How To Be A Good Vet Client

vetcaduceusxoJane has practical advice on how to How Not To Be A Dick At The Vet Hospital.  Both of Claire Lower’s parents are vets and she’s heard lots of stories about difficult owners.  Her father says, “Not all pet owners are crazy, but all crazy people have pets.”  Your pets will be better off if you’re not one of those crazy people!

Claire’s mom has also written a piece on her own blog on being a good vet client.  I was really struck by this piece of advice:

Be upfront with the doctor.  If you only have $250 to spend let them know.   The worst feeling is running blood tests and X-rays then finding out there is no more money to treat the pet.  I have a saying.. “X-rays are not therapeutic”

Don’t let your embarrassment hurt your pet.  Speak up and tell your vet what’s going on.  Your pets are counting on you!

Are You Prepared For An Emergency?

  

Life has been a bit hectic here lately—car problems, washing machine in pieces, replacing a porch, & food poisoning.  Despite the craziness, our thoughts are with everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy—the East Coast and the Caribbean, in particular.  Every disaster reminds me of how important it is to be prepared.  We live in an earthquake-prone area and we don’t have the advantage of getting any warning before something happens, but I would want to be prepared no matter where we lived.

Here are a number of posts on how you can prepare to take care of your pets in the event of an emergency.  It doesn’t have to be done all at once and it doesn’t have to be expensive, so don’t feel overwhelmed.  There is a wealth of information here and it’s the result of many hours of research consulting AVMA, FEMA, ASPCA, HSUS, CDC, Petfinder, & more.  Please share these posts with anyone who has pets, but please also give credit to Pet Project and link to my blog.

  1. What you need for a comprehensive Animal First Aid Kit, including a printable list.
  2. Guide for Emergency Preparedness for Cats & Dogs, with information on everything from documents you should have to dealing with evacuation gridlock to what should be included in your kit.
  3. Guide to Emergency Preparedness for Birds, includes a prioritized list of tasks , what you need in an Avian First Aid Kit, & much more.
  4. Guide for Emergency Preparedness for Reptiles & Amphibians, includes how to make a Herp First Aid Kit, how to keep your herps the proper temperature, plus a lot more.
  5. 10 Emergency Preparedness Tips you may not have considered.
  6. Animals In Emergencies, a video produced by the U.S. Army & the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

DIY: Jack-O-Lantern Designs—Cats, Rabbits, Dogs, Ferrets, Rats, Mice, Fish & Reptiles

I’m a big dork about Halloween.  I really love it!  Here’s a repost of a big collections of patterns you can use to make a jack-o-lantern for almost any pet.

I love carving something different each year on our pumpkins and, though I’m very fond of cats, I thought other pets should be represented too.  Here are a variety of patterns for a bunch of different animals that should make some pretty nifty jack-o-lanterns.  And, yes there are more cats.  Just click on an image for a larger version to print or download.

And don’t miss these cat stencils and these dog breed stencils. Or you can make a stencil from your own photos of your pets.

Have a fun Halloween and keep your furred & feathered friends safe!

Cats

 

Rabbit

 

Dogs

Ferret

 

Rats

Mice

 

Birds

 

Fish

 

Reptile

Wag.com Amazon’s New Pet E-Commerce Site

Amazon now has a dedicated site for pet products—Wag.com.  I wonder if this will have an effect on the specialty pet sites (like PetExpertise.com) I like for finding progressive training tools and books.  I hope it means more people will have accesses to quality foods, tools, and information!

(Note: I’m not connected in any way to either site, other than having ordered products from PetExpertise and Amazon.)

Animal Rescuer Wins Against IRS

Jan Van Dusen, who has fostered over 70 cats, went up against the IRS and won. Good news for animal rescue groups all over the U.S.  Van Dusen had deducted expenses she had incurred while fostering cats for an IRS- approved charity.  The ruling will make it easier for volunteers to help animal rescue groups.  Yea!

Check out the article to learn more and keep your receipts for next year’s taxes, if you’re fostering or providing some other service.