Establishing a good relationship with your veterinarian is important.
Make sure to ask questions when you do not understand. They are full of great knowledge, here’s some great conversations starters that will help you be a savvy pet parent:
- DISEASE PREVENTION: What preventatives should I give my pet & how frequently? Where can I get them? What vaccinations does my pet need & when do I need to get them a booster?
- HEALTH AWARENESS: What are the most common diseases based on my pet's breed/age & what should I look for to check for them?
- DIET: Am I feeding my pet the best food option for them & how often should them?
- WEIGHT & ACTIVITY: Is my pet getting enough exercise & which type of exercise is best? Is my pet a healthy weight?
- SPAY/NEUTER: How can my pet benefit from being spayed or neutered?
- DENTAL: Does my pet need a dental? Why is dental disease bad for pets, how can I prevent plaque and dental disease?
- INDOOR/OUTDOOR CATS: My cat loves both the indoors and outdoors, how can I best protect my cat while outside?
- FOLLOW-UP: How can I best take care of my pet? When should I bring my pet back for a visit?
Unexpected veterinary expenses are stressful. There are some credit and fundraising options that may help:
- Care Credit is a credit card specifically for health care expenses, including for pets, confirm with your veterinarian to see if they accept Care Credit.
- Scratchpay is offered by some clinics with payment plans, ask your Veterinarian if they participate
- Fundraising platform like GoFundMe enables you to create a personal fundraising page.
- Waggle is a pet-dedicated crowdfunding solution that channels funds directly to verified veterinarians for a pet’s care.
Some national organizations aid pet owners in need. Do your research and find one that might be able to provide you with assistance:
- American Veterinary Medical Foundation: (veterinary care charitable fund)
- Bow Wow Buddies
- Canine Cancer Awareness
- Frankie’s Friends
- Handicapped Pet Foundation
- Help-a-Pet
- Joshua Louis Animal Cancer Foundation: (grants can only be provided for pets under the care of a board-certified veterinary oncologist)
- Land of Pure Gold Foundation: (cancer treatment grants for working dogs such as assistance, search and rescue, animal-assisted therapy, etc.)
- Magic Bullet Fund: (cancer-specific)
- The Mosby Fund
- The Onyx & Breezy Foundation
- The Pet Fund
- Pets of the Homeless: (pet food and veterinary care assistance for homeless)
- The Riedel & Cody Fund: (support for pets suffering with cancer)
- RedRover Relief
- Shakespeare Animal Fund
- Waggle: (a pet-dedicated crowdfunding solution)
- Waggle Foundation