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Sorry for the double post, but Has anyone had any experience with VPI pet insurance? I know people are split about whether or not pet insurance is good or not, but I've resolved to get it way or another so I don't want to turn this into a debate. Anyways, boyfriend can get us a discount on VPI through his work, coming out to 25 bucks a month for their comprehensive plan. When I've researched it before, they weren't really a top pick for me (I liked trupanion, I think, and some other one I can't remember now more). Specifically I didn't like the primary and secondary stuff, seems shady. Has anyone had any experience with them, good or bad? Or any other pet insurance for that matter? Any recommended/ones to stay away from? 25-35 seems to be a typical price point, at least last time I looked around, so we wouldn't be saving thaaat much (unless my memory is failing me).
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Dec 17, 2013 17:26
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We have Trupanion on our dog and cat. When the cat was just a kitten, she swallowed a 2 foot long elastic string from one of her toys and it got stuck in her intestines. She needed about $1,500 of surgery and they covered it no problem. We didn't even have to make a claim, the vet worked directly with them to cover the 90% and gave us a bill for the 10%.
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Dec 17, 2013 17:49
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I've been looking into pet insurance too for my pup next year. My main issue with the insurance companies so far is that they do not cover vaccinations and vet visits. So, for the first year, I'm going with Banfield. I know the issues associated with a chain veterinary but their plans cover vaccinations, all vet visits, and spay/neuter in addition to the usual stuff. After that, I'm planning on PetPlan on the recommendations of several people I know. I remember not liking VPI because they don't cover hereditary conditions and those are up to their digression.
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Dec 18, 2013 07:16
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Genewiz posted:My main issue with the insurance companies so far is that they do not cover vaccinations and vet visits. Insurance covers the unexpected. Vaccinations and check ups are utterly routine and expected. If you want that sort of thing covered you have 2 options 1. Extremely expensive insurance - often more than the cost of the expected treatments + standard insurance anyway. I know PetPlan has an option for this (at least in Canada) but it pushed our premiums from $25 a month to $80 a month. Really not worth it. Or 2. Payment plan with your vet. Some vets have a deal where for a set amount annually they will cover all vaccinations etc. This can often be a big saving, with the downside that you have to pay a lump sum up front. Our vet offered a 'first year' plan which included a vaccinations, worming and spaying. We didn't take it as we weren't sure we would spay in the first year but then our breeder broke our dogs tail and so showing and breeding from her became out of the question.
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Dec 18, 2013 11:13
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Nuntius posted:Insurance covers the unexpected. Vaccinations and check ups are utterly routine and expected. If you want that sort of thing covered you have 2 options Be sure to explore option 2. At the vet's we go to, they offer a "vaccinations for life" plan which is $50 bux in addition to the price of the first examination (variable, but also about $50 bux.) Basically, we give $50 extra on the first vet visit, and Reggie automatically gets his shots every year, provided we bring him in for an annual physical. I don't think the vet makes much money with this plan, but I think she does it so that people actually bring their pets in to get their shots instead of going "Well, Rover didn't get rabies this past year, so I'll play the odds..." We're getting pet insurance for Reggie just because he's going to be a working dog on the farm. Every possible precaution will be made to make sure he stays safe, but accidents happen. I'd hate to lose my buddy because I couldn't afford the thousands of dollars it costs to fix him up if he got injured, whether it be from a cow kick or from an neighbor driving down the road too fast. For the price of a haircut, I can keep my dude in good health, and it works out, because I'm going bald anyway. -- Housebreak update: No accidents for over two days now. Hell yes. Currently working on: 1) Simple commands - Sit, Stay, Come, Look, Down. 2) Stopping "play biting" from becoming habitual. The yelp method suggested in the stock dog thread seems to work, so I'll keep doing that until I can do the Leave-the-Room-Calmly thing (once he's housebroken and I can trust him not to take a piddle as soon as I walk out.) That would be a racket - If you need to take a leak, just bite the dude taking care of you, he get all huffy and walks out and gives you a little privacy.
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Dec 18, 2013 20:35
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Yeah my Corgi's baby herding instincts have kicked in, and stopping him from randomly going haywire on my shoes while walking him is tough. Just leash training him period is tough, so many distractions outside. Think I may need to work on it indoors.
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Dec 18, 2013 20:44
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Thanks again for everyone who's offered good advice. Next issue: I think my dog is afraid of his food bowl -or- how much food a day should Reggie be eating? So a situation has developed over the past 24 hours or so where Reggie won't eat food that's in his food dish. I'm fairly sure he's fine, and this is just new owner paranoia, but I figured I'd rather look like a paranoid dude than ask nothing. First it seemed like he was just generally uninterested in it, and now it's progressed to where he recoils from the dish when I set it close to him. It's been cold and I've been getting zapped with static around the house, so maybe the poor guy got shocked trying to get a bite. Who knows? Food on the floor? Delicious. Food in a bowl? Get that garbage away from me! I've started filling up one of his kong toys with kibble, and he seems relatively happy to bat it around and snarf down any bits that fall out, and he's also eating food that we hand directly to him in the form of clicker-treats. It's just as a puppy, I'd expect that he'd be chowing down at least occasionally. We want to get him on a three-time-a-day feeding program, but we also don't want to accidentally underfeed him. Here's the stats: Australian Cattle Dog 12.5 lbs currently, 55 to 60 lbs adult weight 9 weeks old Iams Puppy food (Was fed this at breeder, keeping him on it for now) Ate 1.5 cups of food today
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Dec 19, 2013 05:16
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What material is the bowl - ceramic, metal, plastic, etc? 1.5cups sounds like a hell of a lot for an ~8 week old puppy. At that age my bc was on like 3/4 to 1 cup a day.
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Dec 19, 2013 09:12
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He's got a set of small, green plastic bowls with rubberized bottoms. Presumably they are tip-proof. He has no problem at all with his water dish, and drank about 1.5 to 2c worth of that yesterday. Three quarters of a cup a day of food. sounds far more reasonable to me, given his reaction. Maybe it's simply him saying "gently caress off, I'm full." I was going by the recommendation on the bag, which said for his weight he ought to be eating 2.5c a day. Seemed like a lot to me, and I know they usually are skewed to too much, but I wasn't expecting that large of an overestimation! I think I'll put 1c in the dish today, and start offering it to him at three discrete meal times, then measure what's left at the end of the day.
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Dec 19, 2013 14:35
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I'm adopting a 1 y.o. neutered male lab/shepard from the pound. If I traveled with him over the holidays, could I bring a second identical crate with me or would I need to pack and move the one crate all the time? Also, what should I know about bringing him with me to the store, etc. I live in a walkable city so I'd like to bring him with me as much as possible but would like to know what I should be prepared for. Also, any recommendations or advice is welcome. I'm using the OP as a general guide. Thanks.
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Dec 19, 2013 14:38
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Nuntius posted:2. Payment plan with your vet. Some vets have a deal where for a set amount annually they will cover all vaccinations etc. This can often be a big saving, with the downside that you have to pay a lump sum up front. Our vet offered a 'first year' plan which included a vaccinations, worming and spaying. We didn't take it as we weren't sure we would spay in the first year but then our breeder broke our dogs tail and so showing and breeding from her became out of the question. This was a lifesaver with carlos, since I've had him all of two weeks, and he managed to slip his e-collar and lick one of his stitches out. I pay $47/mo, and it spread out the cost of his neuter (rather than toss up $240 upfront), his shots, since lord knows when the last set of shots he had was, worming, heart worm prevention, covers 3 office visits, one ER visit, and 10% off anything additional like if he needs X-rays, or if I have to put him up for a day or two or something (which since he's a Certified Companion Animal (LOL) shouldn't be likely) Only thing is this dog refuses to go outside. He's pad trained, and he's fantastic at only going on the pads, which isn't so bad, but I've taken him out every night and every night he looks around for five seconds and starts pulling right for the door again while I'm trying to finish a smoke. I know he knows leash=walk=potty, cause he did a great job when we were in petco two days ago, but he just hates the cold, even with a nice little hoodie/jacket on. (btw, Petco is doing a sale for Star Wars dog hoodies. When I left for work this AM he was the world's most adorable bounty hunter...) Still working on his whole "people food" problem, which doesn't seem to be going away any time soon, especially as my mom isn't helping at all with it, giving him little bits off of her plate. On the one hand, he's got a bulletproof sit and a fantastic stay+come, and now knows "up" for standing up on his hind legs like a kangaroo. On the other hand, I think he's had more bacon this week than I have. Also working on having him not cry when I'm not around. I guess it's seperation anxiety, but he'll cry when I leave for work, even though he's sitting in my mom's lap. Or if I'm in my bedroom with the door closed, he'll whine and scratch until he can see me. I'm working on that one too, especially cause he's a therapy dog for my mother, not mine at all. He just knew me before he came to stay with us, and (obviously) likes me better. I'd love for him to do everything he does with me with my mom, since it's a pain in the rear end to go to roll over in bed and find that you have a chihuahua in the way. Dr Jankenstein fucked around with this message at 14:57 on Dec 19, 2013 |
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Dec 19, 2013 14:53
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Weltlich posted:He's got a set of small, green plastic bowls with rubberized bottoms. Presumably they are tip-proof. He has no problem at all with his water dish, and drank about 1.5 to 2c worth of that yesterday. Would highly suggest switching to stainless steel it will last you way longer and is much healthier. I've had my stainless steel bowls for several years now. You can even get them with rubberized bottoms.
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Dec 19, 2013 17:24
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Hate to doublepost, but oh my god, I had the "opportunity" (read, the friend who was fostering Carlos until I could take him said "hey, I have someone that wants to split an 8th, you want half an 8th of  ?" and it wound up being Carlos' former owner) to meet the woman who had my Chi before I got him. I have never wanted to reach out and throttle someone before. She was annoyed that I got him neutered. He is now confirmed BYB'd, way oversized (about 13" tall and 10 lbs when he got weighed at the vet), and just not at all a good example of the breed. She confirmed that he never ate dog food. Ever. His diet was strictly "whatever she was cooking for herself and her husband." He walks really well on a leash so long as their are no distractions, and she admitted that she let him pull and pull since he usually wasn't leashed (they had a yard so they could get away with it) and "he's so small what does it matter if he pulls?" He is...adorable as hell, and sweet as can be and smart, but oh my god, training him to be a dog is such an uphill battle and now I know why. "Oh, talk babytalk to him, he loves babytalk, that's the only way I used to talk to him." I got a clicker and can't even charge it because he won't touch kibble, and is indifferent mostly to regular dog treats.
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Dec 21, 2013 15:45
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I picked up our little pup yesterday and she's quite happy at home. She's a very mellow little girl, but she whines when she's alone in her crate for her hour of confinement. I'm guessing that will pass with time. We've been giving her lots of stuffed toys, but I don't want to have to remind her that they're there. I usually just let her cry it out. She doesn't seem to pee as often as we'd expect. I've only seen her go once since we brought her home late last night. She's been sleeping on her puppy toilet (grass mat) when we let her out, which I'd rather not have her do because she'll get smelly. If you have any advice on how to deal with that I'd love to hear it. So far I've just been picking her up and taking her off of the grass when she lays down there.   It's been less than 24 hours and I already irrationally love her more than anything. Feels great.
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Dec 21, 2013 19:56
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Weltlich posted:Australian Cattle Dog I just want to chime in and say that you may be overestimating how big your cattle dog will be when he reaches maturity. Mine is only 35 pounds at a healthy adult weight (males might weigh a bit more, but I think 50-60 is pushing it.) When I first brought Ginny home she weighed just over 50 pounds and resembled a beach ball with legs. She gets fed approximately two cups a day as an adult, so 1.5 cups for a little pup might be too much. He's an adorable little guy, good luck with him! 
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Dec 21, 2013 20:13
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Ginny Field posted:I just want to chime in and say that you may be overestimating how big your cattle dog will be when he reaches maturity. Mine is only 35 pounds at a healthy adult weight (males might weigh a bit more, but I think 50-60 is pushing it.) When I first brought Ginny home she weighed just over 50 pounds and resembled a beach ball with legs. She gets fed approximately two cups a day as an adult, so 1.5 cups for a little pup might be too much. Thanks! I've scaled back my expectations for his daily food intake, and if he eats between that 3/4 and 1 cup a day, I'm pretty happy. The first vet appointment he had was about a week ago, and he'll see his new vet on the 2nd of next month. It's only 2 weeks away, and as long as he's eating and pooping until then, I'll chill out until then. He went with me to the Farmer's Market in Groton today, and was universally doted on by the other vendors and some patrons there. This was his first exposure to "crowds" and he handled it like a champ. He stayed in his crate the first hour under my booth, then I took him for a walk in the field across from the parking lot so he could relieve himself. The next couple hours were spent on his leash, sitting beside me behind the booth. Not a single whine or peep, just sniffed around my feet a little and looked at patrons, napped a little. About 15 minutes before close up, I made a quick round of the market to buy some stuff, and he kept right up with me, didn't pull, and only had to be shooed away from some arts and crafts two or ten times. On the food front, I've figured out that he will eat if his food is placed in either of the other dogs' bowls here on the farm. So, either: 1) He hates his current bowl for some reason. 2) He doesn't like his puppy kibble, and the smell of the other dogs' kibble is just kind of ingrained in the bowl, and it masks the smell of the puppy kibble. 3) The thrill of eating out of another dog's bowl how he knows he's really alive. 4) He's just loving with me. Time will tell. I'm considering taking an eighteen inch square of canvas, putting some grommets around the edge, then running a small rope through them as a drawstring. Then I'd put his food in that, and just flop it on the floor when dinner time rolls around, since eating food off of textiles is an awesome thing -- and I can toss it in the washing machine to keep it from getting too gross.
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Dec 21, 2013 23:03
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Ginny Field posted:I just want to chime in and say that you may be overestimating how big your cattle dog will be when he reaches maturity. Mine is only 35 pounds at a healthy adult weight (males might weigh a bit more, but I think 50-60 is pushing it.) When I first brought Ginny home she weighed just over 50 pounds and resembled a beach ball with legs. She gets fed approximately two cups a day as an adult, so 1.5 cups for a little pup might be too much. I agree with this. My older ACD is about 45 pounds and we frequently get comments on how big he is for the breed. They can vary a lot in size but 50 pounds is the upper end of the breed standard, and I have never seen a fit cattledog that even approached 60 pounds.
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Dec 22, 2013 00:02
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Weltlich posted:On the food front, I've figured out that he will eat if his food is placed in either of the other dogs' bowls here on the farm. So, either: It's hard to say. Some dogs are just selfish shits and have a "No I want THEIR stuff, they can't have any!" attitude. I think this is probably the most likely reason. Maybe just try trading his bowl for one of the other dogs' and see what he does. You could always try treat-dispensing toys, too. Cattledogs tend to love a challenge. I bought the JW Amaze-a-ball for my border collie and she loves it. Took her no time at all to figure out. They're definitely nice for when I (for whatever reason) can't walk them and need to keep her busy brain occupied.
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Dec 22, 2013 00:28
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False alarm! I guess she just doesn't need to pee or poop that often, but she went strait to the grass pad when she needed to!
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Dec 22, 2013 02:14
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:False alarm! I guess she just doesn't need to pee or poop that often, but she went strait to the grass pad when she needed to! Is there a reason you're using a grass pad and not just taking her outside? Need more pictures of that pup
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Dec 22, 2013 03:41
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Psychobabble! posted:Is there a reason you're using a grass pad and not just taking her outside? She's only had two rounds of shots. She's due for her third in two weeks. I was told she wasn't supposed to go outside for bathroom breaks (I live in downtown Oakland, no yard). Am I mistaken or being too overly cautious? I'd love to tucker her out with a walk. edit: here's some more pics!     Gotta love derp face. LooksLikeABabyRat fucked around with this message at 05:16 on Dec 22, 2013 |
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Dec 22, 2013 05:08
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The general PI consensus is that the harm you do with lack of socialization outweighs the risk of getting sick. Just avoid areas where dogs poop/there's heavy dog traffic (dog parks being a big one) and you *should probably most likely* be fine. Plus pee pads and the like complicate and/or prolong training her to go outside. If it were me, I would take my chances but just avoid areas with heavy dog traffic. Unrelated, but if you haven't, sign up for a puppy kindergarten class. You're in a key socialization period, and any good puppy class will require other puppies to be on a vacc schedule to minimize any risk there is. (Full disclosure, I don't have a dog yet (2 more weeks!), but I do read a lot because I'm a goony goon and the above is what I'm planning on doing) Cute rear end pup. Is she a full size, or one of the new trendy mini aussies? Just curious
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Dec 22, 2013 06:32
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Psychobabble! posted:The general PI consensus is that the harm you do with lack of socialization outweighs the risk of getting sick. Just avoid areas where dogs poop/there's heavy dog traffic (dog parks being a big one) and you *should probably most likely* be fine. Plus pee pads and the like complicate and/or prolong training her to go outside. If it were me, I would take my chances but just avoid areas with heavy dog traffic. Unrelated, but if you haven't, sign up for a puppy kindergarten class. You're in a key socialization period, and any good puppy class will require other puppies to be on a vacc schedule to minimize any risk there is. She's a trendy mini! I'll start taking her outside for walks tomorrow then. I was going to bring her in to the office on Monday for an hour as a treat anyway.
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Dec 22, 2013 07:29
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:She's a trendy mini!
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Dec 22, 2013 11:51
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Riiseli posted:She's cute. Are you treating her watery eye? If not yet boiled and cooled water is a good home remedy. I've been so overwhelmed I haven't thought about her eye. I'll look that up.
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Dec 22, 2013 15:22
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:I've been so overwhelmed I haven't thought about her eye. I'll look that up.  . I'd actually expect the breeder to inform and advice you on the care before giving you the puppy.
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Dec 22, 2013 15:44
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Thanks! It's one of those things where I'm so anxious about loving it up that I'm probably extremely well prepared. She's going to start puppy class on 1/9.
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Dec 22, 2013 18:26
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Riiseli posted:She's cute. Are you treating her watery eye? If not yet boiled and cooled water is a good home remedy. I couldn't find any mention of this online. Could you post a link or describe the process? Thanks!
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Dec 22, 2013 21:50
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:I couldn't find any mention of this online. Could you post a link or describe the process? Thanks! There are plenty of possible causes for watery eyes in dogs, so no matter what you do monitor the situation. If the condition persists and a vet doesn't find a distinct cause consider switching the food. I'm sure the breeder can recommend some brands to you.
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Dec 22, 2013 22:16
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Agreeing that the benefits of good socialization/potty training outweigh the risks of getting sick (but of course be careful to avoid any areas that carry a high risk of disease). Definitely look up how to socialize puppies properly. Improper socialization can create some problems that are really difficult to undo. Many people think socialization just means exposing your puppy to various things (other dogs, strangers, children, cyclists, other potentially scary things, etc.). You need to make sure that exposure is a positive experience. Bring lots of high value treats everywhere you go. You never know when something new will pop up.
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Dec 23, 2013 00:58
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Skizzles posted:Agreeing that the benefits of good socialization/potty training outweigh the risks of getting sick (but of course be careful to avoid any areas that carry a high risk of disease). Definitely look up how to socialize puppies properly. Improper socialization can create some problems that are really difficult to undo. Many people think socialization just means exposing your puppy to various things (other dogs, strangers, children, cyclists, other potentially scary things, etc.). You need to make sure that exposure is a positive experience. Bring lots of high value treats everywhere you go. You never know when something new will pop up. My problem so far has been figuring out what she considers a high value treat. I've got tons of different stuff, but she's pretty inconsistent about which one she likes (except wet food, she loves wet food). I'll make sure to equip visitors with kibble and bring some along for strangers to give her on walks. She kept passing out on her pee grass pad today. She's been great about using it, but I still didn't manage to get her to potty outside on our walk this morning. I'll try again this evening. She's in her crate for an hour right now. No whining at all!
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Dec 23, 2013 01:05
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Have you tried pieces of cheese or turkey? Those two are my dog's favorites. He'll turn his nose up at kibble as a treat, but he'll do almost anything for cheese or turkey. Hot dog pieces are also a huge hit with him, plus they're cheap and last quite a while (the pieces need only be about the size of your pinky nail). There are even some dogs who go apeshit for broccoli.
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Dec 23, 2013 02:57
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:My problem so far has been figuring out what she considers a high value treat. I've got tons of different stuff, but she's pretty inconsistent about which one she likes (except wet food, she loves wet food). If she loves wet food, try Natural Balance food rolls cut up into cubes. Tripe and lamb lung are also good super-high-value treats for even picky dogs.
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Dec 23, 2013 03:06
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I'll look into all of those. I just gave her a few small bits of mozzarella, and she seemed to like it. At the same time, she wouldn't eat a chicken liver treat yesterday, then did last night and seemed to like it, and wouldn't eat it again today. I just need to find something she'll consistently go for. I'll try cheese again next time she does something that warrants a treat.
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Dec 23, 2013 03:19
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:I just need to find something she'll consistently go for. I'll try cheese again next time she does something that warrants a treat. Create a treat potpourri so you always have a backup. My trainer friend keeps an old peanut butter jar full of cubed hot dogs and string cheese.
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Dec 23, 2013 03:38
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She also may need a few days to adjust. Reggie was uninterested in treats for the first few days we had him - even salmon treats and cheese. Now will even work for kibble until things are too distracting around him.
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Dec 23, 2013 03:45
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She definitely loves cheese. She also pooped on the rug while I was trying to cut a piece to give her as a treat when I took her out for her walk. I KNEW she had to go... One step forward, one step back I suppose.
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Dec 23, 2013 05:47
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Psychobabble! posted:The general PI consensus is that the harm you do with lack of socialization outweighs the risk of getting sick. Just avoid areas where dogs poop/there's heavy dog traffic (dog parks being a big one) and you *should probably most likely* be fine. Plus pee pads and the like complicate and/or prolong training her to go outside. If it were me, I would take my chances but just avoid areas with heavy dog traffic. Unrelated, but if you haven't, sign up for a puppy kindergarten class. You're in a key socialization period, and any good puppy class will require other puppies to be on a vacc schedule to minimize any risk there is. I would check in with your local veterinarian on the local incidence of those icky diseases (most notably Parvo) before taking pups in public areas. If someone who lived in the area where I work asked my opinion on this, I would tell them a resounding NO in terms of taking a new not-fully vaccinated (as in, full puppy series and even wait a few weeks for immunity) out for a walk in the public because of how much Parvo is in my area. Where I grew up, completely different story.
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Dec 23, 2013 07:40
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Yeah I dunno about Oakland but Sacramento is bad bad bad for parvo; I know at least two dogs who had it as puppies.
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Dec 23, 2013 08:30
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So, my roomie's puppy Luna really enjoys nibbling with my fingers for some reason. She does this pretty much every single time my hands are out and I'm playing with her. She goes straight for the hands. Why? She's a Terrier/Chihuahua mix and less than a year old, so it may be combination of teething and playing from her Terrier side. I may be wrong and it may be a dominance issue or something, so I'm curious.
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Dec 24, 2013 03:32
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