Owning a pet is rewarding, fun and can help to calm anxieties and relieve stress. Unfortunately, it can’t be like that all the time. Pets are smaller, more delicate creatures than us in a lot of ways, and there are lots of different ways that disaster can strike.
Today we’re looking at what you can do when you’re faced with a serious pet situation, so you can feel prepared, and be ready if and when the time comes.
Research Help
The most important thing you can do is know what help you have available. The very least you should do is register for your local vet. This is actually part of your responsibility under the UK’s 2006 Animal Welfare Act, to protect your pet from harm and suffering, but you can do more!
Sometimes, the worst problems can happen outside your vet’s regular hours. If your cat comes in from outside in the middle of the night with a serious injury then you might need to get to the vet there and then, not wait for the morning. When you first get your pet, look up emergency vets in your area, find the closest and note down the address and contact details so if you need them, you know who to call and where to go.
There are also times where it can be hard to tell if a trip to the vet is warranted: if your pet needs a vet’s help then you should get them there without delay, but if they don’t you’re just subjecting them to unnecessary stress and discomfort. This is where online vet help can be useful. An online vet can inspect your pet via a video call, tell you what the problem might be and advise you on what the next steps need to be – specifically whether you need to get to your brick-and-mortar vet’s surgery.
It’s well worth researching the available online vet options available to you so you know what to use when you need it.
Paying For Treatment
Vet’s bills are rarely cheap and serious or emergency treatment even less so. When your pet needs help, you don’t want money worries to come between you and the right choice, so it’s important to budget for your pet.
A serious health problem in a cat or a dog can make a hefty dent in your savings, so you might need a way to spread out the cost. Pet insurance could be an effective way to do this – as long as you choose the right plan to cover all the eventualities.
