The person(s) responsible for this senseless act must have a heart of glass.  A woman in Pittsburgh (PA) is claiming that someone left meat, containing ground up glass and nails, in her yard for her dogs.

Owner, Deborah Rogers,  took the dogs to the veterinarian to be examined.  Dr. Kenton Rexford  was able to get the beagle to bring up some of the material, but the husky might need surgery.

The dogs, Shadow and Pepper, are now being treated by Dr. Kenton Rexford after x-rays showed nails and glass in the abdomens of both dogs. Officials say the material was hidden within balls of meat patties left in Rogers yard.

She had one question on the way to the vet once she realized the meat was put there on purpose.

“What kind of sick unit would destroy and torture and kill an animal for no reason,” said Rogers. “They are very loving dogs.”

If  Deborah Rogers husky needs surgery it could be a very costly procedure, she’s very worried about how she’ll pay for it.  She doesn’t have the money and is afraid her dog could die without the proper treatment.

Rexford says the options for treatment are tricky because inducing the material through the throat could cause different problems.

“As that glass or that nail comes through the esophagus, if there was no damage when it went down, are you then creating damage when you bring it back out?” said Dr. Rexford. “Yes, definitely that is a risk.”

Endoscopy or surgery may be needed for the husky, a decision that will need to be made shortly.  Dr. Rexford informed Deborah Rogers about a new organization to help people in need with emergency expenses, the Animal Care and Assistance Fund.

If you would like to help:
Animal Care and Assistance Fund
c/o Robert A Meeder, 4514 Plummer St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201-3032.
Phone: 412-348-2588

We wish Shadow and Pepper, pictured above, a speedy recovery.

In July I posted an article, Leashing In Those Huge Vet Bills, which offered some money saving tips. One of the tips was about pet insurance,  it was the one that got the most reaction from our readers. Some thought it was worthwhile, while others felt it was too expensive, didn’t give enough reimbursement, and didn’t cover enough items (like hereditary conditions).

Recently Lisa and I started thinking about getting pet insurance. We never really thought about until adopting Logan, our Berner.   The reason being,  we know that Bernese Mountain dogs are very prone to hip dysplasia and cancer.  I started doing some digging around to see what I could come up with.

I came across a great independent site where you can review, side by side, many different companies and compare what they offer.

There is a relatively new plan, PetPlan, that originated in the UK and has recently become available in the US. According to one of their PR agent’s, PetPlan is different because it includes coverage of hereditary conditions.

Perhaps it is time to take a new look at the value of pet health insurance. For the 62% of Americans with pets, there are new products on the market with high standards and value that can sharply reduce the impact of continually rising veterinarian charges that can force strapped pet owners to euthanize their beloved pets or go into debt to pay the bills.

Most pet owners think they don’t think they need it - until illness or accidents happen to their cat or dog. Consumer advisors have said that the cost of the policy- generally about $300 a year - is not worth it, mainly because traditionally, most plans reject too many claims, reimburse only a small portion of the ones they accept, and don’t cover the hereditary conditions of pure bred pets that rack up the highest medical bills.

Americans spend $42 billion a year on their pets yet only 1% of pet owners have pet insurance. Overseas, in the UK and Australia, where there are quality insurance plans, about 20% of pet owners have policies.

Petplan has been a popular pet insurance in the UK, Canada and Australia for over 30 years. Now that it is available in the United States, it has raised the bar for coverage and customer service so high that some other plans are taking note and upping their service and coverage.

I took a look at PetPlan on the Pet Insurance Review site to see what other people have written about this company.  On the site both PetPlan US and PetPlan Canada were reviewed.  Surprisingly, with very different result.

Those who have used PetPlan Canada were not not happy and overall it got a 4.47 out of 10 rating.  However, those who have used PetPlan US gave it a 9.7 out of 10.  An exceptionally high satisfactory rating.

I contacted the company to find out the reason for this discrepancy. The good news is that they are entirely separate companies, not related in any way.

As a matter of fact, as of September 1st Petplan UK terminated the relationship with Petplan Canada and there is effectively no Petplan Canada as of this time.

The company has been renamed and now operates as Petsecure. The reason they receive such terrible reviews is that their policies are completely different from those offered both in the UK and in the US.

Most notable they experience rate, which means that a pet owner is punished every time they submit a claim and see their premiums raised significantly.

While we haven’t decided on anything yet, we’ll definitely keep PetPlan in mind when making a decision in the near future.

I received a message from one of our pup pals, Bailey, about a heartbreaking incident that started with a very innocuous looking toy.  This is the story of Chai, a beautiful 10 year old lab mix. 

 On Sunday, June 22, 2008 my 10-year old lab mix, Chai, sustained a severe injury from a product that the company Four Paws Inc, produces. The toy I’m referencing is the pimple ball with bell. (Item #20227-001, UPC Code 0 4566320227 9)

While chewing on the toy, a vacuum was created and it effectively sucked his tongue into the hole in the ball. From speaking with my vet, this likely occurred because there is not a second hole in the ball preventing the vacuum effect from happening. I became aware of this when Chai approached a friend at my home whimpering with the ball in his mouth. She tried unsuccessfully to remove the ball but the tongue had swollen and could not be released.

Chai was taken to the Animal Medical Center (an emergency care facility in New York City) and was treated by Dr. Nicole Spurlock to have the ball removed. Because the size of the opening on the ball was so small, all circulation to his tongue was cut off. The doctors had to sedate him in order to remove it. Once the ball was removed, his tongue swelled to the point that he could no longer put it in his mouth. Chai was sent home with care instructions and to be observed overnight for any changes.

By the following morning his tongue continued to swell.

He was taken to his regular vet, Dr. Timnah Lee, for treatment. He was admitted and kept sedated for a period of three days during which time they were treating his wounds and waiting to determine how much of his tongue could be saved. On June 26, 2008 Chai had his tongue amputated.

He was kept in after-care for an additional three days. On Sunday June 29th I brought Chai home from the vet with a barrage of home care instructions, to last for an additional 7 days. His next visit was to have his mouth re-examined and have the feeding tube in his neck removed.

The following is a link to an animal treatment clinic that has also documented the same injury to a Shepard mix.

www.logcabinanimalhospital.com/index.php/toy-ball-stuck-on-dogs-tongue/

I sent this information along with the reference to Petunia the french bulldog to Four Paws Inc, and it is their position that there just aren’t enough instances to do anything about this. I told their Insurance company’s case manager that was not a good enough excuse, It was inferred that my dogs value wasn’t much and that his pain and suffering don’t count as he is just a piece of property.

This should never happen to another animal again!

Chai’s owner now has over $5000 in vet bills as well as countless other bills that are  associated with his care.  Please take a minute to read the entire story of Chai so that we can get the word out about the Pimple Ball with bell toy.  If the company refuses to take responsibility for its product then it’s our responsibility, as consumers, to take a stand and protect our innocent pets.

Wow!  Hector, a Great Dane puppy, was playing in the garden when he got a two foot stick lodged between his neck and stomach.  I guess Hector doesn’t understand the difference between “fetch” and “swallow” just yet.

The accident happened when one year old Hector was running around in the garden of his home in Wheathampstead, Herts. (UK)

“It was a lovely sunny day and he was having a great time, but suddenly he became quite subdued,” said Mrs Panting, 53, a tutor.

“I didn’t worry too much as he ate his supper, but the following morning he wouldn’t touch his breakfast and he was drooling a lot.

Mrs. Panting took Hector to the vet to get him checked out.

Hector’s chest and abdoman were x-rayed and the pictures showed he had swallowed a long straight object, which was an inch wide.

When surgeons passed a video camera down his oesophagus they realised it was a stick, but it was 45cm down his throat and the surgeons were not able to reach it.

The poorly pup, who weighs 153 lbs, was taken to the Royal Veterinary College where they managed to use long forceps to remove the stick.

It cost more than $4000 in vet bills to get Hector stick free.  Mrs. Panting stated “We have kept the stick but we certainly won’t be giving it to Hector to play with again.”  That seems like a very wise decision.

Going to the vet these days can cost a fortune.  In the last four months alone we have spent over $2000, something I consider to be a substantial amount of money.  Why do we do it? Because we love our pets and will do anything to keep them safe and healthy. So when I came across this article on tips to take the bite out of pet health costs I knew it was worth taking a look at.

Americans spent more than $10 billion on veterinary care last year, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.

If you’re anything like our family, you probably feel like you’re contributing a good amount towards that $10 billion.  Hopefully, the following tips will help bring down your out of pocket costs.

Following are just three of the twelve tips suggested by non-profit animal groups, industry watchdogs and veterinarians.

Look for vet specials. In-office clinics can offer price breaks on vaccinations, teeth cleanings and other procedures. Also, there are senior citizen discounts and package plans for puppy or kitten care.

Go online. If a medication is not needed immediately, you can sometimes save money by ordering it online rather than buying at a veterinarian office. Suppliers include Petmed Express (www.1800 petmeds.com), PetCareRx ( www.petcarerx.com) and Foster and Smith (www .drsfostersmith.com).

Consider insurance. Because of substantial deductibles and exclusions in pet policies, according to the Consumer Reports study, pet owners might be better off putting what they pay in monthly premiums into a savings account. But coverage could play a major role in covering bills for very expensive conditions.

While every suggestion may not be suitable for you, I think there’s a little something in the article for everyone.