• Font Size    

Popular Pets

Zoo Babies: Cuteness Unleashed
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Newest Victims Of Bad Economy Are Our Pets

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   
Nov 24, 2008 11:46 pm US/Eastern

Newest Victims Of Bad Economy Are Our Pets

MIAMI (CBS4) ― It looks like the newest victims of our bad economy could be our pets. New research found people may be cutting back on more than just animal toys.

Playful healthy puppies make perfect pets, but sometimes they end up in the hospital needing extra medical attention which requires extra cash.

New numbers by the Veterinary Practice News showed 30 percent of people surveyed would cut back during a recession both on visits to their vet and on preventative medicine.

"You can provide more than adequately for your animal without a fortune," said Renee Grossman to CBS4's Jorge Estevez at a dog park in Coconut Grove. Grossman can't imagine putting her new beagle 'Lucy' in danger by cutting back on her medical treatments. "You have a responsibility to care for that animal as if it's one of god's creatures," said Grossman.

But Dr. Marc Wosar from Miami Veterinary Specialists is treating fewer animals. "Often times the barrier between what they want to do and doing what they can do is financial," said Dr. Wosar.

Doctors say regular visits to your vet may actually save you money in the long run. "These crisis can be very critical and they can end up spending thousands of dollars to recover their pet and get them back to before the crisis started," said Dr. Wosar. So you may be putting your animal and your wallet at risk.

There are a list of things you can do right now at home to keep your animals from needing costly emergency medical attention.

Tips for Maintaining Wellness Checks at Home - On a routine basis:

  • Check the skin, ears, nails and paws to make sure there are no visible irritations
  • The eyes should be nice and bright with no discoloration or discharge from the eyelids
  • The gums should be moist and maintain a pink color
  • The ears should have no foul odor or discharge
  • Check your pets' teeth and gums often. Routine cleanings may be needed at least once per year by your veterinarian. Bacteria associated with periodontal disease can damage the liver, kidneys and heart.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Videos of the weirdest and wildest pets

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Local News

Top News Stories

© MMIX, CBS Television Stations Inc. All Rights Reserved.