Your Pet is Sick: What Do You Do?
If you’re a pet owner, then having a sick pet is the stuff of nightmares. Even if they’re not seriously ill, a pet that’s under the weather is a sad sight, and you need to know what to do to care for them until their symptoms abate. If they are seriously ill, then you have a whole extra batch of worries, as well as the potential costs of vet’s bills.
Perhaps worse is not knowing for sure what’s wrong and being torn between the disruption and stress of taking your pet to the vet, and keeping them safely at home (but potentially missing out on important treatment!). Uncertainty can weigh heavily on responsible pet owners. Today we’re looking at how you can cut through that uncertainty and make the decisions you need to take the best care of your sick pet.
Learning
It’s important for you to learn about your pet. In part, this will happen naturally: the longer you spend with them, the more you’ll get to know what’s normal for them and what it means when they depart from that baseline of normality. Gradually, you’ll learn the difference between serious problems, minor illness and strange moods and discomforts.
As well as this process of osmosis, you can research actively. Read up on the species you’ve chosen as your pet, as well as the specific breed you have. You’ll find out about common health problems and behavioural issues and how they manifest, and whether you can help your pet at home or if you’ll need to seek a vet’s help.
Get Advice
If, in spite of all your research you’re simply not sure what to do, then the next step is to get advice from an expert. You don’t want to subject your pet to the disruption of a trip to the vet if don’t really need it (and your bank balance wouldn’t thank you either) but if you can get advice from an expert without leaving the house you can make a much a more informed decision.
An online veterinarian might not be able to do blood tests or take x-rays, but they can listen to your description of the symptoms and make an initial examination of your pet. From this they can help you decide what is wrong and whether you need to get your pet to a vet’s practice for more tests.
Get Insured
If you’re worried about your pet, the last thing you want hanging over you are financial worries. A big vets bill can wipe out your savings, so you might find pet insurance is a better option. This swaps the occasional, unpredictable big lump sums for a smaller monthly amount it’s easier to work into a budget.