined regularly, and insured will give you a greater peace of mind. Keeping your cat or dog healthy and in the family as long as possible is very important to many of us pet owners. We value our pets, so why not do everything we can to assure that they stick around for long while. Ultimately, disease prevention, wellness exams, and pet insurance coverage will keep you and your pet happier and healthier.

With the holidays comes celebrations and parties, and since the warm weather is gone for many of us, that means these celebrations happen indoors. Some pets may not be used to crowded spaces and unfamiliar faces, but there are many ways to prepare both your pets and your guests for the soirée so that everyone enjoys themselves. Read on to learn how to be a good pet-loving host.

1. Firstly, make your guests aware that you have a pet. That way, you can prepare by doing some extra cleaning and vacuuming if they have allergies.


2. Don’t let pets sit on your guest's lap (unless it is welcomed). It can be very uncomfortable for a guest if your pet climbs onto their lap and they are not sure what to do with it. 


3. No licking! Kisses are nice—when they are welcome, but nobody likes a big wet one to the face. Save your guest from having to wipe off pet saliva, don’t let your pet lick them.


4. Down. Train your pet to keep four-on-the-floor (no jumping up). While it’s great to be greeted when we arrive somewhere, not everyone likes animal friends climbing up their legs.


5. No bark! Keep your pets quiet as barking can be very loud and obnoxious and make someone uncomfortable in your home.


6. Sniffing: while it’s alright to let your dog sniff your guest’s removed shoes, it may make your guest very uncomfortable to be sniffed all over.


7. Make sure your pet is freshly bathed. As a guest, we might give your furry friend a pat on the head out of courtesy, but no one likes that grime left on their hands from an unwashed pet.


8. Feed your pet before having company over. Some people can be easily sickened by the smell of fresh pet food.


9. Guests must behave too! It is inappropriate for guests to feed your pet any food or snacks unless approved by you.


10. Be sure that guests aren’t crowding your pet’s space, especially younger children as this can cause stress to your pet.
    

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:

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.

A recent article in the Detroit Free Press outlined the responsibility of adopting a new pet and the problems with impulse pet adoptions.

Impulse decisions lead to less-than-perfect pet matches and as a result, many animals get returned to the shelter left wondering what they did wrong.

Below are some basic things to consider when adding a new pet to the family to ensure both you and your new pet the most optimal situation and companionship.

• Are YOU ready for a pet? Bringing a new pet into your home is a long term commitment of time, energy, money, and most importantly, your love. Make sure that you're financially prepared to care for a pet in the long term. Also be sure you have plenty of time to spend with the pet, especially in the first few months. If you're a late-night partier, or a frequent traveler, then a new pet may not be right for you.


• Breed specific? Once you've decided you're ready for a pet, take time to decide what characteristics and qualities you're looking for. Size, energy level, age, gender, and breed are all very important to consider. If you're into a specific breed, research it to find out what you can expect, and prepare accordingly. Some breeds need daily vigorous exercise while others are content to sit on your lap.


• Meet the pet. Animals act differently in a shelter than they will at your home. While Fido seems spunky and friendly in the cage, you might soon find that he is crazy-hyper and destructive at home. Be sure to spend as much time as you can with the pet and learn all about him before making the commitment. Also be sure to introduce your current pets to the new prospective because not all animals will magically get along just because you put them in the same house.


• Be a hero. Visit an animal shelter or your favorite breed rescue instead of buying from a breeder or pet shop.
  Chicago Tribune writer, William Hageman said it well: "Shelters are becoming prime sources for quality purebred dogs -- well-kept, socialized, trained and family-ready -- because of the economy."

Main lesson learned? Think it through before bringing Fluffy home.

Can you think of more pet adoption tips? Share them with us!