ArcaMax

Q: Should I wipe my dogs' paws for safety reasons during the winter, so they don't lick off the salt and snow? -- B.D., St. Paul, MN

A: "A lot of people say street salt is poisonous, (but) most of the time it's actually sodium chloride, which is table salt, or other types of chloride products," says veterinary toxicologist Dr. Justine Lee, of St. Paul, MN. "As long as they don't get into a package of it, or ingest a large amount, it's generally pretty safe. Still, to be on the safe side, I suggest booties, or wiping off the salt before entering the house."

A great product for wiping off that salt is called Luv and Emma's Dry Pets Super, a towel made with a special absorbent fibers, available at http://luvandemma.com/ ($12.95). Of course, you can also use an ordinary towel. While wiping your dogs' paws removes salt they might otherwise ingest, as much as anything else it's also about saving your carpet and floors from the damaging effects of salt.

As for your pets licking snow off their feet, unless there's something dangerous in the snow, such as antifreeze, this is not hazardous.

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Q: I have five cats and love them all. About two months ago, I noticed that Costa had a problem urinating. Two weeks later, OB started coughing. The veterinarian was able to help, but the fee came to $1,600, which I'm paying off a bit at a time. Why are veterinarians so expensive? I now call only when I see something is truly wrong. I can't afford anything else. -- A.D., Coral Springs, FL

A: "I don't know what your pets required, but I do understand your concerns," says Dr. Richard Goldstein, chief medical officer of the Animal Medical Center in New York City. "Of course, veterinary care isn't subsidized by the government. I'm not sure people realize the equipment, medical training and medications are often equivalent in veterinary care to human health care, but human health care is at least 10 times the cost. So relative to human health care, veterinary care is affordable."

Of course, even bargains matter little if you can't pay for them, and Goldstein understands that.

"Veterinarians don't become veterinarians to become rich, but they have families, too, and that equipment, rent or mortgage and the staff need to be paid," he notes.

The price of care is an issue veterinary medicine is grappling with as costs escalate. This is happening, in part, because of cutting-edge medicine, which allows more to be done for our pets than, say, a decade ago. And also because everything costs more. There are no easy answers. There are low-cost veterinary clinics in many communities, at the very least for spay/neuter. Pet insurance is a terrific safety net, but you would have to pay the premiums, and with five cats this might be costly.

Many veterinarians (particularly if there's a longstanding relationship with the pet owner) allow payment over time, sometimes interest free.

"The truth is that preventive care is one way to save money," adds Goldstein. "When illness is caught early, pets may suffer less, the treatment may not be as costly, and the outcome may more likely be successful."

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