You’ve probably already heard, and if you’ve been to our blog
about pets at
www.gilroydispatch.com/lifestyles/247505-south-valley-pets-blog,
you’ve seen the discussion. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called a
special session of the state legislature to vote on a proposed new
sales tax.
You’ve probably already heard. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called a special session of the state legislature to vote on a proposed new sales tax. There’s never been any doubt that new taxes would be part of the solution offered by the governor to offset the budget deficit projected for next year. But part of the new tax plan includes taxation on veterinary services. If a pet owner has any work done at a vet clinic, he or she will pay sales tax on whatever work is performed. The exact amount is unclear at this time, but it figures to be somewhere between 8 and 9 percent depending on location and local tax rates.
For some, this may appear to be no big deal. But this is a big deal to many pet owners. People with fixed incomes, those that are currently unemployed, even the “average” pet owner; all will feel this pinch. And many of us are concerned that the ripple effect this tax will have.
Consider this. Those who truly can’t afford higher veterinary care costs may abandon or surrender their companion to local shelters. These shelters are already full and already euthanizing many abandoned animals. The numbers will undoubtedly increase.
Further, there’s concern that some pet owners will avoid visits to their veterinarian’s office, even forgoing their pet’s usual vaccinations. One of these vaccines protects against rabies, a disease that can be transmitted to people. Rabies virus exists throughout the state. Infected bats and skunks are found every year in many local communities. If an unvaccinated dog or cat is bitten by one of these vector animals, rabies could become a serious public health issue. Unvaccinated pets could potentially spread this disease to people. This would be a public health nightmare.
The proposed service tax will also affect veterinary work done in the beef and other food-animal industries. Higher veterinary bills will most likely reflect in higher prices in the supermarket for beef, lamb, pork or poultry. In a teetering economy, this is just one more piece of bad news for the average consumer.
And on top of all this, there are many people who volunteer time with their pets visiting convalescent homes, children’s hospitals, and other medical facilities. Their pets are called “therapy pets” because they brighten the lives of those people they visit. Their positive effect on the mental and physical health of patients is huge. Therapy pets require constant medical updates, checking for health problems and parasites to ensure that they don’t transmit disease to institutionalized people with special needs. All these updates will cost therapy pet owners more money, so it’s conceivable that some therapy pet visits might be curtailed.
A new tax on veterinary services creates a hardship on the wrong sector of our state’s population. It’s ill-conceived and won’t generate a great deal of money, but it will create a large problem for many pet owners. I hope you agree and will join me in writing our local legislators expressing opposition to this proposal. Tell your state senator and assemblyman that the governor’s tax on veterinary services is a bad idea.
Q:
Our vet has diagnosed our dog, Patch, with an irregular heartbeat. She says that he may have congestive heart failure. How can we find out how serious this problem is? Do we have to take him to a specialist at the vet school in Davis?
A:
The very best way to determine the serious nature of a heart problem is to have a veterinary cardiologist do a thorough evaluation. This includes a physical exam as well an ultrasound evaluation (called an echocardiogram). Only with this exam can someone properly identify the type of heart problem and the correct medication to use for treatment. There are some clinics that can have a board-certified specialist come to examine Patch, and this would be the most convenient. But if this isn’t possible where you live, a trip to the veterinary school or a specialty clinic will give you the quickest and most accurate answers to your questions about Patch. Talk to your vet about a referral right away.
Q:
What’s best shampoo for a puppy? We’ve tried several from the pet store and every time we bathe our little poodle, Rennie, she itches a lot for at least a day. What should we do?
A:
Many of the over-the-counter pet shampoos have perfumes or scents in them. And sometimes these can be the source of skin allergies or itch. You should be sure that you rinse all the soapy residue off Rennie each time she gets a bath. But if she still seems to react, I would recommend you change to a hypoallergenic baby shampoo. This should help with her sensitivity to bathing.
Q:
How many teeth does a dog have? I saw a possum at the zoo, and he looked like he had 100 teeth! Do possums have more teeth than dogs?
A:
They do, but not as many as you think. Most adult dogs have 42 permanent teeth. Horses usually have about the same number, depending on the breed. Kitty cats have only 30 teeth. But possums? Well, it only looks like they have 100 of those pearly whites in their mouth. Actually, they have only about 50 teeth, just a few more than a dog. But when a possum feels threatened, he opens that mouth and it looks like there’s a real crowd in there!
