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Deductibles range from $50 to $1,000, with possible custom amounts available (you may have to call and talk with an agent). We were impressed with Embrace’s Healthy Pet Deductible strategy, which reduces your deductible by $50 each year you don’t have a claim. When you do have a claim, the deductible resets to the original amount.

Every year since I adopted Otto from my local shelter, I have sent out his blood to a lab for a "vaccine titer test." The test I ask for detects circulating antibodies that defend against two canine diseases: distemper and parvovirus. Veterinary immunologists feel that the results of this particular test offers a reliable indication of whether the dog is adequately protected against the diseases he has been vaccinated for, or whether he no longer has a detectible number of antibodies to those diseases in his body.

My husband and I were talking about childhood dogs for some reason, and he said, "We got a dog when I was little and it died of distemper, and my parents said, 'That's it, no more dogs.'"When he said that, I suddenly remembered that my family, too, had lost a young dog to distemper when I was a child. I have a solid memory of my mother wiping up vomit, and the adolescent pup lying limply nearby, and my mother telling me, "I don't think she's going to make it." I was probably about four or five years old, but I knew that this phrase meant the dog was probably going to die.

I'm the owner of two middle-aged dogs. I'm also a friend to many people with senior dogs with serious medical conditions. I've started worrying about my middle-aged dogs, especially Otto, my 70-pound wonder mutt / heart dog." (Small dogs live longer

attentive

You probably know someone with an underactive thyroid gland; in fact, you may have one yourself. The signs of hypothyroidism in humans include a subnormal body temperature, cold hands and feet, weight gain, hair loss, and constant fatigue. People aren’t the only ones afflicted by this disorder, for many dogs are hypothyroid, too. They may seem lethargic, gain weight while eating normal or below-normal amounts of food, seek warmth, and develop skin and coat conditions. But hypothyroidism causes other symptoms, too, and an accurate diagnosis can require thinking outside the box.

Gertrude Stein might have thought that a rose is a rose is a rose, but with over a hundred species and more than a thousand named cultivars, the genus Rosa has been among the world's most appreciated plants for millennia. And they can be appreciated by dogs, too, with numerous applications for medical, emotional, and behavioral afflictions. Roses grow, with and without thorns, as compact or miniature varieties, trailing vines, climbing plants over 20 feet tall, and impenetrable shrubs. Their flowers range from large to small in white, pink, yellow, orange, and every shade of red. Most roses are native to Asia, while some originated in Europe, Africa, or North America.

For some of us, taking a vacation just wouldn't be nearly as much fun if we couldn't share it with our dogs. Camping and other outdoor adventures are natural vacation options with our four-legged friends, although dog-friendly vacations can be as plush as a four-star hotel stay! Depending on you and your dog, your perfect dog-friendly vacation might mean a visit with your favorite aunt and uncle, sightseeing in your favorite historical town, long days hiking and swimming, or simply snoozing in a hammock on your favorite beach. While taking your dog on vacation can be great fun, it can also pose some challenges. Not every dog (or person, for that matter) will enjoy a visit to a crowded tourist destination. Not every relative will appreciate having us show up on their doorstep with our dog in tow. And some dogs just aren't cut out for rugged camping adventures.

I have always run titers on my dogs before vaccinating and my vet provided individual doses when required. This year was different. The office manager called and said their practice could no longer provide individual vaccines, as in the past. I vaccinate only for parvo, distemper when titers are low, and rabies. I was quite upset because one of my dogs needed only distemper and my other dog’s titers were good. I posed the question, “Why offer titers, if you are not able to provide individual vaccines? Big silence! Well, I know the answer.

I love you, and I wonder if you even know how rare a publication like Whole Dog Journal is. On the same day that I got my Whole Dog Journal, I also got a professional “journal” issue reviewing medical research. Without exception, every article in that magazine was research sponsored by a company that made the product being evaluated. And, surprise! All the research showed wonderful results using their products! I am awestruck every time I read a review in WDJ and it is actual, objective information, not an infomercial.

I was horrified to learn that subsequently the Dalmatian Club of America refused to acknowledge the registration of Bob’s fourth generation back cross, thereby setting back the health of this breed for decades to come. This was pure ignorance on behalf of the Dalmatian Club’s membership – to even think that pure bred dogs were indeed “pure” and had not evolved over time by selective breeding by humans, rather than randomly in nature! I remember that Bob was bitter over this folly at the time, and I don’t blame him one bit.

While visiting my own dog, post-surgery, at a large specialty & emergency veterinary clinic recently, I met a woman and her very sick dog. He had been a patient at the clinic for two days: He was lethargic, not eating, and running a high fever. The diagnosis? An adverse reaction to vaccination.