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.

On November 6, 2008, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called for an increase in the California state sales tax to address the multi-billion dollar deficit in the budget and proposed a sales tax on all veterinary services. This was part of a larger combination of program cuts and revenue increases to balance the state budget. This proposal would have added approximately 10% to the cost of veterinary care. 

The CVMA mobilized our 6,000 members and they answered. Thousands of letters were sent to legislators and the Governor’s office by CVMA members. In turn, they mobilized their clients and the opposition grew. Our voices were so loud that a special extension was added to the Governor’s budget voicemail line to handle the opposition to the veterinary tax. 

We are grateful to our members, their clients, and friends in industry, breeder groups and the animal welfare arena who assisted in this effort. We also thank our state legislators who recognized that this tax would ultimately harm the animals that we cherish and the safety of our food supply.

While this is a great accomplishment, there is still work to do as there may be budget revisions in the future. The CVMA will continue to monitor the special tax commission appointed by the Governor to restructure and modernize California’s tax system and any proposals that could affect the taxation of veterinary medicine in the future.

We are very pleased, however, that our voices have been heard and veterinary services will not be taxed in the 2009-2010 budget!

When treating medical conditions, the veterinarian will sometimes recommend a recheck exam to assess the outcome of the therapy. Recheck exams can be performed for a variety of conditions but they are almost always recommended for skin, ear and eye problems. Why?

The short answer is that these conditions can be difficult to treat. There is no “one size fits all” therapeutic approach. Recheck appointments for assessment of the response to therapy and then revision of the treatment based on how things are going is not only important but in many cases, absolutely critical to a successful outcome.

Let’s use an example to illustrate the point. Duke is a 3 year old chocolate lab that came in for shaking his head. During his physical exam, the doctor discovers that he has an ear infection. Checking a sample of the wax reveals abundant numbers of yeast. The doctor discusses potential causes of otitis and Duke is sent home with ear cleaner and a topical medication to reduce inflammation and to kill the yeast overgrowth. A recheck is recommended for 2 weeks to assess Dukes response to the recommended therapy. Duke and his owners return two weeks later reporting that he is much more comfortable and they are no longer seeing dark debris when cleaning. An otoscopic ear exam reveals 90% improvement. Excellent! An ear swab is taken and low and behold there are still large numbers of yeast organisms. At this point, if treatment were stopped it would just be a matter of time before the ears were uncomfortable again. The steroid in the ear medication helped the inflammation and so Dukes ear feels better. The medication has also been effective at partially clearing the infection; however, the ears are not “fixed”. At this point a decision needs to be made as to continuing therapy longer, changing therapy or looking for an underlying cause for the persistent infection.
Without recheck appointments, we basically are left with assumptions that the pets get better. This is a fine approach as long as they really do. Unfortunately, especially with chronic and frustrating conditions like skin and ear disease, there is just no way of knowing, and ultimately of helping, unless we look again.