According to one UK credit comparison site, the lifetime cost of caring for our beloved pets may well work out to be more than we imagine! At this site you can calculate the likely cost of taking care of your pet, and see the ‘average’ results they calculate. Notional lifetime care costs are as follows, and remember that these only take into account the provision of routine preventative veterinary care:

•  Small dogs £22,344
•  Large dogs £19,577 (lower life expectancy)
•  Cats £15,147
•  Rabbits £7,405
• Hamsters £1,052

Of course, friends of The Ralph Site know that welcoming a pet into your life is not to be undertaken lightly, and cost is only one factor affecting the decision. Yet it is true that financial considerations are very important to address, and this is even more crucial when considering how you might deal with an unexpected vet bill.

Specialist veterinary care is, by necessity, expensive and there is no NHS for pets. According to Money Super Market.com , the average vet bill is now £300, with costs running into the thousands for emergency surgery and prolonged treatment of ongoing conditions. Choosing whether or not to insure your pet against unforeseen accidents or illness is always a personal decision, but we recommend that every pet carer considers the pros and cons very carefully. We’ve put together this simple summary of the types of policy available, but this is only a general introduction and you should always research the right policy for you, checking the small print carefully to ensure that cover is adequate for your needs.

There are three main types of pet insurance:

1.  Lifetime cover. As the name suggests, such policies run indefinitely for as long as you continue to pay the premiums. They offer comprehensive cover for your pet for life, giving you the ultimate peace of mind. Lifetime policies are the most cost effective option if your pet has a condition requiring regular care.
2. Annual policies. These last for a year, after which your insurer will propose a new premium if you wish to continue cover. If you have made a claim in the previous year, the monthly costs may increase and conversely, the amount of cover for future use may decrease. Most insurers set limits for the maximum amount they will pay out, either for a particular condition or in a calendar year. It’s very important to check what these limits are before taking out your policy, as if your dog requires monthly treatment or expensive drugs for the rest of his / her life, but your policy only covers £4,000 of care per condition, you’ll soon find that funds have run out. It’s worth noting that most insurers will exclude any pre-existing conditions from cover when a new policy is taken out, so check carefully before switching providers if your pet is current being / has been treated for a specific condition.
3.  Accident only. Any treatment for illness is excluded from cover, which can make premiums very low. Do think carefully about choosing this option though – a survey of Which? members showed that 70% of pet insurance claims were for illnesses.

In addition, most policies offer compensation for some or all of the following:

•  Death by accident or illness (usually for cats aged up to 10 years or 8 years for a dog)
• Advertising. If your pet goes missing you can claim back the cost of putting up posters and paying a reward
• Third-party liability (dog policies only). If your pet chews a valuable rug whilst visiting relatives, your insurer will cover the cost. Cats are legally considered to be ‘free spirits’ and thus their carers cannot be held liable for any damage they cause!
• Overseas travel cover
•  Cattery and kennel fees if you are hospitalised for at least two consecutive days
•  Euthanasia, cremation and burial
•  Dental treatment

Ultimately, only you can decide whether pet insurance is right for you and your pet. Whilst it may seem like an unnecessary expense when your pet is well, we think that the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you will never have to compromise the care given to your pet should the unthinkable happen is priceless.

Until next time, best wishes from Shailen and The Ralph Site team
The Ralph Site, non-profit pet loss support

Please note: The Ralph Site is not affiliated with the third-party organisations in any of the links shared here, and the views, ideas and suggestions expressed in this and other blogs are simply shared with the intention of helping you, our friends, take care of the special animals in your lives.

Sadly all too common in cats and dogs, dental disease can cause pain and discomfort for your pet long before you realise there is a problem. Dogs and cats are very good at hiding the fact that they feel under the weather and so you may not realise there is a problem until the visible symptoms become relatively advanced. Just as with our own dental health, prevention is always better than cure, and although best begun early in life, it is never too late to implement a good dental hygiene routine with your pets.

Plaque naturally forms on your pet’s teeth, and if it is not regularly removed the surrounding gums will become red and swollen and teeth become loose. Infection, inflammation and soreness of the gums follow, along with possible loss of teeth if the problem is advanced. Many people do not realise that bacteria from the infected mouth can also spread to other areas of the body and cause general health problems, particularly in older pets or those with compromised immune systems.

Visible signs of dental disease may include any or all of the following, so please do consult your vet for further advice if you notice:

•  Bad breath
• Increased salivation or constant licking
• Reluctance to play with chew toys or carry objects in the mouth
• Pawing at the mouth
• Dropping food or chewing only on one side
•  Avoidance of hard foods, such as biscuits
•  Jaw ‘chattering’, especially in cats
• Facial swelling
•  General sluggishness
• Sudden aggression

Feed a diet that features a high proportion of dry food can help with prevention – chewing the dry kibbles helps to ‘clean’ your pet’s teeth. Make sure there is plenty of water available at all times and also dry food may not be recommended for all animals; consult your vet if you are unsure. Special dental chews are now widely available for both dogs and cats, but do remember to reduce your pet’s daily calorie intake accordingly when offering these, to avoid weight gain.

You won’t be surprised to read that tooth brushing is the best way of keeping your pet’s teeth clean (although the thought of it might fill you with panic!). Many cats and dogs will tolerate tooth brushing, especially if it is part of their routine from an early age. Use specially formulated pet toothpaste and brush the teeth daily either with a baby finger brush or a child’s toothbrush. Regular dental check-ups with your vet are essential, and your pet’s mouth will also be examined during all routine examinations or health checks so that any potential issues can be spotted and addressed early on.

If you have a young dog at home, it’s a good idea to include a gentle oral examination in your puppy’s training (along with regularly looking in the ears and holding the paws) so that your dog becomes used to this type of handling and will not become stressed when a vet does the same in the future.

There’s lots more advice about caring for your pet’s teeth on the RSPCA website.

Until next time, best wishes from Shailen and The Ralph Site team.
The Ralph Site, non-profit pet loss support

Please note: The Ralph Site is not affiliated with the third-party organisations in any of the links shared here, and the views, ideas and suggestions expressed in this and other blogs are simply shared with the intention of helping you, our friends, take care of the special animals in your lives.

For many people who share their homes with a dog, the very thought of Bonfire Night triggers a wave of panic that builds to a sense of sheer dread as the day itself approaches. The loud bangs, whooshes and pops that delight any children in the house can just as easily set off hours of barking, whimpering, cowering and scratching amongst the canine residents. So many people find themselves in this predicament year after year, but the good news is that by starting early it is possible to reduce the fear felt by pets on the night.

The trick is to use noise desensitisation – exposing pets gradually to a series of noises and firework sounds so that over time they become accustomed to the experience and learn that there is nothing to fear. There are several CD packages and downloadable programmes available to purchase, but you may like to know that Dogs Trust has partnered with vets Sarah Heath and Jon Bowen, both internationally respected experts in animal behaviour, to offer the duo’s sound-based treatment programmes for free from here.

The principles of therapy are simple – over a period of about eight weeks, your pet encounters firework (and other) sounds that gradually increase in volume and duration, in a part of the home where he/she feels safe and comfortable. Once your pet has become desensitised to the sounds that used to be scary, counter-conditioning teaches your pet to associate the noises he/she used to find terrifying with rewards. A final stage then helps your pet look to you for reassurance – when you are happy and panic-free, he/she readily accepts that it’s OK to feel the same.

The process of desensitisation is necessarily lengthy – after all you are working on reversing learned behaviours that your dog may have developed over many years. It takes time and patience but your consistent approach and perseverance will be rewarded with real success. Of course, for some pets the fear is too deeply engrained for a home programme to be fully effective, and in such cases we recommend speaking to your vet about the help available. Many veterinary practices have vets or nurses who specialise in behavioural counselling and they can help you and your pet come to terms with the noises and events that cause panic and fear.

So don’t delay – if Bonfire Night is an annual nightmare (both for your pet and yourself!), taking action now will help take the pressure off on the night. Good luck!

Until next time, best wishes from Shailen and The Ralph Site team
The Ralph Site, non-profit pet loss support

Please note: The Ralph Site is not affiliated with the third-party organisations in any of the links shared here, and the views, ideas and suggestions expressed in this and other blogs are simply shared with the intention of helping you, our friends, take care of the special animals in your lives.

We have spoken before about how keeping a diary or scrapbook of your memories can be very helpful in easing the transition from raw grief to some kind of acceptance. Such treasure troves of happier times can also provide great comfort when revisited in the months and years ahead, either on anniversaries or just when the need arises.

There are lots of ways you can record these special memories, and in this week’s blog we take a look at some ideas for memorialising your pet in words and pictures, rather than through physical markers such as stones and plaques.

Memory books

Scrapbooks and photo albums are widely available and come in all shapes and sizes, to suit all budgets. You can also make your own by collecting certificates, pictures and leaflets from favourite spots you may have visited together and storing them in a memory box or folder, or sticking into a diary or notebook.

Online remembrance pages

Many veterinary practices have a page on their websites dedicated to posts from clients who have lost much-loved pets. Check with your practice how you can upload images and words if so. You may also wish to create your own website in honour of your pet(s) – companies such as WordPress  offer lots of templates to help you design a website for free, with hosting then typically costing just a few pounds per month.

The Ralph Site memorials

Our parent site, The Ralph Site, holds hundreds of memorials, with more being added every day. It’s free to add your own detailed entry, all you need to do is register with your name and email address (we promise that the information you provide is secure and confidential and will not be shared with any third party). Alternatively you can choose to register using your Facebook details.

Please be aware that on the first three anniversaries of your pet’s passing we may choose to feature your pet in our ‘on this day we especially remember’ Facebook post. Many pet carers have found the community support received when these anniversary posts are shared to be very comforting.

Facebook group

You might like to create a private memorial group for friends and family to share their memories and emotions:

•  Click the option ‘Create Group’ beneath ‘Groups’ in the left sidebar of your Facebook page
• A popup window will appear, where you can name your group and add any members you want. You can also set privacy settings here.
• Click the ‘Create’ button

You can also post on The Ralph Site’s open-access Facebook page  or join our members-only closed group by visiting this link and leaving a request to join.

However you choose to memorialise your pet, whether publically or privately, online or on paper, you’ll be taking positive steps along the healing journey. We wish you well.

Until next time, best wishes from Shailen and The Ralph Site team
The Ralph Site, non-profit pet loss support 

Please note: The Ralph Site is not affiliated with the third-party organisations in any of the links shared here, and the views, ideas and suggestions expressed in this and other blogs are simply shared with the intention of helping you, our friends, take care of the special animals in your lives.

With 800,000 pet rabbits in the UK, it’s safe to say that many of The Ralph Site’s  friends will share their lives with a lagomorph (rabbits belong to the family Leporidae, of the order Lagomorph).

Today there is a wider understanding of the needs of pet rabbits, and the days of lone rabbits being kept in small hutches are hopefully mostly gone – now a huge range of hutches and runs are available to ensure that there’s always a home to suit your rabbits. We thought it would be useful to remind our readers of the basic requirements when choosing homes for rabbits:

• Rabbits are naturally sociable animals and should not be routinely housed alone. Neutered, male-female pairs are best.
• Did you know that rabbits are ‘crepescular’ (most active at dusk and dawn) – traditionally the times when they are locked up for the night. Ideally your rabbits should have a large, safe enclosure where they can explore at these times.
•  Your rabbits should spend at least an hour each day out of the hutch, but aim for more if you can.
•  The hutch should be at least large enough to allow your rabbits to stretch up, lie flat out and hop around.
• Place the hutch in a draught free spot that’s dry, away from predators and sheltered from extreme weather.
• The hutch should be lifted off the ground to keep other creatures out of the way.
• Check that catches and locks are sturdy enough to withstand the attention of visiting predators.
• Provide a darkened area for your rabbits to hide in.
•  It is totally natural for rabbits to dig, so why not create a soil pile in the run for them to enjoy re-shaping?!

There’s lots more information on the housing and welfare requirements of pet rabbits here.

Hamsters, gerbils and mice are also very popular indoor pets, and they too have specific housing requirements. Here’s a reminder of some of the key points to remember:

• Buy the largest cage you can – your pet will appreciate the space!
• The cage should be comfortable, dry and draught-free, placed in a quiet spot.
•  If at all possible, place your pet’s cage in a room where the lights go off at roughly the same time each night.
•  Rodents are very sensitive to high frequency sounds that we cannot hear and thus living next to television sets, computer screens, vacuum cleaners or sources of running water can cause stress.
•  Choose appropriate bedding and nesting material, avoiding those that can separate into thin strands (cotton wool) as your pet may get caught up in the fibres or suffer with internal problems if they are digested.
•  Naturally rodents live in deep burrows – provide enough depth of wood shavings and / or shredded paper for your pet to dig and burrow into.
• Cages with tunnels and tubes will help replicate the natural environment and keep your pet stimulated and well exercised.

More information can be found here.

Until next time, best wishes from Shailen and The Ralph Site team
The Ralph Site, non-profit pet loss support

Please note: The Ralph Site is not affiliated with the third-party organisations in any of the links shared here, and the views, ideas and suggestions expressed in this and other blogs are simply shared with the intention of helping you, our friends, take care of the special animals in your lives.