Searching for a better treatment for your hyperthyroid cat?  Try looking in her bowl.  Thanks to a newly developed prescription pet food, managing your cat’s hyperthyroidism just got a whole lot easier.

 Hyperthyroidism—a disease caused by an increase in production of thyroid hormones from enlarged glands in the neck—is now recognized as the most common endocrine system disorder in older cats. 

Traditional methods of managing the disease include medication, surgery and radioactive iodine therapy.  Oral anti-thyroid drugs are used to control hyperthyroidism and must be given daily, whereas surgical thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine therapy are designed to provide permanent solutions.  While all these options are effective, none are without risks. 

Recent studies, however, document that a fourth option now exists for hyperthyroid cats.  Research at Hill’s Pet Nutrition has found that feeding a low-iodine food decreases thyroid hormone concentrations and alleviates clinical signs of feline hyperthyroidism.

Three studies have documented the safety and efficacy of Hill’s Prescription Diet y/d Feline in cats with naturally occurring hyperthyroidism.  The results of these studies support the idea that therapeutic food with dietary iodine levels at or below 0.32 parts per million provides an effective and safe therapy for hyperthyroid cats. 

Hill’s Prescription Diet y/d Feline is clinically proven to restore thyroid health in three weeks when fed as the sole source of nutrition.  It also provides complete daily nutrition, including minerals and nutrients to support kidney, bladder, heart and skin health.

The Drake Center now offers Prescription Diet y/d Feline as part of the Hill’s Prescription Diet pet food line.  For more information, please call (760) 753-9393.

I can’t help myself…I love big dogs.

Whenever one comes to visit The Drake Center(and that happens a lot) and I am not either sleeping (and that is often) or eating then I love to visit with the big dogs.  I like their energy and their confidence.  I enjoy rubbing myself on their legs.  Some of these big dogs seem to enjoy my company, some not so much and many are quite surprised by having such a handsome cat rub on their legs.   For the most part dogs and cats really do enjoy each others company.  There are a few dogs that group me with the rabbit and squirrel population and try to eat me.  The other day I was sound asleep on the cat scale in the hallway when a big dog jumped up and grabbed me with the intent to do bodily harm.  Thankfully, I am well endowed with a luscious coat of fur and all he got was a mouthful of fur.  Nonetheless, I was pretty irritated to be removed from my sleeping perch.

So for those of you who have a dog and are considering getting a cat, you can be pretty certain that we will all play nice at home.  And some of us will even become really good friends.  I would love to see the pictures of your dogs with their buddy cats.  So send your favorite cat/dog pictures to the Drake Center and we can post them on Facebook with the title “Binky’s friends and their cats”.

Veterinary medicine much like human medicine continues to evolve and new advances are available that once were not options for our pets.  The great news is because of these medical advances our pets are living longer than ever before.  The downside comes when not every pet owner is able to afford the often high costs associated with this level of care.  For this reason pet insurance is now becoming more common among pet owners who are looking for ways to proactively manage the health care costs of their pets.  There are quite a few companies offering pet insurance, and just like human medicine not all of them are created equal.  For anyone interested in learning more about pet insurance there is a website available which offers excellent information and will guide you through the differences of each company, and furthermore, will allow you to read other pet owner reviews and see an overall grading of each company.  The site is www.petinsurancereview.com. To aid you in getting started we have selected three plans that we feel are exceptional to begin your research.  All three recommendations provide the most thorough coverage along with convenient quality customer care.  We would be happy to answer any questions you may have, or put you in touch with a representative from that company should you feel that would be beneficial.

Our top recommendations include the following:

Pet Plan USA – Average client satisfaction rating 9.3 out of 10

Phone: (866) 467-3875
Website: http://www.gopetplan.com

Pet Plan USA offers three levels of coverage so you can select a level that fits your needs and budget.  Annual plan coverage limits range from $8,000 up to $20,000.  Reimbursement rates are between 70% and 90% depending on the plan you select.  Additionally, you have the flexibility to select deductible amounts and add supplemental insurance if you choose to further lower costs.  You may obtain a quote online and even save 5% by enrolling via the website.

Trupanion – Average client satisfaction rating 8.8 out of 10

Phone: (800) 569-7913    Website: http://www.trupanionpetinsurance.com

Currently Trupanion does not have a pay out maximum and reimburses at 90% of your veterinary expense.  You may obtain a quote and enroll online or connect with a live representative to guide you through the information.

Purina Care – Average client satisfaction rating 8.5 out of 10

Phone: (877) 878-7462     Website: http://www.purinacare.com

Purina Care offers up to 3 plans (depending on the state), including one with preventive care, one without and one with just accident coverage.  Again you may obtain an accurate quote and enroll right in the website.

Our recommendations are made through our assessment of the various plans and which ones provide the most optimal coverage for the best value.  All three plans recommended reimburse by percentage of your veterinary expense and are not reimbursed based on a pre selected fee schedule set by the insurance company.  This is extremely important to make sure you are getting the highest possible amount reimbursed.