Pets are beloved members of the family, requiring lots of attention and care.
But what’s the best strategy with keeping pets healthy, especially with high costs just for examinations? Unlike with children, there’s no real usable insurance to keep costs down. Major pet insurance companies require minimum payments of forty dollars a month, offering coverage for select types of services that only occur later in life and setting limitations based on pet breed or existing health. Navigating the mass amounts of options to find the best care for your pet, especially with outbreaks or other external factors in your area, may be a cause for concern. For first-time pet owners particularly, knowing what normal behavior for your new pet versus concerning signs can be an overly-stressful experience. So, how can you keep your pets healthy?
Major Signs of Concern
Knowing when to seek veterinary help can be challenging, especially if your beloved pet is still so young. Normal behavior versus worrisome signs may be difficult to discern. However, there are some major signs for concern regardless of pet type or age. These include:
Changes in Appetite
Changes in appetite can be a huge sign of concern, especially if your pet stops eating. If you notice your pet vomiting often after eating, this could be a sign of blockage or parasites.
Changes in Activity
Changes in activity can include your pet not wanting to move around or seemingly unenergized to do much other than lay about.
Visual Signs
Visual signs, such as bumps, rashes, or lacerations to the skin can be other obvious signs of concern. While the list of possibilities are long, ranging from serious diseases to simple skin irritations, these signs should not be ignored.
When Should you Seek a Healthcare Professional?
- If you see any of the earlier mentioned major signs, it may be time to consult a healthcare professional for your pet.
- Keeping up with vaccines and yearly shots are also important for the overall health of your pet.
What are Your Options
Physical visits to your veterinarian are always acceptable routes of ensuring the health of your pet, but likely to be rather costly. As pet insurance does not cover routine vet appointments, every examination must be paid out of pocket.
Telemedicine platforms are another great option to ensure your pet is getting, especially if your veterinary is available through the platform. Consultations through a phone or computer help cut down on examination costs, and allow you to determine if an issue is truly urgent, such as a skin abrasion on your pet. Certain platforms may even be able to provide home kits to check pets for parasites and other issues to help cut out unnecessary costs.
Are You Ensuring the Health of Your Pet?
- Make sure that you are observing any abnormal behaviors in your pet that may be signs of larger complications.
- Ensure all vaccines and shots are up-to-date for your pet. Stay informed of possible risks in your area as well. For example, while research has largely suggested dogs and cats are unlikely to get sick from the coronavirus pandemic, ensure that you are taking necessary precautions just to be certain of your pet’s health.
- Educate yourself on all the options available to you to ensure you give your pet the care they deserve.
- No pet parent is perfect, but education is definitely a major importance when it comes to ensuring the health of your loved one.