Lake Country - Best Paw Forward

The FREEMAN
&
ENTERPRISE
Lake Country
THIS MONTH
AUGUST 2015
INSIDE
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
WAUKESHA, WI
PERMIT NO. 3
Coach
of the year
Page 7
Charles Auer/Freeman Staff
Australian Shepherd Remmy looks up at owner Jose Aguirre following a class at Best Paw Forward Dog Training in the City of
Pewaukee.
The X’s and O’s of pet safety
Car warnings only a part of keeping pets safe
Barbara
Eash
antiques
column
Page 5
HARTLAND — Your Facebook feed
might feature an entry on pet safety as
you begin to read this article.
Posts listing the dangers of locking a
dog or cat in a warm car on a hot day are
prolific, and with good reason. No one
wants to see an innocent animal suffer,
especially when that suffering is preventable.
Lisa Schmick is the owner of Best Paw
Forward, 1005 Richards Road in Hart-
land. Schmick trains dogs for a living,
and advises against leaving any pet in a
vehicle on a hot day.
According to the American Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
the temperature in a parked car on 78degree day can reach 160 degrees in a
matter of minutes, even with the windows cracked.
Keeping a pet safe in such circumstances is simple: Don’t lock them in a
closed car on a hot day. Even cracking
the windows is a dubious prospect,
because animals are always warmer
than humans.
245139001
By Chris Bennett
Special to The Freeman
Beyond car warnings
Hazards are everywhere, and animal
safety consists of more than making
sure the windows of your car are
cracked when temperatures soar.
“A lot of people don’t know dogs can
burn the pads of their paws,” Schmick
said. “They can get very serious burns
on the bottom of their feet if the pavement is too hot.”
See PETS, PAGE 4
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244449003
Page 4 • FREEMAN & ENTERPRISE LAKE COUNTRY
AUGUST 2015
Finding food for furry friends
Pet insurance gaining traction
Do homework before settling on pet food
Policy can help keep lid on medical bills
By Chris Bennett
Special to The Freeman
HARTLAND — We would
cook for our pets as we cook
for ourselves in a perfect
world.
We would buy food suited
for our pets and prepare it in
a tasty way that is both
healthy and nutritious. Fido
or Whiskers would feast, and
the banquet would serve both
their tummies and their
souls.
That “perfect world” exists
somewhere
between
Atlantis, Candyland and Narnia.
“It’s a fact that we live busy
lives, and we need shelf-stable, convenient, safe food for
our animals,” said veterinarian Dr. Chris Bessent. “If we
were the most dedicated pet
owners, we would cook them
real meals, like we do for ourselves.
“How many people can do
that? Most people don’t even
do it for themselves.”
Bessent owns Herbsmith,
455 E. Industrial Drive in
Hartland. Herbsmith —
http://www.herbsmithinc.co
m — produces herbal supplements for dogs, cats and horses. Bessent also maintains
her veterinary practice in
Oconomowoc, and specializes in dogs, cats, horses and
cows.
HARTLAND — The phrase
“pet insurance” might bring
to mind images of the monocled gentleman from the
game
“Monopoly,”
Mr.
Monopoly, sitting about his
mansion, drinking tea with
an extended pinky and
chortling over another windfall earned on Standard Oil
stock.
Pet insurance sounds like a
luxury reserved for only the
very well-off among us, but it
is becoming a more mainstream part of American life.
Chipotle started offering
pet insurance as an employee
benefit in 2002. MGM Resorts
International, the largest
employer in Las Vegas, started offering pet insurance in
2006, and the number of
employers offering pet insurance has continued to rise
over the last 10 years.
“If it allows pet owners to
get better preventative and
emergency care in a timely
fashion, it’s something we
support, but it has to be an
independent decision,” said
Kimberly Brown Pokorny,
executive director of the
Madison-based
Wisconsin
Veterinary Medical Association. “Because pet insurance
is still fairly new, really, as a
pet owner, compare apples to
apples. Doing your homework
is very important. All the
plans vary quite a bit.”
An investment
like no other
Bessent advocates a highend diet specifically tailored
to the pet, regardless of cost.
Your pet’s diet should take
into account the pet’s age,
activity level and current
health profile. Bessent views
the feeding of a pet as an
investment in the animal’s
health and livelihood.
“You’ll pay now or you’ll
pay later,” Bessent said.
“After 28 years in veterinary
practice, that’s what I see
going on. Dogs and cats that
get fed better live longer,
healthier lives and don’t need
as much veterinary care.”
Where does one start when
considering how to feed their
pet? The amount of information available is as dizzying
as the collision of color one
sees on a trip through the pet
aisle.
“It’s challenging for the pet
owners,” Heather Gehrke
said. Gehrke is the executive
director of the Elmbrook
Humane Society, 20950 Enterprise Avenue in Brookfield.
Charles Auer/Freeman Staff
Frank, an Australian cattle dog, runs outside following a puppy
class at Best Paw Forward Dog Training in the City of Pewaukee.
Elmbrook serves the Lake
Country communities of
Chenequa, Nashotah and the
Town of Delafield. “There
are so many options, especially for new pet owners.
When you walk into whatever store that sells pet food,
that section in the store is
overwhelming.”
Start with good information. Discuss your pet’s
health and physical condition with your veterinarian.
“To me,” Bessent said, “the
question is, ‘What type of
dog do I have and what do I do
with my dog? What’s the
lifestyle of that dog?’”
Bessent said a Labrador
that hikes and swims with its
owners will need a different
diet than a pug that sleeps
during the day and cuddles
during the evening.
“Those dogs are going to be
fed very differently, even at
the same age,” Bessent said.
Shop at a local, independently owned pet store after
consulting with your veterinarian.
“Go to a high-quality pet
store,” Bessent said. “In my
opinion, the best pet stores
are usually independently
owned, and they’re very
holistically minded.”
Bessent said staff members at independent pet
stores are usually capable of
taking the advice of your veterinarian and finding a food
that best suits your pet.
Finding the right fuel
Consider the first five
ingredients when purchasing pet food. Bessent said
those ingredients comprise
the majority of the food.
Look for meat and quality
carbohydrates, such as peas
or potatoes. Avoid corn and
soy.
“A lot of foods have great
marketing and beautiful
packaging,” Bessent said.
“You’ll pay a lot for them, and
they’re not good foods.”
Less active animals do not
need as many calories. Look
for food with less fat, protein
and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates in pet food are getting
a lot of attention.
Bessent said dogs are scavenger carnivores. Cats are
hunter-killers.
Carbohydrates are not a staple of
either animal’s diet.
“Cats are true carnivores
and should have minimal
carbs,” Bessent said. “Those
really fat cats are carb
junkies. They’re that way
because of what we feed
them.”
If Fido or Whiskers get
pudgy you must consider the
quality and quantity of the
diet. Pics on the Internet of
fat pets might bring a chuckle, but Bessent said such an
animal is in significant distress and its quality of life is
diminished.
You should also stress variety in your pet’s diet. Strive
for what Bessent calls “guts
of steel.”
“In the real world, a cat or a
dog isn’t going to say, ‘I only
eat rabbits. I’m not going to
eat that fish,’” Bessent said.
“They’re going to eat whatever comes their way. That’s
how it should be in their feeding as well. Change up their
protein sources and what
they’re eating all the time.”
Is it worth it?
The American Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals estimates recurring
annual medical costs of $235
for a medium-sized dog and
$160 for a cat. Recurring medical costs are described as
exams, vaccinations, heartworm prevention and topical
flea and tick prevention.
The ASPCA estimates
health insurance costs of $225
per year for small, medium
and large dogs and $175 per
year for cats.
Insurance costs can vary
depending on the policy. Some
policies cover spaying and
neutering, vaccinations and
heartworm medicine. The
annual deductible can also
vary, depending on the policy.
The financial publishing
house Bankrate reports that
the cost of pet surgery can
easily run into the thousands
of dollars. It is easy to see
where the concept of pet
Pets
From Page 1
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Schmick said to place your
bare hand flat to the pavement before going for a walk.
If it’s uncomfortable for you,
it’s uncomfortable for your
dog.
You should also apply the
same maxims to traveling
with pets in winter as in
summer. Vehicles quickly
become frigid once the heat is
off, and the insulation of pets
only goes so far.
There are several general
steps Schmick advises taking
to ensure your pet’s safety on
a daily basis.
“Every owner should have
ID tags on their dogs, and it’s
a good idea to have them
microchipped,”
Schmick
said. “If the tags fall off, (the
chip) can be read by a reader.”
Schmick also advises getting your pets spayed and
neutered at an age-appropriate point in the animal’s life,
and adhering to a schedule of
check-ups and vaccinations.
Be
sure
examinations
include dental health checks.
“Think about us humans,”
Schmick said. “If you don’t
brush and floss your teeth,
that plaque and tartar grows.
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Lilly, a mixed breed puppy, pulls at the leash as she hears her
owner, Kristy Lowell, call her during a puppy class at Best Paw
Forward Dog Training in the City of Pewaukee.
Pet insurance comes with
caveats. Most carriers do not
cover pre-existing conditions.
For pet insurance to be effective, the policy must be in
place from the time one starts
caring for the animal or prior
to a major health event.
Brown Pokorny and Gilligan also said most pet insurance works through reimbursement. An owner must
first pay any bills and then
file a reimbursement claim
with the insurance company.
There are genetic conditions insurance will not cover.
According to Consumer
Affairs, a consumer advocacy
group based in Lake Tahoe,
Nev., this is most common
with dogs. Brown Pokorny
said hip dysplasia in large
dogs is a common genetic condition that some policies
don’t cover.
It also costs more to insure
some dog breeds. Rottweilers,
Great Danes and Burmese
mountain dogs are among the
most expensive to insure
because of genetic disposition to maladies such as cancer and, again, hip dysplasia.
What that means is the pet
owner will pay more if the
policy covers hip dysplasia in
large dogs.
Factors such as your pet’s
age at enrollment, gender,
where the pet lives and
whether it’s been spayed or
neutered might also be considered.
The American Veterinary
Medical Association recommends that, regardless of the
insurance provider, your pet
be cared for as part of a veterinarian-client-patient relationship
According to the AVMA, a
such a relationship exists
when your veterinarian
knows your pet well enough
to be able to diagnose and
treat any medical conditions
your animal develops. A conversation with your veterinarian is the best course of
action when deciding to
obtain pet insurance.
It can affect other areas of
the body. It’s the same with
dogs.”
Schmick also said to make
sure your dog is trained and
well-socialized. Work on
developing solid recall so the
dog will return if it gets offleash. Schmick said you also
want to train a dog to leave
alone anything it finds on the
ground.
“Make sure your dog is OK
with other dogs and with
other people,” Schmick said.
“Most dogs lack good socialization. That starts when
they’re young. There’s a window of opportunity for puppies to get well-socialized.
Once that window closes, it
becomes harder to get our
dogs socialized.”
Schmick also said for pet
owners to discuss with their
veterinarian simple first aid
procedures, such as the
Heimlich maneuver.
Awareness of pet safety
will forever be an unintended
consequence of Hurricane
Katrina. Katrina hit the Gulf
Coast in the late summer of
2005. Many people did not
evacuate because of uncertainty regarding the fate of
their pets.
“They’re concerned and
aware of their situation, but
their actions are dependent
on whether they’ve made
plans for taking their pets
with them, or finding another way to keep their pets
safe,” Kathy Schwei said.
Schwei is a program analyst
in the Waukesha County
Emergency
Management
Office.
Emergency preparedness
and disaster planning personnel are now aware people
are reluctant to evacuate
without being able to take
their pets.
“If you evacuate, it would
be best to take your pet with
you, since you don’t know
how long you might be gone,”
Schwei said. “If you take
your pet with you, it is important to have those really basic
support items.”
Schwei said a good starting
point is food and a leash. The
leash helps one control a pet,
and keeps the pet and others
safe. You will also want a supply of any medicine needed
by your pet.
The Waukesha County
Office of Emergency Management
offers
several
resources for disaster planning with pets on its website.
The office’s website is
accessed
through
https://www.waukeshacounty.gov.
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Whether it’s necessary is
another question.
“On the veterinary side,
since all expenditures are
paid out of disposable
income, it’s not the expectation that the pet will have
insurance,” Dr. Tom Gilligan
said. Gilligan is the owner of
North Lake Veterinary Clinic
in Hartland and a past president of the WVMA. “Veterinary medicine is, I think,
very reasonably priced compared to human medicine.
“There are cases that absolutely the insurance has benefited the pet owner. Some
companies are easier to work
with than others, and you
need to watch what they consider a pre-existing condition.”
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245638001
By Chris Bennett
Special to The Freeman