Cat-O-Rama

I have asked a couple of questions already regarding pet insurance, but I just want to flat out know if it would be worth getting or a waste of money? I have 9 (8 right now but will be getting an australian shep. puppy soon to make 9 total) animals but only 8 that are eligible to be on pet insurance. They are:

A 5 yr old dachshund, 7 yr old dachshund mix, *soon to have* 9 week old australian shepherd puppy, 3 yr old cat, 2 yr old cat, and 3-1 yr old cats. Every month I buy flea treatments and heartworm prevents. And once I get my aussie puppy I will have to get her the puppy shots and the whole 9 yards with her.

The two that I am leaning toward are:

*ASPCA pet insurance and the plan I would get would be the Level 4 Coverage which covers accidents, illness, wellness and wellness deluxe-which would cover the flea and heartworm products.

It has an annual deduc of $100 which will only have to be paid once a year per pet…not incident. A max incident benefit of $5,000. And a max yearly benefit of $13,000. 80% reimbursements. And it would cost me around $526/mo.

*VPI pet insurance and the plan I would get would be the Superior w/ CareGuard Premeir & Enhanced Cancer. It would cover common problems (vomiting/diarrhea, allergies, upper respiratory, skin infections, etc), panic-moments (hit by a car, attacked by an animal, foreign body ingestions, heat stroke, seizures, etc), expensive problems (back problems, cancer/tumors, cataracts, feline leukemia, etc), routine care (deworming, vaccinations, flea & heartworm, FELV/FIV tests or heartworm tests, etc), additional care (dental cleaning, spay/neuter, etc) and enhanced cancer care which increseases the policy’s reimbursement benefits.

This plan has a $50 per incident deductible. It would cost me around $348/mo for all of them to be on this plan.

*Which do you think would be better? Or like I asked before, would it be worth it to even get pet insurance?

Thanks!

Picking an insurance plan:
While cost of the premium is an important factor to consider, you must make sure that any plan you pick has good coverage. Getting a pet insurance plan without good coverage will leave you unprotected.

Let me start out by saying that you want to purchase a plan that covers accidents/injuries AND illnesses.

The illness part of the coverage must include:

1) Coverage for Cancer

2) Coverage for Chronic Disease
Chronic diseases are illnesses that have long duration and generally slow progression. Chronic diseases are usually not curable. Examples include: cancer, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and chronic liver disease.

3) Continual Coverage for Chronic Disease
If you do not get this coverage, the chronic disease will only be covered in the policy year it was diagnosed, after that, you will have to pay for any continuing medications or diagnostic monitoring yourself.
Treatment for most Chronic diseases will last beyond the first year of diagnosis.

4) Coverage for Hereditary & Congenital Diseases

5) Coverage for Diseases that are Common to your Pet’s Breed

Health issues that Australian Shepherds are prone to include (but are not limited to): Hip Dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Collie Eye Anomaly and Juvenile Cataracts (all of which are hereditary/congenital).

Health issues that Dachshunds are prone to include (but are not limited to): Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD), various hereditary/congential conditions, hypothyroidism, and Cushing’s disease.

ASPCA does not provide coverage for congenital or hereditary conditions including hip dysplasia. Also, you must purchase Continual Chronic Disease Coverage as an add-on (It doesn’t come as part of the Level 4 plan). Hypothroidism and Cushing’s disease are considered Chronic diseases.

VPI provides limited congenital/hereditary coverage, including NO coverage for hip dysplasia.

In my opinion ASPCA and VPI will not provide you with the coverage you need based on the breed of your pets.

They may have been cheaper compared to other plans, but they are cheaper due to the limitations in coverage.

Is Pet Insurance Worth It:
The sole purpose of pet insurance (or any insurance) is to offset an unexpected, financial hit. Whether or not pet insurance will save you money in the end depends on whether or not a costly medical problem arises during the life of your pet.

Costly financial hits in veterinary medicine come in the form of:

1) Emergencies (e.g. Fractures, Accidental Poisonings, Foreign Body Ingestion, etc)

2) Chronic diseases (e.g. Heart Disease, Liver Disease, Cancer, Chronic Kidney Disease, etc)

3) Sudden, Severe Diseases (e.g. Pancreatitis, Leptospirosis, etc)

The costs will vary based on geographical location. Big cities tend to have higher vet costs than rural areas.

Start by asking your veterinarian "what is the highest cost you can expect from the three scenarios above". In big cities, these "Worst Case Scenario Costs" can range from $3,000 - $10,000. I have seen a case where the bill reached $20,000, but at this time this is more of the exception rather than the rule.

If you can afford the costs out of your own pocket (using credit cards, savings, friends, etc) then you may not need pet insurance. If you cannot afford the costs, then pet insurance may be something you want to continue exploring.

Hope this helps

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I’d like to read what people think of this. If you can provide links to read that would be great.

Here’s a little back story: I just got 2 cats that have been living outside on a farm for years. They’ve eaten mice, birds, snakes, whatever they could catch. They’ve been exposed to domestic dogs, coyotes, wild rabbits and other cats and they’ve never gotten sick. I plan to get them rabies shots since it’s the law. However I talked to a local vet who doesn’t do vaccines. He treats cat with specialized diet and homeopathy, then if the illness doesn’t respond he’ll use standard meds. He says since they’ve never been vaccinated and they’re already at least 7 years old, they don’t need it and it will actually do more harm than good. (Feline leukemia vaccine specifically.) Have you heard this argument? If so, what’s your opinion on it?

I do titers for my dogs. The fact that the cats have been outdoor cats for about 7 years means they have probably built up antibodies of their own to a lot of different diseases. I also go to a holistic vet who does conventional medicine as well. Highly recommend any holistic vet. Animals get their shots when they’re are kittens/pups because they haven’t built up any antibodies to various things they could be exposed to. So they are injected with ‘essentially the disease’ and their body builds up antibodies to them . Repeatedly giving these shots without checking to see if they still have the antibodies in them can cause them to get sick. Being exposed to these things will also build up the antibodies naturally. Animals must be young and healthy to receive these vaccinations because they can be hard on the body and they can have a reaction to them.

So that said at 7 years old I wouldn’t get them either. You can get a titer if you’re worried about it.

action=library&act=show&item=vaccination
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/titer_test.htm

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=vaccination

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I have a 7 week old kitten that we found 3 weeks ago at a gas station. It was very ill with feline herpes and had both it’s eyes closed shut and was having a difficult time breathing. We took it to the vet and he gave him 3 shots and medication for his eyes. He was afraid that one of the eyes would be lost to his illness. We took him back 1 week later and the vet was surprised with the progress. He was suppose to get vaccines but the vet wanted to wait 2 more weeks. Well, today (5 days short of the appointment) the kitten had a seizure. He was twitching and doing a biting motion in the mouth. It lasted about 1 to 2 minutes and I wrapped him in a towel and held it. After it was over, I put him on the floor and it tried to walk and acted as if drunk and fell. About 10 seconds later, it was fine and ran off and ate and played and even went to the litter box. I am so worried. It is now very tired and just wants to nap. I will take it to the vet first thing in the morning.
I am wondering if anyone has experienced this before? We have cared for this little kitten and nursed it to health and all of us (my husband, I, and 4 kids) love it so much.
There are no emergency vets available in the area. The kitty got active and ran around and played and all of a sudden it had another seizure. It began with biting it’s left had and was twitching. The left eye opens and closes. It lasted less than 1 minute and then it was ok, eating, drinking, and playing again.

It is 2:00 a.m. and I am taking it to the vet when they open at 8:00.

I am not in Canada. I am in Texas and I will be crossing to Acuna, Mexico to the vet.

There are many emergency vets available.. I would consider bringing him because you may regret not bringing him in the morning.. You can do a search on google. I found a kitten that had the exact same experience and he died shortly after..

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I have a male adult cat who has been troubled by a horrible illness called Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) I was told by the vet he’d end up with cancer in the colon. Yes, he had chronic colitis, a problem in the large intestine which was causing my pet bleed through the rectum and horrible, nonstop diarrhea. My kitty was getting weary of his suffering and I was getting so, so tired of throwing away bed sheets, cleaning after him every day sometimes 2 times a day. I could not sleep well just thinking of what else I could have possibly found dirty in the house. He never went outside the box, but all that blood, with colon mucose coming out he could not control. My cat got to a point where he could not sit down comfortably, and there was bloody diarrhea in his tail, kitchen counter, tables, furniture etc ALL THE TIME.

I did not want to watch my cat give up and not do anything, so I did some research and finally switched him to a species appropriate diet: cooked or raw meat with bones, organs and probiotics and digestive enzymes. I now am keeping all my cats on the BARF diet, always making sure I get fresh food from animals which were not cured or injected with substances to keep the meat fresh. I also make sure to keep the phosphorus-calcium ratio right, and it’s been a year now since I have not seen signs of IBD. My cat’s stools are formed and healthy. My vet says my cat looks incredibly fine.

So, I just wanted to see how many follow this diet and what you think of it. I am aware of the risks, like toxoplasmosis, but my cat was dying in front of my eyes on Science Diet, Purina, Iams, Prescription foods like Hill’s z/d etc, and many, many more expensive commercial foods and not one helped my poor feline. He was on antibiotics and prednisone all the time and nothing ever worked! So, I learned that cats are obligate carnivores and need to eat other animals to live a better life. I have noticed too many cases of IBD, Diabetes, Obesity, UTI, Kidney Disease, and cancer, all because we’re feeding species inappropriate foods to our precious pets. The number of sick ones keeps increasing, and we are responsible.

Anyone trying out this diet? I’d love to hear some of your experiences.
If anyone is interested, this website I’m about to provide is one of the best and I am a client of them. I encourage everybody to take a look. Their service is high quality. Thank you ladies!

www.hare-today.com

When I first was investigating the raw diets I was on groups where people reported that many cats would be "cured" of IBD within 48 hours. I have had no experience of that with my cats so I’m happy to hear another testimonial to the efficacy of a raw meat diet for cat health.

I too only do a 50% raw diet. Right now I am down to my last frozen "muffin" of raw chicken. No hearts at the store today. When I called the market where I get my turkey parts last week they had just cleaned out the turkeys and thrown away the hearts and livers to use with the turkey.

Also, having acquired two kittens this summer I am going through the raw meat mixture at double the speed I am used to.

I do think the diet has extraordinary benefits for cat health.

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More and more veterinarians and cat nutrition experts are finding our cats deficient in digestive enzymes. Veterinarians report a wide range of improvements, including healthier hair coat and skin, more resistance to illness, more vigor and mobility, and maintenance of good body weight. They are increasingly recommending digestive enzyme supplements for bowel disease, digestive irregularities, chronic diarrhea, etc. Dr. Goodpet’s Feline Enzymes are made from natural plant sources, shown by research to be highly effective, less costly, and with a wider range of activity than animal-based enzyme supplements. Research also shows a strong link between enzyme deficiency and disease. . Enzymes are particularly beneficial for older animals who often slowdown in their natural ability to produce digestive enzymes.

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My kitten was sick with gunky eyes and sneezing so I took him to the vet a few weeks ago. They prescribed an antibiotic and an eye ointment and said that he has an upper respiratory infection. I have been giving him medication for a few weeks now and he is better but not completely healed. Now my bengal cat has a very horse meow and has the green gunk coming out of one eye. I will be taking them to the vet but I had a few questions before I go back. The first…what else could be causing these symptoms. Apparently the medication isn’t working. I did have some foster kittens in my home a few months ago that I found out had feline herpes, could this have been caught by my kitten coming in the house months later? Also, my bengal cat that is now sick is not very "friendly" and will not let me give him any medication (oral or even eye ointment). I am even worried about him scratching the vet when they try to look at him. Is there any kind of injection they can give him to treat his illness. Has anyone else had a problem with a cat that they were not able to give medication to…suggestions?

Make sure you sterilize all food bowls, litter boxes, etc. Throw out all the toys. The virus is on these and the cats keep picking it up from them. Some URI’s are very stubborn and require a couple of rounds of antibiotics. If the kittens had feline herpes and your cats shared any bowls, etc with them while they were there or after they left, they probably have it now. There is no cure for Feline Herpes. Stress or sickness can cause flare ups. Ask your vet about it and see if treatment with L-Lysine is an option. As for your Bengal being aggressive, make sure the vet knows so they can be prepared for it. A good vet won’t be scared to treat an aggressive cat but should be aware. For giving medicine, wrap your cat snugly in a towel burrito style with only his head sticking out and give the meds.

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Before I took my then 8 week old kitten for his first vaccinations, I read up on the different vaccinations that he would need. In learning more about them, I came across vaccine associated feline sarcoma. Supposedly, there is a risk associated with the rabies vaccine as well as the feline leukemia vaccine. One of the recommendations in order to reduce the risk of a cat getting this illness, was that no vaccine be administered in the cats scruff. Now, when I took my cat to the vet at 8 weeks, the vet administered his vaccines in his scruff. For the feline leukemia booster, it is recommended that the shot be administered below the right shoulder. I am taking my kitty to the vet for his next round of vaccinations tomorrow. He is now 12 weeks. How do I bring this up with my vet without sounding rude or a know-it-all? The last thing I want to do is anger the vet who is going to put a needle in my kitty. I just want what is best for my kitty and I want him to be safe. How should I bring it up?

Thanks and I apologize for the long-winded question.
That’s true. The clinic I go to is a walk-in clinic and the last time I was there, they did not even tell me what they were giving him before hand. Right before he put the needle in, I had to ask him what he was administering. Also, they charged me for something without telling me what it was for or how to administer and they did not give me anything to give to him for one of is presenting issues (ear mites). I probably should just find another vet.
I will ask and see what he says. Thanks!

Vets are trained professionals and will not get angry if you have a question or concern.

Most people who become vets have a deep love for animals, and will understand your concerns. Just tell him or her that you were researching the subject and discovered this information, and then say, "I do not want him to receive the injection in his scruff. Could you please give it to him in another spot?"

There’s nothing to worry about - the vet sure won’t say, "Heck, no!" and stab poor kitty in the scruff before you can react!!

I’ve made some requests to my vet about my kitty in the past. I insisted on having another cat with her in the vet’s office to calm her down while she received a shot. I also ask about a million questions every time I’m there.

If by some crazy chance the vet refuses, find another vet.

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For the gal that sked about pets and sick patients.
Cat predicts deaths in nursing home
By RAY HENRY Associated Press Writer

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Dogs can sometimes predict an epileptic owner’s
seizure or sniff at an owner’s mole, signaling a possible cancer.

Now, it appears a cat can predict the deaths of patients in a nursing
home.

When Oscar curls up on a patient’s bed and stays there, the staff knows
it’s time to call the family. It usually means the patient has less
than four hours to live.

The feline’s accuracy has been observed in 25 cases at Steere House
Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

"He doesn’t make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when
patients are about to die," Dr. David Dosa said in an interview. He
describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday’s issue of the
New England Journal of Medicine.

"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the
companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said
Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown
University.

The 2-year-old Oscar was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a
third-floor dementia unit at Steere House, which treats people with
Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses.

After about six months, the staff noticed the cat would make his own
rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He’d sniff and observe
patients, and those he stayed with would wind up dying in a few hours.

Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally
aloof. "This is not a cat that’s friendly to people," he said.

Oscar is better at predicting death than the people who work there,
said Dr. Joan Teno of Brown University, who treats patients at the
nursing home and is an expert on care for the terminally ill.

She was convinced of Oscar’s talent when he made his 13th correct call.
While observing one patient, Teno said she noticed the woman wasn’t
eating, was breathing with difficulty and that her legs had a bluish
tinge, signs that often mean death is near.

Oscar wouldn’t stay inside the room though, so Teno thought his streak
was broken. Instead, it turned out the doctor’s prediction was roughly
10 hours too early. Sure enough, during the patient’s final two hours,
nurses told Teno that Oscar joined the woman at her bedside.

Doctors say most of the people who get a visit from the sweet-faced,
gray-and-white cat are so ill they probably don’t know he’s there, so
patients aren’t aware he’s a harbinger of death. Most families are
grateful for the advanced warning, although one wanted Oscar out of the
room while a family member died. When Oscar is put outside, he paces
and meows his displeasure.

No one’s certain if Oscar’s behavior is scientifically significant or
points to a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or
reads something into the behavior of the nurses who raised him.

Nicholas Dodman, who directs an animal behavioral clinic at the
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and has read
Dosa’s article, said the only way to know is to carefully document how
Oscar divides his time between the living and dying.

If Oscar really is a furry grim reaper, it’s also possible his behavior
could be driven by self-centered pleasures like a heated blanket placed
on a dying person, Dodman said.

Nursing home staffers aren’t concerned with explaining Oscar, so long
as he gives families a better chance of saying goodbye to the dying.

Oscar recently received a wall plaque commending his "compassionate
hospice care."

___

AP science writer Alicia Chang in Los Angeles contributed to this
report.

Lets face it, in a nursing home theres a high chance of patients dying so this is hardly concrete evidence!

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