National Pet Awareness Month

As National Pet Wellness Month approaches, cat owners should be reminded of how important it is to regularly take your cat to the vet. Just like their owners, cats need annual checkups to remain healthy. These visits will allow your pet to be checked for any known health conditions and will keep you in-the-know about any local diseases. Veterinary trips will also increase your chances of discovering any ailments or injuries before they can cause more permanent harm to your cat.

Preventative medicine is the best way to combat common illnesses and disorders. Consistent trips to your veterinarian’s office will help both you and your vet determine what normal behavior is for your cat. While many kittens are kept under a watchful eye and taken in for their checkups, many owners forget to do the same for their older felines. Unfortunately, many permanent ailments and injuries sustained by aging cats could have been prevented with the proper care.

Diamond Pet Foods encourages all owners to keep their pets up-to-date on shots and treatments. Vigilant cat owners make all the difference in the quality of life of their pets. After all, our feline friends cannot drive themselves to the vet’s office, so it’s up to us to take proper care of our precious pets.

Health Insurance for Pets

Any pet owner can attest to the costs of treating an ill or injured pet. Hospital boarding alone can rack up the bills – add to that the costs of surgical procedures and customized treatment programs and your financial situation can seem dire. Some pet procedures are even beginning to rival the costs associated with human surgeries, procedures, and treatments. Because of this trend, the issuance of pet health insurance is on the rise.

Like most insurance policies, limitations are placed on pre-existing conditions affecting pets. Therefore, many owners are getting pet insurance to cover their new puppies and kittens. Most of these policies are designed to cover the costs associated with unforeseen accidents or illness.

With some pet health insurance plans, pet owners can be reimbursed if the pet dies, becomes lost, or is stolen. Pet insurance companies are also beginning to offer routine coverage such as vaccinations and annual checkups. Even so, only a handful of policies offer options which actually cover the hospitalization and housing of pets before and after surgeries.

No one wants to think that something unpleasant may befall their pets, but the truth is… it happens. Pet injury or illness can happen at any time; especially when the money for treatment is unavailable. Pet health insurance can ensure that your pet gets the treatment they need when ill or injured.

Four-Legged Soldiers

Our canine companions are recognized in a variety of jobs, including police work, tracking missing persons, and disaster recovery. Many of us forget, however, the loyal canines who accompany our soldiers into the Middle East. These four-legged heroes are trained to sniff for explosives, control crowds, and even apprehend suspects.

Over 2,000 dogs are currently supporting U.S. troops in the Middle East. These canines are kept in good health and the majority of them only suffer common injuries, such as dehydration, bites and stings, cuts on their paws, etc. If more severe injuries occur, the dogs are transported to the appropriate veterinary center (sometimes even back to the U.S) and then returned to war upon their recovery.

The military has allowed many dogs to be adopted after their military duty if they are able. Congress has even passed laws allowing healthy dogs to be released from combat, under extraordinary circumstances, to be with their former handlers.

As are most soldiers, canine companions in the war are extremely loyal to their fellow comrades. One Marine even saw a wounded dog stretch protectively over it’s handler's body, refusing to be moved. It’s exactly this level of loyalty and passion that truly makes canines man’s best friend.