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Should you seriously consider buying a dog health insurance policy? Yes, you should. Here’s why health insurance for dogs is a good idea:

Dog health insurance saves you money. As with just about all other costs, veterinary expenses have increased rapidly in recent years. Without dog medical insurance (or more accurately, veterinary insurance), you are responsible for paying for everything: routine checkups, preventive procedures, emergency care and disease treatments. That will run into hundreds of dollars. Why not get some help?

Dog Health Insurance: Quick Cost Facts

Health insurance for your dog, like health insurance for yourself, has annual premiums and deductibles. Pet insurance premiums depend on the breed of your dog and the type of policy you decide upon. If you have more than one dog, there is usually a reduced rate after the first policy.

Dog health insurance deductibles can vary as well. The average annual deductible is about $100. You may choose among different coverage plans which are based on your dog’s age, breed, and pre-existing medical conditions. Some policies even consider the dog’s lifestyle; for instance, whether your dog is purely a pet or a watchdog, too.

Health Insurance for Dogs: Quick Coverage Facts

Dog insurance healthcare plans can vary greatly. Some canine health plans are quite comprehensive, covering annual checkups, routine care, vaccinations and other preventive medications, and spaying/neutering, as well as illnesses and accidents. Others only cover unexpected sickness or injuries.

Dog insurance coverage for emergencies begins immediately on most new dog health plans, with a 30-day waiting period for illness and other claims.

Your dog’s age can affect your dog’s health insurance coverage. Typically, policies begin veterinary healthcare coverage when the dog is 6 to 8 weeks old, although some will start when the dog is younger. Similarly, some dog health insurance companies only will cover dogs under 8 years old unless the animal was already insured with them before turning 8.

Many dog health insurers will not cover your pet if she has a preexisting condition or a terminal illness. Some will insure the dog only if the condition is controlled or stable, usually for 6 months.

With all these options, it is important you check out the various dog health insurance companies, their pet insurance policies and corresponding dog healthcare plans.

In short, if you care about your dog, you should care about his health. If you care about your wallet, you should care about your dog’s health insurance coverage, too.

If you love dogs and puppies, visit I-Love-Dogs.com now! You can get, free dog email, send a free dog postcard, learn about the different dog breeds and so much more!

Tags: canine, dog, dogs, puppies, puppycanine, dog, dogs, puppies, puppy

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Distemper: Spotting This Dog Killer Before it’s Too Late

Canine distemper is a devastating disease. It often crops up in seemingly healthy pets without any warning. What’s more, distemper often mimics benign problems, like the common cold. This is truly the most insidious aspect of this illness. Sadly, many cases progress to the point where they are no longer treatable before the owner even realizes what’s happened.

How to spot the early signs of distemper

First and foremost, understand that distemper can often be diagnosed very early if regular trips to the veterinarian are scheduled and kept. This cannot be stressed enough, especially for new puppies! Because afflictions like distemper most often strike very young pups when they have weaker immune systems, it’s crucial that owners visit the vet often in the first few weeks of life. Early diagnosis means a chance to survive distemper.

Owners who suspect distemper, but haven’t had the animal seen by a vet yet, can detect it by a couple of signs. First, yellowish-green or dark green discharge from the eyes and nose is a classic symptom. It’s often accompanied by sneezing and general lethargy. Unfortunately, many pet owners assume this is just a sign that their dog has contracted a cold or has allergies and they ignore it.

If you remember nothing else about what you read here, remember this: any greenish discharge from the eyes or nose means distemper is a real possibility. RUSH your pet to the vet at the first sign! In most distemper cases, the only chance your puppy or dog has is early detection and aggressive medical therapy.

While distemper can manifest differently from one dog to the next, another hallmark of it is constant shaking or twitching. This happens in the more advanced stages of the disease, when the infected dog’s neurological system has been compromised and muscles fire continuously. Unfortunately, by this stage it’s rarely treatable and the humane step is euthanasia. Having said that, always get your pet checked out thoroughly to rule out some other condition that may be causing the tremors. You never know. Dogs are like people, in that they are susceptible to a wide range of illnesses and diseases that can share very similar symptoms. Never assume!

It isn’t easy for pet owners to prevent diseases as serious as distemper. It’s infamous for sneaking up on otherwise healthy puppies. But starting a new puppy out right - with good nutrition and regular visits to the vet for vaccinations and check-ups - will go a long way toward keeping him healthy and disease-free. Know and watch for the signs of distemper and your dog will have a strong ally in you!

© John Schwartz http://www.puppies-dogs-supplies.com (all rights reserved)

John Schwartz is a web site publisher and professional writer. For more information about dog toys and other dog supplies, visit his site at Puppies-Dogs-Supplies.com today.

Tags: canine distemper, dog diseases, dog health, dog supplies, dogs, pet health, pet supplies, pets, puppiescanine distemper, dog diseases, dog health, dog supplies, dogs, pet health, pet supplies, pets, puppies

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Let’s take a look at the different stages, but before we do, keep in mind that these stages are generalizations - each dog will progress at its own pace.

Stage 1: The Transitional Stage
2-3 Weeks

The Transitional stage generally lasts from age two to three weeks, and it’s during this time that your puppy’s eyes will open, and he’ll slowly start to respond to light and movement and sounds around him. He’ll become a little more mobile during this period, trying to get his feet underneath him and crawling around in the box (or wherever home is.) He’ll start to recognize mom and his littermates, and any objects you might place in the box.

Stage 2: The Almost Ready To Meet The World Stage
3-4 Weeks

The Almost ready to meet the world stage lasts from 3 to about 4 weeks, and your puppy undergoes rapid sensory development during this time. Fully alert to his environment, he’ll begin to recognize you and other family members. It’s best to avoid loud noises or sudden changes during this period - negative events can have a serious impact on his personality and development right now. Puppies learn how to be a dog during this time, so it’s essential that they stay with mom and littermates.

Stage 3: The Overlap Stage
4-7 Weeks

From 3-4 weeks your puppy begins the most critical social development period of his life - he learns social interaction with his littermates, learns how to play and learns bite inhibition.

He’ll also learn discipline at this point - Mom will begin weaning the pups around this time, and will start teaching them basic manners, including accepting her as the leader of the pack. You can begin to introduce food to the pups starting around the 4th week - transition gradually as Mom weans them.
Continue handling the pups daily, but don’t separate them from either Mom or litter mates for more than about 10 minutes per day. Puppies that are removed from the nest too early frequently are nervous, more prone to barking and biting and have a more difficult time with socialization and training. Puppies need to be left with Mom and siblings until at least 7 weeks of age - and preferably a little longer - for optimum social development.
Experts say that the best time in a puppy’s life to learn social skills is between 3 and 16 weeks of age - that’s the window of opportunity you have to make sure your puppy grows up to be a well-adjusted dog. It’s extremely important to leave your puppy with Mom and his littermates during as much of this period as possible. Don’t discipline for play fighting, housebreaking mistakes or mouthing - that’s all normal behavior for a puppy at this stage.

Stage 4: The “I’m Afraid of Everything” Stage
8 Weeks to 3 Months

The “I’m Afraid of Everything” Stage lasts from about 8 weeks to 3 months, and is characterized by rapid learning as well as a “fearful period” that usually pops up at around 8 to 10 weeks. Not all dogs experience this, but most do, and they’ll appear terrified over things that they took in stride before. This is not a good time to engage in harsh discipline (not that you ever should anyway!), loud voices or traumatic events.
At this time your puppy’s bladder and bowels are starting to come under much better control, and he’s capable of sleeping through the night. (At last, you can get some rest!) You can begin teaching simple commands like: come, sit, stay, down, etc. Leash training can begin. It’s important not to isolate your puppy from human contact at this time, as he’ll continue to learn behaviors and manners that will affect him in later years.

Stage 5: The Juvenile Stage
3 Months to 4 Months

The Juvenile stage typically lasts from 3 to 4 months of age, and it’s during this time your puppy is most like a toddler. He’ll be a little more independent - he might start ignoring the commands he’s only recently learned - just like a child does when they’re trying to exert their new-found independence. As in “I don’t have to listen to you!” Firm and gentle reinforcement of commands and training is what’s required here.
He might start biting you - play biting or even a real attempt to challenge your authority. A sharp “No!” or “No bite!” command, followed by several minutes of ignoring him, should take care of this problem.
Continue to play with him and handle him on a daily basis, but don’t play games like tug of war or wrestling with him. He may perceive tug of war as a game of dominance - especially if he wins. And wrestling is another game that can rapidly get out of hand. As your puppy’s strength grows, he’s going to want to play-fight to see who’s stronger - even if you win, the message your puppy receives is that it’s ok to fight with you. And that’s not ok!

Stage 6: The Brat Stage
4-6 Months

The Brat Stage starts at about 4 months and runs until about 6 months, and it’s during this time your puppy will demonstrate even more independence and willfulness. You may see a decline in his urge to please you - expect to see more “testing the limits” type of behaviors. He’ll be going through a teething cycle during this time, and will also be looking for things to chew on to relieve the pain and pressure. Frozen doggie bones can help sooth him during this period.

He may try to assert his new “dominance” over other family members, especially children. Continue his training in obedience and basic commands, but make sure to never let him off his leash during this time unless you’re in a confined area. Many times pups at this age will ignore commands to return or come to their owners, which can be a dangerous, even fatal, breakdown in your dog’s response to you. If you turn him loose in a public place, and he bolts, the chances of injury or even death can result - so don’t take the chance.

He’ll now begin to go through the hormonal changes brought about by his growing sexual maturity, and you may see signs of rebelliousness. (Think adolescent teen-age boy!) If you haven’t already, you should have him neutered during this time. (Or spayed if you have a female.)

Stage 7: The Young Adult Stage
6-18 Months

The Young Adulthood stage lasts from 6 months to about 18 months, and is usually a great time in your dog’s life - he’s young, he’s exuberant, he’s full of beans - and yet he’s learning all the things he needs to become a full-fledged adult dog.

Be realistic in your expectations of your dog at this time - just because he’s approaching his full growth and may look like an adult, he’s not as seasoned and experienced as you might expect. Gradually increase the scope of activities for your dog, as well as the training. You can start more advanced training during this period, such as herding or agility training, if that’s something both of you are interested in. Otherwise, extend his activities to include more people and other animals - allow him to interact with non-threatening or non-aggressive dogs.

Congratulations! You’ve raised your puppy through the 7 stages of childhood, er, I mean puppyhood, and now you have a grown-up, adult dog! Almost feels like you’ve raised a kid, doesn’t it?

Charlie Lafave, author, “Dog Training Secrets!”
To transform your stubborn, misbehaving dog into a loyal, well-behaving “best friend” who obeys your every command and is the envy of the neighborhood, visit: http://tinyurl.com/6u2cj

Tags: dog health, dog training, pet care, puppies, puppy, puppy development stagesdog health, dog training, pet care, puppies, puppy, puppy development stages

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