1New Pet Owners

If you don’t have much experience with pets you may find several things rather alarming when it comes to your animals. The majority of vet visits within the first two years of an animal’s life are often due to the owner’s overreaction and misunderstanding of the behaviors that their pets are displaying.

Naturally, if your animal appears to be in distress, is bleeding, or is experiencing seizures then you should take the situation very seriously. You should not hesitate to take your animal to your vet in order to rule out life-threatening situations.

2Research Pet Healthcare Online

There are several websites that can help to keep pet owners informed and perhaps help to ease some of the worries that pet parents might be feeling. Consider taking a look at what the following websites have to offer. Don’t forget to bookmark them so that you can have them as a readily available go-to point when you are concerned about your pet.

• Veterinary Partner (www.veterinarypartner.com)
• Pet Library (www.petlibrary.co.uk)
• Dr. Larry (www.drlarrypetvet.com)
• Terrific Pet (www.terrificpet.com)
• ASPCA (www.aspca.com)

The information on the above websites should be used in an effort to understand non-emergency related behaviors and injuries. There is a great deal of information available online and these sites also allow you to submit questions to be answered by a veterinarian, however the timeframe for response varies.

3Immediate Online Answers From Veterinarians

There are also several sites online that allow you to ask questions online and get immediate answers. Just Answer (www.justanswer.com) is one of the more popular sites. (www.justanswer.com) For a small fee (usually $15 - $20) you can list the details regarding your pet’s condition, submit a question and have it answered by a veterinarian within a few minutes.

The online vet will send you a response and may ask additional questions before they make a recommendation to you. The online transaction is not completed until you are satisfied with the answer you received.

4Treating Your Pet For Minor Injuries

In years past you may be been tempted to rush your dog or cat to the vet after a cut or fight with another animal. The reality is that the majority of minor injuries and ailments can be treated in the comfort of your own home. Many pets experience a high level of stress when they are taken out of their comfort zone and into a strange pet healthcare facility that smells and sounds foreign to them. Instead, consult your favorite pet healthcare website in order to find out what the symptoms your pet is display could indicative of.

5Pet Emergency Kit

In order to ensure that you are fully equipped to handle a minor pet healthcare situation in your home, you should be certain that you have a pet emergency kit assembled. Your pet emergency kit could be kept in the same place as your regular emergency readiness kit so that you will always have the most basic supplies on hand.

Medications - Keep your pet’s prescription medications in your medicine cabinet so that you can have easy access to them when you pet requires a dose. You should have the following items in your medicine kit:

• Rubbing alcohol
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Antibiotic ointment
• Aspirin for pets
• Antihistamine capsules
• Antihistamine cream
• Petroleum jelly
• Ear and eye wash

Medical Supplies - Many of the basic medical supplies that you will need for your pet can be found in your own medical supply kit. However, it is a good idea to keep the two separate for hygiene reasons. You should have the following on-hand: different size syringes, athletic bandages, sterile pads, splits, medical scissors, tweezers and a rectal thermometer.

6Don’t Delay Treatment For Serious Concerns

It should be noted that pet owners could put their pet’s health in jeopardy if they delay seeking veterinary treatment for a serious health concern. If your pet is displaying symptoms of a serious health concern, you should not hesitate to make an appointment with your pet healthcare provider.

7Pet Healthcare You Shouldn’t Skimp On

Additionally, there are several important routine care treatments that you should make sure to follow up with in order to ensure your pet’s good health.

• Rabies Vaccinations - Pet owners who have indoor only cats may be able to get away without regular rabies vaccinations for their cats. If your cats spend a significant amount of time outdoors, or you have a dog, you should be certain that you get them vaccinated according to the guidelines that are recommended by your vet.
• Flea, tick, And Other Parasite Control - There are certainly many over-the-counter products for the treatment and control of fleas and ticks as well as for certain types of intestinal parasites. However, if your veterinarian has given your pets a clean bill of health then you may be able to maintain their good health by using natural remedies combined with over the counter products.
• Spaying And Neutering Every responsible pet owner should ensure that their cats and dogs are spayed or neutered by a reliable veterinarian. There are many programs offered by animal welfare groups, like the SPCA, that can offer a low-cost option to this otherwise costly surgery.

8Your Pet's Healthcare

At the end of the day only you know your pet better than anyone else. If you feel that the situation is out of your comfort zone, then you should definitely make an appointment to receive professional pet healthcare. If, however, you’ve done a bit of research on the situation, you could save several hundred dollars by taking care of your pet by yourself – in the comfort of your home, without adding extra stress to you or to your pet!

What Do You Think?

• Have you used any of the online pet services?
• How have you treated your pets at home recently?
• What tips do you have for pet owners looking to do more of their own pet care treatment at home?