Celebrating Our First “Love Your Pet Day” (Feb 20th)

Did you know that February 20th is National Love Your Pet Day?  I didn’t, though it’s no surprise since we’re very new to “life with dog” and everything about pet care, and the joy (ahem) of owning pets.

Cali came to live with our family in October as a 2 month old puppy – completely full of energy, excitement, and everything else.  Yes, our biggest challenge to date has been potty training but thankfully hardwood floors and a good dose of patience has brought us this far!

We’ve been through veterinary visits (three),  immunization appointments (two), puppies first haircut and soon we’ll be getting her spayed.  Thankfully, we did our research before hand on choosing the perfect dog for our family (Cali is an Australian Multigen Labradoodle) and understood that the cost of ownership of a pet does not end with the initial purchase or adoption.

While these are average costs across the country (obedience classes here are half what is quoted above, yet my dog crate cost more than what was listed) it all balances out in the end.  And in the end, a puppy is an expensive endevour not only in it’s first year but for her lifetime.

I’ve been looking at pet insurance and gaining info from petsplusus.com where you can input your dog’s breed and get a direct quote plus more info (I noted that Labradoodle isn’t one of the dozens of breeds listed though, so I’d have to call directly to get a quote.)  They also share great information on how pet insurance works so we can make a decision using all the information presented. The idea is appealing to me after hearing about the atrocious costs some of my friends and family have endured dealing with sick pets, and not having insurance coverage in place.

Information used to determine a quote includes:
• Your pet’s species – Both cats and dogs need regular veterinarian care and can experience medical issues or accidents. Consider that some species (or breed) also live longer than others requiring a different level of commitment.
• Your pet’s breed – There may be medical conditions associated with your pet’s breed. Knowing this can help you prepare for future medical needs.
• Your financial resources – Your ability to proactively save and be diligent about keeping up aside funds for care related to illnesses and unexpected medical situations should be considered.
• Your ability to pay for routine vet care – Consider the financial requirements to pay for the routine care your pet will need. As well, consider any previous medical issues your pet might have that may require ongoing care.

Like all things puppy, pet insurance is new to us so I’ll be taking some time to go over my options and get a quote and determine what steps to take going forward.  Right now I have to prepare myself for Cali’s spay appointment at the end of this month.  I suppose on Feb 20th for Love Your Pet Day she’ll get some extra treats and cuddles because of that – but none of us mind.