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Preventative Care

1. Spay or neuter your pets. By spaying and neutering your animals, you will decrease their chances of getting mammary tumors and prostate disease, they will be less likely to wander and get injured or lost, and pregnancies can be avoided. Not only are pregnancies potentially risky for your pet, but additional puppies or kittens will add to already significant overpopulation problems and will also cause a financial burden for you. Many areas offer free or low-cost spay and neuter programs, so it is well worth your time to take advantage of these programs and spare your pets disease, injury or death.

2. Vaccinate your pets. By vaccinating your pets, you decrease their chances of getting serious and preventable illnesses. Many communities also offer low-cost vaccination clinics, so be sure to ask your veterinarian about these services.

3. Feed a good quality diet. Consultation with your veterinarian is the best way to determine the correct diet for your pets, and spending a little extra money on a quality product can promote long-term good health for your pets.

4. Use preventative heartworm medications. Your veterinarian can advise you about the risk in your area for heartworm infestations. This is a preventable problem, and a potentially fatal one if ignored.

5. Get regular “well-pet” checkups. Waiting to see the veterinarian until problems develop is not using good preventative care practice for your animals. As with humans, problems are easier to detect and treat when they are caught in the early stages, and regular checkups will help insure the long-term health of your pets.

6. Walk your dog every day, and make sure they get enough exercise. Ask your veterinarian about the amount of exercise your breed of dog requires, and provide them with plenty of exposure to fresh air and sunshine. Spending time playing with your cat can also help them to stay active and increase their longevity.

7. Maintain proper weight for your animals. Avoiding obesity can also help prevent associated conditions like joint problems, heart problems, and diabetes, so it is critical that your pets maintain a healthy weight. Again, consult with your veterinarian about the ideal weight for your pets.

8. Keep your dog on a leash in public at all times. Do not let your dogs wander loose for any reason – the chances of being hit by cars or getting lost are too great to risk letting them run free. Keeping your cats indoors will also help them live longer and prevent them from being injured or killed in traffic as well.

9. Consider getting your pet microchipped. If your pet does get lost for any reason, this will help them be located and returned to you. Be sure that your dogs and cats are wearing ID tags on their collars at all times.

10. Keep your house and yard safe for your pets.

    a.  Bring your car to the gas station to change the antifreeze rather than have this deadly poison anywhere around your house, yard, or garage. If you must keep this product (or any other dangerous product, like transmission fluid) around your house, make sure that you keep your pets away while it is being used and use extreme care to clean up thoroughly afterwards. Do not spill these products into the gutters or street—other pets in the neighborhood may be exposed to these dangerous poisons and you may be liable for their injuries.

    b.  In addition, do not use any toxic pesticide, fungicide, or fertilizer on your yard where your pets have access to them. If you must use these products, do so very carefully, and keep your pets indoors.

    c.  Store all potentially toxic household products including detergents, etc. out of reach of your pets.

    d.  If you use non-stick pots or pans in the kitchen, replace them with non-Teflon coated kitchen pans if you have birds—the fumes from heated non-stick pans are fatal to birds.

    e.  Be mindful of your pets while you are cooking—keep them away from the stove or other potential dangers in the kitchen.

    f.  Keep all drugs including aspirin, Tylenol, and all prescription medications for humans away from dogs and cats – these can be fatal. Ask your veterinarian before administering any medication used for humans for your pets.

11. Use appropriate flea and tick control. Ask your veterinarian for recommendations about these products, and if you must buy these products without veterinary consultation, choose products carefully and be sure to follow the instructions very carefully. To avoid problems and choose appropriate products, it is best to ask the advice of your veterinarian.

12. Brush your dog or cat’s teeth on a regular basis with a toothpaste formulated for dogs or cats – never with toothpaste designed for human use. This practice can help avoid expensive and serious dental problems later on.

13. Socialize and train your puppies early. This will help avoid confrontations with other dogs later in life and will also help avoid behavioral problems which can be difficult to deal with in adult dogs.

14. Spend time with your pets every day. Pets should be regarded as members of the family, and spending quality time with them will help their emotional well-being and thus enhance their overall health.

15. Never keep your pets in the car on a hot day. Temperatures in the car, even with the windows down, can reach fatal levels within minutes. If the outside temperature is over 68 degrees Fahrenheit, it is already unsafe to keep animals in the car.

16. When traveling with your pets, keep dogs in a dog carrier or restrained with a special dog seatbelt (not a human seatbelt) and keep your cats in carriers as well. This will help prevent your animals from being injured in an accident, and bear in mind that even at low speeds, unrestrained passengers in the car (whether human, dog, or cat) can be seriously injured.

17. Consider insuring your pet with a pet insurance program. There are several national pet insurance programs which will cover your pets’ needs in the event of an accident or illness. However, these programs do not cover care at the time of treatment, which means you will need to be ready to pay for medical care when your animal is treated. In addition, these plans have restrictions on which procedures are covered by policies, so read the policy limitations carefully. These policies are not a substitute for having a savings account available to cover needed medical care.

18. Have a savings account for your animals. This is a critical part of preventative care for companion animals. All pets will need medical care throughout their lifetimes, and costs for medical care are continually rising. Veterinarians typically require payment up front before your animal can be treated, so it is important to prepare for emergencies and illnesses ahead of time.

• CareCredit - CareCredit is the nation’s leading patient client plan. With CareCredit you can finance 100% of your vet care and there are no upfront costs, no annual fees, and no pre-payment penalties. So, you can begin treatment today and conveniently pay with low monthly payments.
  
  CareCredit offers several payment plans so you can find one that works best for you. With the popular No Interest Payment Plans there are no interest charges if you pay your balance in full within the specified time period. Monthly payments can be as low as 3% of your balance. For treatment plans from $1,500 to $25,000, CareCredit offers 24, 36, and 48 month plan options with low monthly payments available.
  
  CareCredit can be used for pet supplies, ongoing, or emergency treatment without having to reapply. And by using CareCredit for your pet's health, you can save your other credit cards for household or unplanned expenses. It only takes a few minutes to apply for CareCredit and you'll receive an online decision in seconds. Apply Now

  www.carecredit.com

• The Banfield Charitable Trust provides wellness resources for pet owners - Keeping pets healthy through preventative care:
  
  http://www.banfieldcharitabletrust.org/programs/hope-funds/

• LendUp - LendUp Instant Loans is a trusted San Francisco-based lender dedicated to helping Californians meet their short and long term financial needs. At LendUp we understand that a pet’s immediate medical needs come first, which is why we offer instant decisioning on loans of up to $250 for 30 days, and offer proven borrowers up to $1,000. In the long term, LendUp helps its customers build credit so that they can better weather future financial emergencies.
  
  Applying for a LendUp Instant Loan is a simple, safe, and fast process. You find out instantly if you are approved for a loan, and we have a California-based customer service team standing by should you have questions along the way.
  
  LendUp has been featured in publications such as CNN, TIME, NPR, and is a trusted lender to thousands of Californians just like you.
  
  Find out more or apply now at: www.LendUp.com
  

• Hyperbaric Veterinary Medicine (HVM): Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is especially beneficial to dogs and cats for a variety of urgent care and chronic conditions. Ask your veterinarian about this therapy or contact HVM for information about the nearest facility providing hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
  
  Hyperbaric Veterinary Medicine Phone: 800.928.6886
  
  http://hyperbaricveterinarymedicine.com

• Animal Wellness Magazine - one of the foremost resources for pet health information, will donate $5.00 to The Pet Fund for all new subscribers who mention The Pet Fund. To learn more about this invaluable resource for pet owners, click on the following link:
  www.animalwellnessmagazine.comm

• Whole Dog Journal - The Whole Dog Journal offers well-researched, in-depth articles about all aspects of dog care and training. They feature natural care, diet and training advice, information about complementary therapies like chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, and homeopathy, and advice from experts in the field. They also test, review and evaluate products, and they are 100 percent subscriber-supported—they do not carry advertising.
  
  www.whole-dog-journal.com

• Rx Vitamins for Pets - Rx Vitamins for Pets is an innovative nutraceutical company providing veterinarians with nutritional formulations designed to enhance patient outcomes. Since 1998, Rx Vitamins has set the standard in the development of safe, well-researched, condition-specific formulas that provide the veterinarian with a wide choice of treatment options to complement the conventional care of companion animals.
  
  Rigorous inspection and assay testing ensures the quality, integrity and potency of each raw material. All formulas are manufactured in NSF audited facilities.
  
  If you are not a health professional your veterinarian can order products for you.
  
  Rx Vitamins website: http://www.rxvitamins.com/vitaminsforpetsv.html
  

• Pet-Togethers – PetCentrx - PetCentrx "Vim & Vigor" wellness formula for dog and cats is our tasty all-natural supplement designed to prolong pets’ lives and provide full, vibrant health.  “Vim & Vigor" is a unique blend of the purest natural ingredients. Recommended by veterinarians, this amazing supplement is formulated to give your pet:

• More Energy
• Healthier Appearance
• Greater Mobility
• Stronger Bones and Muscles
• Better Digestion
• Fewer Visits to the Vet Due to Illness

For every purchase made from this link, Pet-Togethers will donate 20% of the purchase price to The Pet Fund monthly for as long as you continue to use PetCentrx.

www.pettogethers.com

• Nutriscan is the first food intolerance and sensitivity testing program to match pets with their individual nutritional needs and genetic makeup. This provides owners with accurate information to select the optimal pet foods and treats based on high level nutritional principles. Dog owners can obtain the test kit from Hemopet or through their veterinarians. Hemopet Phone: 714 891 2022 ext 21.
  
  E-mail: nutriscan@hemopet.org

• Flower Essence Society - Veterinarians will receive a 20% practitioner discount on all products from the Flower Essence Society. Pet owners can access these links to find helpful information regarding the use of flower essences for animals:
   

  www.fesflowers.com www.flowersociety.org

• State Farm Insurance - State Farm offers a renters policy that covers damage caused by pets. The renters policy includes 100K in liability along with personal property coverage. For information contact Rich Williams in California at: Phone: (916) 447-8560.
  
  http://www.statefarm.com/agent/US/CA/Sacramento/Rich-Williams-W5NR5304000
  

• ASPCA National Animal Poison Control Center - 888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435). Fee is $45 per case; credit cards only; no extra charge for follow-up calls. 1-900-443-0000.  The charge is billed directly to caller's phone. Follow-up calls can be made for no additional charge by dialing 888-426-4435. There is no charge when the call involves a product covered by the Animal Product Safety Service.
  
  www.aspca.org

• Cornell University Poisonous Plants Informational Database - This is a growing reference that includes plant images, pictures of affected animals and presentations concerning the botany, chemistry, toxicology, diagnosis and prevention of poisoning of animals by plants and other natural flora. There are many poisonous plants and substances which are not represented here. Please do not assume that a specific plant is ok just because it is not listed.
  
  www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants