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 FINANCIAL
PLANNING
FOR YOUR PET
We are often asked by concerned dog owners what they should do if they, themselves pass away? Who will take
care of their pet? The following information appeared in the Associated Press.
The "key" to financial planning is to plan in advance, just as you would for the rest of your estate.
 Your Will
State clearly where you want your pet to go after your death. Check with the friend or family member in advance to make
certain that they agree. An alternative is to send your pet to a facility that cares for pets when the owner is disabled or has died. "Living Free" is one example.
Bequeath Money
Though you cannot name the pet as beneficiary you can designate money to be used to care for your pet. You need
to be comfortable with the person you designate to be the caretaker, since you will have no control over how the money is spent.
Pet Trust
You can establish a trust similar to human beings or charities. Assets or cash can be placed into the trust and a trustee is
designated to manage it, for the benefit of your pet. The trustee can be a friend, family member, bank or a trust company. This person should be someone other than the caretaker of the pet. This
avoids a conflict of interest. The trust should also name a "remainder man", the person or charity that receives the remaining money after the pet dies. Trusts are more costly to establish and
maintain, compared to simply bequeathing money to a caretaker through a will.
Check with an attorney regarding legal issues in the State of California.
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VACCINE UPDATE
We have been trying to keep everyone advised regarding recent changes in our vaccination recommendations.
There are two new vaccines for our pets that DOGS should be vaccinated against contagious dysentery (GIARDIA). This is a
disease that is very common and can be transmitted to people.
CATS should receive an additional flu vaccine (BORDETELLA) to protect them against this common, airborne infection.
FROM OUR DOCTOR'S DESK
Teeth cleaning can now be performed
on some pets without the use of anesthesia.
Keeping your dog or cat's teeth clean is very important for the pet's overall health and long life.
However, brushing your pet's teeth is no easy task. We all give up and let time pass. The pet's teeth get bad and then we are looking at major dental work to get the pet's mouth healthy again.
This is a vicious cycle.
Co-operative pets (that can tolerate being held for about 30 minutes) that have discolored teeth and
bad breath are good candidates for this new dental technique. Start when your pet is about 3 years old and have it done at least twice a year.
NOTE: Pets with infected teeth or gums will still need anesthesia to enable the doctor to remove or
repair teeth, deep clean the roots or perform oral surgery.
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