Almost Perfect Pets: A Proactive Guide to Selection, Health Care and Pet Parenting

Authors' Note Preface 1. Path to an Almost Perfect Pet Why Own a Pet in the First Place? 4 The Concept of Pet Ownership 5 Planning for Success 8 Each Pet-Owner Relationship Is Unique 11 Pet-Specific Care 12 Putting It All Together 15 Case Example 17 2. Appropriate Pet Selection: A Companion for Life Acquiring a Pet: Check First Before Ever Selecting a Pet 19 Pet-Proofing Your Living Space 20 Other Considerations 23 The Selection Process 26 So Many Choices 28 Sources of Pets 30 Next Steps 33 Case Example 36 3. Purebreds, Mixed Breeds and Everything in Between Purebreds 38 Hybrids 41 Mixed Breeds 42 Hybrid Vigor: Is It Real? 47 The Big Picture 49 Final Thoughts 52 Case Example 52 4. Personalizing Health Care for Pets ( Pet-Specific Care) Why Embrace a New Approach? 57 Maintenance Schedules 61 Playing Detective 62 Predisposition to Disease 65 Family History 68 Horses and Zebras 71 Personalizing Cost of Care 71 Letting Go 72 Case Example 75 5. Pet Health Care Delivery in an On-Demand World The Veterinary Team 78 Telehealth 81 Remote Monitoring 85 Pet Portals 87 Blockchain 88 Case Example 91 6. Prevention: The Best Medicine Controlling the Situation 93 Controlling Infectious Diseases 96 Parasite Control 99 Exercise and Weight Management 102 Oral Care 104 Start with Healthy Stock 105 Identification 107 Body Modification 108 Case Example 110 7. Why Early-Detection Strategies Make Sense Genetic Testing 115 Orthopedic Screening 120 Specialist Evaluation 122 Other Testing 122 Do We Need to Test for Everything? 125 Case Example 126 Case Example 127 8. The Changing Nature of Pet Medications New Types of Medications 129 Buying Medications 131 Veterinary Medications Versus Human Medications 133 Generics and Biosimilars 134 Compliance and Adherence 135 Drug Resistance 137 Nutritional Therapeutics 139 Cannabinoids 141 Case Example 142 9. Nutritional Considerations Basic Pet Nutrition 144 Commercial Pet Foods 147 Homemade Diets 152 Raw Food Diets 154 Sustainability 156 Overnutrition 156 Case Example 158 10. Mindfulness and Pet Care: Promoting Positive Pet Mental Health Mindfulness 161 Stress and Anxiety in Pets 162 Reward and Punishment 164 Toilet Training 166 Socialization and Habituation 168 Almost Perfect Meets Fear Free (R) 169 Environmental Enrichment 170 Animal Welfare 173 Case Example 173 11. Pet Parenting Parenting Styles 179 Social Creatures: Dogs 181 Social Creatures: Cats 184 Succeeding Together 188 Case Example 189 12. Pet Health Care Affordability Pet Health Insurance 196 Payment and Wellness Plans 201 Other Options 202 Incremental Care 204 Till Death Do Us Part 205 Case Example 207 Index