Two Pets are Better than One
The Wonder of Children and Animals Together
What Animals Teach Use Everyday
Leaping Lizards
Got Lizards? You Need This Doctor
This is fromj Marty Becker, DVM
We’ve got geckos – might need to travel to this California vet!
More From PetPeeves
- Here’s a Pool Shark – Just Warning You, She’s Good!
- Summer Heat Got You Down? Dive In!
- This Husky Says “I Love You!”
PetPeeves Recommends
- Dog Rescue: Is it Right for You? (Dog Health)
- Pet Insurance – Do You Need It? (Dog Health)
Vote Today for Cobb County Shelter!
Cobb County Animal shelter needs your vote to win grant and save more lives
Cobb County Animal Control needs residents’ votes to enter the qualifying heat of this year’s ASPCA $100K Challenge, competing for grants totaling $300,000 from the ASPCA, including a top prize of $100,000. This is the first phase of the competition where registered shelters compete to accumulate the most online votes for their supporters.
The 50 shelters with the most votes become the official contestants for the 2011 ASPCA $100K Challenge. Online voting begins Monday, April 4, and ends Friday, April 15. To vote for Cobb County Animal Shelter, visit challenge.aspcapro.org/
http://challenge.aspcapro.org/vote-your-shelter
More From PetPeeves
PetPeeves Recommends
- The Best Breeds of Dogs for Children (Dogspulse)
- Dangerous Chemicals Used for Flea Control (Dog Health)
Here’s a Mother’s Day Idea for Pet Mommies!
Think Mother’s DAY! for the Pet Mommy in your household. They’ll love a canvas of their favorite furry girl or guy.
A free photo canvas is a great gift idea. Canvas Peoples gives you a canvas with family memories on it! The Canvas People offer gives your visitors a free 8×10 photo canvas or $50 credit toward a bigger photo canvas. The way it works is like this:
1) Choose and upload the photo you would like printed
2) Choose what size. (8×10 is free + shipping/handling, or choose larger size and get a $50 discount)
3) Chose any “extras” (framing, etc.)
5) Enter shipping information
6) Pay the $14.95 shipping/handling (this is a GREAT deal)
Click here for more info: http://enlnks.com/SH2HD
More From PetPeeves
- Finally, a Pet That’s Useful!
- If You Live in the South – here’s a Publix Contest!
- Here’s a Pool Shark – Just Warning You, She’s Good!
PetPeeves Recommends
- Pet Food To Maximize A Dog’s Health (Dog Health)
- How To Find A Good Pet Sitter For Your Chinchilla (Kimberly101)
Penny Pinching With Pets by Roxie Dinstel
FAIRBANKS – Everyone loves pets. More than 55 percent of Americans have one. Dogs and cats are the most popular, but many enjoy the companionship of fish, hamsters, iguanas, snakes, pigs, chickens and goats. They provide companionship and can be cute and cuddly, but they can be expensive to keep. By learning a few money saving tips, you’ll make sure your family friend won’t drain the budget.
The first step comes before you choose a pet. Choose a pet you can afford. Some pets cost little to begin with but are expensive to maintain. Others are expensive to buy, yet cost less in the long run.
If you’ve decided to get a pet, consider visiting an animal shelter. You’ll save money on a pet by adopting from a shelter. Also, most shelters only send animals home with you after they’ve given them the necessary shots and immunizations.
Our local pet shelter not only gives all the shots before putting them up for adoption, but they also require the animals be spayed or neutered.
Check with Fairbanks Pet Shelter (petfinder.com), Homeward Bound Rescue and Referral (hbrr.org), Golden Retriever Rescue (grrf.org), Second Chance League (members.petfinder.com/~AK/index.php), and Pet Pride for cats (petfinder.com). A quick look showed dogs, cats, birds and rabbits of all shapes and sizes.
Also, put the word out that you are looking for a pet among family and friends. Someone might know of animals that need to be adopted because of owners who are moving, facing financial difficulties, have newly discovered allergies or simply don’t have time to invest in a pet. If someone is giving away a pet, they might have supplies and equipment for the animal.
Regardless of what animal you consider for a pet, you will need to spend a certain amount of money to care for it. Food, shelter, toys and health necessities all cost money. Remember, you have another mouth to feed, even if it only weighs five pounds.
For many, food will be the largest expense during the life of your pet. For example, an average-sized dog consuming one can of food with four cups of dry food per day averages to about $25-$40 per month. Multiply that by 8-15 years, and you get an idea of how much you’ll spend on food for your dog.
When it comes to food, you might be tempted to cut costs, but that might not be a good idea. Lower quality dog food might seem like a bargain — you get more for your money, so it must be a good deal. Not necessarily — premium pet foods might be a better bargain during the life of the pet.
Here’s why: less expensive pet foods might offer more for a pet owner’s money, but it is quality, not quantity that counts with pet food. A pet’s body requires certain nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and the pet must eat more of the low-quality food to get the necessary nutrients.
Regardless of what you pay, it is important to get the nutrients needed for your pet. Just like choosing your own food, it is important to read labels to see what you are purchasing. Find the food that provides the most protein and nutrients at the lowest cost. If you aren’t sure, ask the store employees what kind of food would be best for your pet. Purchase pet food in bulk to save money.
Coupons also are available for pet food. Visit www.savings.com and www.coolsavings.com and search “pet coupons.” Both websites have printable coupons to use at local stores and online retailers.
Pets can be a welcome addition to your household. They provide love and companionship. But a pet shouldn’t empty your wallet or drain your finances. Try a few of these tips to decrease the financial burden.
Roxie Rodgers Dinstel is a professor of extension at the Tanana District Office of the UAF Cooperative Extension. Questions or column requests can be emailed to her at rrdinstel@alaska.edu.
Thank you to Roxie for sharing her guest post today!
More From PetPeeves
- Microchip Your Pet by Bud Stuart DVM
- My Escapades with Feral Cats by Tim Link
- Thirteen Things to Do With Your Pet by Jim Johnson
PetPeeves Recommends
- Do Ferrets Make Good Pets (Kimberly101)
- Guidance With Dog Teaching Is Here (Kimberly101)
“Just” a Vet? by Bud Stuart D.V.M.
Years ago, when I expressed interest in becoming a veterinarian, my dear Aunt Mary wrote me a worried letter. She urged me to rethink my choices, since all the working horses in the country were soon to be a memory. Well, despite Aunt Mary’s fears, and thanks to pleasure horses of all kinds, there are now more horses in our country than at that time. Plus, what she was not aware of was that the scope of veterinary medicine is very broad and one can wear a great many hats.
My own career is an example. After graduation from Cornell, I joined a farm animal practice in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. After a year in this position I became an instructor in farm animal medicine at Cornell. Then I worked a few months as a state veterinarian doing dairy cattle milk studies until I entered the U.S. Air Force for two years as a veterinary officer. In the military my duties were food inspection and public health.
Upon leaving the Air Force I moved to northern Virginia where I became director of Georgetown University’s medical research facility for three years. At Georgetown it was my good fortune to be involved in supporting the research of Dr. Charles Hofnagel, who was doing some of the first studies in open-heart surgery. These were baby steps toward total heart replacement and other remarkable surgeries that we have today.
During this time I was a reserve officer at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Here I had the chance to work with the first Rhesus monkeys, such as Able and Baker, who were being launched into space, opening our solar system to exploration. Then I went on to open a pet practice in Fairfax, Virginia, where I remained for almost four decades.
That period saw the beginning of the specialty practices. We now have veterinarians with advanced degrees in dermatology, ophthalmology, neurology, orthopedics, behavior and many other fields. At one time a pet practice covered all household animals. Many practices are now limited to felines or birds or exotics. In farm animal medicine we have specialists in equines or bovines or poultry. There are veterinarians involved in research at many levels. Some are employed by state or federal agencies, while others are on the staff of corporations involved in the production of animal products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture employs veterinarians to supervise international and interstate shipment of birds and animals. In addition, this agency employs vets to maintain the health and sanitation of the nation’s meat and poultry supplies.
As you can see, the scope of veterinary medicine is a broad one. From the many subdivisions of private practice, to state and federal positions, to military service, a lot of ground can be covered once one has that coveted veterinary degree.
Unfortunately the monetary rewards of the profession rank quite low when compared with other medical fields. But as someone who has been at it for quite a while, I can vouch that the personal satisfaction the profession returns is second to none.
If you know a young person with an interest in the field of veterinary science, I would urge you to give that person your encouragement. They will enter a profession which is well worth the effort they must put forth to achieve their degree. Whatever particular career path he or she decides to follow, the person will enjoy challenge, stimulation, service to society and knowledge of a lifetime well spent.
PetPeeves Recommends
- How to Stop a Dog from Barking (Dog Health)
- Best Dog Foods (Dog Health)
Top Ten Reasons Pets are Better than Teenagers
I have kids (7 sons). I have pets (a dog, a cat, and 2 geckos). Here are my top reasons why pets are better than teenagers.
10) My pets have never asked to get a driver’s license.
9) Pets don’t take showers every single day and leave their towels in the middle of the bathroom floor waiting, I guess, for the magic fairy to swoop in and reclaim the floor.
My pets don’t start eating me out of house and home starting at 11:00 p.m. and ending about 4:00 a.m. cleaning out the fridge, banging things into the microwave, and leaving a mountain of dishes (for aforementioned magic fairy).
7) My pets don’t need new $100 tennis shoes every other week because of a sudden growth spurt.
6) My pets don’t need new clothes every summer to go to school, or every time they have a date with a new girlfriend, or just because.
5) My grocery bill doesn’t sky rocket just because I have pets because they don’t invite their friends over for impromptu pizza/nacho parties.
4) My pets go to bed at a decent hour (when I do) and never spend the nighttime prowling around (well, except Kitty).
3) I don’t have to build extra bedrooms because my pets cannot get along with their messy brother.
2) I don’t have to send my pets to college – hurray!
1) My pets have never had an illegal beer party when I’ve gone out of town.
More From PetPeeves
- Most Popular Dog Names – Top 15
- Bunnies are Pets, Not Easter Toys by Dear Abby
- Who Better to Workout With Than a Pig?
PetPeeves Recommends
- Annual Vaccinations – Are They Necessary? (Dog Health)
- Are Home Remedies Better than a Doctor? (Kimberly101)
