VetLocator.com

In this down economy, DIY takes on a whole new meaning with courses in 'Do It Yourself Veterinary Care'.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:05:00 +0000

You did not read that wrong....as if there weren't enough challenges in the pet health care industry, a recent article in the Money section of Time Magazine noted the availablilty of online courses in DIY Veterinary Care.

There's a recent Time Magazine money blog about the DIY trend sweeping the nation in the face of worsening economic woes.

Here's an excerpt from the blog:

Not long ago, people were pretty likely to have money but no time. Now, chances are that the reverse is true. And if you have time but not money, taking on some DIY projects makes total sense. Why pay a professional for work that you can do yourself?
SmartMoney reports on the growth of DIY culture:
Until recently, do-it-yourself appeared to be going the way of the dodo. With technology stretching the old 9-to-5 into a never-ending workday, many people found it easier to spend a little extra for the convenience of professional help with things like, say, home repair. But in the wake of a recession, those expenses are often the first to go.
Not to mention, it only takes a few keystrokes to find step-by-step instructions—and probably a YouTube video—on how to pluck a chicken, solder a pipe or, as one desperate father-to-be famously discovered last year, even deliver a baby. Plus, the onset of amateur hour has given rise to its own cottage industry of consultants trying to cash in with how-to materials and services like TeachStreet, an online marketplace listing classes in various subjects like welding and veterinary care.
Going the DIY route is not without risks. Some are no big deal: If you screw up brewing your own beer, the worst that could happen is that you lose a few bucks, along with, perhaps, the lunch you digested earlier in the day. The stakes are much higher when it comes to things like medical care for your pets or yourself. Screw that up and you could lose something even more precious than beer.

Read more: http://money.blogs.time.com/2010/01/25/diy-veterinarian-diy-home-construction-diy-laser-hair-removal/?iid=tsmodule#ixzz0eUQSUuPL

One of the resources mentioned, TeachStreet.com offers 3 veterinary courses near me at $149 each. When I clicked on their link I saw that these couses are offered online.

I'm at a loss for words here.

Do you think this type of offering will continue to grow? You can leave your comments below.

Linda

visit http://www.vetlocator.com

Moral dilemma - Your pet needs lifesaving veterinary care and you can'

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:43:00 +0000

That was a situation a Minnesota woman was recently faced with.

She was a small 'back-yard' breeder of Shih Tzu's and one of her 3 week-old puppies was struggling to live.

She brought the puppy to her regular vet to find out what the problem was.

Her vet gave her four options -

Run costly tests to determine what was ailing the puppy.
Take the puppy home with some medication and hope it gets better.
Euthanize it.
Turn the puppy over to the vet, just pay for services rendered to that point and the vet would try and save the animal.

She chose option #4, and that's when things started going wrong for everyone.........

Click HERE to go to "Moral dilemma - can't afford emergency vet services "

What do puppy mills and cigarette companies have in common?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:42:00 +0000

In the past several weeks I noticed that I was reading story after story on puppy mills, laws about puppy mills, rescues from puppy mills, arrests at puppy mills, adoptions from puppy mills AND I was reading story after story on cigarettes, Obama signs a tobacco law, cash strapped states levey .50, .80, 1.50 per pack tax on cigarettes, a plan is underway to ban all smoking in the military.

Yes, puppy mills and cigarette companies are very unpopular subjects and are the target of many groups. Here are a sample of a few of the headlines making news for puppy mills from just the past few weeks:

Living with shame-Missouri fed up with reputation as puppy mill state

California Puppy Mill Bill Goes Before Senate Panel

Humane Society says local store still buying puppies from puppy mill

500 Dogs Seized from Puppy Mill (Bowie Texas)
Texas Humane Legislation Network Calls for Puppy Mill Crackdown

Tennessee Governor Signs Bill to Combat Abuse in Puppy Mills

Missouri takes legal action against puppy mills

Carroll Co. dog breeder accused of running puppy mill must close ..

And here are some on cigarettes:

Debate over hefty cigarette tax hike heats up

State-Specific Prevalence and Trends in Adult Cigarette Smoking ...

Study recommends total ban on smoking for soldiers
War on smoking: Report calls for military to phase out tobacco ...

Obama signs landmark tobacco law
Shocking images deter cigarette smokers: WHO

Poll shows broad support for tobacco tax increase
More than seven out of 10 California voters support a $1.50-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax as a way to narrow the state's ...
Most Californians clamor for a tobacco tax increase BloggingStocks
Polls show bipartisan voter support for tobacco tax Ventura County Star

Yes, both Puppy Mills and cigarettes are unpopular with almost everyone, and for good reason. And if we can predict the future by headlines, both of them are going to be legislated out of existence.

Puppy mills usually have deplorable living conditions for their 'breeding stock' and the puppies that come from them often are genetically flawed. And those flaws typically turn into serious health problems and even death as a result of inbreeding and poor living conditions. (just read a few of the linked articles if you're not familiar with puppy mill conditions).

I've had many experiences with pet owners who bought an adorable puppy from a breeder or pet store only to have illness and expensive vet bills, suffering and a shortened life result. I've seen so much suffering as a result of puppy mills.....just horrible, horrible suffering by both dog and owner.

Puppy mills are inhumane to the extreme - and the poor animals have no say in being part of a puppy mill. Who does have a say are people who buy from them.

Cigarettes also only have ultimate bad effects on smokers and those around them. There is no good effect that they produce (and you can probably tell by now that I am not a smoker. I hate smoking).

Both of these activites are around because of a common thing. There is a market for what is being produced by them. For puppy mills, it is from unscrupulous breeders and pet stores who knowingly purchase the puppies. For cigarette companies, it is the people who buy tobacco as cigarettes, cigars, etc.

But I'm only happy if one of these two activities is eradicated through legislation.

Puppy mills. Since it is often hard to tell where that adorable puppy came from unless you happen to know the parents, too many pet owners wind up with a puppy mill puppy because of lies and deceit. They are not CHOOSING to give business to a puppy mill.

Cigarettes on the other hand are a lifestyle choice. If people chose not to smoke, there would be no market for them and cigarette companies would go out of business.

But I don't think the government has a right to say what a person can or can not do on their own and I don't think that taxing or legislating tobacco is the way to get people to stop smoking.

Smoking is a choice and people who smoke choose to smoke and when they stop, they CHOOSE to stop.

And speaking of that choice, here is one of the BEST HEADLINES I've read in awhile on this very subject:

Study finds pet owners who smoke will try to quit for animals' health . Now that's a win-win headline for all concerned, don't you think?

Tell me what you think by commenting below:

To yours and your pet's health,

Adam
VetLocator.com

Swine Flu - People are asking, "Can my pet get it?"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:30:00 +0000

Monday April 27, 2009

We've received several emails from pet owners concerned that their pets could be at risk for the swine flu. It's a question that hadn't occured to me and so I set to work to get answers.

Many sites have information on the subject, but the best I found was from About.com's veterinarian, Janet Tobiassen Crosby.

Here are some excerpts from her article and a link to the original story at the end:

"Information about swine flu and how to protect yourself and your family is readily available. But what about our dogs and cats? Can they catch (or spread) swine flu to each other or members of their human family?

Most likely, the answer is no. This isn't an absolute answer, as viruses change, but historically there are no known dog/cat to human (or vice-versa) influenza transmissions. Here is more info about influenza viruses.
There are two types of influenza viruses: Type A and Type B. The Type A viruses are found in humans and many types of animals, usually strains specific to that species. The type B viruses circulate widely among humans.
Dogs and cats do have their own versions of influenza viruses. The canine influenza virus is an influenza Type A H3N8 virus, and the feline version is Type A H5N1 influenza virus. (The numbers and letters after the type denote the numbers and types of proteins on the surface of the virus. The letter H stands for hemagglutinin and the letter N stands for neuraminidase.)
Who is spreading what virus? It is interesting to note that birds play an important role in the spread of all influenza A viruses. From the CDC: "Wild birds are the primary natural reservoir for all subtypes of influenza A viruses and are thought to be the source of influenza A viruses in all other animals."
While rare, there have been human infections from pigs. In this current case of swine flu, a pig virus mixed with a human virus to produce the new strain that is being passed human-to-human. This allows for quick spread of this virus in the human population. Because this is a newly created (reassorted) virus, humans do not have any immunity from previous exposures as with "regular" viruses.
Back to dogs and cats While they both have influenza Type A viruses that can infect and cause illness in dogs and cats, humans are not as similar of a species to share these viruses in the current forms. There have been no reports yet of any cases that have spread to humans or from humans to pets.

If your pet is sick
As always, if you suspect that your dog or cat is sick, please contact your veterinarian directly for an examination and to discuss any questions."

To read the original story, click HERE

You can leave your comments below. Just click on the 'comments' link.

A Pet Only Airlines is set to launch

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 02:31:00 +0000

We've seen several stories over the past couple of years about pet mishaps before, during and after flying with their owners,
like this one in 2008 and this one from 2007 and then there was the cat who arrived at it's destination frozen in March of this year.

It has to be a concern for pet owners when they consider taking their pet with them on a trip or during a move, and, although many airlines have become much more pet friendly in recent months, many airlines limit the number and size of pets that are allowed on a flight and in a cabin so pet owners have the option of checking them into cargo or fitting them under their seats.

However, pets have become such a part of our families that many pet owners are willing to pay extra to insure their safety and comfort.

Well, Pet Airways is banking on this willingness, launching a new airlines in July of this year.

It is a pets-only airline and they have some very cool pet features, pets fly in the cabin, never in cargo and they are attended to by flight attendants that make sure they are comfy and secure, have regular potty breaks.

They also have special, healthy pet food and are monitored every 15 minutes. They also have a pet tracking system through their website.

And the cost for this special pet treatment? When they launch they have special fares starting at $149 each way between cities like New York and Los Angeles or LA to Chicago. You can find out more by visiting their website: http://www.petairways.com.

Just curious, would you spend more and let your pets fly by themselves to ensure their comfort and safety? Let us know.

Fleas-Fleas Everywhere. What you should know about them

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:32:00 +0000

A few days ago the EPA announced it was stepping up its investigation of flea and tick products having an adverse effect on some animals.

Here is the original report: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/flea-tick-control.html

And here is the Human Societies page on What You Should Know About Flea Products: http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/what_you_should_know_about_flea_and_tick_products/

Also NBC in Los Angeles did a pretty good investigative job: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Pet_Products_Concern.html.

So what do YOU think? Have you had success keeping your pets flea free? How do you feel about the prescription and over-the-counter treatments currently offered?

Let us know.

VetLocator.com Announces Nationwide Pet Owner Survey

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:01:00 +0000

VetLocator.com, the #1 online directory for locating pet health professionals, has put out a nationwide invitation to pet owners to participate in its annual “The State of Pet Health Care"

CLEARWATER, FL – October 18, 2007 – VetLocator.com, the #1 online directory for locating veterinarians and pet health professionals, has put out a nationwide invitation to pet owners to participate in its first annual “The State of Pet Health Care” survey.

The goal of this survey is to get an accurate picture of the state of pet health care today from the perspective of the pet owner, and then to get that picture clearly communicated to the pet professionals they entrust with their pet’s health and well-being.

“What we know about pet health and how best to care for our pets and companion animals is continually changing,” said Adam Ferguson, VetLocator.com’s president and editor of the directory’s weekly newsletters. “Because of the services our site delivers, we frequently see frustration happening between pet owners and pet health professionals who are not meeting each other’s expectations. The effects of the pet food recall earlier this year only made matters worse. Many pet owners turned to the internet seeking information on what to do about the tainted pet food danger and through the process became ‘educated on pet health’, sometimes in a somewhat haphazard way. Attempting to “share” this information with their veterinarian was not always welcomed.

“We wanted to get a very clear picture from a wide sampling of pet owners across the nation on how they view pet health care and then share those results with the pet health provider community so they have a better understanding of how to best serve both pets and their owners. We are asking for every pet owner to participate in our survey, so when the message is delivered it reflects as many voices as possible.”

Pet owners can participate in the survey by visiting this link:
http://www.vetlocator.com/survey/owner_pro_survey.php

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About VetLocator.com: VetLocator.com is the web’s most popular online directory for locating veterinarians, pet health professionals and pet health resources.

Pet owners have access to a number of directories at VetLocator.com, including: emergency pet hospitals, regular and specialty veterinary clinics and services, holistic and alternative professionals, equine and house call vet directories as well as finding answers to a variety of pet health questions in their “Ask A Pet Pro” blog and “Pet Health Resource Library”.

Have A Question About Your Pet’s Health? Ask A Pet Pro! A free service at VetLocator.com

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:37:00 +0000

CLEARWATER, FL – February 23, 2007 – Pet owners are finding VetLocator.com’s ‘Ask A Pet Pro’™ feature an easy way to reach pet professionals near them.

Here is how it works: When a pet owner searches for a pro, either by location or by the type of service they perform (such as an equine vet or a veterinarian that uses holistic treatments), the search results of pros that fit the request may number in the hundreds, closest location being the first result. The pet owner clicks on a listing and if they have more questions, can “Ask this pet pro a question” by clicking on a link next to the listing. The request is sent to VetLocator.com’s Customer Care Department and then forwarded to the Pro via email or fax. Additionally, if the request is something that could be asked of other pros, VetLocator.com will include the owner’s question in it’s weekly “Pet Pro News” newsletter which goes out to over 12,000 pet professionals each week. Many wonderful Pet Pros do take the time to answer the pet owner’s questions so the owner can have, not only second opinions, but often 4 or 5 veterinary professionals responses to help them decide what is best for them and their pets.

“The response to this free service has been overwhelming by both the pet owners and the pet pros.” says VetLocator.com president Adam Ferguson. “Our Customer Care department just loves the feedback we get for this service. It is really gratifying to us to be able to help.”

Questions range from simple to very complex, and because VetLocator.com has so many pet pros who are willing to answer them, pet owners can really benefit from the responses they get.

Adam explains “VetLocator.com was originally created after we moved across country and could find no easy way to locate a veterinarian for our pets. We build our directory to include those things that we wanted to find during our search and it is proving to be a successful formula.”

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With offices in Santa Ana, CA and Clearwater Fl, VetLocator.com is the largest directory of pet health providers and pet professionals anywhere, in one place. For more information please contact VetLocator President AB Ferguson at abferguson@vetlocator.com, or visit the website at: www.vetlocator.com.

Is a House Call Vet Right for you and your pet?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:07:00 +0000

Having a vet come to you to treat your pets at home is becoming ever more popular. As of February 2007, requests for House Call vets at VetLocator.com is up 22% over the same time period last year.

Here are some things to conside before deciding whether a house call vet is right for you and your pet.

What is a house call veterinarian and how is this different than a traditional vet?

A house call veterinarian differs from a traditional veterinarian in that the vet comes to your home to treat your pets instead of you and your pets traveling to see the vet.

There are two types of 'traveling vets'. One type is a veterinarian that is part of a clinic or hospital, and that clinic provides in-home treatments such as routine checks, heartworm treatments, flea and tick repellent, vaccinations and some also provide holistic and alternative treatments as well. In this case, you might have different vets come to treat your pets at home, since the in-home service is provided by the clinic or hospital and not by a specific vet.

The other type is a mobile veterinarian who has a whole clinic set up in a specialized van. This type of vet can often provide the majority of services delivered by a traditional clinic or hospital including x-rays, etc. and normally has a clinic or hospital he or she works with when there are services required that are best administered in the hospital.

You should ask how the house call vet is set up when requesting they come to you.

Why do people choose house call vets over taking their pet to a clinic or hospital?

Here are some common reasons to choose a house call veterinarian over taking your pets in:

You have multiple pets and the hassle of getting them all to the vet is too much. It is easier for the vet to come to you to see everyone at the same time.
Your dog or cat gets very stressed riding in the car.
Your pet does not do well around other animals, either because of fright or aggression.
Your pet does not like traveling to see the veterinarian.
Your pet is just too ill or unable to move or travel easily.
Having your pet around other sick animals makes you worry your pet can get ill through exposure.
Your schedule is too tight to get to your vet's office. House call vets can have a more flexible schedule.
You no longer drive and have no way to get your pet to the vet.
Convenience. Since the veterinarian comes to you, you don't have to load your dog or cat into your car and drive, you don't have to wait in an uncomfortable waiting room with other pets, you don't have to keep an eye on your kids, your pets and the other pets in the room.

The number one reason owners and house call vets give in providing their service is the much lower stress level for both the pets and the owner.

Is there a cost difference?

Depending on the veterinarian and the service, there may be an additional charge for house calls. However, this is not always true. Despite the very personalized service, housecall veterinarians are not necessarily more expensive than traditional vet. Mobile vets usually have a lower overhead since they don't need to maintain a full clinic. You will need to check prices during your conversation with the house call vet and compare them with a clinic or hospital.

Limitations

Housecall veterinarians do have limitations relative to traditional veterinary practices, and there are things you should be prepared for should you choose to allow one to care for your pet.

The first is if you have a pet emergency, it is better to bring your pet into a clinic or hospital right away. There are too many unknowns in an emergency for a house call vet to be prepared for everything that might come up. VetLocator.com maintains a list of 24 hour emergency pet hospitals searchable by zip code should the need ever arise.
If your pet requires major surgery and x-rays, most house call vets will request that you bring your pet into a clinic or hospital for these. Again, because of limited space and staffing house call vets have, these things are best done at the hospital.
If your pet requires hospitalization or constant medical attention the vet will make arrangements with the hospital or clinic that they work with for you to bring your animal in so it can have proper after-hours care. Many laboratory tests will take one day to run so the house call vet will normally call you with results (same as a regular visit to a clinic or hospital) once the lab test are done.
Scheduling. Since a house call vet provides personalized service by traveling to a pet's home, the number of patients they can see is less than what can be seen in a clinic or hospital. Sometimes this can create a delay in your pet being seen quickly.

Conclusion

House call vets provide many positives to easing the stress and hassle of a traditional clinic or hospital. The cost for this service might be a bit higher than a regular clinic or hospital, but the convenience may outweigh the costs.

If you choose to work with a house call vet, make sure you check on what services he or she can provide as well as check references of other pet owners who use their services. Also make sure you know what hospital they use for emergencies and other lab or hospitalization work.

To find a list of House Call vets in your area, simply visit http://www.vetlocator.com/housecallvets.php.

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Baby Boomers find House Call Vets A Boon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:36:00 +0000

Requests for House Call Vets at VetLocator.com already up 22% over last year

CLEARWATER, FL – February 12, 2007 – Baby boomers and other pet owners are finding the convenience of having a veterinarian coming to them a real boon. The popularity of this service continues to grow and the online directory VetLocator.com says that House Call veterinarian requests is its third most requested category, already up 22% over the same period last year.

“Our directory is set up so a pet owner can search for a veterinarian or a pet professional by location, name, type of animal treated, type of services provided (including holistic and alternative services like acupuncture and chiropractic), 24 hour emergency services and whether the pet professional makes house calls.” says VetLocator.com president Adam Ferguson. “We also have a Customer Care department that will help a pet owner if he or she cannot find a pet pro that meets their needs, and we provide this service at no cost to the owner.

Last October our Customer Care department saw a big spike in House Call veterinarian requests and frankly, we were puzzled. It turned out that “Readers Digest” recommended VetLocator.com to readers who were searching for House Call vets as the easiest place to find them. I’m happy to say that our Customer Care department was able to provide help to almost every pet owner that requested it and in the process we updated our pet pro database so that we now have over 700 house call vets listed, the largest directory of house call vets anywhere!”

There are many reasons people turn to a veterinarian that will make house calls. Some of these include:

Families with stay-at-home moms who find it a challenge to load up the kids and pets.
Homes with sensitive pets who are overly anxious about being around other animals or visiting the vet.
Multi-pet households
Seniors who don’t drive or have health concerns.
Senior pets or critically ill pets who cannot make the journey easily because of health.
Pet owners who find it a challenge to schedule a veterinary appointment without taking time off work.

Although House Call Vets provide many of the services found in traditional veterinary practices, it is good to know what to expect before calling and scheduling an appointment for your pet. VetLocator.com has written an article to help pet owners decide if a House Call Vet is right for them. Pet owners can find this article in VetLocator.com’s resource library at http://www.vetlocator.com/articles/housecallvets.htm. It contains a checklist of things for a pet owner to consider when choosing a pet professional to bring their pet to.

With offices in Santa Ana, CA and Clearwater Fl, VetLocator.com is the largest directory of pet health providers and pet professionals anywhere, in one place. For more information please contact VetLocator President AB Ferguson at abferguson@vetlocator.com, or visit the website at: www.vetlocator.com.

Finding the right Veterinarian or Pet Health provider just got a whole lot easier!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:33:00 +0000

Pet owners who used to experience frustration trying to find the right veterinarian or other pet professional for their beloved pets are raving about VetLocator.com’s huge, easy to use online directory of over 68,000 pet professionals and the Company's superlative customer care department

Clearwater, FL.(PRWEB) June 12, 2006—Used to be that searching for a veterinarian on the internet was tough. The problem? While most pet owners had no trouble finding vets, there was no easy way to find the ones providing the services they were seeking because most vet listings didn’t have them listed. Typically what pet owners wound up seeing was a long list of names and addresses and little else, or pages and pages of veterinary website links. Their options? Pick the one closest to them, call each listing and ask, or call a friend for a recommendation.

Well, that has now changed with www.VetLocator.com’s huge directory of pet professionals and easy-to-use search features. At VetLocator.com, pet owners can do a quick search for a vet using either a zip code or city-state. If they are looking for something specific, say a veterinarian who provides dental services or one that offers massage or hydrotherapy, they can use VetLocator.com’s Advanced Search to locate a vet that provides them. They can also search for a veterinarian or pet professional by name or distance they are willing to drive. These are just a few of the many advanced search features available to help pet owners find the perfect pet professional or service for their pets.

And because there are many professionals besides Veterinarians that provide pet health services, VetLocator has three other directory categories: (1)The Holistic and Alternative section provides a listing of ALL health professionals including licensed doctors of veterinary medicine, chiropractors, acupuncturists, traditional Chinese medicine and many others that a pet owner can search through. This section also has helpful articles explaining what some of these alternative treatments are. (2) Then there are those other services that pet owners often need help with. VetLocator’s Other Pet Professionals section covers services such as grooming and boarding, pet sitting, trainers, breeders and pet transportation. (3) For pet emergencies there is a detailed listing of Emergency Hospitals, hotlines and articles so a pet owner can quickly get information to save their pet’s life.

And if a pet owner cannot find the service or procedure they are looking for? They simply need to fill out a service request form detailing what they are trying to find, and VetLocator’s Customer Care staff will attempt to track it down for them, all at no cost to the pet owner. Some of VetLocator’s more unusual requests? Rose Varner head of Customer Care replies “Last week we were able to help fulfill the request of someone looking for a veterinarian in her area who specialized in Alpacas and another request to find a vet who would do artificial insemination on her Toy Poodle”.

Pet owners love this extra service. Some typical testimonials:

“I would just like to say thank you for helping me find the right vet for my dog!!

i'm glad you did. and i am also glad you are helping others the way you do. you are a very special person for helping animals and their loved ones.” RH, Camilla, GA

“Found him!... Thank you very much! I appreciate your extra effort, Rose. We need more like you in the world.” B F, Lewiston, ME