When you pick out a pet, you know you need to provide essential needs. You understand that your pet will have many of the same needs that other members of the family do. You look for healthy pet food, keep the water bowl clean, and make a commitment to train, exercise, and play with your new friend. In many ways, your pet becomes a member of your family.

But are you prepared for high medical expenses if your pet is sick or injured? You probably provide health insurance for your spouse and children. But many pet owners are astounded by the price of medical care for pets. Even routine car is expensive, but if your pet needs more critical medical care, the price can run up into the hundreds or thousands of dollars. Well meaning pet owners, who have a sick or injured pet, do not always have the money to cover treatment. So an unexpected illness or injury can become a heartbreaking situation that can affect your family for years.

Pet insurance is an affordable way to make sure your pet get the best possible medical care, and it is very easy to obtain an insurance quote online. You make a monthly or annual payment, and know that you will be able to afford routine medical care and major medical services. Pet insurance rates are usually very inexpensive, so this is an affordable way to protect your family and pet from a heartbreaking experience.

A common pet insurance plan will cover any licensed veterinary office in the US. Participating vets may be included, and these vets will offer to process the insurance claims so you only have to pay for the deductible and copay at treatment time. So you can choose any pet medical provider, but may choose to use the participating offices because they make payment easier for you by handling the claims processing. Some pet insurance rates plans may only allow you to use participating vets, or they may give you incentives, like lower copays and deductibles, if you use their network of pet medical providers. So before you purchase a plan, make sure you understand how the coverage works with the veterinarian you choose. It is especially important to understand how your pet insurance works in case of an emergency, because you will not have time to read through your policy when you need to seek treatment right away.

You can find different levels of coverage, depending upon your own pet’s age and breed, and of course, your own budget. Some plans cover routine checkups, up to a specified dollar limit. Then they provide medical treatment for accidents or injuries with a set deductible, and they may also have a maximum coverage limit per incident. For instance, if your dog breaks her leg, you may have to pay a $100 deductible, and then a percentage of the bill for a copay.

Let me give you an example of pet insurance coverage to make it easier to understand. This was a very affordable policy, and it helped reduce the bill by hundreds of dollars. A young dog broke his front femur. The owner needed to pay for an emergency visit, follow up surgery, and a boarding fee while the dog recovered. The whole bill came out to about $2,000. But the $150 boarding fee was covered under the insurance policy. The policy paid 100% of the medical bill with the exception of a $100 deductible. So the owner only needed to write a $100 check, while the insurance company paid a claim for $1900!

No different policies will have different coverage levels, deductibles, and copays, so it is important for you to compare plans. Balance out the coverage with the amount you can afford to pay every month for your policy. Again, it is very simple to compare insurance quotes and plans online.

Itchy skin, hair loss, constant scratching, ear and anal gland problems are the most common indicators of a dog skin problem. Although there are many canine skin disorders, the 5 following tips will help to identify some of the more common dog skin problems:

1. Fleas: The best way to identify a flea problem is to check your pets belly area and along the inside of the back legs. The hair is thinner in this area and easier to spot both fleas and flea dirt. The flea itself is brown or copper colored and roughly the size of a pin-head. Flea dirt looks like sprinkled pepper. Ruffling the fur on your dog’s back and along the base of the tail is also an easy way to find fleas and flea droppings. Often times dogs that develop Flea Allergy Dermatitis will show hair loss around the base (top) of the tail. There are many options available for flea and tick control.

2. Food Allergy Dermatitis: Although food allergies can appear in pups as early on as 5 or 6 months, they can also develop in adult dogs as late as 11 or 12 years old. Common symptoms of food allergy dermatitis are itching of the skin, excessive scratching, hot spots and even skin infections. Dog owners should realize that there is a distinct difference between Food Allergies and Food Intolerance. Like people, classic symptoms of a food intolerance would be an upset stomach and diarrhea. All foods do not agree with all dogs. Pink Bismuth is a safe remedy for stomach upset and diarrhea in dogs. Food allergies require slowly eliminating foods and changing the diet.

3. Atopic Dermatitis: Atopic Dermatitis is a condition best described as environmental allergens. Dogs that suffer with airborne allergies will often rub their face along the side of a sofa or along the carpet. As with food allergies, dogs will also chew their feet. With Atopic Dermatitis, it’s common for dogs to develop ear infections due to a yeast overgrowth. Pollen, trees, grass, dust and wool fabric are just a few common airborne allergens that some dogs are sensitive to.

4. Acral Lick Dermatitis (Lick Granuloma): This raised lesion will be red, hairless and is usually found on the leg of the dog. This neurological condition is self-induced due to continuous licking. Possible causes include anxiety, boredom and stress. Treatment will include identifying the source of the problem (anxiety, etc.), restricting licking of the area and often times medication for behavioral modification.

5. Hot Spots: Medically referred to as Acute Moist Dermatitis, these round lesions generally appear in warmer weather. Along the hip, the sides of the chest and around the head area are the most common locations for hot spots. These moist and hairless inflammations are painful causing the dog to fixate on the particular spot by licking, chewing and scratching at it. Continuous licking in one area is a large factor in the development of hot spots. These lesions can quickly become very large in size. The location of the hot spot will help determine what the underlying problem could be an; anal gland problem, ear problem or a flea problem. A Veterinarian will clip the hair around the spot, clean it with a medicated solution, prescribe antibiotics and pain medicine.

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