The economy is in free fall, and if you're not looking for ways to save money, you must know something no one else knows. One area where rising costs are a problem is in veterinary drugs. Pet Connection BFF Dr. Patty Khuly talked to Gina this week about how your veterinarian can be your ally in getting your pets the best possible, but affordable, care:
Dr. Patty Khuly, a Miami veterinarian, pet-care columnist and the author of the top veterinary blog Dolittler, says veterinarians should be open to helping clients save money on medications -- and that more are, all the time.
"Our job as veterinarians is to help people get their pets the care they need," she says. "What I'm seeing in practice now is that people need to make cuts so they can afford basic and emergency veterinary care. One way I can help make that possible as a veterinarian is to offer options when it comes to prescription medications. People can then weigh those options and make an informed decision."
Along with more great advice on how to safely explore those options, you'll find some fascinating facts from Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker Shannon. Border collies are being used to keep birds off airport runways across the country -- and New York's JFK airport uses trained falcons. And some great news for horses:
A three-legged mare with a prosthetic leg has started a revolution in horse medicine. The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary took in the mare with the injured hind leg and opted to have the leg amputated and replaced instead of putting the animal down, as is common practice. The procedure has been so successful that she can trot and can even be ridden. Many hope the mare's success story shows others that a horse's life doesn't have to end when a leg is irreparably damaged.
Plus: advice from Susan Tripp, MS, and Rolan Tripp, DVM on basic training for kittens; check out the numbers on dressing up your fish tank; and get the scoop on cats who trip their humans -- and how to avoid a fall.
We humans have taken the rich genetic material of the wolf and have selectively bred the dog to be all things to all people. We've made him small enough to fit in our pockets and tall enough to tower over us, gentle enough to sleep with our children and strong enough to take down a wild boar.
But maybe the dog has changed us more.
That's the argument that Stanley Coren, best-selling author of popular dog books, makes in his latest, "The Modern Dog: A Joyful Exploration of How We Live With Dogs Today" (Free Press, $26). Dogs, he writes, made human existence possible, aiding us as we developed civilization.
But dogs have changed more than our lifestyle -- they've profoundly changed how we see the world.
Find out how, and more, in our Pet Connection newspaper feature, which you can read on the Universal Press Syndicate Web site.
If you'd like to hear more from Dr. Coren, consider going to the 2009 IACP Conference this March in Hutto, TX. He spoke last year and will be coming back this year.
Somewhere on my hard drive I've got a great picture of him mugging it up with Zip and Audie. We'll be back again this year too. For more on the conference (you don't need to be a member to attend), go here:
http://www.dogpro.org/index.php?pageID=241
Posted by: Janeen | 09 December 2008 at 07:00 PM
Related: A recent study by the New York Times shows that human physicians are extremely reluctant to prescribe generics -- even though generics that are not only cheaper, but as or more effective:
"Health care reformers have high hopes that the relentless rise in prescription drug costs can be slowed by replacing brand-name medicines with cheaper generic versions. Unfortunately, so many physicians are so captive of the drug industry that it would take a huge effort to persuade more patients and doctors to use generics."
An interesting bit of information to take in with you for discussion with your veterinarian over your pet's prescriptions.
Posted by: Gina Spadafori | 09 December 2008 at 07:00 PM