Dr. Julia Junker & Dr. Patricia Theis
Dear patient owners,
You can make financial provision for high veterinary costs. There is now a very wide range of different insurance companies offering everything from pure surgery insurance to comprehensive health insurance.
However, the price differences and the risks covered are enormous. This makes it all the more important to compare the tariffs and conditions and select the right offer for you.
The consumer advice center has written an interesting article on this and Stiftung Warentest tested various health insurance policies for dogs in August 2021. Ultimately, you need to think carefully about whether such insurance is worthwhile.
The fees for veterinary services were comprehensively amended on November 22, 2022 by an “Amendment to the
Veterinary Fee Schedule”, a federal ordinance, for the first time since 1999, in order to
ensure that newer medical procedures are reflected in the GOT.
Since the last fee schedule in 1999, veterinary services have been adjusted by a total of 24% up to and including 2022. In November 2022, the GOT will be amended again and fees will increase by an average of around 22%. This means that even with the new increase, fees have only risen by 1.9% annually over the last 23 years. In 2022 alone, however, inflation will amount to 10%. This means that the amount of the adjustment does not even correspond to the inflation compensation while at the same time practice costs have risen considerably.
§ Section 5 of the GOT (new) stipulates that it is generally not permitted to undercut the simple fee rates.
Our practice is therefore obliged to adjust its prices accordingly.
We ask for your understanding!
Chocolate contains the methylxanthines theobromine and caffeine, which can cause life-threatening poisoning in dogs and cats after ingesting chocolate.
As the content of theobromine and caffeine varies depending on the recipe of the chocolate, we have provided a link for you to calculate the toxic dose (courtesy of Dr. K. Sommer).
Symptoms of intoxication occur within a few hours of eating the chocolate. The main symptoms are restlessness, increased salivation, vomiting, diarrhea and an increased heart and breathing rate. However, weakness or convulsions may also occur, as well as death due to cardiac and circulatory arrest. The occurrence of these symptoms is dose-dependent.
Fleas are active in Germany all year round. In spring and summer they are also at their peak outdoors, in fall and winter they feel particularly at home in heated living spaces. Fleas are blood-sucking insects that bite through the skin and suck blood.
Only adult fleas are found on the body of dogs and cats. These lay eggs, from which larvae and pupae and finally new fleas develop. However, these eggs, larvae and pupae are not found on the animal, but in its environment, especially in sleeping, lying and favorite places, in carpets or in the car.
Measures to protect dogs and cats from fleas must therefore not only combat the adult fleas on dogs and cats, but also the eggs and larvae in their environment, especially in the case of heavy infestations or repeated occurrences.
If an animal scratches itself regularly, the probability that it has fleas is quite high. You can see an adult flea with the naked eye. It is about 2-3mm long.
However, a flea infestation cannot always be detected in this way, especially in animals with pigmented skin, darker, long or thick fur, the tiny parasites are barely visible. However, the following test is relatively reliable: comb your pet's coat with a flea comb very close to the skin and place the combed out material on a damp kitchen towel or handkerchief. If the cloth turns reddish around the material, this indicates a flea infestation, as fleas excrete small amounts of blood with their excrement, which becomes visible in this way.
If an animal is infested with fleas, it is important to kill any adult fleas on the animal as quickly as possible with a suitable anti-flea preparation. There are various products available for this purpose (spot-ons, tablets, collars).
Depending on the severity of the infestation, the treatment may need to be repeated several times. Important: In households with several animals, all animals should be included in the treatment.
The adult fleas on the animals usually only make up a very small part of the problem, the majority is in the form of eggs, larvae and pupae in the animal's environment. Therefore, in the event of a flea infestation, the eggs, larvae and pupae in the environment should also be treated. This is done by vacuuming and washing floors, carpets, sleeping areas and blankets (ideally at 40 - 60 °C). If there is a high risk of fleas or a heavy infestation, treat boxes, sleeping, lying and favorite places, car, transport basket or other places frequently visited by the animal with an anti-flea spray. Appropriate nebulizers are available for treating entire rooms.