Janet's Veterinary Medicine Blog

Continuing in the 10-question pet insurance interview series, I interviewed Jennifer Jones from Pets Best insurance company. Pets Best Insurance was founded by Dr. Jack Stephens and is based in Boise, Idaho.

The Vet School Diaries started years ago with Joanne, then a student at Cornell Veterinary School. Kate was a reader of Joanne's diary, and is now starting her own diary as her vet school journey begins. Kate writes: "Joanne's Vet School Diary was the first one I read, and I learned so much about what to expect from vet school. So, I decided at that point that if I was accepted, I would write one too."

_{Photo credit © Getty Images/Dougal Water}

Pets are such and important addition to many of our lives. It is a well known fact that people who have pets are typically happier and live longer than those who don’t. Pets can even make us feel better when we are sick. But sometimes pets get sick too. And this often leaves us wondering if we might be able to catch whatever it is that is making our pets sick. Cold / Flu Guide, Kristina Duda R.N., has a nice summary of common zoonotic (transmissible from animal to human) diseases from several About.com Health Guides.
Related Reading:
The Human-Animal Bond: How Pets Help Us

A Cuterebra parasite is an opportunistic parasite found under the skin of small mammals. This parasite is the larval stage of the Cuterebra fly (also known as botflies), who uses animal hosts to complete its life cycle. This condition is similar to Myiasis (Fly Strike), but in this case, each lesion is a single fly larve. Learn more about this parasite, most commonly seen in summer and fall, in this FAQ.

Mid to late summer is the most common time of year to see Fly Strike (Myiasis). This unpleasant problem is caused when flies lay their eggs on diseased tissue or drainage of living animals and maggots are born. Maggots are the larve (immature form) of flies, and can cause very serious health problems for the host animal.

Related Reading:
What IS Fly Strike?

From the Pre Vet / Career forum - DREAM2HEAL writes: "I'm taking the long and narrow road to becoming a vet and I need all the encouragement I can get. I'm 30 and I have a BA in psychology, but my GPA is low and I graduated by the skin of my teeth. I just wanted to get out and work, make money, get engaged, and have a home. In my deep depression, I took on a job as a dog bather and even though I was getting paid minimum wage, I was happy. I had to hit bottom to realize that I had to reunite with my first love -- animals."

An indoor cat who is urinating anywhere "out of litter box" can be very frustrating. This isn't something that cats do without reason: it could be a medical problem (infection, crystal formation), a behavioral problem, or a combination of both. The goal of this FAQ is to help identify and differentiate feline urinary medical and behavioral issues.

Related Reading from the Cats Guide:
He Peed WHERE?

_{Photo "Jaspurr and Joey check out their new litter box" © Franny Syufy}

There are so many pain relievers available to humans that choosing just one can be confusing. Not so with our pets. There aren't many over-the-counter pet pain relievers. When a pet is in pain, owners are eager to give medication to ease that pain, but giving human medications to animals can cause more problems than it cures. Learn why in this article.

From the VetMed Forum:
FFRANCICA asks: "Can I give my dog Tylenol? Or any other similar pain med? Thanks."
Read more...

_{Photo © Getty Images/Michael Matiss}

Veterinary medicine is all about helping animals -- curing diseases and making their lives comfortable. I wish it was always that easy and optimistic, but sometimes (more often than any of us would like) veterinary professionals have to deal with animal cruelty or neglect and help define what is "best" for the animals. The fine lines between emotions, intellect and legalities get blurry and tempers may flare.

Animals being mistreated are not the usual clients seen in veterinary practice. They are usually hidden and voiceless. How does one learn about animals in need of help and decipher any related legal issues? Help is on the way. I am happy to introduce the new Animal Rights Guide at About.com, Doris Lin.

Lin is an animal rights attorney and the Vice President of Legal Affairs for the Bear Education and Resource Group. She has worked for a variety of animal protection groups over the years, including the Animal Protection PAC, New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance, The Bear Education and Resource Group, The Humane Society of the United States, and the Animal Welfare Institute.

Stop by the new Animal Rights site at About.com to learn more about Doris Lin and animal rights issues.

This interview is part of a continuing series of pet health insurance company interviews. I will be using the same ten questions for a variety of veterinary health insurers so that viewers can learn about each company and compare what plans are available. In this interview, Randy Valpy, President & Chief Operating Officer for Petsecure, answers ten questions about pet care plans available through Petsecure.