Rabbits: an Exotic Animal that Could Benefit from Health Insurance that Insures Pet Medical Needs

Many pet owners enjoy the company and companionship of having a pet rabbit in the house. People are attracted to the idea of house rabbits because rabbits are not only playful and fun to watch they are also very social. Rabbits tend to appeal to people who like the size and feel of cats but are put off by the aloof manners cats sometimes display, most rabbits, if handled properly, are friendly all the time. Rabbit owners need to be aware that because rabbits are so social they need to spend allot of time each and every day playing with their pet rabbit. Rabbits that do not get enough attention can become depressed. Like cats pet rabbits are low maintenance and are easily litter box trained. Rabbits chew on everything, the best way to spare your furniture is to give your pet rabbit lots and lots of chewy toys. Rabbits and young children are not a very good combination, kid’s habit of grabbing and running around makes rabbits nervous and they can start biting, and rabbit bites hurt. If you decide to keep your pet rabbit in the house you need to be prepared to clean the litter box on a regular basis.

Rabbits need to be taken to the veterinarian on a regular schedule for routine vaccinations and check ups. Rabbit owners who keep their rabbits in the house recommend spaying and neutering your rabbit. Pet rabbits are not known for their willingness to take medications. If you have to give your pet rabbit liquid mediation you will need to use a syringe (just the syringe not the needle) or an eye dropper. I prefer syringes because it is easier to measure the proper dosage of medication. Holding the rabbits head and neck with one hand slide the syringe into the rabbit’s mouth behind the teeth, Check to make sure that the tip of the syringe isn't stuck out the other side of the mouth, point the tip of the syringe towards the rabbit’s throat. Depress the syringes plunger.

If your vet prescribes a medication for your rabbit that is in a pill or tablet form you are going to have to crush up the pill. Once you have crushed the pill into a powder mix it with a little bit of flavored Sustacal or Ensure until you have a watery paste. Use a syringe to administer the paste like a liquid medication.
   
It only takes being bitten by one mosquito for a rabbit to become infected with a severe viral disease call Myxomatosis. Most rabbits die just a few short hours after contracting the disease. The only way to treat Myxomatosis is to vaccinate your pet rabbit before it ever comes into contact with Myxomatosis. Rabbits should be vaccinated when they are six weeks old. Do not give a pregnant rabbit the vaccination; wait until her babies are born. Rabbits are still at risk for Myxomatosis for fourteen days after being vaccinated. Your pet rabbit will need booster shots.
   
Health problems commonly associated with rabbits are uncontrolled bleeding when injured, blood in the urine, broken bones, breathing problems, falling body temperature, and severe diarrhea. If you would like to purchase an insurance plan to help cover the cost of veterinary expenses for your pet rabbit you will probably have to look for an exotic animal policy offer by a pet health insurance company.

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Questions Cat Owners Need to Ask Themselves Before Purchasing Cat Health Insurance for Their Pet

Before cat owners purchase health insurance for their family cat there are a few questions they should ask themselves. Asking themselves these questions will give the cat owner a reasonable idea of what type of policy will best suit them.

The first thing they should consider is whether or not they would like a discount insurance plan or a comprehensive insurance plan.    The next question cat owners need to ask themselves is how attached are they to their local veterinarian.  Some veterinarians will not accept pet health insurance from various pet health insurance companies for a variety of reason.  If the cat owner does not feel comfortable taking their family pet to a different veterinarian they should look for an insurance company their veterinary clinic accepts. Cat owners should also be aware that in certain instances the local veterinarian or animal hospital cannot help their pets and might refer them to the State University veterinary clinics.  When purchasing a health-insurance plan for their owner should double check and make sure that any expenses charged to the university veterinary clinic will be covered by the insurance plan.

Before cat owners purchase a health-insurance plan for their family cat they should decide if they would like to neuter or spay their cat.  Some pet insurance companies offer health insurance plans for pets that will cover the cost to neutering or spaying. If the policy you are thinking about purchasing does not include neutering or spaying you might want to purchase an additional rider to help with the expense. Remember that if you have adopted your cat from a local animal shelter you will be required to neuter or spay your cat if the shelter hasn’t already done that. This is also a good time to get the first round of your cat's annual shots out of the way.
   
How much can you actually afford to pay in addition to the monthly or yearly cost of your pets health-insurance plan? If you have to bring your cat to the veterinarian will you be able to pay a deductible? A deductible is the amount of money you have to pay the veterinarian out of your pocket each and every time you visit them.  The higher the deductible you carry the lower your monthly premiums are on your pet’s health-insurance plan.
   
If your cat gets injured in a freak accident or suddenly becomes sick will you be able to pay for any medication that the veterinarian might prescribe. Prescription drugs are expensive whether they are for humans or for pets. If you are concerned about the potential cost of prescription drugs you may want to purchase a rider that will help cover the cost. Purchasing a co-pay option a prescription drugs get help lower your annual fee.
   
Before purchasing a health-care plan for your cat find out if the plan just coverers your cat's immediate health care issues or if it will also cover the cost of the veterinarian's office visit.  Cat owner should remember that the time to research the various types of pet health-care insurance is normally before they purchase their pet.  Most injuries and illnesses occur during the pets early years of life.

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Potential Problems for AKC Dog Owners who Wish to Purchase Health Insurance

There are times when adopting that shaggy non-descript mutt at the neighborhood shelter is an advantage over purchasing an expensive AKC model. The first advantage is the start up cost, AKC registered pups seldom start at less them three hundred dollars from there the prices can sore into the thousands. The adoption fee for your local pound puppy shouldn’t be more then two hundred bucks and a lot of times they are up to date on all their shots and are already neutered or spayed.
   
The second time you will notice an advantage to your pound puppy is when you purchase liability insurance. Liability insurance is an insurance policy that will pay out to the injured party if your dog suddenly bites somebody. Several breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club are on several liability insurance companies list of high risk dogs and cost the owner an extra high premium. Many dogs who were bred to be guard dogs are considered a high liability.
   
The third time you will see a distinct advantage to your pound puppy is if you choose to purchase pet health care insurance. Many pet shealth care insurance companie will not insure against potential genetic disorders that are common in a particular breed.
   
Owners of English Cocker Spaniels may experience a difficult time insuring the their puppies kidneys until the dog is past its second birthday.  English Cocker Spaniels have been known to develop a genetic condition called Familial Nephropathy. A puppy with Familial Nephropathy kidneys will start shutting down between the ages of six months and two years old. This disease is normally fatal. Right now there is not a really good way of identifying what puppies might  develop Familial Nephropathy.
   
Owners who purchase large dog breeds that have a history of hip dysplasia such as the American Staffordshire Terrier's, Great Danes, German Shepar ds, Rottweilers, and Caucasian Mountain Dog's. Hip dysplasia is a hereditary disease that affects the hip joints of the dog. Dogs that have hip dysplasia walk with a loose wobbly gait; they usually have a hard time bringing their hind legs up and underneath themselves. Most pet health insurance companies will probably not be able to insure there new puppies hips until a test has been run and the puppy is declared sound and dysplasia clear.
   
Bulldogs have a history of breathing problems because of their flat face and smashed breathing passages; they are prone to heat stroke, sleep apnea, birthing problems, cherry eye, allergies, hip problems, and cataracts. Great Danes have a genetic history of slow metabolism, bloat, twisted gut, hip dysplasia, congenital heart problems yeast infections, and staph infections. If you buy a Great Dane that is mostly white in color it will probably be deaf and possibly blind. Some pet health insurance companies won’t insure the eyes of certain dogs unless the puppy was bred by a breeder certified by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF). Breeders that hold a certification from this foundation have been acknowledged as breeding puppies with no known eye health problems.

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