In sickness and in health: three cheers for insurance!

This past week has been spent lying on a sofa. Sounds great, until you factor in the fever, lethargy, dizziness and other symptoms that have kept me away from my desk and this blog. Enforced rest is never as much fun as the real thing, and I still haven't made it into the office but I feel I must blog or I will burst. It's a serious condition, known as socialmediaitis.

Medicine is very much on my mind, as you might expect. As well as my own illness, which has seen me through several doctor visits, two rounds of blood tests and an ultrasound and is still a bit of a mystery, I've been worried about our cats. One of them started coughing when he over-exerted himself (read: went mental over a piece of string). So over the weekend we also had a vet visit to contend with.

It turns out little Casper has feline asthma, which is not serious in his case and can be easily managed and monitored. The visit to confirm this was so short that our vet didn't even charge us for it! But if he had, then Casper is fully insured. For that matter, so am I, so as well as a tendency to sleep all day at the moment, we have that in common...

I can't tell you how much peace of mind Casper's insurance gave me when his symptoms first appeared. Of course, it can't stop you being very worried over the health of your pet; he's a member of the family and my husband and I were both very tense and concerned - what if it was his heart? What if he had a terrible infection? The insurance can't make that go away. But it did console me that whatever he needed we wouldn't feel our hands were tied by the cost of treating it. Yes, you find a way to pay it anyway, but especially in these unstable times it really helps not to have to think about where it's going to come from.

I know I sound like an advertisement, but this really is coming from the heart. Dogs Trust has an arrangement with PetPlan, a huge insurer here in the UK, which means all dogs rehomed from us come with six weeks of free insurance from them. You need to decide which company is best for you and there are frequent debates about the different options out there on DoggySnaps, among other places.

With little Casper and I both on the mend, I should be back to blogging regularly (and more cheerfully) soon. In the meantime, I hope you've all been well!

Blog Action Day: Poverty, Homelessness and Hope

Today is Blog Action Day, when bloggers around the world take a moment to raise awareness about helping the rest of the world. This year's topic is poverty.

In the current climate, fears of a rising number of people living in poverty are increasing. We have new terms in our daily vocabulary, 'fuel poverty' being one of them. People are also falling behind on spiralling mortgage payments, and some of those people lose their homes.

It might seems strange for a blogger from an animal charity to be writing about poverty and homelessness. But people often have to face the heartrending decision to rehome their pets. Aside from being here to help with that, Dogs Trust also runs Hope Project, which helps those who have taken their dog onto the streets with them maintain that bond.

The friendship of a dog can be the only thing that sustains some people when they find themselves without a home. Dogs are a source of comfort, and Dogs Trust's Hope Project team have had first hand experience of how well these dogs are treated by their owners.

Hope Project works in a variety of ways to help those owners. The Veterinary Entitlement Card Scheme offers some free veterinary care, and people can turn to us for advice in finding a shelter that will accept their pet or how to best look after their dog. We also work alongside other organisations that provide temporary accommodation to encourage them to see the benefits in allowing pets onto the premises.

You can find out more about Hope Project online.

Poverty is such a huge and complex issue. Today is about taking just one little bit and thinking about it or offering a solution.

Other Pets: Unusual objects swallowed by pets!

We at Dogs Trust have had animals around us for most of our lives, so we'd love to say the news that pets swallow a bizarre array of objects surprises us, but we know how unpredictable pets can be! Still, think about your home - is it as pet proof as you thought? Each one of us was taken aback by at least one item on the list...

PetPlan sent us the story of Ozzie the Staffy, who was rescued from a life-threatening stomach blockage after he swallowed a rubber duck whole! The determined dog, who belongs to Adam Townsend from Cubbington, Leamington Spa, was in a play fight with another dog and preferred to swallow his prize than lose it. When he started vomiting profusely, Adam rushed Ozzie to the vet and surgeon Emily Burton and vet Hannah Ferguson (pictured) stepped in to save the day. Ozzie is luckily back to his usual self now, thanks to their speedy work.

Still think you don't need pet insurance? Remember that the cost of removing a foreign object can range from hundreds to thousands of pounds. Here's just some of the list of foreign objects removed from pets (with the claims paid for by PetPlan):

Cats:

• 16 pellets
• 2ft snake toy
• Arrow
• Baby bottle
• Baby's teat
• Bikini
• Bra strap
• Cassette tape
• Condom
• Cotton & needle
• Cross bow bolt
• Dead pigeon
• Diamond ring
• Fishing hook
• Foil
• Hair bands/scrunchies
• House keys
• Kebab stick
• Plastic watering can
• Screw
• Tinsel
• Tip of birds beak
• Toy dinosaur
• Wishbone

Dogs:

• 10 yr old lino flooring
• 13 condoms
• 33 sewing pins
• 3kg pebbles
• 40 stones
• 5 plastic mice
• Bag of nails
• Box of matches
• Bread knife
• Cake ornament
• Chain
• Christmas decoration
• Coins
• Comic relief nose
• Corn cob with fork
• Cow ear tag
• Credit card
• Dead whole rat
• Dinosaur toy
• Doc marten boot
• Enitre mop head
• Fireworks
• Glass
• Handbag
• Knee support
• Kong
• Light bulb
• Marble
• Muzzle
• Nappy
• Poop bag containing poop
• Rabbit
• Razor blade
• Spark plug
• Tampon
• Tap fixtures
• Tennis ball (1/2)
• Tv remote control
• Watch
• Whistle
• Yo-yo

Disclaimer: Dogs Trust has an arrangement with PetPlan to provide six weeks of free insurance to all new owners of our rescue dogs. You are not obliged to continue with this provider, but we recommend that you consider obtaining pet insurance if you have not already done so.

Do you know basic pet first aid?

Because I have a pretty keen interest in blogging and social networking, I was pottering around Squidoo the other day and made a lens for fun. I decided to make it on behalf of Dogs Trust, to spread the word, and wrote about a topic from our main website's A-Z.

The topic was pet first aid.

No-one likes to think about a pet emergency happening to them, and yet anyone who has owned (or been owned by!) an animal has had at least one vet crisis. If something frightening happens, do you know how to keep your cool and do the best by your dog? First aid cannot replace prompt veterinary treatment, but it can help save your pet's life and reduce pain until that treatment is available.

You should read the full list of hints and suggestions on our Squidoo page, including a list of important things to keep by the phone and the ABC of first aid, but here are a few simple hints to get you thinking:

• First aid should be restricted to what is necessary to save an animal's life, to reduce pain and therefore to stop suffering until the animal receives attention by the vet.
• Don't panic and don't try to be a hero. An emergency situation will require you to be speedy, calm and safe. Think slowly but act fast.
• Keep a Dog First Aid kit at home and with you when you are travelling - ask your vet for advice on what to keep in here.
• Following any incident, treatment by a veterinary surgeon is essential.

The Credit Crunch: how dog owners are feeling the pinch and what to do to save money

At a time when food prices are rising, fuel is expensive, house prices are dropping and repossessions are increasing, it's easy to see how every family might want to tighten their belts.

One sad consequence of the 'credit crunch' in the UK is an increase in the number of dogs brought to Dogs Trust Rehoming Centres. With waiting lists growing, we do feel sympathy for those owners who feel they simply have no option but to give up their pet. Still, we urge dog owners (and those considering adopting a dog) to remember that simple measures such as neutering your dog and taking out pet insurance will pay dividends in the long run.

Some dog owners might think they can't afford to neuter their dog but Dogs Trust works with numerous veterinary practices and local councils on subsidised and free neutering programs. If you claim benefit and live within one of our campaign regions (North East, North West, Wales and Northern Ireland), you might be entitled to help with neutering costs. Follow the link to check if your postcode qualifies and find out more.

If you think you might soon be suffering from housing crisis, Dogs Trust Hope Project might be able to help too. Although the Veterinary Entitlement Card scheme is available only to homeless applicants, resources such as this list of UK-wide dog-friendly homelessness projects (including shelters, housing schemes and advice centres) could stop you from having to make the heartwrenching decision to give up your loyal four-legged companion at an already difficult time.

Some other charities and veterinary groups do offer free health checks, emergency treatments and subsidies. Try ringing around this list of veterinary contacts to find out more.

Many owners aren't in financial dire straits but want to reduce costs and count the pennies, whether short of cash, saving for something special or just a keen bargain hunter. My thanks to Petsugar, which inspired some of these tips:

• Give up your gym membership; what's better exercise than running around with your dog?
• Write a brutally honest list of your pet's needs and work out where you might be spending too much on toys and gadgets that aren't necessary.
• Luxury foods (with luxury prices) might not be offering your pet any more nutrients and could be loaded with extra fat and protein they don't need. Check ingredients, talk to your vet and make a healthy, budget-friendly choice of chow.
• Got a birthday coming up and would rather have something for the pets? Let your friends know!
• Prioritise your dog's health. Regular check ups, vaccinations and fast responses to illness will stop serious problems developing and the associated vet bills spiralling.
• Bargain hunt! Don't skimp on quality when it comes to toys and equipment as this could be dangerous (not to mention more expensive in the long run) but do pay attention to sales and bulk buys that could last a long time.

It's a hard time, but you need not make it harder by giving up your beloved pet. Remember, a dog is for life.