August 15, 2006 - Kitty Borah and Helene Wood co-hosted our August meeting, which was held at the home of Kitty Borah.  Everyone enjoyed fine food and great desserts (including homemade Westie cookies).  The program was a DVD on "Measuring Canine Behavior and Temperament" from the Canine Health Foundation, which discussed Dr. James Serpell's project to develop a reliable instrument to measure canine temperament and behavior, then test its accuracy and reliability. The project started with two assumptions: The person living with the dog knows it the best, and by asking the right questions the right way, it is possible to get accurate behavior information from that person.  Dr. Serpell developed the Canine Behaviorial Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) of 152 questions, with a scale of five responses from “never” to “always” for each question. He sent the C-BARQ to 2,000 regular dog owners, 1,093 breed club members, and 200 owners of problem dogs.  Based on the responses received, Dr. Serpell’s team identified 11 temperament traits common to most dogs, regardless of breed, age, sex, or neuter status: (1) stranger-directed aggression, (2) owner-directed aggression , (3) stranger-directed fear, (4) nonsocial fear, (5) dog-directed fear/aggression, (6) separation-related behavior, (7) attachment and attention-seeking, (8) trainability, (9) chasing, (10) excitability, and (11) touch sensitivity.  The study identified consistent differences among breeds.  Dachshunds and Rottweilers scored highest on stranger-directed aggression, for example, and Siberian Huskies scored lowest.  The C-BARQ also found that male dogs had more aggression behavior problems and that females were more fearful. These differences were even more extreme when looking at only neutered animals, even after excluding animals neutered for behavior problems.  Additional research will be conducted regarding the role of C-BARQ in screening and selecting service dogs, using the C-BARQ to examine the efficacy of treatment for behavior problems, and for mapping genes associated with behavioral traits.   The C-BARQ is currently the only behavioral assessment instrument of its kind to be extensively tested for reliability and validity on large samples of dogs of many breeds. The current version consists of 101 questions describing the different ways in which dogs typically respond to common events, situations, and stimuli in their environment. The C-BARQ is simple to use, and can be completed by anyone reasonably familiar with a dog's day-to-day behavior. The C-BARQ is available to veterinarians, behavioral consultants, and other professionals with an interest in screening dogs for the presence and severity of behavioral problems. For a limited period, it is also open pet owners interested in comparing their dogs to others in the C-BARQ database.  Go to http://w3.vet.upenn.edu/cbarq/ for more information.

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PET INSURANCE

September 19, 2006 - Drs. Ellin and Robert Grossman provided an ideal venue for our September meeting.  Our guest speaker was Eric Buck of Pets Best Insurance.  Eric gave our members a general overview of pet insurance (what it is and why we might want it) as well as a comparison with some of the major providers.  Some of the important things you may want to consider before buying pet insurance:   1.  What is Covered Under the Policy and What Options are Available? Look for plans that give you the option of covering illnesses, accidents, and routine care.   2.  Is the Pet Insurance Company Licensed in Your State? Look for a pet insurance company that is licensed in your state.   3.  How is Your Reimbursement Payment Calculated when You File a Claim? How your reimbursement payment is calculated is one of the most important things to understand. Be sure to check for limits and exclusions in the policy’s fine print.   4.  Can You Choose Any Vet or Are You Restricted to a Network? It may be important for your situation to look for plans that allow you to visit (1) your choice of Veterinarian, (2) an after-hours Emergency Veterinarian, and (3) Specialists.   5.  Who Determines What Treatment Your Pet Receives? Look for plans that allow you and your Veterinarian to determine the best treatment for your pet.  You may want to choose a pet insurance policy that does not limit your benefits by dictating coverage of specific treatments only.   6.  What is Excluded? Determine whether a plan’s list of exclusions is too broad or excludes treatments you would want for your pet.   7.  What are the Deductible Options? Look for plans that allow you to choose a deductible that suits your needs and budget. Choosing a higher deductible will lower your monthly premium, but means your out-of-pocket will be higher each time your pet requires medical treatment. Choosing a lower deductible will increase your monthly premium, but means your out-of-pocket costs will be lower. Determine which is best for your situation, and find out if you can change plans and deductibles without penalty.   8.  What are the Per Incident and Lifetime Policy Limits? Be sure to check the per incident and lifetime limits of the plan you are considering (you do not want to be faced with a large vet bill because your plan hit its maximum). Choose a plan that allows you to effectively budget for the true costs of unexpected illnesses and accidents.   Eric recommended spending a little time researching your options to select the best plan for you and your pet(s).  For links to some of the pet insurance companies out there:   Pets Best - www.petsbest.com AKC Pet Healthcare Plan - www.akcpethealthcare.com/BHIA/ VPI Pet Insurance - www.petinsurance.com Pet Health Inc. - www.petcareinsurance.com