From dental care to pet insurance and pet first aid, here are 4 effective ways to protect the health of your furry member of the family.
We get it – your pet is a part of your family. Their health, happiness and wellbeing are a priority of yours. What we also get is that life is pretty complicated as it is. Because of this, it’s easy to forget to ensure these methods of pet care are in place.
To make your life a little simpler, we have outlined the top 4 ways to put your pet’s health first.
4 Important Pet Care Tips to Help Your Fur Baby Life Their Best Life!
1. You need to make a living will
A living will is more important than you may realise. What happens when you are away and your dog becomes very ill and is rushed to the emergency room? Basically, what this document entails is a statement of resuscitation orders if your pet is involved in a life-threatening situation and you are not there.
A living will for your pet is very specific and will be saved in your vet’s medical records. Your pet sitter should also have a copy of this. Here’s what you need to include in a living will for your pet:
- If you want CPR performed on your precious pet
- If you want a temporary feeding tube placed to supply calories for your pet
- If you want your pet placed in a respirator/ventilator or intubated under anaesthesia
- If you want your pet to have specific drugs that can help save his life such as dopamine or epinephrine, or have your pet receive emergency surgeries or blood transfusions
By creating a living will for your pet, this means your vet and pet sitter will be able to follow and respect your wishes and know what to do in an emergency situation if they cannot get hold of you.
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2. Remember to look after your pet’s teeth
Many pet owners forget to look after the health of their pet’s teeth and gums. As it turns out, bad breath and rotting teeth might be the most obvious signs of bad oral hygiene, there might also be other issues lurking beneath the surface.
Dental issues such as tooth loss and gum disease can lead to a number of other infections throughout your pet’s body. The heart, kidneys and liver can all suffer the consequences of poor dental health. You need to ensure you are looking after the health of your pet’s teeth through regular check-ups with your vet (pet insurance with routine care cover that includes dental care can help cover these costs).
Your vet can professionally clean, scale and polish your pet’s teeth. High quality food, specialised dental treats, and regular brushing are also recommended.
3. Save yourself from vet bills with pet insurance
Vet bills often happen unexpectedly, which can put extra financial strain on your budget. If your pet is hit by a car, this can cost you R10 000 or more. Then there are the costs of routine care and vet visits.
However, with pet insurance, this allows you to plan for both unpredictable and predictable costs. Routine care also helps your vet to catch any diseases and illnesses early before developing into more severe and costly issues. Have this form of preventive care cover included in your pet insurance plan also helps encourage more regular vet visits.
For a small and affordable monthly premium, pet medical insurance helps save you and your wallet from the surprise costs of pet medical care.
When it comes to choosing a pet insurance provider, we highly recommend Oneplan Pet Insurance – not only because of their affordable plans and comprehensive cover, but also because you can preload funds for a vet visit to your Onecard BEFORE you even see the vet. This means that the vet bills are sorted without the need for you to pay out-of-pocket and then go through the tedious process of getting the claim refunded. How convenient is that?!
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4. Educate yourself on pet first aid and put together a first aid kit
It’s always a good idea to be prepared for unexpected medical emergencies. Learn as much as you can about pet first aid and put together your own first aid kit for your home (and possibly one for your car too for those adventurous outings to the park with your pet).
Knowing how to handle an emergency situation with your pet can mean the difference between life and death. Once you have the situation under control, then you need to get your pet to your vet immediately.
Of course, if you are ever in doubt, it’s advised that you phone your vet immediately for advice before taking your pet to your vet. We hope this list of pawsome pet care tips has been beneficial and can help make a difference in the health of your precious pet.
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