15 Things I Would Not Do After Being an ER Veterinarian. 

My cat doesnt have 3am zoomies... she has her zoomies ar 6pm like a refined and elegant lady

Declawing is BARBARIC and should be outlawed. I had a cat that was declawed and when I found out more about the procedure, I was horrified. It is absolute torture for the cat, and leaves them in pain and pretty much defenseless their entire lives. I won't even see a vet that offers that procedure.

My pet peeve is people who believe that "cats aren't a lot of work" because you don't have to take them outside multiple times a day to poop and pee like you would with a dog. Cats still require you to play with them. They also thrive on outdoor stimulation. Mine was leash trained, and I took her outside every day unless it was raining or snowing, in which case she didn't want to go.

My cat was a feral barn baby dumped on a doorstep. She is now a super spoiled little gremlin and I love her

7. We changed vet as I was not satisfied with the previous one. The new one immediately asked if we had the "senior test" for my 12yrs old cat. I said.. what? They told me it's really recommended, blood pressure, blood sugar, liver, whoknows what else. That was part of their normal senior cat annual exam. - And that's how we learnt my cat has diabetes. She didn't have symptoms at all. So we were extremely lucky that we changed vet.

Declawing a Cat or cropping dogs ear or docking tails is illegal in Australia the only place where I heard about people declawing their cats is the US, I was horrified the first time I heard about it in my early 20’s on about my 4th trip there, I’ve had about 20 trips to the US and I can’t believe vet’s would even do that procedure.

Good recommendations, thank you. My dog and I were attacked at an off leash dog park, requiring ER visit, so no more of that! Fortunately, owner of attack dog was responsible in several ways: sent proof of dog’s vaccinations, bought muzzle and doing training with her dog, and is paying the vet bill. And yes, I was glad to have pet insurance!

I had two cats declawed before I found out how cruel it was. Never declawed again.

#7 is right on the money. Our senior cats get complete blood panels twice a year. Despite seeming perfectly healthy, normal, and bright, one of our guys suddenly has basically no platelets. Our vet, an experienced feline specialist, is pretty much stumped at this point, despite our running every test that could possibly tell us anything. Despite not having a diagnosis, we at least know now to keep an extra vigilant eye on him and bring him in to be seen a little more frequently.

Vet tech here, #9. No one told me this. I am now at 8 years old doing this with my cystitis cat and it has been so much work. But being on a high moisture diet has kept us from having a stress cystitis flare for over a year. I’m no longer running full work ups every few months for bloody urine. This cat is also a bottle fed calico so she requires sedation for everything. Being able to feed wet food and various texture led food now provides me the ability to medicate her if necessary. I was smart enough to train my other cat to eat pill pockets so if I have to give medication I don’t have to pill her, but again no one told me to do that and I feel like they should have. I wish we spent more time talking about variety and exposure to various foods and the importance of moisture based foods for hydration and bladder health. I work in ER so this is now a conversation frequently had with cat owners as we see a lot of urinary and kidney disease.

I have told my daughter about the retractable leash repeatedly! I told her a 5 foot leash (for her Carin Terrier) gives the control you need to keep him safe and he behaves so much better! So she brought ME a 5 foot leash for when I walk him. SMH 🤦

For the non-Americans out there (as myself), kibble means dried food or pellets, bully sticks are compounds made from some usually cheap source of protein like a bull's penis, and rawhides are dry hard pieces of animal skin given to animals for chewing. I'd add to that list plastic toys & fragile bones like chicken & fish. Dogs can reduce to nothing most plastic toys and it's not true their stomach will dissolve all and any piece of bone they swallow. Not to mention that sharp edges and fine fishbones can easily insert themselves in the throat and mouth.

My husband and I were fully prepared when we adopted our first cat. We now have four cats and they have health care! We also now live in Their home; not ours. We proudly call ourselves well train humans. They are on prescription medication and food; Three different types of food. I am a quilter and I make sure that there are no pins, tiny fabric scraps, or bits of thread anywhere where they can get at them. The only thing on our floors are the cat toys and litter boxes. P.S. cat toys hurt just as much as kid toys at 3am on a blind stumble to the bathroom.🤣

Pet insurance is fantastic, but since most are reimbursement based, it can only do so much if you're short on money in a crisis. My roommate's cat passed away while we were trying to apply for financial aid at the emergency vet to pursue treatments we couldn't afford. After that night, I told myself I never wanted another cat-- and maybe not even a pet in general. That didn't work out, and now I have a cat of my own for the first time. At some point, it dawned on me: "Do you HAVE to be in an emergency situation to apply for CareCredit??" No! You don't! I got approved for a $1500 limit card on my lunch break, right then and there! I really would urge any and everyone with a pet to consider applying for a CareCredit card when your finances are good and your pet is healthy. Having those funds readily available in a crucial moment could save your pet's life.

I once adopted a declawed cat from a high kill shelter. It ended up that she would not use the litter box. I found out that this can happen with declawed cats- the clay litter can hurt their feet. So these people declawed her, then dumped her at the shelter when she wouldn’t use the litter box as a result of being declawed.

All 15 tips are so helpful! Having claws has helped our cats become good friends with our dogs. A hiss and a swipe sets the ground rules quickly. 🤣

A lot of people don't know about rawhide. I had a friend who got a new dog and gave him rawhide. He cut his mouth. Luckily she was paying attention and took it from him before he did serious damage. We were talking and she had no idea it was potentially harmful.

ALL of these!! I have a pit bull and three cats, all fixed, and oh my gosh... the cats have all kinds of enrichment toys, but the one seriously prefers literally climbing my walls at corners. I had to put up carpet squares where he likes to launch and hang to save my walls. my pit - I got her expecting a high energy breed to walk daily and get me some extra exercise. HA!! I landed myself with a couch potato who has zoomies in the yard and does all the grass roobs a few times a day and that's all she cares about. So yeah, she has a restricted diet so she doesn't get fat. And especially, THANK YOU for mentioning not to declaw! It amazes me how many vets will still do it and leave the poor animal in absolute agony. My three have all their claws. If I was that worried, I would have them in claw caps - but I'd rather have their claws natural and worry about nice furniture later on. (They are two full sibling littermates at 9, and a stray that was dumped in my yard when he was about 2 months old - he is now four. The dog just turned five. BEST buddies ever!)

PLEASE do not underestimate the power of regular diagnostics for your pet! especially your senior pets!! a senior workup for my dog revealed a tumor in his lung & an ultrasound revealed a developing mucocele in his gallbladder. everything was caught early enough that surgery was fully curative of his cancer - his LUNG CANCER - and with a diet change and medication his gallbladder is improving and won’t need to be removed. his 13th birthday is approaching and if not for his gray face you’d never know, he still has the energy of a young dog, especially after removing his little lung meatball LMAO. if i weren’t a vet tech i would never have gotten those diagnostics done and he wouldn’t have made it. (medical context: lung cancer is not all that common in dogs, typically if there is a tumor in the lungs it has metastasized from somewhere else and there are multiple. find those on radiographs and typically you’re discussing days to weeks, if the owners are lucky. my dog ended up having a grade 2 adenosarcoma, removed with excellent margins, its been a year and every recheck there’s been no signs of recurrence. lung lobectomies are not common, especially not for the purpose of removing cancer, so i’m very grateful to the excellent surgeons i work with who fixed my boy. and gallbladder removal, or cholecystectomy, is my least favorite surgery by far. dogs don’t tend to do well, and i’ve been diligent enough to never have one die on the table, but i’ve seen plenty not make it through recovery. i don’t know whether i could put my dog through that surgery, so hearing his gallbladder was improved was more of a relief than hearing his lungs look clear!)

I clean the sandbox at least twice a day. If possible, I do lunchtime cleaning too. It's really important they feel it's clean and comfortable.

My last cat was kind of a cuddly stuffed animal that always wanted to take naps with me and be in my arms. My current cat wants to run around and play all the time and you can play with him for an hour and a half straight and get him all tired out and he's ready again to play in 15 minutes. Not much of a cuddler either. Night and day! LOL. This is the most active cat I have ever had. My old cat had congestive heart failure. He always had a bad heart so he didn't seem any different for a long time. I do wish I would have taken him to the vet more often, because maybe we could have found a way to keep him alive a little longer. He seemed fine, but he was hiding that he wasn't fine.

My cat hated any and all kinds of wet food since she was a kitten. It took us 4 years to find a brand she somewhat eats and even then she was super picky with flavors

I would add don't skip dental exams and cleanings especially for cats. They truly are masters at hiding their pain. I had one of my cats in for a routine dental cleaning and x-rays and they found a bunch of bad teeth. She didn't show any signs of pain and was eating normally. She ended up having FIVE teeth removed! Imagine having that many teeth hurting you with no access to pain relievers and not showing any outward signs of pain. I don't think many of us could do that. Also, I have never and would never declaw a cat but I do adopt already declawed cats from rescues and shelters. My first cat was declawed before I got him and I learned a lot from him. A lot of declawed cats develop behavioral and litter box issues because of the pain they endure and then their horrible owners drop them off at the shelter. I adopt these precious babies and give them all the love, care, and patience they need to live a happy life. It breaks my heart knowing what they went through and what they live with but at least I can rest easy knowing that I'm doing everything in my power to give them a good life. I hope that one day there will be no declawed cats anywhere but until then I will likely continue to rescue them and give them the best life I possibly can.

Goes with #14. Watch for poisonous plants and other household items. I did't realize daffodils on top of a chest were poisonous until I saw my cat chewing on the leaves.

For Kibble Loving Cats, if you want/need to get them off it, try freeze dried raw. It's better ingredient wise and often has a similar enough texture they might except it. Go slowly however by mixing in a little of the freeze dried raw and lowering the amount of kibble at a time.

Sad reality about the #1 advice regarding “Get pet insurance!” is when animal rescuers (like myself) cannot obtain pet insurance if the animal is aged out of the policy age restrictions. At least it’s so up here in Canada. 🇨🇦

Regarding the researching - I have a very uncommon lifestyle. I travel a lot (spend maybe 2-3 months in one place, then change) and I also work a lot from home. So I needed a dog that was small, both comfortable with changing environments often, and also could be happy chilling at home by my side. Every single article seemed to point to one breed I had never heard off before : the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I also researched breeders and found the best ethical kennel in my country, spoke with the breeder a few times before making the decision, and moved on only because the way they treat the puppies and the fact they provide medical and genetical testing for the parents, and full health checks for the puppies. (he came even with a full ophthalmological report!) when the puppy that was assigned to me was born, I bought a damn book on the breed also to try and be as prepared as possible. Not that anything is a warranty of course but without research I wouldn't even have known of this breed!

Definitely research the breed of dog! I have seen so many people get a Labrador and not realize how energetic they truly are. They need a bare minimum of 1 hour of running, not a walk, running every day. I have also seen people who are homebodies and couch potatoes get dogs that want to hunt and run. It doesn't work out well.

Heard a lady on the radio said she had 60 cats. Most of them mommas with kittens. Aint no way there’s enough litterboxes in that house…

Those 3:00AM zoomies are a big part of why we got two cats, not just one. They wear each other out just playing. We also have a catio with levels and toys and a bird feeder outside of it (no, the birds can't fly in, don't worry). I didn't know that about giving kittens different types of food though. Dang.

Just found your channel and subscribed! I would add to the list of people not trained in veterinary medicine..... Doctors, Nurses, Dentists, Pharmacists. I'm an RN and I know what I don't know.

At 62 years of age, I concur with every point you made. I’ve had so many cats in my lifetime. Indoor only. Indy/ outdoors. Lots of personality. I’ve never declawed. I had a “pure bred” schnauzer from a pet store who lived to 14. Healthy till the end. A pure bred schnauzer who was a hot mess. For the last nine years I’ve had a mixed breed jrt/beagle/bassett. She is healthy, happy and a great friend. A year ago I bought a pure bred golden. She is a sweet dog. I researched the breed characteristics. Due to her size and my age I I’ve invested in a lot of training. She is e wonderful dog not because she is purebred but because she has good genes and I’ve spent hours training her. Thanks for sharing your expertise.

I have only had dogs snd knew most of these but I did learn a knew thing regarding never using retractable leashes. Also, get your pet chipped.

Loved this and thanks for the advice to expose a cat to different food textures as a kitten. Never heard that before and obviously never thought of it.

My three big cats actually broke every single cat tree I’ve gotten them that doesn’t have a metal frame. 😂 15 pounds, 13 pounds and 11 pounds. The big boy is lazier and less co ordinated but still young. The other two are 1/4th Maincoon and their parkour skills think nothing of jumping 7 ft from standing. 😂 The two barn cat babies are smaller but still keep up with their older friends. The old man doesn’t play anymore but he was the same. I have never met a cat that Doesn’t love to run like a madman. They’re like a furry freight train when they all get going.

#1 is so true, in one year our Clumber had to stay at the vet for pancreatitis 3 times and our Cavalier had bone cancer and had to have his leg amputated. We maxed our cards and used a line of credit. Upside they lived.

Lol, #10 (research the dog breed beforehand) resonated with me. I live a quiet, not super active lifestyle; "Ooooooooo, Belgian Malinois are gorgeous. I'd love one!." Don't worry, my brain then enters the chat & I turn my focus back to those sweet, cuddly Pugs. 🐶♥️

As a former Veterinary Tech who worked at an Animal Emergency Clinic for a number of years as a 2nd full time job, I totally agree with all of these!

My sister is a vet. I agree with almost everything in this video. The reason why I have variations on some points is that I live in an extremely rural area in Europe. Declawing is illegal here. Insurance and regular blood panels as well as yearly checkups: of course! I have my dogs and cat checked twice a year. Retractable leashes: no. Nope. No way. Unless the alternative is no leash at all. But I’d rather have a piece of rope than a retractable leash. Any piece of rope. Front yard: I’d rephrase that into never letting your dog off-leash in an area that is not properly fenced. Train them to do off-leash work just in case your dog escapes in order to increase your chances of getting them back on a leash, but never trust them not to succumb to their instincts, to panic, to make a decision that makes sense to them but not to humans. Outside cats: the set of predators is very different where I live. There is little to no traffic where I live. My cat gets to roam the garden several times a day in the company of your dogs and then gets called in along with them. They hunt for rodents together. The size of our yard is also a factor. In a less rural area, she’d be having a catio. Be prepared for ANY type of animal companion you get. Not just the breed of dog. Research their needs not just based on cat/dog/reptile/amphibian/bird/rodent/whatever but also the breed’s needs. It’s plain common sense. Animals run on an entirely different schedule than humans. Some are nocturnal. Some are not. Some are twilight/dawn hunters. Some will behave in a way entirely atypical of their breed. Some have studied the rulebook and apply it to a tee. Be prepared for a stickler and to cater to its needs, but be prepared to get the odd one out… and to cater to its needs. One of my sister’s favourites that wasn’t mentioned in tis video, but an important one: Never, EVER expect your new pet to be a carbon copy of the one you have/had because of its breed or simply because it looks similar. You’re still dealing with an individual. Both she and I have lost count of how often we’ve heard “BUT IT’S A (insert breed)!” A few examples: Portuguese water dog who hates water Afghan hound wo dislikes running and has NO prey drive. At all. ADHD Labrador retriever. Cane Corso that likes EVERYBODY and doesn’t guard. Cat snuggling up with mice/birds. Cat that bathes with its owner. Couch potato Border Collie. Guard Guinea Pig (squeaks at doorbells and intruders… and attacks). You have no idea what we’ve seen or heard over the last 30-ish years. Some of it funny, like the dogs who beg their owners to be let out in the yard in the middle of the night for a midnight snack (apple fallen off the tree). Some are downright tragic, like people asking to euthanise a perfectly healthy, happy pet because it “just isn’t like our previous one, (insert name).”

So many people around my city let their dogs and cats roam. 🙄 it sucks for dog walkers cause you never know how the dog is going to react when walking by.

I agree with the puppy mill one 100%. In the early 80's when I was young and didn't know any better, I got a part-time job at one of these stores at a mall. I thought it would be fun to play with puppies all day, and what could be cooler than to work at a mall? I can't tell you how many times I went home crying because animals were returned with kennel cough, pneumonia, Parvo, distemper, etc. They were just left in the back room and given minimal food and water until they died--no meds or vet care. The manager asked everyone NOT to tell potential customers where the puppies came from and just gloss over the puppy mill issue. I didn't work there very long.

I adopted a senior cat from an adoption org. It turned out ALL FOUR FEET were declawed! Who does this? It's not even legal where I live. There was no mention that he was declawed in his paperwork. The cat was originally from Quebec.

I also adopt don’t shop, I’m on my 5th rescue dog now, I’ve had 2 German Shepherd’s, one was a 6yr old puppy mill who was dumped, she lived until she was 18 in good health, I had her on pain relief and arthritis injections since she was 8, and kept her mobility and muscle tone up as she got older. 1 American Staffy, a Bull Arab who was 9yrs & 4 months when I got him, and my current fella is a medium height dog but he was between 6. & 9yrs when I adopted him extremely abused covered in scars, he is such a beautiful dog he has taken a lot of time to build his self esteem and trust up and occasionally he will still get a fright if I move to quickly, but all the slow gentle work is worth it to see him happy and loving his life, he sticks pretty close to me, he only ever barks if someone comes up the driveway.

Side note, pet insurance is only really beneficial if you have a puppy or kitten. They don’t cover much of your expenses if you have an adult and you are better off setting up your own insurance system by setting aside a regular amount of money into an untouchable fund.

I’ve been permanently injured and my dog mortally injured after my dog was attacked at the dog park. The owner whose dog attacked mine was a serial dog attacker and knew exactly how to evade the law. If your dog gets injured or YOU get injured at a dog park good luck! I will never ever step foot near a dog park ever again.

In the UK, declawing has been illegal for a very long time. About time our frienda across the pond caught up! 😁 my demon baby 9 week old kitten is making her way around her new world successfully only because she has full use of her demon claws. If furniture is more important to a person, perhaps consider a different pet. But there are ways to prevent scratching, pheromone sprays i have found to be very effective at stopping a cat scratching at places you don't want them to and the provision of other scratching areas is vital

As an animal physiologist, i agree 110% w everything you say!

My cat used to seem very healthy. Only she was drinking a lot. One day, someone told me that could be a bad sign so I told the vet about it, blood test, and she had a kidney issue. We found out about it early and used the best medecine available. Sadly her kidneys got worst with they years. But it got to show. Even if the cat looks healthy, something terrible might be brewing and regular test are not too much

I hate reading people asking for advice on Facebook. Your tips make so muck sense! Thanks for this! Owning pets can be expensive and owners need to be prepared.

I really appreciate how straight to the point you are!

Your suggestions are gold! I agree even though I'm not a vet professional, just someone who has owned a lot of pets and learned the hard way. We are addicted to French Bulldogs and have owned multiples for over 20 years, way before they exploded on the scene. We always dealt with reputable breeders in the past but the price has gone up from $1000 when we first purchased a pup years ago to over $10,000 now. It's absolutely ridiculous. I know they have notoriously small litters and all the expenses of breeding since we bred our one female. But they have very distinct needs and health challenges that many new owners are either unaware of or cannot afford. That is a big reason we now do FB rescue. To adopt, you must have had owned a FB prior to rescue. I know how adorable they are and how so many ppl want them, I know how easy it is to get addicted to them-our first Frenchie turned into 2, then, 3, then 4, then 5. But like doc says--know your breed and definitely get pet insurance.

Wet food has made a huge difference in my male cats.

Vets face a variety of animals, creatures, even fish. I would take human medicine over the staggering knowledges, skills, and dealing with individuals having to make end of life decisions for an animal that is the dearest companion, a therapist, and the comfort of unconditional love.

Thank you for the great Contant! I definitely agree with the benefits of pet insurance but right now with the way the economy is paying for a monthly head insurance isn’t something I can really budget… Are there any good inexpensive pet insurance companies that I can research?my cat can definitely be picky when it comes to food but I would change her food up or buy her different kinds of food a lot when she was a kitten. I live in a rather large town and I don’t have room for a catatio but I definitely leave a window open for her so she could at least feel the fresh air and hear the birds she loves it! when my mother comes in to visit as she always hides treats around the living room for the cat to find I love to see how much fun they both have with it. Even though I have one cat I have two litter boxes and I cleaned them daily. I also try to brush her teeth at the very least three times a week and because a vet tech told me to try to take care of her teeth she has seen a lot of cardiac issues because of neglected teeth! I will buy a slip cover for my couch and chairs and put a scratch mat up on the door frames or other places near where the cat wants to scratch before I will ever declaw a cat!! She’s also been spayed since she is six months old. not only is it healthier for the cat but I don’t need all the feral Toms coming and spraying around my front door because they smell my unspayed female cat 😵‍💫

2:31 this is........something i'm starting to get worried about. my bonded pair of savannah sibs just turned 10 last year, and i thought the smaller of the two, roxy, was in adequate health. this january we just lost her to an inoperable tumor we couldn't even fully diagnose, half a year after her tenth birthday. i've always kept them indoors, so i expected them both to be decently hardy & around for a while, but i wasn't investing in that expectation properly - because they were my first pets ever. poor marco seems as needy and outspoken as ever, but he's so lonely now. yet i can't imagine he could get along with another cat, based on how he reacts to seeing neighborhood cats outside )':

6. I had a particularly prickly neighbour who for years refused to put up a fence around his yard because "I've trained my dogs perfectly! They would NEVER leave the yard!" Surprise surprise, a squirrel, a cat or a kid on a bike flies past and their dogs left the yard. It wasn't until he HAD TO by law that this man put up a fence. Begrudgingly. Also we're pretty sure that nut slashed one of our tires. O.O Delightful boomer dude. 15. The zoomies. I told my friend who've only had dogs, that it's like dog zoomies, except on steroids since cats can get up to all the hights in the home. xD

So true. Get pet insurance for sure. It doesn’t take seeing too many vet bills go into the double digits to make that real clear for you. Also always ask for a copy of vet records and bloodwork! Emergencies usually happen when the main vet is closed. You having documentation could be super helpful to the ER team.

Tick tick tick. Ding dong darling, you check all the boxes!

All excellent! I’m going to look into pet insurance today! In my days of being the neighborhood safe house for all strays I would have 20-30 cats at a time and could not afford pet insurance for my personal pets. Now I have 6 that are mine and it’s time to look into insurance for them. I’ve had several Veterinary ER visits over the years which are always very expensive. Love my veterinarians and staff 😻

I would never use a retractable leash for a dog. . .I do however use them for my cats. As we only wander the yard, and the four foot span does NOT give them enough to space to be happy sitting nearby out of reach on the other side of the step. It also gives them the freedom to bound a little bit through the grass while still being safe.

I love the way you put that on number 9!! Lmao. Saying when cats get old and crotchety. Omg that's hilarious. Even more so at the accuracy of the statement. Lol

I find that a lot of "medical professionals" take short cuts and it's important to also talk to other pet owners that have a pet going through the same issues your pet is going through

One thing I'd add on to the first one, go for a provider that will cover cureable pre-existing conditions. My cat has a history of claw infections and his ex-insurance provider wouldn't cover his latest infection even though it had been 6+ months since his last one. That left me out $700 that I did not have. His current insurance will cover these provided there is at least six months in between instances of it.

One of the best ways I've found to let my cats out? A covered playpen. It's mesh, and I have it on my apartment porch, so they can watch the nearby birds in the bird feeder! My cats are strange - my middle child LIVES for kibble, but when it comes to wet food, she and my youngest prefer *wet* food... things that are basically almost soup, and any chunks are not eaten... its hard to find food like this - it's sold out everywhere in the brand they like at present! One I didn't see mentioned is that it's ESPECIALLY important not to feed your male cats a pure kibble diet. This eventually leads to severe urinary issues that will kill them... cats as a wild creature would get most moisture from eating prey... so they need it in their food! Clean water is still important, but moisture in good is also important! I like to also use freeze dried raw food that we bring to dust in a blender, then add water/wet food broth to it, to make our own wet food. Our cats' coats have never been healthier - the raw food has really paid off in their energy levels, and the softness and shine of their coats.

I adopted a three year-old cat and took over the pet insurance from the precious owner. After the cat was injured a year later, I increased the insurance to the max. because I realized I would do anything for this awesome cat and I didn't want money to be a factor in his care -- only his well being. I buy the best wet cat food I can find and take him for a full check-up every year. So far he is still going strong at 12, knock on wood! 😺 Hope I never have occasion to max out the insurance, but it's reassuring to have.

I have 4 dogs and having pet insurance has saved me! Thanks for sharing this!

Just to add that parents who're thinking of getting their kids a dog/cat should consider all in this list too. My daughter wanted a cat and kept pestering for one. I'm glad I did a lot of reading and having had a family cat when young helped so I'm prepared to take over all the required responsibilities when my daughter doesn't. Oh well, I think he's recognising me more as his mum as time passes.

Excellent advice...15 things we have done and are doing. Our cat is 17 years old and our dog is 14, they have had regular vet visits their whole lives, which is why we figure they are as old as they are, and they are both in pretty good shape.

On the taking advice from non veterinarians/vet techs. Never listen to a veterinarian about reptiles or amphibians. Call the closest herpetology center or a breeder for your species. Same goes for birds, arachnids, and basically all exotics. Veterinarians (outside of the ones working in zoos) are useless with exotics 99% of the time. Also unless they are an equine veterinarian you the owner are more qualified with your equine's medical care than they are. Livestock veterinarians are not always or even usually qualified for equines so ask.

I work in veterinary and see so many puppies from Greenfield puppies and local pet stores like Puppy Palace…these people have paid upwards of 5k for dogs that don’t have the best health and are often mixed breeds like goldendoodles (that ofc are marketed as “purebred”). They also usually get their shots too early (as early as FOUR WEEKS?) and the owners are often told the dog is up to date on all their vaccines and only needs rabies. Never, ever buy your dog from a store. If you’re getting one from a breeder, make sure it’s a good one with a firm ownership contract that requires you to give your dog routine veterinary care at a full service veterinarian.

Pet insurance is B.S. I researched at least 10 different companies and ALL of them had restrictions. Either the pet's age and/or pre-existing conditions prevented my pet from being covered, So, if you are a pet owner and have a pet that doesn't qualify for insurance, you need to make sure you have an emergency fund for those unexpected visits.

About litter boxes......it depends on the cats! They'll decide what they want. We have 3. We have 2 litter boxes. All 3 prefer 1 particular box. Occaisionally, one will use the other box.Sometimes an entire month goes by w/out the unpopular box used. None of them are going outside the box, ever. CLEARLY, all 3 prefer the same box. I scoop the favorite box every morning & evening, w/out fail. There is no need for us to have 4 litter boxes.

Great job, Dr. I'd like to see a video discouraging people from becoming vets when their main objective is personal wealth. We have a very fancy set of veterinary colleges here and it churns out too many vets who don't seem to have a clue about diagnostics or working with the human component.

Excellent advice!!

Thanks all great advice and particularly 🙌 on the retractable leashes

Great video! We adopted a 5month old and a 15 month old cat 5 months ago, and have been giving them various kinds of cat food. Interesting about feeding them kibble that’s different shapes and sizes.

Thank you for the excellent advices .

Good list 👍

My 13.5 yo GSD wouldn’t be here without TruPanion insurance. Worth every penny!

As a seasoned and mature pet owner I already knew all of these. I always watch this type of video just to make sure that I am well informed where my pets are concerned.

Pet insurance, definitely. I do have a young pet who has a chronic health problem, and I have sticker shock every time I take him to the vets. Think of a number you might think would be reasonable cost for a procedure- then double, or triple it.

this is all such good advice. i wish everyone thinking about getting a cat or dog would listen to your advice.

This is all excellent advice. I‘m horrified to learn about the possibility of declawing, that isn‘t legal here in Germany and shouldn‘t be anywhere.

Thank you Doctor, really great and honest advice for both - cat and dog owners.

As someone who has both had to drag neighbors' dogs out of the street to avoid oncoming cars AND nearly been attacked by large, unleashed dogs (like, teeth inches from flesh) while the owner stood back and screamed uselessly at them to stop from their driveway, I cannot endorse leashing dogs in your yard more earnestly.

I scoop the litter boxes twice a day because I am a crazy cat Mom. Thank you

Number 10: Yesss! Thank you especially for this one! 👍👍👍

Though the litter boxes bit- I have 3 cats and they all share one hUGE TOTE. It's like a 50 gallon bin/tote that I fill the bottom with 4-5 inches of litter and every time I scoop the box, I add in some fresh stuff to keep it nice and fresh for'em. Never had any accidents with this method, but it won't work for everyone! I just have cats that like to toss litter everywhere if they're not in a high-sided box- like- above their head when they're in it haha. I can't use covered cat litter boxes either because otherwise my youngest will torment the middle child by pestering him while he's inside of it- even if there are multiple boxes. The youngest is a pill, but I love all three of my kitties.

Yes! Pet insurance for my rescue boy has enabled me to say yes to tests and procedures without the worry of how I will afford it. Get the pet insurance.

Many years ago I was a vet tech, that said, every thing listed here is advice I would give from that experience, but I avoid giving advice without the caveat that I'm not a vet, I haven't worked as a tech for a long time, things change in medicine and that asking a currently practicing vet is a much better idea than asking me. I also have two niece's that are currently practicing vets, so if someone insists on asking me because they can't get to a vet, for whatever reason, I adk my niece's. I stress that my niece's are doing me a personal favor by answering my questions and that they are doing so unofficially. Veterinary Carr is expensive, for good reason, and it isn't because Veterinarians ever see large payouts for their care. There is a HUGE amount of overhead in a Veterinary clinic, and compared to their human doctor counterparts, Veterinarians are, in my opinion, massively underpaid. Thank you for giving us your top 15 list ❤

Rescued a 10 year old dog and the pet insurance was more expensive than our insurance, so definitely a no go. Will get it when we get a puppy, but not worth it for old dog.

This was really informative, thank you! Also, the 3am zoomies are real.

My two cats I've raised from kittens have always had a mixed diet of dry and wet. They're the healthiest cats I've ever had! The third feline family member that we adopted as an adult (7 when we got him) has the strangest food issues. He'll eat damn near anything but the only things he can keep down are the dry food we leave out for free feeding, dry treats, and squeeze ups 🤷‍♀️ anything with shreds, pates, etc, he WILL throw up immediately. We've been working with a vet to figure it out, still working on it. Weirdly, he was able to keep everything down including some new treats i tried due to him stopping eating for an ear infection (thought he was dying, but we took him in quickly and he literally just didnt want to eat dry food at all due to the discomfort so we supplemented with wet food.) He kept it down while sick but now that he's better I cant give it to him anymore for the same reason. What an enigma he's been, but we love him!

Great recommendations. I'd also add not to get a pet unless you can access a vet that will see that pet. As a pet rat owner, I see way too many people online who get some rats and then realize their small town vet doesn't treat exotics. Then they're freaking out online because their baby has a URI and they can't get treatment.

Number 9, I’m lucky in a way that my boys like almost anything cos that didn’t occur to me, but obviously now you say it. I love the 3am zoomies.

Bravo Doc!!!!!

When people talk about declawing, with consent, I squeeze their finger at the knuckle to illustrate what it would be like to have that portion of their finger cut off. I think people hear "declaw" on only think fingernails.

I don't think I'll ever get just one kitten ever again. Getting littermates is amazing if you can do it. They're less nervous, because they're not on their own moving into a new family and new house. They're less exhausting, because you can just make them play with each other. No more kitten playing with your face at 3 am, they can go play with each other! They keep each other in shape, they don't get as lonely, they do really funny things together... it's the best. Get two kittens! Or three! Why not?

I had a semi feral community cat hide and entire mouth of stomatitis without any obvious symptoms (other than bad breath). Something happened one day and I saw blood on her one white paw and it turned into 3 weeks of recovery from removing almost every tooth in her mouth. I don't know how she didn't show that kind of pain. Cats really do hide it.

Late comment, but I drove by a lady walking her 6 month old Shih Tzu on a retractable leash. Dog ran out into the road, button didn't work so she yanked the leash. But if I hadn't been able to safely swerve, puppy would've been under the dually's of a 40,000 lb school bus.