How to Keep Pet Health Care Costs Down

The New York Times recently had a really interesting article by Alina Tugend on how to trim pet health care costs during tough economic times. Adopting from a shelter, the author says, is one way to get a dog inexpensively since in many cases shots, microchips, and state dog licenses are included in the adoption price. (Not to mention you're rescuing a pet.) In addition, says the story: "The ASPCA (aspca.org) and the nonprofit groups, Happy Tails (happytails.org) or Friends of Animals (friendsofanimals.org), offer information about low-cost spaying and neutering options in your area." The author also discusses how New York state has a subsidy program through the Animal Population Control Program that allows you to adopt a pet for a lower cost.

Carrie Poff, left, a New Rochelle, N.Y., vet, prepares to spay a dog. Dana Rocco, humane society manager, is at right. Angel Franco/The New York TimesAnother issue the piece addresses is pet insurance. I don't have it, nor do I know too many pet owners who do. According to Tugend, Consumer Reports discourages people from getting pet insurance because "checkup costs alone don't justify insurance," and unless your pet needs a major operation, you could be wasting money. But I wondered, how many of you have it? Is this something worth looking into?

Does PediPaws Really Work?

So, I was watching TV the other day and saw the PediPaws infomercial...again. Either they show this commercial all the time, or I watch way too much television. Anyway, I was later shopping at an uptown Walgreen's and as I was checking out at the register, there it was, right next to the PediEgg for people. Creepy, right? Still, I was feeling an impulse buy. So I shelled out the $19.99 and took it home to try it out on Riley.

I'm terrified—as I think most people are—of clipping my own dog's nails. One wrong move and you've got a stage-5 gusher and your apartment looks like the set of Saw II. It's hideous. So, I thought this was a wise investment, not only for Riley's health, but for my peace of mind. When I got it out of the package, put in the batteries and turned it on, I noticed two things: 1) it was surprisingly heavy, and 2) it disturbingly resembled a vibrator. But that wasn't all. It was also loud. So loud that Riley bolted off the bed, into the bathroom, and hid behind the door. For close to 30 minutes I tried to get her accustomed to the noise, but she was having none of it. Eventually, I stored it back on my "dog shelf," and I haven't attempted another dog-terror session since.

So then, I guess the answer to the question above, "Does PediPaws Really Work?" is: I have no idea. Sorry if that was misleading. But has anyone else used it? What was your experience? 

Which Plants are Dog-Safe?

I admit it, I love the New York Post. I get it at home and cannot live without Page 6. Call me shallow. But another column that I'm obsessed with is Julia Szabo's "Pets" page. In the May 3, 2009, edition of the Post, Julia wrote about potentially dangerous plants for your pet—"Flowers for Fido: Pup-Approved Bouquets Make for a Safe, Stylish Home." In the article, Julia discusses floral stylist Cristy Ruiz's advice for avoiding toxic plant species in your home. Or, if you're like me, your undesirably small apartment.

Michael Sofronski/New York Post

Did you know that posies, aloe, amaryllis, holly, calla lilies, and other plants can be poisonous to your dog? Again, I had no idea. You can find a full list on the ASPCA's site here.

Dog Blood Donors

On this week's Bonnie Hunt Show, there was a segment on dog blood donors. Who knew you could even do that? Um, not me. So I decided to look into it further...Turns out, dogs have a variety of blood types like people do, and 40-45 percent of dogs have the universal donor type. Typical donors are dogs between the ages of one and seven years old and are approximately 50 lbs or more.

Has your dog ever donated blood? If so, will you email me and tell me your story? I'd love to know more about it!

Map the Distance of Your Dog Walk

I'm forever getting stern lectures from my dog's veterinarian about how many lbs. she has packed on, largely due to her less-than-active lifestyle living in the city. (A friend once told me she looks like a stuffed sausage. Nice. It's really just that she has a few bad angles.) Every time I have to load her chunky little body onto the scale I break into a sweat, knowing he's clearly judging my dog-parenting skills. As a result, I've started taking her on hardcore walks in Central Park to drop her winter weight, and I got to wondering how far we were actually going. (She stops to sniff things so often that trying to gauge distance based on time is just ridiculous.)

A friend pointed me to this website where you can map your route and figure out the approximate distance travelled. It can be a little tricky getting it just right, but it's pretty cool. Our record so far is just under eight miles.