One of the UK’s leading pet insurance companies is warning of the oncoming period of kitten sniffles and puppy rashes among other common pet ailments. With the summer set to be a scorcher, the UK is bracing itself for the annual allergy alert. As Simply Pet Insurance discovered, Britain’s pet owners need to start asking the right questions early.

M&S Premier Pet Insurance has sent out the warning, amid fears of record claims for veterinary services in the UK. The British-owned company pays out up to £7,000 a year in veterinary fees and has become a firm favourite among consumers.

Common Complaints

It’s little surprise that many pet owners don’t realise that our pets can contract many of the same skin complaints as us — and like us, these complaints can’t usually be cured. With summer heating up, it’s up to pet owners to consider their pet’s common complaints and get the lowdown on who to talk to.

Skin allergies tend to rise with the increase in pollen, while the annual spawning of fleas adds to the problem facing British pet owners, however experts tell us that most allergies are simple to treat if seen early.

UK Pet Insurance Recommendation

One such service recommended by M&S Premier Pet Insurance is Vetfone™, a 24-hour advice line catering to UK pet owners. Vetfone Operations Manager, Louise O’Dwyer, said: “Allergies in pets can be incredibly frustrating for the owner. The most common allergies we see are those affecting the skin, with the most common symptom being itching. However the respiratory tract can also be affected, leading to wheezing, sneezing or coughing.

“Just like in humans there are also dietary allergies where the digestive system is affected sometimes resulting in the animal having diarrhoea or vomiting.”

Expert Advice for Pet Allergies

Experts are predicting a heated summer, and advice from across the board is to keep an eye out for early signs of allergies in your pets. Handle them often, and use bathing times to examine the most common areas for infection.

While buying good pet insurance will help some way towards the cost of treatment, it’s naturally much fairer to be proactive and look for preventative measures. Keep an eye on Simply Pet Insurance for the latest on the seasonal ailments affecting your pets.

Has your pet suffered from an allergy? What treatment did you choose? Our readers really value good, honest feedback from fellow pet-owners, would you consider sharing your experience with us?

Do you have a problem with curious cats? Those neighbourhood pussycats that think a catflap is a community portal, rather than exclusive access for your resident moggy? It’s a common problem in towns across the country, but thanks to some local innovation there is now a timely solution.

Failing to stop neighbourhood cats can have all kinds of ramifications for your home. Cats are territorial, and they’re always on the prowl for a new patch. Cats spread disease quite easily between themselves, and won’t hesitate in eating your moggy’s food.

Cats live in a world of powerful scents, and many believe it to be their most trusted sense. It’s believed a mature cat can sense catnip when diluted 1:1,000,000,000, and it’s this overriding sense of smell that leads them to follow their nose, and through your catflap.

Keep your cat safe

Like all animals, cats have no sense of human borders. Your catflap is just an access route to territory, much the same as a hole in a rock is, or a loose fence post. It’s not just the power to detect scents that make our cats such incredible explorers; it’s the power to leave their scented mark.

Cats have scent glands along the tail, on their temples, their lips, and chin and on the underside of their front paws. They brush these against features, and it’s their way of drawing a line in the sand. I live here now. Naturally, for domesticated cats we want to avoid this kind of bolshie attitude. We can’t eliminate it, it’s instinctual, but one inventor has come up with an ingenious idea.

Hightech Catflap

Dr Nick Hill has invented SureFlap, a device that uses radio frequency identification technology built around your catflap. We agree, it sounds a very futuristic solution to an age-old problem, but the device is proving to be a hit among cat owners across the globe.

The device works a lot like many electric garages. A microchip cat flap is programmed to recognise the ID chip already installed in your cat. When your cat approaches the SureFlap it automatically allows access, and the device is built to allow access for up to 32 different cats, while consistently locking out mischievous intruders.

We like SureFlap because it presents a simple solution, to a big problem. By allowing cats to roam freely between homes we discourage the sense of security our own cat feels at home. For more information, visit the SureFlap website or find them at the SureFlap Facebook page.

Do you have a problem with intruding cats? What’s your favoured solution? Do you think SureFlap fits your needs? What could they do to improve the system? We’d love to hear your thoughts, and fellow readers could really benefit from what you have to say, consider leaving a comment below.

There are approximately 3 million vegetarians in the UK, and many of them are pet owners. However many continue to support the meat industry they loathe, by feeding their pets meat-based food. Some believe it’s one of the most blatant acts of hypocrisy in the movement, while others argue their pet’s needs should come before their beliefs. So it begs the question: can cats and dogs maintain a vegetarian lifestyle?

The short answer, is yes. Many pets are able to live a meat-free lifestyle, often dictated by a vegetarian pet owner. However, a high level of care and consideration needs to be taken when introducing such dramatic changes.

Vital Nutrition for Cats and Dogs

Or are they really, dramatic changes? Experts believe dogs and cats need meat for their high levels of nutrition. One of the main gains for cats in meat-based pet food is the maintained levels of taurine, because a deficiency in this vital amino acid can lead to feline blindness and even death. On the flipside, there are a number of taurine supplements available on the market for cats, including popular chewy tablets.

It’s widely believed that it’s easier for our dogs to maintain a vegetarian diet than it is for cats. This stems from the fact that dogs in the wild live an omnivorous lifestyle (plants and meat), whereas wild cats almost always live an obligate carnivorous life (meat only).

The naysayers argue that it’s just not natural for our pets to live without meat, and that we shouldn’t be enforcing human-beliefs into the animal world. Meanwhile, supporters believe that the majority of pet food isn’t ‘natural’, and that processing removes much of the nutritional value of the meat content, before being boosted with supplements, which some believe can be easily used as a stand alone.

Vegetarian Pet Food

There are already a number of vegetarian pet food options freely available on the market (Ami, Benevo, Yarrah and Wackidog) and demand is on the rise. With many of the same ethical arguments about origin of ingredients and sustainable production methods being used against our own foodstuffs, now being squarely levelled at the pet food industry.

We’d like to remind readers that Simply Pet Insurance advises all pet owners to consult their local vet or animal expert about individual pets, before committing to any changes to their diet or medication.

While we fully believe that a vegetarian lifestyle is achievable we do remind readers that such decisions should not be taken lightly. Gather all the information, consult all the right people and move forward with an informed decision.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the issue of vegetarian dogs and cats? Do you believe the facts outweigh the ethics? Are you a vegetarian, and if so, would you consider a vegetarian diet for your dog or cat? Consider sharing your thoughts below.

As summer rolls across the country, cat owners are being warned to watch what their feline friends are nibbling on after a Teeside kitty almost succumbed to a deadly flower. Naysayers are often quick to compare cat insurance to a waste of money, but as Britain blooms, a story emerged about one cat that was more than relieved to be fully-covered by the family’s pet cat insurance policy.

A one-year-old Pixie Bob, affectionately known as Bear was rushed into the emergency room by the Reynolds family in Ingleby Barwick after the moggy stuffed his whiskers into a common lily, one of Britain’s most popular houseplants.

The family were alerted when son Oliver (10) saw the distinctive yellow pollen around Bear’s mouth and told his mother, Michelle: “Oliver said ‘why is Bear’s mouth yellow?’ and I realised it was the pollen. At first I didn’t think much of it, and went back to cooking tea, but something kept nagging away at me.

“I went to look on the internet and found that lilies are poisonous to cats, so got him straight to the vets,” said Michelle.

Bear was administered with vomit-inducing drugs by the Copeland veterinary surgery in Ingleby Barwick, and after a turbulent couple of days he recovered well. Now the Reynolds family are urging fellow cat owners to take caution: “We’re so glad he has got better,” said Michelle. “I just want people to know and be on their guard — we got Bear to the vet early and were lucky, but other cats might not be.”

The informative website, Moggies.co.uk has a full list of plants poisonous to cats. It includes other common plants including the beloved poppy, potato and buttercup varieties.

Derek Copeland has 22 years experience as a vet, and treated Bear. He explains what you should do if your cat is caught with his whiskers in the lilies.

He said: “Lilies are fatally poisonous to cats. Eating any part of the plant makes your pet very ill. It causes kidney failure. First your cat will salivate a lot, then wee a lot before the dehydration sets in. Then it is too late.

“If you think your cat has eaten lilies, get them to a vet as soon as possible, where we can give them a drug which causes them to vomit.

“If we get to them early, they can make a full recovery. After a few hours there can be problems, and after that then there is nothing we can do.

“And the best thing to do, if you own a cat, is not have any lilies in your home, and don’t buy them as gifts for people who have cats.”

We certainly learned something from this shocking experience. Did you know cats are allergic to so many common plant species? What flowers have you got in your home? Share your experience with fellow readers.

Two of the finance world’s largest tectonic plates have shifted, and sent ripples through the pet insurance market. Tesco Bank have partnered with RSA (Royal Sun Alliance) to underwrite Tesco Pet Insurance. Experts are predicting that consumers looking to compare pet insurance will be given added benefits, by British-owned businesses.

The upshot of the move will create 230 new jobs within RSA, backed up by an expected £100 million in premium income (income from consumers buying pet insurance policies) in the first year.

Adrian Brown, Chief Executive of RSA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Tesco to provide pet insurance to all of their pet owners. By combining our expertise in underwriting, pricing and strong service delivery with Tesco’s brand and marketing ability, I am confident that this partnership will go from strength to strength.”

Tesco Bank is already the UK’s largest online pet insurer, with over 700,000 pets insured and this latest move can only mean good news for British pet owners; both RSA and Tesco have proven track records in offering consumers competitive packages, and some of the best pet insurance policies in the market. Tesco Pet Insurance customers will migrate to RSA over a 12-month period.

Benny Higgins, Chief Executive of Tesco Bank said: “We are currently the UK’s largest online pet insurer and have ambitious plans to further grow our pet insurance business to develop new products and services that meet our customers needs. RSA understands our customer-focused approach and has demonstrated that it has the capabilities to support and develop our pet proposition.”

This isn’t RSA’s only foray into the pet insurance market, they’re already the fourth largest providers of pet insurance, through their MORETH>N brand, which offers British pet owners, pet cat insurance, pet dog insurance or combined cat and dog pet insurance at competitive rates.

Are RSA spreading themselves too thin? Are Tesco flexing their might too much? We don’t think so. We see this as a positive move for pet owners, and the British economy as a whole.

Creating 230 jobs, and creating added competition in a relatively new marketplace is a good thing. We’ll be keeping you updated on the alliance over the course of the year, but what do you, the consumers think?

Britain’s best-loved agony aunt, Denise Robertson has confronted one of pet owners most feared subjects: death of a pet. In a loving show of support, the ITV This Morning stalwart spoke out amid reports that more and more people want to be buried with their pets.

“Pets come into our lives and become part of the family, which makes their death so difficult to accept,” says Denise, a devoted dog lover for over 30 years and owner of rescue dogs Max, Tess and Primmie.

“Having a lasting reminder of a pet can be a huge comfort and a way of keeping good memories alive. In some ways that loving companion is still alongside you every day.” Denise’s comforting words came at the time of release for some emotional findings during a recent survey by the UK’s leading veterinary charity and providers of great value pet insurance, PDSA.

In a remarkably survey, PDSA questioned 472 pet owners and former pet owners about the way they would prefer to immortalise their deceased pets.

Of those surveyed: 27% said they planted a rose bush in the garden usually on their pet’s favourite sleeping spot; 15% displayed a photograph of the animal in pride of place in their home; and 12% said a plaque or headstone bearing a personal inscription was the way they wanted their pet to be remembered.

Others preferred to keep the pet’s ashes in an urn on the hearth or in their pet’s bed. Private family services to commemorate their pets are also popular, although there seems to be no limit to a pet owner’s imagination.

In response to the findings, the PDSA has created a paw-shaped garden where up to 2,000 personalised tribute tags can be displayed in the Paws Forever Pet Tribute Garden in Ilford, London and personal tributes can be viewed on-line via the PDSA website.

Gill White, who manages requests for the Paws Forever Pet Tribute Tags, says the survey revealed the profound feelings people have for their pets: “Losing a pet can be as heartbreaking as losing a friend or relative. It’s no surprise that the way they choose to remember that animal is so special.”

Pet lovers across the nation are exploring the newest online website for pets, dubbed the ‘Facebook for pet lovers’ by its creators. In a blaze of publicity, fronted by TV wildlife expert, Chris Packham, the website is attracting British pet owners to its expert advice articles, and premium competitions.

After completing the free registration at MyPetBook.co.uk, you’re encouraged to get involved with the community and to share advice, pictures and any other animal miscellany with users around the globe. In return, the editorial team are promising to link to informative articles, offer veterinarian tips, provide an animal product market and detail upcoming animal events in your area.

Founding editor, Rachel Benneworth is excited by the long-awaited launch: “Mypetbook will allow anyone passionate about pets and animals to spend fun and constructive time on the site, sharing their photos and knowledge on every related topic from health to events, and to learn from new friends as well as the experts.”

The website will not discriminate against non-pet owners, encouraging those without a pet to register a wild animal in order to use the site and start learning more about the animal world as a whole.

Mypetbook is aware of its audience, and the passion they hold for animals. Benneworth promises: “All the latest in the animal world, from Tigers in Asia to Vet check-ups for your pets.”

We certainly believe the site has potential, and properly managed the future of Mypetbook.co.uk is sure to find a place in Britain’s hearts.

Is Mypetbook.co.uk filling a gap in the online pet market? How will you be using the site?

As Britain becomes more green-fingered, it’s becoming apparent that the light-fingered brigade is getting away scot-free. Insurance companies may be meeting the needs of the core pet insurance market; dogs and cats. However, when it comes to chickens, there seems to be a gap in the fence, and we’re egg-stremely surprised that British pet insurance providers are falling fowl of the nations initiative.

With the recent economic downturn, there has been a worthy increase in the number of Briton’s turning to sustainable living methods. Over a million Briton’s now actively grow their own fruit and vegetables, and many are expanding their lots to include the affable chicken, and it appears to be a shrewd move.

Britain consumes a staggering 30 million eggs per day, and a dozen free-range eggs typically costs approximately £3.00 in a British supermarket.

Some home insurance policies do cover damage caused by the birds to third-party property, but if you’re a victim of theft, or your chickens become sick then you won’t be insured for any costs incurred and this has chicken owners across the country pecking around for a pet insurance policy, which seemingly doesn’t exist.

Are you a smallholder? What’s your experience of British insurance companies attitude towards insuring your livestock?

The UK’s leading pet insurance provider, Petplan is encouraging dog-owners to consider taking out dog insurance, after figures released show a 500% increase in third-party insurance claims.

The recent report confirms the general consensus that Britons are more prepared than ever, to take pet owners to court to claim back damage costs.

In 2008, Petplan paid out almost £2­million in liability claims for dogs alone, which represents a 500 percent increase in claims since 1999.

“One of the reasons we are seeing this escalation in third-party liability claims is because we are an increasingly litigious society,” says Alison Andrew of Petplan.

“The public in general are more aware of their legal recourse to recover damages when they feel they have been injured or aggrieved in some way. This reinforces the need for any dog owner to have a comprehensive insurance policy to help them defend a claim or pay damages awarded against them.”

Aside from third-party claims, a recent report published by UK insurance group, Saga Group Ltd claims the average annual UK vet bill is now £598 — double that of 2006, and they’re increasing at double the rate of inflation.

The benefits of good pet insurance now clearly outweighs the cost: a recent Which? report told us the average annual premium of insuring a non-pedigree dog is £200, or £286 for a pedigree, with an average excess of just £68.

Experts believe this is as clear a signal as ever, that pet owners need to consider insurance to stabalise the cost of pet ownership.

Andrew Goodsell, Executive Chairman of Saga Group Ltd, said: “As vet bills are vastly surpassing inflation, pet insurance is therefore a vital tool to help owners budget for unforeseen costs.”

However, we discovered that 90% of all animals in the UK remain uninsured against third party claims.

Your dog doesn’t have to have actually bitten someone for people to make a claim against you. Recent cases Petplan has dealt with include an incident where a border-collie chased a postman.

Although the dog did not cause any actual injury, in his rush to escape the postman fell over a low wall, injuring his back. Damages for personal injury, loss of earnings and the legal fees amounted to £60,000.

Pet owners across the country, are asking themselves, can they afford not to insure. What’s your view?

Britain’s cat owners are being advised to spay or neuter their kittens, before spring warms their sensitive side. Meteorologists are predicting an early spring in Europe, triggering a countrywide warning from animal experts, especially to those considering taking out cat insurance.

The warmer weather of spring is an annual catalyst for our female cats’ breeding season (often referred to as kitten season) according to the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter who point out: “A female cat’s breeding season is determined by the number of hours of daylight.”

Owners who choose to spay their cats while in heat (sexual receptivity) run the risk of complications, sparking veterinary experts to remind owners to spay their pets before their first heat; thus avoiding accidental pregnancy or reproductive diseases later in life.

British cat owners planning to spay their cats while in heat, run the risk of bleeding during surgery and other complications due to engorged vessels and swelling of the reproductive tract tissue.

This has led many in the industry to highlight the value of pet insurance in the UK. The already high cost of cat surgery soars while the animal is in heat (or pregnant) due to the increased risk.

Cat owners are now being advised to spay and neuter their cats in advance of them entering the season, or to keep them indoors and isolated should they show signs of being in season.

Cats in heat — also known as Queens — will show signs of heightened sensitivity, with an increase in affection and agitation.

The premium risk management method employed by UK pet owners against veterinary costs, is dedicated pet insurance and once again the veterinary sector are recommending cat owners insure their pets, and take sensible steps to avoiding unnecessary costs.

Is your cat showing signs of being in heat, or pregnant? What steps have you taken to quell high veterinary costs this summer?