What to know about my first dog?

Just to be open and up front with everyone, I would like to mention that, from time to time, I may be recommending products or services that may be of interest to my site visitors. If you purchase through my links, I do receive a small commission, since this is how affiliate marketing works. Thank you

In times such as these when almost everyone needs to save money and skip on non-essentials, it might seem as though getting pet health insurance is an extravagance. Actually it is probably going to end up saving more money than it costs.
If you have a cat or dog, you are no stranger to costly vet bills. A simple broken bone or fracture due to getting hit by a car or some other accidental injury can easily end up costing over $1000 or more.
Pet health insurance is like any other insurance coverage that you need, such as auto, life, homeowners or even your own health insurance. We hope we will never have to file a claim for a loss or a terrible injury or accident, but we are grateful that if we need to, the insurance policy we have will cover our rear end in the event such a situation arises.
When shopping for pet insurance it may be tempting to find the company with the cheapest rates. But think about it for a moment. Our pets are our special animal companions and for most of us animal lovers, they are just as much a part of the family as our children or spouses. So it is okay to want to save money, but is it the wisest move to go with very cheap insurance if it does not provide the best coverage?
You can begin by looking up several veterinary health insurance companies and get some quotes. Do the research into each one and find out what is covered and what is not. They will usually vary and some will cover certain injuries and conditions and some will not. Certain ones will have smaller co-pays and others will have a higher monthly payment required for your pet's coverage. Some will allow for pre-existing medical conditions and others will not. So it pays to do enough research ahead of time to determine which is the right one for you and for your beloved animal friend.
Sometimes the type of dog or dog breed will make a difference as far as which type of insurance you should get. If you have a mixed breed and he or she is in very good overall health, you may want to go with a cheaper pet insurance. But if you have a dog of a certain breed that is prone to particular diseases, conditions or problems, such as hip dysplasia, you may choose a more expensive option so that you have that peace of mind.
One major factor in all of this is diet. Remember that the same rule that applies to humans, applies to animals as well, which is you "are what you eat". Don't give poor quality food to your animals if you really want the best for them. Dogs and cats are meat eaters primarily and yet most of the poor quality food is full of lousy quality meat, meat by-products and grains. Dogs and cats should not be eating grains, so be aware of what the food you are feeding them is made of.
One type of food for animals that is gaining considerable attention is raw food. Raw pet food is being given to more and more pets every year and you really should look into it for your pet's health and longevity. The traditional diet of these animals in the wild is raw meat, which has all of the essential nutrients besides the amino acids and enzymes which are all lost in the cooking process used in most commercial pet foods.
When food is heat processed it is very destructive to the delicate enzymes, vitamins and antioxidants that are so beneficial in a natural and organic diet. Because of this, many pet food companies then add nutrients as a way of replacing those that were destroyed by heat. Sadly, these synthetic replacement nutrients don't come close to their natural organic counterparts.