A few weeks ago I saw a great bumper sticker that said, "Dog is my co-pilot." I laughed but then thought about how powerful that statement is. Every schoolchild recognizes that "God" is "Dog" spelled backwards. Is that just coincidence, or revelation?

Let's think of this in a new way - let's imagine what the word dog conjurs up for pet people. I'll go first. To me the word 'dog' means loyalty, affection, furriness, warmth, dedication, true and unconditional love, and happiness.

Dogs are loyal to the nth degree. They will wait days for their owners to return, even when said owner has abandoned them.

Dogs are affectionate no matter what your mood. That happy face and lick of that warm tongue and the utter joy they show when you walk in the door makes any bad day better.

Dogs are furry, for the most part. I know there are new breeds that aren't furry, but I don't quite understand why anyone bred that trait out of our precious dogs. Oh well. That's just me. I like their furriness.

Dogs are full of warmth. Anyone who lives in a cold climate can attest to the warmth of their dog on their feet, or lying next to them on the sofa, or ... in extreme cases, making sure their owners are kept warm when lost in the woods, or something. Dogs are better than a blanket!

Dogs are dedicated. They will travel for miles, for days, to find their way home. They will protect you within an inch of their own lives. They will alert you to danger, even if it's just an errant leave blowing by the window. They never give up protecting their own.

Dogs give true, unconditional love, all the time. No matter how late you are from work; no matter how bad a mood you're in (and you shout it out at them); no matter how many cats you allow to invade their territory, dogs remain totally true and faithful and loving and happy, just to be with you.

So, maybe it's not such a stretch to turn the old saying, "God is my co-pilot" around to, "Dog is my co-pilot." It's been said that society will be judged by how they treat the least of "them"... like kids, and our elderly, and...our pets. Both dogs and cats.

There must be a reason for that. What do you think it is?

Veterinary medicine is getting more and more sophisticated by the day.

In fact it is pretty much like human medicine in this regard. There are over twenty specialty areas recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association. These specialty areas require a three to four year residency after graduation from veterinary school and a specialist has to pass an examination to become board certified in their particular area of interest. 

How does this apply to pet health insurance? 

Here's a fact that might surprise you: Americans have more cats than dogs - as this USA Today story from last year says, "...cats outnumber dogs by more than 10 million (82 million to 72 million)." So why do dogs get all the attention and why do I have a book on my nightstand titled, "Why Dogs Are Better Than Cats"?

Well, I don't have a good answer for that - I love both dogs and cats and right now I am a proud cat owner, sans dog, for the time being. Our cat, Wabby, is very loving and cuddly and easy to take care of. Every morning I hold her for awhile, I walk around with her in my arms and she purrs in my ear and she loves looking at all the "up high" stuff (as she really can't see much past her nose, I don't think!)

But, the USA Today story, even though it's a year old, describes a sad situation. It says, "But here's the dirty little secret: Cats are more often neglected than dogs, more often relingquished to shelters than dogs and less often taken to veterinarians than dogs."

<big sigh>

Cats are pets. To me. They deserve better than they get. I know that many people who read this blog and the Scratchings and Sniffings blog are cat lovers. Dr. Larry made it a point to discuss the value of obtaining pet health insurance for your cat, recently. My daughter in Buffalo has 3 cats and treats them like babies (don't we all?) and I see so many blogs and twitter folks who are staunch cat lovers, that I hope the tide is turning and cat lovers are finally making themselves known.

I discovered this site written by a veterinarian who discusses all pets but has a great article on "Unwavering Devotion to Cats" that is well worth visiting.

And, there is actually a site called Feline Advisory Bureau - which discusses cats and more cats. I like their page on Books for Cat Lovers. (looks like they're out of the UK, but Amazon likely has the books, too)

A lot of us love pure bred dogs and cats, but they do have a higher incidence of hereditary conditions than their mixed breed cousins. I'm corresponding with a woman now that has a Wheaten Terrier with Glaucoma secondary to hereditary lens luxation.

She's looking at some pretty pricey surgery by a veterinary eye specialist to save her dog's sight. I wish she had a PurinaCare policy. We cover hereditary conditions. In her case we couldn't cover it now because it is pre-existing.

At PurinaCare we will cover hereditary conditions that are not pre-existing. Hip dysplasia is a common hereditary condition in lots of large breed dogs. In many cases the signs of hip dysplasia don't show up until a dog is three or four years old. In some cases of severe hip dysplasia signs can show up earlier than that.

I was curious about how the pet health insurance industry is doing so I did a Google search (have yet to get used to Bing, but I hear it's a good engine, also)...and anyway, I ended up on the  About.com: Veterinary Medicine site which has loads of information on this topic.

Just for fun, I took Dr. Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM's poll, which asks: Do you have insurance for your pets? My answer had to be "no, but maybe someday" as I will have it when we get a new dog, but I don't have it now. (btw, David Goodnight, President and Chief Operating Officer for PurinaCare® Pet Health Insurance has an interview on Dr. Tobiassen Crosby's site).

Once you take the poll, you're offered the results and I was a bit surprised by the results.

Here are the possible answers: (1) Yes, for all my pets, (2) Yes, for some of my pets, (3) No, but maybe someday, (4) No, it is a waste of money, (5) Trying to find a plan that fits and frustrated!

Interestingly, the biggest response was for #5. The second biggest response was my answer, and the number three response was, "Yes, for all of my pets."

This highlightsa lot of what we talk about on this blog. We talk about how to choose a good pet health insurance plan and we discuss what comes with your PurinaCare policy, depending on what policy you choose. Dr. Larry and Dr. Bill have given us ample stories in a number of podcasts about pets that were able to be properly treated for disease, accidents, or emergencies, because their owners invested in pet health insurance with PurinaCare.

The fact that folks are still looking for good pet health insurance but they are frustrated, tells me we are on the right track in describing the pet health plans offered by PurinaCare and how they work. And, it also tells me that we need to get the word out better, to help people understand what their insurance policy actually covers.

Interestingly, the "no, it's a waste of money" answer was the second least clicked. And, "yes, for some of my pets" was the second least clicked reponse, which could mean folks insure their cats and dogs but not their birds. I do not know if there is bird pet health insurance. I know that PurinaCare is for cats and dogs.

While there are not a lot of answers to this poll (only 22), the answers I saw gave me a strong feeling of encouragement. The pet community is definitely tuned in to the benefits of pet health insurance. Now, we just need to let them know we offer simple, easy-to-understand explanations of pet health insurance right here, on the PurinaCare blog. 

Purina sponsors the National Dog Show every year on Thanksgiving Day (I watchted last year and will watch again this year) and it's better than...almost anything. It certainly beats reality shows with "humans". Ok, there are humans in the National Dog Show, but they are eclipsed by the dogs.

David Frei, who returns as one of the show commentators (along with John O'Hurley - former actor who portrayed J. Peterman on Seinfeld), says, "If you have a dog, it's the alma mater factor; you compare your own dog lying on the sofa next to you with the Champion Retriever or Brittany you see on TV."

I'm not sure I agree completey with that. First of all, my dogs are not allowed on the sofa (sorry, my house, my rules and yes, I love my dog just as much as you love yours), and second of all -

I'm a mixed breed gal. Champions are beautiful and wonderful and just as lovable, but my dogs are shelter dogs and they are most often mixed breed. (that could change - with some people reluctantly surrending their precious ones to shelters today, we may be able to rescue a Greyhound or terrier or other full-bred dog in CO)

The best part of this story, besides the great TV viewing, is that David Frei is now talking about how and why he certified his own dogs as therapy dogs, a topic we've discussed before, on this blog and the Scratchings and Sniffings blog. "The non-profit program," writes Steve Dale of the St. Louis Today website, "began as a charitable activity of the Westminster Kennel Club, but today supports therapy dog activities at 11 sites, including Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital in New York City; Ronald McDonald Houses in New York City and Milwaukee, WI; St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN..." among others.

Says Frei, "I can't even count the number of times a little child in the hospital has smiled or laughed because a dog is there."

Truer words were never spoken - kids, adults, seniors - we all smile when a dog "is there." Because dogs bring love into our lives.  

The program is Angel on a Leash and Rufus, the Colored Bull Terrier who won the 2005 dog show, and went on to be awarded Best in Show the following February, at Westminster, is now a certified therapy dog who works mostly with children.

During this year's National Dog Show Frei will talk about "his" therapy dogs and why therapy dogs are so valuable.

Maybe he'll even mention that many recent Westminster winners have become therapy dogs. Why? Let's let him tell us.

See you on Thanksgiving day, in front of the TV: NBC, 11 a.m. Central Time. 

For lots of baseball fans the words "wait til next year" bespeak the eternal optimism of the fan. We may have lost out this year but we'll get em next year for sure. Readers that live in Chicago and follow the Cubs learn this phrase shortly after they mutter "mama and dada."

Other fans, myself included, that lose out in the playoffs, prefer something like, "We was robbed!" to convey our sense of loss. For us, "We was robbed," is invariably followed by, "Just wait til next year."

There are pet insurance companies that will provide coverage for your pet's chronic illness in the year it's diagnosed and not cover it in subsequent years, even if you renew your policy. With these policies this year's chronic condition becomes next year's pre-existing condition. Would you renew your home owner's policy that covered your fire damage this year if they refused to cover fire damage in subsequent years?

We have a lot of dogs and cats in our immediate neighborhood. When Tom and I are out walking, we're very often greeted by barks from little dogs and big dogs, stuck behind chain-linked fences. All of them are pretty loud in their early morning hellos, and when they tire of barking at us, they run around their yards barking at each other.

Just the other day I came across this article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel about another neighborhood full of pets. Dan Harper, the writer, says, "If you want to love your neighbors, you'd better love their pets." And he then goes on to describe his neighborhood as a pet circus. One he and his wife, apparently, enjoy watching but not actually participating in. They do not own any pets.

Harper's article is both funny and informative. The reality of how we pet people like to treat our dogs and cats like royalty, sometimes, isn't new, but can be interesting. As Harper says, "I suspect the legions of dogs and cats that walk, bark, and purr among us think we're better people than we are." And isn't that the point? Our pets love us no matter what!

I especially like the article here at Pet Well Being that talks about how pets teach us things like: (1) loyalty, and (2) being together is better than not being together, and (3) how to forgive, among many other things.

All of this is relevant because we're smack in the middle of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, sponsored by the Humane Society of the U.S. "In the spirit of celebrating animal shelters for the tireless work they do throughout the year, November 1-11th seems fair. Please take the time over the next several days to show your appreciation to a local animal shelter."

Me, I'm going to visit and support PINC, pets in need clinic, by a local veterinarian who cares for pets in families that have lost jobs or are so badly affected by this recession, they can't afford vaccinations for their pets. She invites them to stop by her veterinary offices and she gives free exams and vaccinations. (after they fill out a few forms - to keep things honest and open, of course)

What will you do to help out during National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week?

Petopia.tv has a video of our own Dr. Bill Craig discussing the issue of separation anxiety with a pet owner whose dog just does not like it when she leaves the room. I suspect many of us know this feeling... and have struggled to deal with a pet that doesn't want us to go anywhere without her (or him). (note: Yvonne had to correct the Petopia.tv link...it was incorrect in the original post. Nov 9th, 09)

Luckily, we had a houseful of people when Carmie was growing up, and then, when the kids went to college and I had to go to work, she seemed to adjust rather well. Our cat, Wabby, is happy as long as someone is around to feed her on time!

But, my daughter does have issues with her Greyhound, Twiggy. So, I'll be sending her the link to this video so she can partake of Dr. Bill's advice.

If you are considering purchasing pet health insurance and the provider uses something called a "Benefit Schedule" or "Benefit Limits" you'd better have a vet or an accountant in the family to help you figure it out. I am a vet and the policy I looked at this morning was really hard for me to understand. 

What about the cost of veterinary care in your town or city? Veterinary fees vary tremendously across the country and yet the "benefit schedule" I looked at was one size fits all. Now that might be great for me in rural South West New Mexico, but what if I lived in Albuquerque? Heck, what if I had the misfortune to live in LA or New York? One size does not fit all.