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News for You and Your Pet
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August 1, 2011
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Dear , Voting for the 2011 Petties ended on Friday. Thank you to all who voted for The Conscious Cat to win Best Cat Blog and Best Overall Pet Blog - we really appreciate your enthusiastic support! Now the waiting begins. Winners will be announced on August 26 at an awards ceremony at BlogPaws, the largest pet blogging conference in the country, in Tysons Corner, VA. The award ceremony will be broadcast live via YouTube. I'll provide details as they become available. In This Issue:
Veterinary bills are a large expense for most pet parents, and decisions about a pet's care may need to be driven not just by medical, but also by economic needs. Dr. Nancy Kay presents a veterinarian's view of how she tries to help her clients navigate these challenging economic times. Balance is an essential ingredient for a happy life. Find out how even small changes can help you find balance in these hectic times we live in. We hope you enjoy this issue and find the information helpful. And if you do, please share it with a friend! With warm regards to you and your furry family members,
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The Cost of Caring
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By Nancy Kay, DVM
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The news would have us believe that the recession is over and unemployment is declining, but I've got to tell you, I've not yet seen even a glimmer of this in my professional life. The majority of my clients remain hard pressed to pay for the diagnostic testing and care that would be ideal for their sick pets in spite of the fact that we lowered many of the fees at my hospital approximately one year ago.
Fortunately, for most of my patients, I can offer multiple medical options rather than just one. For example, many folks these days choose the less expensive route of empirical therapy (providing treatment without certainty of what the underlying medical issue is) rather than performing diagnostic testing. Within the limitations dictated by cost constraints, I try to do what's best for my patient while also trying to assuage the guilt that most clients in this situation experience. They love their pets dearly, but face the reality of having to settle for something that would not normally be their first choice.
When appropriate, I provide my client with a list of organizations that provide financial assistance for veterinary care costs. Trust me, these wonderful organizations have been deluged by requests over the last few years. Yet they still manage to pull through for some of my clients. Many provide financial help for any type of veterinary care while others set specific criteria. For example, they might provide assistance only for pets with cancer or only for service dogs.
None of them provide urgent funding- invariably there is an application process. If you are interested in having a look at these wonderful organizations, I invite you to visit my website. Click on "Resources" found in the red horizontal main menu and then scroll down to "Financial Assistance for Veterinary Care." A sure sign of the times is that this is the most frequently visited page on my website!
For those of you with young healthy animals (devoid of any preexisting medical conditions) I encourage you to consider purchasing a pet health insurance policy. For an annual premium cost of $300-$400 you will have the peace of mind of knowing that you will be reimbursed approximately 80% of future out of pocket veterinary expenses. The key is in choosing your insurance provider wisely. Some reimburse exactly as you would hope while others come up with all kinds of crazy loopholes.
Visit my website for a list of questions to ask insurance providers that will help you separate the good guys from the bad. Click on "Resources" found in the red horizontal main menu and scroll down to "Pet Health Insurance." My bookSpeaking for Spot provides a comprehensive resource for learning all you need to know about pet health insurance.
Nancy Kay, DVM is the author of Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life , She is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Connect with Dr. Kay on her website, Spot's Blog, or on Facebook.
 Photo: Public Domain Images
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How to Create Balance in Your Life
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Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance,
order, rhythm and harmony. - Thomas Merton By Ingrid King Do you struggle to find balance in your life? Many of us lead lives that are anything but balanced, in fact, at times, we often feel like Odin trying to balance on the branch above, ready to tumble off at any moment. Some of us will manage to right ourselves, others will try to balance by flailing about, and the rest of us will fall off and try to get back on again. But eventually, no matter how hard we try, we'll all fall off if we don't create balance in our lives. Balance is an essential ingredient for a happy life. When your life is in balance, your body, mind and spirit are in harmony. Everything just feels right. But how do you achieve that balance in these hectic times we live in? The definition of balance will vary from person to person, but the following tips can help create balance in anyone's life: - Make time for yourself. You can't be there for everyone else unless you take care of yourself.
- Exercise regularly and eat healthy. This goes right along with taking care of yourself.
- Integrate your passion with your work. Most of us spend up to a third of our lives at work. Doing work you're passionate about rather than work that's "just a job" will go a long way toward creating balance in your life. If you haven't found a way yet to combine the two, leave your work at the office. Nobody ever looks back on their life and wishes they had spent more time at the office!
- Spend time with family and friends.
- Live within your means. Stress over finances is one of the biggest obstacles to creating balance in your life.
- Don't multi-task. You may think you're getting more done that way, but you're really not. By putting your full focus and energy on one task at a time, you will work more efficiently and you won't feel like you're just spinning your wheels.
- Spend time with your cats! Spending time with pets is one of the best ways I know to come back into balance instantly.
Creating balance can be challenging, but even just implementing one or two of these suggestions will help you get from the picture above to the picture below! 
What one thing will you do this week to create more balance in your life? Photos ŠLayla Morgan Wilde, used with permission. See more photos of Odin and friends over on CatWisdom 101. (c) Ingrid King 2011
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Upcoming Events
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 September 10 and 11, 2011
National Capital Cat Show
Chantilly, VA
October 4, 2011
Oakton Libary
Oakton, VA
more events to be announced soon
Please visit the Events Page on my website
for more information and directions. |
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