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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / June 2007Vets and Canadians
Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy insect bite, would you still go to the MD? Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets. My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she hasn't been to the vet. > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she > hasn't been to the vet. ---------- In the United States, a competent vet will not vaccinate an animal without having examined the animal first. And animals do require routine checkups, especially as they age, because problems can be caught early and treated. One of the reason cats are now living to be 15 to 20 years old is because of advances in veterinary care. (Another reason is that more people keep cats indoors). Cats who do not receive routine care have a greater chance of dying young due to undiscovered illnesses that could have been treated. If I hadn't been taking Alex for routine examinations, I would never have found out that he has a heart murmur and cardiomyopathy. There were no symptoms. My health insurance covers the cost of my checkups. I have to pay for my cats' checkups. Nevertheless, the cats get more checkups than I do. Best regards, ---Cindy S. > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she > hasn't been to the vet. I'm not sure where you're going with this, but here goes. I get an annual checkup for myself. My health insurance covers checkups to a certain dollar amount. However, a couple of years, my previous insurance did not cover checkups, but I paid out of pocket to go anyway. Checkups are a small price to pay for overall health. Yes, I "drag" my cats to the vet for annual checkups. One cat does not get vaccinated, due to having severe allergic reactions to the vaccines, but he still gets bloodwork and an exam. The other cat gets vaccinated, but not as often due to recent studies (another topic). Both are brought in if a medical problem comes up. I pay for this myself, and do not hesitate to do so. I made a commitment to these animals when I adopted them. > > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't > > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > myself, and do not hesitate to do so. I made a commitment to these > animals when I adopted them. Where I was going is trying to get a feel of how many people like cindys for example would bring their pets to vet more often that their own visits to the MD. Also a bit OT is if people go to MD's needlessly. I already know that people demand antibiotics needlessly resulting in superbugs. > Where I was going is trying to get a feel of how many people like > cindys for example would bring their pets to vet more often that their > own visits to the MD. > > Also a bit OT is if people go to MD's needlessly. I already know that > people demand antibiotics needlessly resulting in superbugs. To use the example from your original post, no I would not go to the doctor for an insect bite *unless I felt it necessary* (ie, it got infected, didn't clear up within a few days, extremely swollen, or an allergic reaction). I do not go to the doctor unless I feel it's medically necessary (excluding my annual checkup, which I feel is important in its own right). Why would I want to pay a copay, wait at a pharmacy, pay that copay, and then pay the % my insurance didn't cover? Makes no sense to me. Like Lis said above, yes, I might take my cats in for something I wouldn't go in for myself, or for something that seems "minor." One of my cats is especially stoic and hides his illnesses. If I waited until he truly acted sick, he might be too far gone. If I have a question, I call the vet's office and tell them the symptoms--and they can advise. >> > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't >> > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] >Also a bit OT is if people go to MD's needlessly. I already know that >people demand antibiotics needlessly resulting in superbugs. Cats age quicker than humans so it stands to reason that they need more checkups in a similar time frame. Mine are young so I do only bring them once a year but that will increase as they get into senior years. What kind of health insurance doesn't cover routine physical exams? Doesn't the Canadian system cover them? >>> > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't >>> > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > What kind of health insurance doesn't cover routine physical exams? > Doesn't the Canadian system cover them? yes annual exams are covered - only 1 per year. The original poster was misinformed. Bobble > The original poster was > misinformed. apparently on several levels...  SignatureLynne > >>> > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't > >>> > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > > - Show quoted text - Is it covered in BC? BTW BC still charge for health insurance and I think AB also. > > >>> > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't > > >>> > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an [quoted text clipped - 51 lines] > > - Show quoted text - Canadian health plans are on the provincial level, not national. I checked.@ http://www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/msp/infoben/benefits.html MSP does not provide coverage for the following: preventive services and screening tests not supported by evidence of medical effectiveness (for example, routine annual "complete" physical examinations, whole body CT scans, prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests > > > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't > > > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > Also a bit OT is if people go to MD's needlessly. I already know that > people demand antibiotics needlessly resulting in superbugs. I do now get anual checkups, but mostly because my doctor won't renew my asthma inhaler if I don't. I know I should. I just try to avoid it, so she knows she needs to push me. The cats get their anual checkups regardless. I don't mind paying, and they aren't sticking ME with the needle. My dog Jenny is older, so goes twice a year now for senior checkup. As for medications, I have trouble taking medications. I tend to choke on most pills. They can go partway down and then I choke and cough them back up. So, I try to avoid medications unless I am desparate. I did get a mild muscle relaxer when I hurt my back a couple years ago. And the last time I got sick enough to go to the doctor, I was concerned that I might be geting bronchitis (which I had before). My doctor checked me and said my cold was just about over, but was concerned about my untreated asthma (I had been doctorless for about 8 years before that appointment. She put me on a daily inhaler for 6 months, and then back to just a rescue inhaler for times when it flares up. I can usually avoid asthma attacks by avoiding my known triggers. It has probably been about 15 years since I had antibitiotics. And that was when I had the bronchitis. I think it was 1995. >As for medications, I have trouble taking medications. I tend to choke >on most pills. They can go partway down and then I choke and cough >them back up. So, I try to avoid medications unless I am desparate. I guess that's one of the advantages to growing up in the 60's. I have no trouble taking any kind of pill, even quite a few at once. It's all mental you know. You swallow much bigger things when you eat with no thought at all. > On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:31:27 -0700, "fries...@zoocrewphoto.com" > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > It's all mental you know. You swallow much bigger things when you eat > with no thought at all. I wish it were that simple. M y throat is smaller than normal (approximately 30% smaller). It is the main cause for my asthma. I also have choking spams that can come on for no obvious reason. It is more frequently when I am asleep. I will wake up coughing repetedly, often inhaling saliva or even choking up acid reflux, which I then inhale as I am gasping for air. Sometimes, the choking spasms continue for 20-30 minutes. By then, I am likely to vomit too. Sometimes, I inhale enough that I am gargling as I breath. It takes a good hour for that to stop. And once I have an episode, I am more likely to have an asthma attack. I actually spent a night in the emergency room the first time this happened. With the pills, they will usually go down, but sometimes I will start choking when it is partway down. Sometimes, it will go up and down a few times before going all the way down or coming back up. I have actually lost my lunch a few times when taking a pill that normally goes down. Because my throat is smaller, it is easier for a pill to hit the gag reflex (which is really strong in my case) and it can also get stuck. I can feel it burning my throat, and I can eat and drink, but it stays stuck to the inside of my throat. I have also had the choking spasms during the day while I am awake and standing up. Sometimes brought on by a sudden smell. Sometimes i have no idea what brought it on. Anyway, I know how to get the pill started down. I just can't guarantee what it will do on the way down. >> On Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:31:27 -0700, "fries...@zoocrewphoto.com" >> [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] >Anyway, I know how to get the pill started down. I just can't >guarantee what it will do on the way down. Oh, that's different then. Never mind. > Anyway, I know how to get the pill started down. I just can't > guarantee what it will do on the way down. ---------- I also have trouble swallowing pills. Here are some things that have helped me: 1. One thing you can try is buying empty capsules, which are slippery and go down more easily. Chop up your pill a little bit and put it into the empty capsule before swallowing. It may not be a magic solution, but it may help. 2. If you have a large pill, cut it in a half and swallow it as two separate parts instead of one. Just the fact that it is smaller makes it easier to swallow. 3. Another possibility is to ask the pharmacist if the pill can be dissolved into a liquid without impacting its efficacy. Sometimes a pharmacist can make up a liquid solution for you of your medication (but you have to ask - it's not something they offer unless someone specifically asks them and it can also get costly sometimes, but it doesn't cost anything to ask). Good luck. Best regards, --Cindy S. snip > As for medications, I have trouble taking medications. I tend to choke > on most pills. They can go partway down and then I choke and cough > them back up. I used to as well, but I learned a trick to swallowing pills: put a bit of water in your mouth first, squeeze the pill in, tilt head forward a bit, now normal swallow. It makes a little puddle for the pill in your mouth and down she goes. Works much better than pill in, water in, head thrown back. Bobble > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she > hasn't been to the vet. Yes, I "drag" my cats and my dog to the vet annually "just" for a checkup. Taking a dog or cat to the vet once a year is roughly equivalent, in terms of the amount of aging that happens, to seeing your own docter every 3-5 years--hardly an excessive frequency. A competent vet will not vaccinate an animal without an exam, in any case. And if an illness or injury comes up, they go to the vet then, too. I do take them to the vet for things I might not go to the doctor for myself, because for myself I have the ability to identify and describe what I'm experiencing. That itchy insect bit--I'd know it was really an itchy insect bite. My pets don't have the same ability and can't tell me what they're feeling and exactly what preceded it, and if I can detect something wrong, there may be more wrong that I can't identify. This is especially true with cats, who are _very_ _good_ at hiding illness. Responsible pet ownership includes providing proper medical care. Lis >Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't >include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she >hasn't been to the vet. What's being Canadian got to do with it? I'm Canadian and my 2 cats certainly see the vet more than once a year. I think you would be a cheapskate no matter where you lived. -mhd >>Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't >>include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > I think you would be a cheapskate no matter where you lived. Sounds reasonable to me. James <j0069bond@hotmail.com> wrote in news:1182176492.166028.30380 @o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com: > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she > hasn't been to the vet. I (Canadian) used to get annual checkups (yes they are paid by our health insurance) which proved important because they detected early breast cancer 5 years ago, and lately abnormal cells in my cervix. However, our doctor left town 4 months ago and we no longer have a doctor (along with thousands of other Canadians). Therefore, annual checkups, Pap and blood tests, etc. are not possible until I can find a doctor who is taking on new patients. I would gladly pay $40 to get a Pap test in view of my high risk, but I can't even do that. Yes, my cats/dog have always been taken to the vet annually for checkups and vaccinations and I consider it very necessary to do so. Early detection is as important to humans as to pets. Lately, my cat is getting better medical care than I am :-( Bobble > I (Canadian) used to get annual checkups (yes they are paid by our > health insurance) which proved important because they detected early [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > doctor who is taking on new patients. I would gladly pay $40 to get a > Pap test in view of my high risk, but I can't even do that. > Lately, my cat is getting better medical care than I am :-( > > Bobble Can you go to a walk-in clinic somewhere to get a check up? > > I (Canadian) used to get annual checkups (yes they are paid by our > > health insurance) which proved important because they detected early [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Can you go to a walk-in clinic somewhere to get a check up? Even more slightly OT, but it might interest you to know that in the UK, if you "don't" visit your dentist @ least every 6 months, then you find yourself without a dentist. They strike you off the list & allow another patient to enrol @ the practise in your place- Unless you can show good reason as to why you didn't turn up for your appointment . ( ie: in hospital ect) The only other way to get a dentist is to pay to see one privately on medical insurance. Our local hospital has only just got a dental department after 25 years!! Our national health care system is slowly going towards the way you all have it in the USA, & Canada too. If you pay, then you get what you need doing, when you want it, in a National Health Care Hospital, but in a nicer ward or a side room, with a menu to choose from. This of course means that there are less beds available for anyone who relies on the NHS for their medical care. If you rely on the NHS system, then you can wait for up to 2 years for a non medical emergency procedure. (ie: in growing toe nail removal or something along those lines).... As for our Pets, Yes, I DO drag them to the vet @ least once a year. No Pet insurance policies that I have found offer to pay for the privilege of taking them either. Most of them all have an excess clause written into them, stating that the cost of booster inoculations, the cost of the consultation & a few other things are not covered either...& the excess fee for anything else is around ?50 ($100!!). this means that whatever treatment your pet might need, is covered, but you have to pay the first ?50, & they will meet the rest of your costs as long as the small print doesn't exclude them. The moral of this story is, read the small print 1st, & choose wisely. S;o) > Our national health care system is slowly going towards the way you > all have it in the USA, & Canada too. If you pay, then you get what [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > for a non medical emergency procedure. (ie: in growing toe nail > removal or something along those lines).... I have no problem with that philosphy. People who can afford to pay should pay. The extra money probably help keep the system going. People are willing to spend big bucks for monster SUV's and their kids education. There's no reason they shouldn't pay for extra pampering in medical care as long as it doesn't lower the quality of care to the poor. Poor or cheap Americans cheat the Canadian system by posing as Canadians. Well off Canadians willing to pay, hop across the border to get instant medical care from the US. Many westerners go to India and other Asian nations for cheap medical care. NHS would probably work better if everyone has to pay something. Maybe 4 hours wages for an office visit, up to a month's wages limit for something serious. People making 10X more than me certainly can afford to pay $1000 a day out of pocket. > > Our national health care system is slowly going towards the way you > > all have it in the USA, & Canada too. If you pay, then you get what [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > People making 10X more than me certainly can afford to pay $1000 a day > out of pocket. > I have no problem with that philosophy. People who can afford to pay > should pay. The extra money probably help keep the system going. Nor would I "If" it wasn't @ the expense of the quality of the care of the poor either. The problem is that it is exactly those people who do have to pay in the long run. When the richer can afford to "schedule" their procedures, it means that they get the beds in the very same hospitals as the rest of the local populous, thus leaving no bed available for others waiting for those beds & slots in theater. In fact there has been a lot of controversy about this problem recently.... We have the elderly being informed on the day of their procedure, that there is no bed available for them, & they are simply put back on the list to be recalled @ a later date for their turn. This is really unacceptable. When I said surrounded by controversy, I meant it.... (hip replacements, intensive care after theater ect) How would you feel if your uncle, grandmother, or parents got as far as the hospital, & even on the ward.. Had your pre op done, only to be told that there has been an unforeseen problem, so you can get dressed again, & we will contact you when we have the room & the staff to look after you? Because this is what is happening over here, increasingly so too... Now if the people who can afford to pay towards the expense of their health care, I have no problem with this idea either.. as long as it is in a Private hospital, because there are plenty of them, so why take away the overstretched beds from those who can least afford it? My philosophy FWIW, is that generally the people who are made to wait the longest, are the very people who paid national insurance contributions all of their working lives, to ensure that when they got into their old age, they knew that they had this system to support them in their time of need > People are willing to spend big bucks for monster SUV's and their kids > education. There's no reason they shouldn't pay for extra pampering > in medical care as long as it doesn't lower the quality of care to the > poor Again,. I couldn't agree more with you if I tried to....But the problem is that it is /@ the expense & quality of care for the poor... It all goes back to the problem of NHS hospitals seeing the extra wad of cash & the administrators thinking, "nice one, we could do with the cash injection". It makes the staff feel uncomfortable. They are also on the front line & have to cope with the people who have been kicked out of their hospital beds, to make room for the private paying clients on the administrations say so!! If these people can afford to pay for their health care, that is all well and good, but the people who paid for those hospitals to be built, are the very ones who are not receiving the treatment that should be theirs by right. It should most definately not be @ their expense... If I had the money to pay for private health care, I would, but I would also ensure that the hospital I used was a private one so that I wasn't holding someone else up that probably needs the treatment far more than I do..... Just my 2pence worth S;o) James <j0069bond@hotmail.com> wrote in news:1182264727.116570.43520 @o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com: >> I (Canadian) used to get annual checkups (yes they are paid by our >> health insurance) which proved important because they detected early [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Can you go to a walk-in clinic somewhere to get a check up? No, doctors won't do check-ups on a walk-in visit, but we can go there and see a doctor for small problems which pop up, i.e. infections, etc. Bobble > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? I do. (Canada) Health insurance don't > include checkups. OHIP - Ontario Health Inusrance covers checkups If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy > insect bite, would you still go to the MD? probably not. > Do you drag your pet to the vet annually just for a checkup? Just > wondering how different Canadian vs American point of view on vets. yes, I take all my cats into the vet at least once a year. > Do you get a annual checkup for yourself? Health insurance don't > include checkups. If you had to pay $40 for the MD to check an itchy [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > My pussy only gets rabbies shots and no checkup. Except for spay she > hasn't been to the vet. I live in the U.S. Yes, my cats have an annual exam. And, yes, I also have an annual exam. Concerning one of your comments in a later message: I do not demand antibiotics. I do go the the doctor if I am sick, and he decides what I need (but he is not one to "overprescribe"). MaryL |
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