Too Often Rescue Animals Get the Short End of the Health Care Stick.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 26, 2010 – Animal Health Alliance strives to offer their benefits to all pets, regardless of their age, pedigree, pre-existing conditions, or hereditary predispositions. And regardless of whether or not they were adopted through a rescue organization. These rescued animals especially, need complete and consistent veterinary care, yet they are sometimes neglected by pet insurance policies.

Animal Health Alliance is partnering with animal rescues and shelters all over the country to support their efforts and to help their animals. New parents who adopt through these rescue organizations are offered a reduced AHA membership rate, and AHA makes a donation to the referring rescues.

A membership in Animal Health Alliance grants pet owners a significant discount on veterinary bills when they receive services through in-network veterinarians. This allows pets to receive better health care, because their owners can afford to be more vigilant about their wellness needs.

Rescues and shelters are invited to contact Animal Health Alliance to discuss partnership possibilities.

For more information, contact Miriam Younger, Community Coordinator. (513)549-2412. animalhealthalliance@gmail.com

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Animal Health Alliance is a company created with a dual mission: to promote responsible pet ownership, and to save the lives of animals.

Pets Are Family Members Too. Shouldn’t They Be Part of the Package?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 06, 2010 – Sixty-three percent of US households include pets. Ninety percent of pet owners consider their pets to be members of the family. The health care needs of pets are a very real expense for families, yet benefit packages rarely acknowledge this.

Animal Health Alliance, a recently-launched, Cincinnati-based company, offers a unique opportunity for employers and organizations. Employers looking for innovative ways to improve their benefit packages might consider including family pets.

Animal Health Alliance offers members an affordable alternative to pet health insurance. Employers can offer this membership at no cost to themselves.

· No minimum group participation required.
· No employer contributions required.
· Program can be group or individually billed.
· Multiple year rate guarantees are available.

Membership to Animal Health Alliance provides people with a 25% discount on veterinary bills, when their pets receive care from in-network veterinarians. Employers who offer this membership will be helping to save animals’ lives and to promote responsible pet ownership.

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Animal Health Alliance is a company created with a dual mission: to promote responsible pet ownership, and to save the lives of animals.

October 13th – National Pet Obesity Awareness Day

Our Pets Have Fallen Prey to the Obesity Epidemic.

In America, more than half of the adult population is overweight and obese, and more than half of the dog and cat populations are overweight or obese. It seems people are handing bad health habits down to their pets.

Animal Health Alliance is working to reverse this trend by educating pet owners. They are joining the fight against pet obesity by helping to spread awareness about this issue. Overweight and obese pets are prone to diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and cancer.

Pet obesity costs pet owners millions of dollars each year. Oftentimes, the veterinary bills become overwhelming and pet owners decide to have their pets euthanized because they cannot afford health care. Animal Health Alliance wants this to stop, and is helping by providing discounts on member’s veterinary bills.

In honor of National Pet Obesity Awareness Day, Animal Health Alliance is asking you to take an honest look at your pet(s). If you think they may be overweight or obese, please schedule an appointment with a veterinarian today. Visit Animal Health Alliance’s website to find a network provider who can help your loved ones live long and healthy lives.

Animal Health Alliance is a company created with a dual mission: to promote responsible pet ownership, and to save the lives of animals.

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For more information, contact Miriam Younger, Community Coordinator. (513)549-2412. animalhealthalliance@gmail.com

Economic euthanasia is on the rise because many pet owners have not planned ahead.

Newly launched Animal Health Alliance offers a solution for pet owners to help curb the cost of expensive veterinary care.

Cincinnati-based Animal Health Alliance L.L.C. (http://animalhealthalliance.com) is a new company offering an alternative to expensive pet health insurance. Members receive a significant savings when they use in-network veterinary providers.

Unlike pet insurance, all pets are guaranteed membership, regardless of age, health, pre-existing conditions, or hereditary predispositions. There are no deductibles to meet, and no annual limit on discounts. Virtually all medical conditions are covered, including, but not limited to: regular wellness checks, spaying and neutering, vaccinations, accidents, poisonings and overdoses, and cancers.

* As part of their recently launched website, Animal Health Alliance offers a veterinarian locator option. AHA is currently expanding its network to include the following cities: Cincinnati, Albuquerque, Tucson, Seattle, Denver, Colorado Springs, Austin, San Francisco, Tampa, Sacramento, Nashville, San Diego, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Miami, Boca Raton, Tulsa, Pittsburgh, Omaha, Wichita, Oakland, Phoenix, Dallas, Minneapolis, St.Paul, San Jose, Kansas City, Houston, Atlanta, Columbus, Honolulu, Fresno, Louisville, San Antonio, Arlington, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Memphis, Los Angeles, Cleveland, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Boston, Baltimore, El Paso, Washington D.C., Detroit, and Jacksonville, Portland.

* Veterinarians from any location are invited to join the network at no charge.

* AHA proudly collaborates with shelters and rescues, allowing newly adopted pet owners to receive discounted memberships for new adoptions. These animals are often considered uninsurable.

* A single-family pet plan costs $99.95 a year. Multi-pet family rates are available for an additional $69.95 per year. AHA offers a 30 day money back guarantee. Organizations receive discounted group rates.

* Nine out of ten people consider pets to be members of the family, so AHA invites employers to offer AHA membership to their employees.

* AHA membership is available to household pets only, not livestock.

Animal Health Alliance is a company created with a dual mission: to promote responsible pet ownership, and to save the lives of animals.

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For more information, contact Miriam Younger, Community Coordinator. (513)549-2412. animalhealthalliance@gmail.com

Cancer is common in dogs, especially in older dogs.  Fifty percent of dogs over the age of 10 do develop cancer at some point.  Some breeds are more prone than others, e.g. Golden Retrievers, Boxers, and Bernese Mountain Dogs.  (Ask your breeder if cancer runs in the genes.  Knowledge is a good defense in itself!)

However, a diagnosis of cancer is not a death sentence for your dog.  The majority of dog cancers can be dealt with surgically.

Cancer is only half as common in cats as it is in dogs, but it does happen.  In fact, no pet is really safe from cancer.  Ferrets are unusually prone to it:  50-70% of ferrets over the age of 3 will develop cancer.

Cancer even occurs in snakes, though the cases are underreported, because often the symptoms don’t show themselves.  If you are a snake owner, you need to regularly examine your pet for lumps, bumps, swelling, and growths that look like moles.  Boa constrictors are especially prone to cancer.

One of the best things you can do for your pet is to spay or neuter him or her early in life, preferably before the first heat cycle.  This will go a long way toward preventing cancer.

Second, talk to your veterinarian about proper nutrition, especially if you are a ferret owner, as ferrets have unique nutritional needs.

If you are a cat owner, be sure to get your cat vaccinated against the feline leukemia virus.

If you have a pet with teeth, then good oral hygiene is also important in the prevention of cancer.

The most important advice is to be vigilant.  Check your pet for growths, for symptoms, and if you notice anything strange, take her to the vet immediately.  Also be sure to take your pet to the vet for regular check-ups.

Yes, cancer happens.  But if detected early, it can be treated, and your pet can enjoy a long, happy, cancer-free life.

Many animals suffer from bad breath.  It is really quite natural, as unpleasant as it may be for us.  But that doesn’t mean we have to just live with it.  In fact, our animals will live longer and healthier lives if we take action against bad breath, because many of the things that cause your pet’s bad breath can cause more serious health problems later on.

The number one cause of bad breath in most animals, most of the time, is buildup of plaque and tartar.  Plaque is a thin layer of film that grows on all teeth, which can easily be removed with daily brushing.  If we miss some, however, plaque can harden into tarter.  You can not remove tarter with a toothbrush, and it is time to seek professional help.

Are you thinking, “Oh gross!” right now?  Let’s be honest — pet owners are heroes.  You are willing to buy your precious one an expensive winter coat, take her to a cat spa, fly her on a plane, buy him organic dog food, and spend thousands of dollars on veterinary care – but yet, many of you recoil at the thought of brushing your sweet one’s (not so sweet) teeth?

I was the same way.  But you will get used to it.  Your pet will adjust.  Most animals even learn to like it.  So, for starters, start brushing your pet’s teeth.  Today.  And do it every day.  Don’t use toothpaste designed for people though.  Your animal won’t be able to spit it out and could get very sick from swallowing it.  There are a plethora of choices out there for animal toothpastes.  Your veterinarian or pet store should be able to point you toward a species-specific, high quality toothpaste and toothbrush.

If you get in there and find something that you can’t brush off, it is likely tarter, and you need to seek professional help.  Most veterinarians offer complete dental care.  Many professional groomers will also do dental cleanings.

Do not assume that just because your pet chews on something hard, his teeth are clean.  This is a common misconception.  Throwing your dog a rawhide will not substitute for brushing his teeth.  Minty treats are all well and good, but are not a substitution for hygiene.

If, after all your toothpaste and elbow grease, your pet’s bad breath persists, there could be an underlying cause.  Your animal could be suffering from gingivitis (inflammation of gums) or periodontitis (inflammation of the ligaments and bones that support the teeth).  Your animal might also have a broken, decayed, or abscessed tooth.  She might even have a tumor.  Or, it could be something as simple as having something stuck in his mouth and decaying.  You will need to get your veterinarian to help treat these conditions.

Whatever you do, don’t ignore bad breath.  In light of all you do for your loved ones, why not add oral hygiene vigilance to the line up?  Your pet will be happier.  You will be happier.  You can resume snuggling.

Roundworms

Roundworms are the most common worms found in cats and dogs.  These are the large worms that look like spaghetti noodles.  The roundworms live in your pet’s intestines, and the eggs pass out in the feces.

In order for a human to get roundworms, he or she would have to ingest an egg.  This is uncommon, but does happen occasionally, and most cases involve children.  It is not uncommon for children to play outside with the dogs, and accidentally get some fecal matter on their hands, unbeknownst to the parents.

Prevention is the key.  Deworm your dog regularly.  Keep any area heavily trafficked by people free of pet waste.  And teach your children to wash their hands after they play with their pets, and always before they eat.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are also common.  They are long, flat, and look like tape.  Tapeworms live in your pet’s intestines.  Pieces of the worm break off and can be found in your pet’s fecal matter.  These look like pieces of rice, and are sometimes still moving when you find them.

You cannot get a tapeworm from your dog directly.  In order to become infected with tapeworm, you would have to ingest a flea that had eaten tapeworm eggs.  This is very rare.

Your best prevention against tapeworm is aggressive flea control.  Also, do not allow children to play in potentially contaminated areas.

Heartworms

Heartworms are large worms that live in the hearts of animals, most commonly in dogs.  Dogs get heartworm by being bitten by an infected mosquito.

You cannot get heartworm from your pet, unless you have a pet mosquito.  The only way to contract heartworm is to be bitten by an infected mosquito.  Still, it is very rare, and when a human is infected by a heartworm, a single heartworm is usually found in the lung.

Prevention for humans?  Insect repellant!

Hookworms

Hookworms are tiny, thin worms that hook into the pet’s intestinal wall.  Hookworms cannot be seen with the naked eye.

You can get hookworms by coming in contact with fecal matter, or with soil that has been contaminated with fecal matter.  Hookworms can infect a person either through ingestion or by penetrating the skin.

To protect yourself and your children from hookworms, practice good hygiene, and do not walk barefoot in any areas where animals could have left waste, e.g. dog parks.

Whipworms

Whipworms are long, thin, whip-shaped worms that live in an animal’s colon.  Animals get whipworms by ingesting whipworm eggs, which are found in the fecal matter of other infected animals.

Humans can get whipworms by ingesting these eggs.  It is uncommon, but possible.

Prevent this rarity by practicing vigilant hygiene for both your human family and your pets.  If you have had a whipworm problem with your pets, make sure you clean up all pet waste from your property.  Try not to let your children play in an area that could be contaminated by your pets, or by anyone else’s, as whipworm eggs can live a long time.