Pethealth Inc. Announces Dividend on Series I 6% Convertible Preference Shares

The Board of Directors of Pethealth Inc. (“Pethealth” or the “Company”) today announced that they declared a dividend of $0.12 per series I 6% convertible preference shares (the “Convertible Preference Shares”), payable on February 2, 2009 to the holders of record at the close of business on January 16, 2009.

On January 21, 2004, by way of private placement, Pethealth issued 5,000,000 Convertible Preference Shares. Holders of Convertible Preference Shares are entitled to receive cumulative dividends at the fixed rate of 6% per annum, equal to $0.12 per Convertible Preference Share.

About Pethealth

Founded in 1998, Pethealth is the second largest provider of pet insurance to pet owners in North America, and the leading provider of pet related database management services to the North American companion animal industry. Pethealth offers a unique range of products and services for veterinarians, shelters and pet owners through a number of wholly owned subsidiaries using a range of brand names, including PetCare, ShelterCare, QuickCare, 24PetWatch, PetPoint, and PawsConnect. The Company is also a leading provider of pet health insurance in the United Kingdom through its Pet Protect and petPals brands. Pethealth currently insures approximately 240,000 dogs and cats.

Common Pet Health Problems and Solutions

Fleas

Fleas are nasty little critters that can infest your home and make your pets miserable. To rid your pets and home of fleas you must attack them from all sides. To combat fleas you have to make sure that you treat your pets and all indoors and outdoors of your home.

You can begin by using a product that prevents the flea pupa from leaving the egg. You can get this type of medicine from your vet. It is usually prescribed in tablet form which is given to your pet once a month. This treatment prevents flea breeding but does not kill fleas. You will want to also use a product which will kill adult fleas; some type of topical insecticide. These types of products are usually in aerosol form. They work by dissolving into the fatty skin tissue of your pet which means your pet will still be protected after shampooing. Some of these products last up to 3 months. You can also use flea powder and flea collars on your cats and dogs. You should also use a flea spray for your home. Make sure it is the kind of spray that takes care of both adult fleas and their larvae. Most of these types of products last up to 7 months. The most important step is to vacuum thoroughly and often. Vacuuming is very effective and should be done daily.

Worms

A person should have their cats and dogs wormed regularly. The reason for this is that worms carried by cats and dogs can be a health risk to other people and animals. There are many different types of worms and parasites that your pet can be infected with. Since young animals have a lower resistance to infection and unborn pups and kittens can be infected while in their mother’s womb. It is important to start worming pups and kittens at about two weeks of age. There are different types of worms, including; roundworms, tapeworms, whip worms, and hookworms. Since all of these types of worms are common in pets it is hard to prevent them from getting infected; but you can control them by worming your pet on a regular treatment schedule. Usually the doses can be giving orally in powder, liquid or tablet form. By using preventive care and making sure that your cat or dog is wormed at least every three to four months you can control infestations.

Ear Mites

Ear mites are very small parasites who infect the ears of cats and dogs and live in the ear canals. Ear mites are highly contagious among animals. Ear mites can be seen using a magnifying glass or by looking at a sample of tissue from the ear under a microscope. These types of parasites are not always easy to see with the naked eye. Unfortunately, if one of your pets has ear mites then the rest of your pets probably do too. Ear mites easily spread between animals. It is also a good idea to use flea products on their bodies as well, such as flea powder or flea shampoo. Ear mites can be found on other areas of the body besides the ears. It is also recommended that you wash the pet’s bedding. The type of treatment for ear mites depends on how severe the infestation is. Your veterinarian can prescribe ear medications with anti inflammatory ingredients which will give your pet relief. If the ear mites are severe you may need your pet’s ears cleaned along with ear medication.

Today with things such as the cost of medical treatment and veterinarian visits for your pets at a all time high and still increasing; a smart move is to buy pet insurance. This will give you piece of mind and the ability to take care of your four legged family members in case of a medical emergency or injury. You can get pet insurance on older pets too. They don’t have to be puppies or kittens to be eligible; as long as you keep the premiums up they will be covered for their lifetime.

So please visit us to see how we can help protect your pet – you can buy online easily too at Pet Insurance by Animal Friends.

Cats and dogs to suffer ‘master separation syndrome’ as their owners split

This year, Sainsbury’s Finance estimates that over 60,000 cats and dogs in Britain could suffer from “Master Separation Syndrome” – a term coined by Sainsbury’s to describe the mental trauma caused by their owners separating.

Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance offers a range of benefits including up to £1,000 per condition for complementary treatments and £250 a year for behavioural problems. Over the last year, Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance has seen a 28% increase in the number of claims linked to behavioural problems, the Bank believes that Master Separation Syndrome is one of the reasons for this.

Neal Devine, Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance Manager said: “If a couple separating have pets, their animals can also suffer from the anguish and stress caused by the breakdown. Cats and dogs can be very susceptible to their owner’s feelings and if they sense they are unhappy they can easily become agitated and depressed.”

“Pet owners should be aware that good quality pet insurance doesn’t just cover vet fees but will provide cover for behavioural issues as well.

“Also, if you suddenly become reliant on one income to look after a pet the need for pet insurance will usually be greater as it will help you to cope more easily with any large unexpected vet bills.”

Sainsbury’s estimates that the cost of owning a pet is increasing by around 5% a year. Indeed, it has calculated that the lifetime cost of owning a dog bought today stands at around £9,000, while the corresponding figure for a cat is around £7,000.

Despite the rising costs of veterinary bills, its research shows that as many as 11 million British pet owners have no insurance cover for their pet cats and dogs.

Good quality pet insurance does not need to be expensive, good cover at a competitive price can be found by shopping around. Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance is designed to offer some of the widest range of benefits available at a competitive price. For further information call 0800 056 5758, log on to www.sainsburys.co.uk or pick up a leaflet in a Sainsbury’s supermarket.

Animal Friends Insurance: Pet Owners Cut out Luxuries to Meet Pet Healthcare Needs

Despite recession, a specialist pet insurer, Animal Friends Insurance, is reporting a 40 percent increase in pet owners purchasing insurance policies to care for the health and wellbeing of their pets.

A startling fact found in research done by Sainsbury’s Finance in September, shows that 1.6 million pet owners have had to put down at least one pet dog or cat in the last five years because of not being able to cover a vet bill. To avoid this unnecessary heartache many are looking into getting lifetime policies for their pets.

As budgets tighten in the recession, families are cutting back on meals out, luxury food items and next year’s holiday. However, it seems that these same families are making a big effort to purchase pet insurance as a precaution.

Elaine Fairfax, Founder and MD of Animal Friends, commented: “More claims are made for pet related illness rather than accidents. Similarly, insurers are reporting that they find claim ratios are 1 in 4 and often as high as 1 in 3 for pets requiring veterinary treatment each year. Another important fact is that veterinary fees are rising faster than inflation and pet insurance claims are made more frequently than other household or car insurance claims.”

“With Christmas just around the corner there will be many new pet owners and it is even more important at a time like this that the annual message gets across: there is a cost to caring for pets.” added Elaine.

Animal Friends are unique in the pet insurance sector as they are a not-for-profit company. All their net profits made from the sale of pet insurance policies go directly to charities which help animals in need. The charities that they provide aid to are worldwide and include Animal Asia, The Born Free Foundation, donkey and horse sanctuaries in Israel and the Gambia along with many others including smaller charities such as Somerset and Dorset Rescue and Woodlands Animal Sanctuary.

The company offers several levels of cover ranging from just a few pounds per month to comprehensive full lifetime policies to help protect pet owners against unforeseen medical expenses for ongoing conditions such as arthritis and to give them peace of mind.

In a recession charitable donations are hit hard too. In response to this, Animal Friends has teamed up with The Mayhew Animal Home, one of the busiest animal sanctuaries in London, rescuing thousands of animals from cruelty and neglect each year. To help the Mayhew’s important work, Animal Friends Insurance will be donating 5 for every policy sold when a pet insurance purchase is made right until the end of December 08, a buyer just has to give the promotional code MAY1 at the time of purchase to trigger the donation. So whether you phone Animal Friends Insurance to buy a policy – or buy online – mention the promotional code MAY1 and Animal Friends will earmark 5 towards this worthy cause on your behalf. The web site can be found at http://www.animalfriends.org.uk.

In a report in the Dereham Times of Norfolk, David Green, spokesman for the RSPCA said, “The vast majority of responsible pet owners do get insurance. But people often do not appreciate the cost of vet treatment. People are out of touch with what it can cost. Insurance is a relatively small outlay in comparison.”

Web: http://www.animalfriends.org.uk/

High res image can be downloaded from: http://www.clickintopr.com/editors/articleDetail.asp?pjID=555

Animal Friends Insurance is a non-profit making insurance business, which donates 100% of its net profits to animal welfare charities worldwide. The company was founded in 1998 and offers competitively priced dog and cat insurance products. In 2005 Animal Friends Insurance’s managing director, Elaine Fairfax, won the NatWest everywoman Award for achieving the most outstanding success in business. Animal Friends currently insures around 30,000 pets at a 5 million gross written premium.

Read more Pet news at UK Pet Insurance Review

Dogs are most popular pet

Dogs or cats: it’s an emotive subject likely to start heated debates between cat and dog lovers nationwide. Tesco Pet Insurance conducted a survey to shed some light on the subject.

In a recent poll of pet owners: 58% said they would rather own a dog. While dogs were described as loyal and affectionate, cats are seen by respondents as being lazy and arrogant!

Unsurprisingly, when asked how individuals would choose to spoil their pets, a majority said affection and food. When asked which pet they would most like to spoil, 56% of the poll said their dog while a measly 24% preferred to spoil their cat.

3% of pet owners would spoil their pets with clothing and holidays abroad and for once this wasn’t the opinion of WAGs as the 3% were mainly male respondents.

Janet Wickens, Cats Protection‘s Director of Fundraising and Communications said: “According to the most recent figures published by the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, the number of pet cats and dogs across the UK is very similar and as the UK’s leading feline welfare charity, Cats Protection is glad to hear that so many people understand and value the companionship and joy that both cats and dogs bring to millions of households.”

“Our survey suggests that we really are a nation of dog-lovers, while cats unfortunately didn’t fare as well. This may be down to characters like Lassie contributing to the reputation of dogs, saving children from the bottom of wells and dragging the unconscious from train tracks. Cats on the other hand are famous for their evil owners such as Blofeld, and Dr. Evil. However, it was interesting to see the strength of responses, which goes to show how much as a nation we care about our pets.”

Allan Burns, Head of Tesco Pet Insurance.

Source

1.6 million pet owners put animal to sleep due to lack of pet insurance

51% of vets have put down a pet cat or dog in the past five years because the owners couldn’t afford to treat them

• 80% of vets have had an uninsured dog or cat owner decline a course of treatment because they couldn’t afford it
• Research suggests that the problem of pets being put to sleep or not receiving the right medical treatment because of cost could be getting worse

Every year, thousands of pet dogs and cats are being put down because their owners cannot afford the veterinary fees or ongoing medical costs of looking after their animals. New research from Sainsbury’s Finance reveals that 1.6 million people have had to put down at least one pet dog or cat over the past five years because of this. In total, the research shows that 927,000 dogs and 822,000 cats were put down for this reason between 2003 and 2008.

These findings are supported by further Sainsbury’s research amongst vets that reveals more than half (51%) have had to put a cat or a dog to sleep in the past five years because the owner couldn’t afford their pet’s medical treatment.

In addition to this, again because of cost, the research found that there are also many pets with medical conditions who are not receiving the recommended treatment because their owners cannot afford it. Over the past five years, 2.5 million people admitted that they have declined recommended treatment for their pet cat or dog because they simply couldn’t afford the cost. An overwhelming majority (80%) of vets confirmed that they had encountered this problem over the past five years.

Sainsbury’s believes that there are two key reasons for this tragic problem. The first is that veterinary advances mean that the cost of vet fees is rising by around 12% per year. The second is that around 55% of cats and dogs are not insured, so owners cannot rely on an insurance policy to cover all or part of a vet’s bill and without this they may find it impossible to pay. Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance policy will pay up to £7,500 towards a vet’s bill.

Worryingly, Sainsbury’s believes the situation of pets being put down or not receiving the recommended treatment for their medical conditions could be getting worse. Indeed, its research reveals that 10% of vets claim that the number of uninsured dogs and cats they are asked to put to sleep because the owners couldn’t afford the treatment has increased when compared to five years ago, but only 5% think it has decreased. Similarly, 14% of vets stated that the number of owners with uninsured dogs and cats who have declined a course of treatment or operation because of cost has increased while only 6% believe it has fallen.

Neal Devine, Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance Manager, said: “Our findings are very disturbing but also frustrating because in many cases if the owners had taken out good quality pet insurance they would have been able to treat their pet without any problems.

“The current credit crunch could compound this situation even further, with as many as one million pet owners looking to reduce their pet insurance cover or do away with it all together. This is a false economy because when finances become tighter, it is even more important to have pet insurance so that you can pay any unexpected vet bills.”

Regionally, the East of England has the highest percentage of past and present pet owners (12.1%) who have had to put down a pet in the past five years because they couldn’t afford the treatment. This is closely followed by the West Midlands (11.3%) and the South East (8.8%).

Steve Dixon, a leading veterinary surgeon, said: “Vets are in business to treat and save the lives of animals not to put them to sleep because of cost. It can be heartbreaking for the vet and pet owner when this happens so we always advise owners to take out insurance to help avoid this situation.”

Good quality pet insurance does not need to be expensive, good cover at a competitive price can be found by shopping around. Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance is designed to offer some of the widest range of benefits available at a competitive price. For further information call 0800 0565758, log on to www.sainsburys.co.uk or pick up a leaflet in a Sainsbury’s supermarket.

Four in ten pets are overweight

26% of dogs and 19% of cats are considered “obese

More than four in 10 (43%) of the cats and dogs seen by Britain’s vets are overweight, according to new research by Sainsbury’s Finance whose comprehensive Pet Insurance covers vets bills up to £7,500. Sainsbury’s Finance is warning that many medical conditions suffered by our cats and dogs are linked to or worsened by being overweight, and that allowing your pet to become overweight could put a strain on the purse strings because of the extra vet fees and medication costs. Furthermore, the Bank warns that those with pet insurance could be risking invalidating their claim as they could be found to have not taken proper care of their pet dog or cat.

The findings, which come from a survey of veterinary surgeons across the country, reveal that they are seeing more overweight dogs than cats, with almost half (47%) of all dogs seen by vets being described as overweight. More than one in four (26%) dogs were considered obese, with 21% being described as slightly overweight. There is also a weight problem amongst cats however, with 19% of them being classified as obese, and 20% considered slightly overweight, giving a total of 39% who are overweight.

Neal Devine, Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance Manager said: “We are seeing a worrying percentage of cats and dogs being taken to the vet who are overweight. People often think they are being kind to their pet by giving it treats, but being overweight can influence and worsen many medical conditions in pets, such as osteoarthritis and respiratory disorders, conditions that can be very uncomfortable for the animal.”

Of those medical conditions which can be linked to obesity, osteoarthritis is the one most commonly seen by Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance, closely followed by heart disease or congestive heart failure.

Top five conditions influenced by pets being overweight claimed for on Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance

• Osteoarthritis
• Heart disease / congestive heart failure
• Renal (kidney) problems
• Type 2 diabetes
• Respiratory disorders

“Veterinary and medication costs for long-term conditions such as arthritis can add up to a lot of money over the course of the animal’s lifetime. It is important that pet owners are properly insured by policies with adequate levels of cover, so that to avoid getting hit hard in the pocket.

Good quality pet insurance does not need to be expensive, good cover at a competitive price can be found by shopping around. Sainsbury’s Pet Insurance is designed to offer some of the widest range of benefits available at a competitive price. For further information call 0800 056 5758, log on to www.sainsburys.co.uk or pick up a leaflet in a Sainsbury’s supermarket. Sainsbury’s offers a range of nutritionally balanced foods and snacks for cats and dogs.

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Welcome to UK Pet Insurance Review

Hello and welcome to UK Pet Insurance Review.

We hope to provide you with the best advice you need to insurance your pet.

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The UK Pet Insurance Team

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