In an office where pet photos cover the walls it’s easy to see how important every tail and whisker is to Petplan. Our customers are our friends and our family, even if we’ve never met (though there is nothing we enjoy more than a visit from our policyholders, four legged and otherwise) them. And, luckily, our policy holders feel the same way about us, as you can see on Pet Insurance Review (a third party pet insurance review website). So when someone loses a pet, due to illness or accident, Petplan feels it. Like in June 2008 when a Philadelphia row home caught fire taking with it the home next door and the dog that lived in that home. The firemen couldn’t get to Perky* in time and he died of smoke inhalation. Fortunately, his brother Petey*, with minor burns, survived. His treatment for minor burns and smoke inhalation at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Teaching Hospital was over $1,800 and Petplan pet insurance picked up the whole bill.

It’s the time of year when resolutions are made and, usually, much to the pleasure of fitness clubs around the world, they involve shedding a few pounds. (And yes, even in my own case, less cookies are indeed in order.) But not only is the first of the year a good time to think about getting out of bed before work to burn some calories, it’s the perfect time to factor your beloved cat and dog into the equation. Here are a few helpful tips to start making this newyear healthier and happier you and your four-legged friends (okay, it’s mostly for the furry ones but it probably wouldn’t hurt for you to get involved!):

First, make sure it’s safe. Talk to your vet and make sure that your animal is healthy enough for that jog or to chase that fake mouse. Also, their weight gain may be due to a medical condition, like thyroid disease. Your vet can test for and manage many conditions that can contribute to weight gain. And with pet insurance like Petplan, you’re pet is covered for all conditions, even hereditary diseases, for their whole lives.

Set a Goal. (The Association for Prevention of Pet Obesity (www.petobesityprevention.com) website features many useful and informative tools to help you set realistic goals for your pet’s weight loss; don’t expect fido to lose the weight overnight; we’re in this for the long-haul people!) Using this information or working with your vet, you can get an accurate idea of how much your pet should eat in order to lose weight.

Figure out a plan of attack. Carrots for you. Diet food for them? When you have set a daily calorie limit for your pet, you’ll have to work out exactly how much food to give them. The APOP website has some commercial food analysis figures but most commercial foods will have figures on their own websites too. However, it can often be useful to use a prescription diet food to ensure your pet is getting the right nutrients during their weight loss program. Your veterinarian can give you more information about diet foods.

No overeating. It’s all about calories, folks. That scrap left on your plate may look delicious but it’s not going to help with Rover’s waistline. No more scraps or table food. (Regardless of how much they beg.)

Get going. Every time you put on your sneakers, grab the leash and get your pooch and their paunch moving with you. Or, if it’s your cat that could use some shedding, strings and stretching go hand-in-hand. Just think, when you need some exercise, they probably do too.

For our pets, the holidays will often ring out with “No No No!” instead of “Ho Ho Ho!” Every holiday season cats and dogs will manage to eat, chew, scramble, climb and electrocute (!) their way into trouble. In fact, between November and January the number of emergency veterinary visits dramatically rises. Help this holiday be “full of good cheer”, not “tinged with great fear.” Just read through some of these tips to help keep your pets safe throughout the season:

Holiday treats, not so sweet

Fatty foods. OK, they taste great. A good cook will often tell you, “Cut the fat, kill the taste”. Unfortunately, NOT cutting the fat can kill the dog! Maybe that’s a little dramatic, but it’s true that high fat foods can contribute towards an acute condition called pancreatitis and this can be life-threatening. Of course, in these vain times, there’s always the waist-line to be careful of too! So, watch the turkey fat, spilled gravy and “mysteriously” dropped bits of food!

Chocolate. My personal favorite! However, it isn’t good for everyone. In fact, chocolate contains caffeine and an ingredient called theobromine, which can be very toxic to your pets. As a rule of thumb, dark chocolate is worse than milk chocolate but ingestion of any amount (by your pet) can be very bad news. My advice would be to seek veterinary care immediately and try to approximate how much and what kind of chocolate your pet ate. (Symptoms to look for: vomiting, increased thirst, diarrhea, weakness, difficulty keeping balance and hyperexcitability.)

Presents. If someone gives you a gift and your animal shows a suspicious amount of interest, ask the gift-giver if it’s perhaps food. Then put it on the counter. Out of harms way. (Or, if it’s something nice, you can send it to me…..)

Plants, the naughty and the not so naughty

Poinsettias. They get a bad (w)rap (because they’re often wrapped with ribbon? Forget it…). Many people will tell you that poinsettias are lethal to pets but, while their milky sap can be irritating, it’s not horribly toxic. Most ingestion cases will lead to an upset stomach and possibly mild vomiting.


Mistletoe. Whomever you are trying to catch under the mistletoe, try to make sure it’s not your pet. Small amounts usually just cause gastric upset but a eating a lot of mistletoe can be potentially lethal to your pet! Call a vet if you suspect any has been eaten. (Symptoms to look for: vomiting, severe diarrhea, difficulty breathing, shock within hours of ingestion.)


Christmas tree water. While I recommend my patients use their water bowl preferentially, many of them will ignore my advice and continue to seek hydration from wet pavements, muddy puddles and even, a perennial favorite, the toilet bowl. Since your Christmas tree water will exert a similar magnetic attraction on your pet, if you add a life-extending chemical to the water, make sure to read the label to see that it’s non-toxic and pet-safe.

Holly. Do NOT allow Rover to deck himself with boughs of holly. If either your cat or dog ingests holly, look for vomiting, nausea and diarrhea.

Lilies (Tiger, Asian, Japanese Show, Easter, Stargazer, and the Casa Blanca). Very pretty but very bad for your pets. Send them back to the florist. Lily ingestion can cause acute kidney failure in cats.

All that glitters is not good

Christmas trees. Good luck convincing the cat that you didn’t just go out and buy them their very own climbing frame! Trees can be knocked down, ornaments and lights can be broken; your basic Christmas nightmare. Use string or wire to secure the tree to something stable, and definitely try non-breakable ornaments with pets and children around.

Tinsel. Tinsel can be a really big problem, especially with cats. If ingested, it can get caught in the intestines and act as a “linear foreign body”, often requiring surgery to be removed. Maybe garland is the way to go...

Candles and menorahs. Your curious critters can be attracted to flames; never leave a lit candle unattended. The range of potential problems starts at minor burns but includes the possibility of a house fire!

Extension cords. Cats and dogs love them. Chewing on them, that is. Check often for bite marks and make sure that they are nowhere near sources of water. It’s also best to use grounded "3-prong" extension cords.

Batteries. Batteries are not included. Included in the list of things that should be eaten by our pets, that is. Even small batteries can cause a big problem; the corrosive chemicals can lead to ulceration or even perforation of stomach or intestines.

Friends and family

Children. Don’t assume that other people’s children know how to act around your beloved pets. So either secure the pets in another room or be there when they say “hi” for the first time.

Close the door. When there are a lot of people in one place they have a tendency to not sit still. So people go in and out, in and out and some even leave the door open. So again, either secure your pets in a room, or make sure they’re chipped, spayed, neutered and know their way home (if they can memorize the phone number, that would be useful too).

Working in practice, pet insurance claims forms are becoming increasingly familiar to vets. And, while no-one likes additional paperwork, there are some definite benefits to having insured patients. While many of us have concerns about the pet insurance industry at large (everyone’s out to make a dollar, right?) there are some good policies available that make my life in practice easier.

Many pet insurance companies have used ‘economic euthanasia’ as one of the underpinning reasons for having pet insurance. In short, economic euthanasia describes a situation where costs of diagnosis or treatment start to rise above a threshold figure (studies indicate around $500) where many people have to elect to euthanize their pet on a purely financial basis. While this is obviously every pet-owner’s nightmare I think the value of pet insurance is even more basic than this. Any of you that have had a sick pet in the last few years will know that $500 doesn’t go very far any more at the vet’s office. I can name a handful of common illnesses that would cost above that figure to properly diagnose and treat appropriately for one day; foreign body ingestion, severe diarrhea or vomiting, poisoning (and that includes chocolate!), broken bones…. And these are common, everyday illnesses! We haven’t even started getting into chronic diseases (diabetes, thyroid disease, Cushing’s disease) or those requiring advanced diagnostics (MRIs for intervertebral disc disease, endoscopy for gastrointestinal disorders, etc).

I guess what it boils down to is that when I have someone in my examining room and offer them the options on Fido or Fluffy’s diagnostics and treatment, I want them to be able to make a decision independent of whether this means they have to dip into savings or college funds or rack up credit card debt. I’m tired of watching people make decisions based on finances. I’m tired of not being able to give the best care available. So, from a purely selfish point of view and for your vet’s sake, take the time to look carefully at pet insurance and get the best health care for your pet.