As soon as puppies are born and start nursing, they get natural immunity from their mother’s milk that protects them from most diseases. The mother’s milk contains colostrum which is passed on to the puppies within the first 48 hours after birth. The puppies have this immunity for the first 5-6 weeks of their lives. Puppies in general obtain different amounts of colostrum from their mother. The amount of immunity they get from the colostrum also varies with each puppy. The immunity that these puppies get, even in the same litter, wears off at different times.

That is why it is so important that immediately after the 5-6 weeks after birth you start vaccinating your puppy to protect him against diseases. Talk to your veterinarian about your puppy and discuss what type of vaccinations he should start getting. Your veterinarian will recommend a series of vaccinations. Some puppies carry the immunity they get from their mother beyond their 5-6weeks of age, so any shots they get against distemper, parvo virus or other diseases will have no effect on them.

However, after the 5-6weeks after birth, this immunity has already worn off from other puppies. These puppies will definitely need the immunization shots to protect them against any diseases. It is so important then to repeat some of these vaccinations several weeks apart to ensure that your puppy continues to be protected against all diseases. You need to realize though, that puppies who start getting their shots at an early age can still get deadly diseases like parvovirus.

There are certain essential vaccines that all puppies should get. These are canine adenovirus-2 (hepatitis and respiratory disease), canine parvovirus-2 and rabies. Other vaccinations for diseases such as bordetella, canine parinfluenza, coronavirus, leptospirosis and lyme are optional. Some of these shots are not necessary for all puppies and are not very effective. For instance, lyme disease vaccines are only given in certain parts of the country. Whereas, coronavirus is mostly given to very young puppies as the older puppies are not easily affected by this virus.

The question is, at what age should you start vaccinating your puppy? This is debatable as there are some people who are unsure as to what age to begin. Some people who believe that their puppies may have a high risk of catching the parvo disease start at 5 weeks old and there are others who start at 9 weeks old. One schedule that you can use is to begin your puppy’s vaccinations at 5 weeks old, then again between 6-9 weeks old and thereafter between 12-16 weeks old. Most people prefer to give their puppies their rabies shot between 12-16 weeks, but preferably separate from other shots, because they disrupt their immune system.

Vaccinations are given at different periods, once a year, every two years and every three years. Each of these vaccinations provides your dog with immunity for over one year. You should discuss with your veterinarian what type of vaccinations are necessary for your dog and which are the ones that he should get during these periods.

Remember that it is very important that you keep your dog’s vaccinations schedule up to date. This is the best way for you to make sure that you have a healthy dog.

Just as people catch a cold, you may be wondering whether dogs can also catch a cold.

Well, for your peace of mind, dogs do not catch a cold.

Dog owners do not have to worry that their dog would catch a cold just because they have one. In fact, you can cuddle with your dog even when you have a cold knowing that he won’t catch it.

However, dogs do catch respiratory infections which are transmitted from one dog to another.

Dogs that are in animal shelters or boarding kennels are at a higher risk to be infected by these respiratory infections. Because the dogs that are placed in these kennels are prone to get infected, the respiratory infections have been classified as “kennel cough”.

Kennel Cough

Kennel cough includes different types of respiratory infections which can be compared to the cold that people have. There is a vaccine available for kennel cough. However, this vaccine will only protect your dog from the most common types of kennel cough. The possibility is still there that he can catch one of the rare types of the respiratory infection. To control the spread of the infection, boarding kennels require that dogs be vaccinated for kennel cough before they are accepted to stay there.

Symptoms of Kennel Cough

1. If your dog has a dry cough.
2. If your dog has a watery nasal discharge.
3. In mild cases, your dog may still eat and still be alert and active.
4. In severe cases, your dog may be lethargic, have fever, lose his appetite, or catch pneumonia.
5. If your dog is severely infected, he could die.

Other Respiratory Infections

Most of these respiratory infections are mild and would not affect your dog seriously, unless he has a weak immune system or has not been vaccinated. If your dog has a mild case of the infection, he could heal on his own or may need antibiotics to clear up the infection. He may also need a cough suppressant for the cough which you can get from your veterinarian. If your dog has a severe case of the infection, he will definitely need antibiotics to clear up the infection. He may even need to get treatment from your veterinarian to prevent the cough from developing into pneumonia.

Canine Influenza

Canine influenza is relatively new and dogs are susceptible to it. In 2004, the H3N8 virus that causes canine influenza was discovered. The H3N8 virus was originally a horse virus which started to affect dogs.

Dogs can catch canine influenza which is in the air or from objects that are contaminated. People who have come in contact with dogs that are infected can also pass it on to dogs that are not infected. This virus has now been documented in more than 30 states.

With this new virus, all dogs are exposed and at risk of catching it since dogs are not immune to the virus. Most dogs that are exposed to the virus would become infected. But only about 80% of these dogs may show any signs of the disease. The other 20% of dogs, even though they may not have the virus, once they have come in contact with dogs that are already infected, can pass the virus on to other dogs.

Dogs can become infected with canine influenza at any time during the year. Most dogs that would come in contact with the virus may catch a mild type of the influenza and would recover quickly without any difficulty. However, some dogs could catch a severe type that could develop into pneumonia. Since there is now a canine influenza vaccine, even though its effect is uncertain, make sure that your dog gets the vaccine that could still provide him with some protection.

There is one habit about dogs that really disgusts dog owners and that is to see their dog eat their poop. It makes one wonder why your dog has to eat poop.

It would surely discourage anyone from kissing their dog.

This habit of eating feces is called coprophagia and it’s a habit that can be stopped.

Dogs that get good dietary foods and are healthy will not eat their poop. Dogs will always eat other animals feces including house pets poop, especially cats poop. But to see your own dog eating his poop, then something is definitely wrong with him.

It is quite normal for a mother dog to clean up her pups after they poop but she will stop doing so as soon as her pups start eating solid foods.

Why Do Dogs Eat Their Own Poop

1. They may not be getting any food and are starving.

2. They may be getting food that does not have all the nutrients that they need.

3. They may be eating food that has very little nutrients.

4. They may be anxious, bored or lonely.

5. Puppies though, will eat poop because they want to know what it tastes like. It’s more than likely that they won’t eat it again.

Perhaps you have noticed that one of the main reasons why your dog eats poop is because of a nutritional deficiency.

You may need to take him to the veterinarian for a proper check up. The veterinarian may have to do a blood test to find out if your dog is suffering from any type of deficiency. He should be able to tell you that your dog lacks minerals, vitamins and chemicals such as cobalt, iodine and manganese. Once you provide all of these to your dog, he should stop eating feces.

You should check the label on the food you give your dog for fat content, what ingredients it has, what minerals and vitamins it has and what percent of protein it contains.

If the main protein is corn, your dog may not be getting sufficient nutrients because they can only digest about 54% of the nutrients from corn. The other 46% is deposited in your yard in your dogs droppings. You should change your dog’s food to dog food that contains protein from meat which is much easier to digest.

Stop Your Dog from Eating Poop

There are several ways to discourage your dog from eating poop. Some of these are listed below so that you know what to do to help your dog.

1. As soon as you see your dog poops, pick up his droppings so he won’t be able to go back to eat it.

2. Make sure that you spend more time with your dog.

Take him for a walk personally so that you can supervise him, especially if you take him to the dog park. When you see your dog eating poop, use some deterrents such as a noise maker or a spray water bottle to startle him. You can put bitter apple or cayenne pepper on the poop. He won’t eat it because he will not like the taste.

You can put pumpkin in his food. It makes his food have an unpleasant taste and he will not eat it. You can use FORBID (stool eating preventative) and meat tenderizer with your dog’s food or you can give him pineapple with his food. They all make his poop taste horrible.

3. If you have a cat, keep his litter box out of the reach of your dog. A cat’s litter is almost irresistible to dogs.

It is very important then that you understand the reasons why your dog eats poop. If it is a nutritional problem make sure that you address it right away and stop him from eating poop.

For years people believed that a dog’s mouth is much cleaner than a human’s mouth.

This is only a myth.

Scientists today all agree that it is just not true when people say that a dog’s mouth is cleaner that human mouths, and are not certain where this information came from. This idea probably originated from studies that were done that showed that human bites had a higher chance of getting infected than bites from animals which included dog bites.

But, modern studies show that both a dog’s bite and a human’s bite have the same chance of becoming infected.

There is also a strong belief that dogs mouths are cleaner than human mouths because dogs lick their wounds when they are injured to clean the wounds and supposedly to heal them.

This led people to believe that dogs’ saliva is healthy and has some sort of healing properties.

Dogs’ saliva does not have any type of antiseptic or healing properties. But by licking their wounds,their tongue removes any dead tissue from the area and speeds up the healing process.

We have all seen our dogs use their tongues to bathe themselves, We have also seen them, after using the bathroom, use their tongue to clean themselves.

Dogs and humans use their mouths for completely different things and their hygiene is also completely different.

Therefore, bacteria in dogs mouths will be completely different than bacteria in humans mouths. Human mouths may have a type of bacteria that causes gingivitis whereas dogs mouths may have bacteria that is completely different.

Dogs also suffer from dental problems and diseases. Because of this, they may need to get their teeth cleaned, have a tooth removed or may need surgery.

This just goes to show that there is bacteria present in a dog’s mouth. To prevent your dog from getting any type of mouth disease, you should brush his teeth regularly.

There are many types of dog toothbrushes and tooth paste that you can buy for him at any pet store or online.

Even though dogs and humans have different bacteria living in their mouths, few diseases can be transmitted from a dog to a human through their saliva.

Even though a licking dog may be offensive, you have nothing to worry about health wise.

It is more likely for you to get sick from kissing a human than from kissing your dog.

Everybody loves dogs and people who own dogs love to hug and kiss them. They are never worried about catching any disease from their dogs.

The reason is that it is not a common thing for people to catch a disease from their dogs.

The truth is that it is possible for people to catch a disease from their dogs.

Rabies

You have probably heard stories about dogs that have rabies, foam at the mouth, go insane, and are ready to bite but more than likely you have never been around a rabid animal.

If you are ever bitten by a dog, the first thing that has to be done is to test the dog for rabies. This is to ensure that  you do not contract the disease from the bite.

Zoonotic Diseases

Rabies is known as a Zoonotic Disease and is one of many zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted from wild or domesticated animals to human beings or vice versa.

Zoonotic is derived from the Greek word “zoon” meaning animal, and “nosos” meaning ill.

Other zoonotic diseases are:

• fleas
• giardia
• hookworms
• lyme disease
• ringworm
• roundworms
• salmonella
• tapeworms

There are also other bacterial, fungal and parasitic diseases that are zoonotic.

All of these diseases can be passed on to you from your dog.

Even though these diseases are relatively rare, you should exercise caution when approaching strange or stray dogs including your own dog. They may look friendly and healthy but they could be carrying a parasitic or fungal disease that could be transmitted to you.

Parasites

Even though your dog may not look ill, he could have a parasite that you are unaware of.

For instance, hookworms can be present in your dog’s feces and as a consequence could also be present in your dog’s saliva without you been aware of it.

If you allow your dog to kiss you or your child while infected, he could easily transmit the disease to you or your child.

The best solution to prevent your dog from catching any diseases that can be passed on to you and your family is to keep him healthy. Take your dog to the veterinarian regularly for check ups and for his routine vaccinations.

Dog Poop

6 things to look out for when handling your dog’s poop.

1. Whenever you need to pick up dog poop, wear a glove or use a doggy poop bag.
2. Never handle your dog’s feces directly.
3. If your dog poops around the house, make sure that you pick it up immediately to prevent your child from coming in contact with it.
4. It is very important that you wash your hands thoroughly after you have handled dog waste.
5. It is important that you wash your hands every time you handle an animal.
6. Especially make sure that after you have handled an animal you wash your hands properly before you eat and before you touch your mouth for any purpose.

As long as you worm your dog on time, treat him for fleas and ticks, take him to the veterinarian for his regular check ups and to get his vaccinations and you yourself stay hygienic when handling animals, you should have nothing to worry about.

Dog owners have been using natural remedies for many years to help their dogs with minor problems. They assure you that putting a bit of apple cider vinegar in their dog’s drinking water helps with some of  these problems.

They also believe that a bit of garlic in their food helps them from catching fleas and that pumpkin is good for worming.

There are also other natural remedies that people have been using for a very long time to treat their dogs for many minor health problems.

Over time, these natural remedies have been tested and proven to work.

Popular Natural Remedies For Dogs

Natural Remedies for Dog Fleas

You can put a bit of garlic powder or brewer’s yeast in your dog’s food every day to prevent him from catching fleas. These additives act as a flea repellant to keep the fleas away. People believe that  fleas do not like the taste of a dog’s blood or the way he smells while taking these additives.

You can make your own herbal flea powder to use on your dog. Take eucalyptus, fennel, rosemary, rue, wormwood and yellow dock and mix them together to form a powder. Apply this powder thoroughly into the hair of your dog right through to his skin.

Kill Fleas in Other Places

You can sprinkle borax, also known as “20 Mule Team Borax wash detergent”  all over your carpet and leave it there for a few hours before you vacuum it. This will help to kill the fleas in your carpet.

To kill fleas in your yard, purchase diatomaceous earth at your gardening center and sprinkle it all over. You can also use nematodes for fleas.

Natural Remedies for Dog Worms

There are people who still use pumpkin seeds to worm their dogs. However, most people today rely on their veterinarian for worming or they use over the counter worm treatment.

But the pulp is very good for his digestive system.

If your dog has diarrhea or constipation, a bit of pumpkin pulp would help to regulate both.

Remedy for Anemia

If your dog has anemia, give him foods that are high in vitamin A and iron.

Liver contains iron that would help your dog with anemia, so you can serve him liver once a day.

Natural Remedies for Dog Arthritis

Dogs that are over-weight and suffer from arthritis could suffer a lot of pain. They would need to lose  weight to help ease some of the pain. Exercising your dog frequently will help him with the arthritis.

A warm, soft bed for him to sleep in would also help with the arthritis.

If you apply heat on the affected areas, it would also help to ease the pain.

Some dog owners give their dog glucosamine and chondroitin to reduce the pain.

Natural Remedies for Bad Dog Breath

If you notice that your dog’s breath has a bad odor, check his teeth for plaque or rotten tooth for these could be the cause of his bad breath. If so, he would need to get his teeth cleaned or have the bad tooth pulled out.

If you are feeding your dog canned food, cut down on the amount you give him, or better yet, stop giving him canned food as this may only make his teeth problems worse.

Make sure that you brush your dog’s teeth often.

Car Sickness

When you take your dog for a car ride and you notice that he gets car sick, give him ginger cookies. It will help him with carsickness. Honey and Rescue Remedy (the essence from flowers) are also good for carsickness.

Natural Remedies for Dog Hot Spots

If your dog has a sore anywhere on his body, shave the area around the sore and wash it properly with Listerine  mouthwash. After you have washed the area, apply some Gold Bond medicated powder. It will help to soothe the spot.

Insect Bites

You can mix baking soda and water until it forms a paste and apply it to any insect bites that your dog may have.

Natural Remedies for Dog Skin Allergies

If your dog’s skin itches from allergies, mix oatmeal in water and give him a thorough bath.

Sprayed by a Skunk

If your dog gets sprayed by a skunk, mix one quart of 3 % of hydrogen peroxide with ¼ cup of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of Dawn dish detergent and give him a thorough bath to take away the stench. Repeat the process if necessary.

The above are just a few natural remedies that you can use on your dog. There are many more natural remedies that can be used. Dog owners who have much experience with a lot of these remedies can advice you as to what remedies you can use when needed.

Once you own a dog, health care information about problems that can affect your dog become very important.

Get to know the symptoms of different diseases and potential health problems with your dog. Any dog will get sick from time to time and you should know what to do whenever this happens.

Common Symptoms of Health Problems or Disease in Dogs

Abdominal pain or swelling:

Pain or swelling in the abdomen could be as a result of a digestive disease like

• enteritis
• constipation
• canine bloating
• hepatitis

Abdominal swelling in puppies could be an indication that they have roundworms.

Aggression:

If you notice that your dog is unusually aggressive and has a change in his personality, it could be that he has rabies. Rabies could cause your dog to have difficulty breathing.

Blood in the urine:

This could be an indication that your dog has a kidney disease. Blood in the feces could be caused by constipation and may not be very serious.

Coughing:

If you hear your dog coughing, it could be that

• he has an allergy
• canine parvovirus
• distemper
• hepatitis
• kennel cough
• pneumonia
• tuberculosis
• worms
• heart disease

Diarrhea:

Any problems such as

• allergies
• digestive disorder
• disease of the pancreas
• food poisoning
• worms

Excessive drinking:

If you see your dog drinking too much water, it could be that he has diabetes or kidney disease.

Fainting:

Heart disease or heart worms could cause your dog to faint.

Fever:

Your dog can develop fever just like people. Fever could be caused by several illnesses such as

• distemper
• food poisoning
• heart stroke
• hepatitis
• kennel cough
• Lyme disease
• parvovirus
• rabies

Seizures:

If your dog is having convulsions, it could be caused by dog epilepsy.

Flaky skin, scaly skin or scabs:

Any of these problems could be caused by

• skin allergies
• dandruff
• mange
• scabies

Hair loss:

Loss of hair could be caused by parasites. Parasites that would cause your dog to lose hair are

• fleas
• mange
• ringworm
• scabies

Hair loss can also be caused by

• allergies
• Cushing’s syndrome
• overactive thyroid 

Lameness and difficulty walking:

Your dog could have problems walking if he has

• arthritis
• cysts
• hip dysplasia
• Lyme disease
• patellar luxation (dislocation of the kneecap)
• rabies
• thrombosis

Weight loss:

This could be caused if your dog has worms. He could also lose weight if he has

• cancer
• diabetes
• heart disease

Nasal discharge:

• Allergies
• distemper
• kennel cough

could cause your dog to have a nasal discharge.

Loss of appetite:

When your dog is not eating it could be that he has

• heart disease
• heart worms
• kennel cough
• Lyme disease
• mange
• rabies

Any virus could also make him lose his appetite.

Panting:

Dogs usually pant after exercising. If your dog pants even when he does not exercise, it could be that he has a heart disease.

Scratching the ear:

This could be an indication that your dog has

• allergies
• fleas
• ear infection

Shaking the head:

If your dog is always shaking his head, it could be that he has fleas or an ear infection.

Vomiting:

This could be caused just by eating too much. Your dog could also vomit if he has

• Addison’s disease
• dog food allergies
• canine bloating
• diabetes
• distemper
• enteritis
• food poisoning
• hepatitis
• kidney disease
• parvovirus
• worms

Wheezing:

Kennel cough may cause your dog to wheeze.

It is natural to worry over your dog when he develops health problems. And because your dog cannot say what is wrong with him, he may be showing the same symptoms that are caused by different diseases.

Many of these health problems that your dog may have are illnesses that are common but not serious.

However, there are times when an existing condition could be very serious or life threatening.

Let your veterinarian examine your dog and tell you what is exactly wrong with him.

It is very important that you know and become very familiar with everything that will help you to keep your dog safe.

Because dogs, and especially puppies, are very curious animals, they can get hurt or injured just by playing around and being themselves. You may see your dog with a big object trying to swallow it, jump on and off a high place, get exposed to toxic chemicals in the house, or bump into anything that may cause injury to his body.

Always be on the alert and help your dog to prevent any of these injuries.

Injuries to your dog can be prevented if you take the necessary precautions to avoid such injuries.

Some of the most common injuries and accidents that occur at home that could affect your dog are:

• choking
• electrical shock
• fractures
• household chemical poisoning
• puncture wounds

Also, make sure that the veterinarian gives your dog a yearly check-up. If he finds any problem, let him take care of it before it gets worse.

The following is a list of things that you can do to prevent your dog from getting injured.

6 Ways to Keep Your Dog Safe

Electrical Hazards

Dogs and puppies are drawn to electrical wires and you may see them chewing on the wires. This could cause a severe burn to your dog’s mouth. Make sure that you put all electrical wires in a safe place away from your dog, secure the electrical wires with duct tape and keep all electrical wires completely out of your dog’s sight.

Food and Exercise

You should not give your dog any food scrapings from the table because these scrapings are usually full of fat and are not healthy for your dog.

A healthy meal is food cooked at home and recommended by your veterinarian.

A high quality commercial dog food is also healthy for your dog.

Always give him clean water and make sure that you keep his bowl filled with fresh water.

An Introduction to Dog Food Nutrition 

After your dog has finished eating his meal, give him about an hour before you take him out for exercise. Do not exercise him too hard or for too long. Depending on the breed of dog that you have, walking him for 15 minutes every day may be sufficient exercise for him.

If you are not certain how much exercise your dog should get, contact your veterinarian for advice.

Toxic Chemicals and Poison

These can be very harmful to your dog. Therefore, make sure that you keep all household chemicals such as:

• bleaches
• cleaners
• detergents
• polishers

in a safe place away from your dog.

You should also keep house plants out of his reach because many of these plants can make him sick, severely ill or may even make him die.

You should also make sure that you keep all medicines in a safe place out of his reach.

Some foods that are harmful to your dog and you should never give him are listed below.

What Not to Give Your Dog 

Trash

Keep the garbage containers inside the house and outside of the house tightly closed.

Restraint

Whenever you take your dog out in public, make sure that you have him on a leash.

Travelling in the Car

Whenever you take your dog out for a ride, make sure that you have a carrier or a kennel that is securely placed inside the car. Never allow him to put his head outside the window. Also, never place your dog in the back of a pick-up truck.

Next: How to Keep Your Dog Healthy – 5 Things You Can Do Today.

Common ailments that many dogs may suffer from can include dog hair loss, dog dandruff, dog moulting and dog dry skin, and they can be extremely uncomfortable and for your dog. In this article I will give you a little advice on how to deal with such ailments.

Dog dandruff and dog dry skin can be problematic, and are caused by irritants in their environment, dog allergy or insufficiencies in their diet.

Symptoms of such problems can be identified by itching, scratching and overall coat changes as well as the dog chewing at his own skin. You may also notice darkening or inflammation of the skin, crusting, pus or sores. The coat may feel oilier or denser.

Dog hair loss and excessive dog moulting can also be a problem. Dogs have fur in order to regulate their temperature. The more fur that they lose, the harder this becomes, and just like humans, illness can be a very real threat if the temperature fluctuates even the smallest amount.

There are a number of simple resolutions to many of these matters.

In many cases, this can be healed with a modification of diet. Feeding your dog on foods that are high in essential fatty acids and vitamin D can considerably improve the condition of your dog’s coat and fur. However, you can speed up this progression with supplements.

Many companies provide complementary ointments, medicines and food additives. They include such things as omega 3 and 6, both of which have been proven to help improve your dog’s coat and skin.

One such product is Yumega Dog, which can be obtained online at Lintbells. It gets its omega 3 and 6 from pressed golden flax and starflower, so is completely natural, and includes no chemicals or human skin products, unlike some dog supplements.

Products such as these can be crucial in boosting your dog’s skin and fur and by extension, quality of life. And who wouldn’t want to ensure that their dog is the healthiest and happiest it can be?

This is a guest post.

When things are tight and we are trying our best to live inside a strict budget it is an easy temptation to cancel pet insurance payments as an ‘unnecessary expense’. But an accident or illness involving a feline or canine member of the family might change your mind – albeit too late.

Insurance is only good as long as the premiums are being paid. If you have paid pet insurance for five years and have never claimed, you may regard it as five years’ worth of wasted premiums. However, if you stop payments now and a month down the line your beloved dog requires veterinary treatment, you’ll quickly realise that a few pounds a month for insurance compares far more favourably to thousands of pounds in vets’ bills.

When choosing pet insurance it is important not to over-insure, as that does represent a waste of money. Don’t get sucked in to paying additional premiums for coverage you are unlikely to ever need. However basic pet insurance is a must-have because no one can predict the future. Knowing that your beloved four-legged friend is covered should the worst happen is exactly what pet insurance is for – it gives you (and your pet) peace of mind knowing that you can afford to pay for any treatment they might need.

Many loving pet owners come to this realisation too late. In attempting to ‘trim a little bit’ off the household budget and foregoing pet insurance, uninsured owners can quickly find themselves inside a spiral of accumulating debt in the form of astronomical vet fees if their animal develops a serious illness and requires ongoing treatment and/or operations.

If you find yourself in this position then vet fees can add considerably to existing debt problems. To be able to manage this situation effectively you need to get professional debt advice without delay. Any creditable debt advice company will offer a debt management plan, which is a budget compiled by both yourself and the debt advisor with a tally list of incoming and outgoings. The difference between what is coming in and what is going out is your disposable income, and it is from this amount that a manageable debt repayment scheme is worked out.

Should you owe in excess of £12,000 then you may be eligible for an IVA, which will be fully explained to you by the debt professional. An IVA allows the debtor to repay manageable sums over a five-year period. Whatever remains after that time is legally written off, leaving you debt-free. In certain (but not all) circumstances the IVA represents breathing space to debtors and a way out of serious debt.

Any new debt solution requires a new budget to be drawn up. That budget should include all your outgoings, which most definitely will include pet insurance. Once you have control of your finances you can then move forward with your new debt management plan, knowing that future vet care bills are taken care of.