Embrace Pet Insurance Blog

2005 in Review for Embrace Pet Insurance

At the beginning of 2005, our main goal was to secure an insurance partner, and I'm happy to say, mission accomplished (apart from the paperwork of course!). Trying to do anything in the summer or in December in the insurance world is absolutely hopeless, and the rest of the time, it takes 4 times longer to get anything done than you think. That's why it took us 17 months of dancing to get the dance partner. We promise to announce who it is the minute we can. You'll probably hear me shouting with joy and relief from where you sit. I definitely know the meaning of patience and persistence - can anyone say "ohmmmm..." with me?!

So, given we weren't selling policies in 2005, what else were we up to?

Well, our website and blog were born and both continue to develop. I have found it hard to get the blog up and running smoothly but now that I have my rhythm, I think it's getting to where I want it to be. It's particularly hard to strike a balance between having a personal touch but also being relevant and professional. It's also hard when Embrace is not selling policies - there's so much more I'd like to say! My next goal with the blog is to try to get more comments since there's not point listening just to me blathering on about my thoughts and experiences. It's the reader's perspective that really counts with me and my readers.

We also did a lot of networking, as any good entrepreneur does, and in 2005, I met some very interesting people I probably have no right to be chit-chatting with. From bloggers I admire such as George Nemeth, Anita Campbell, Jackie Huba, Michelle Miller, and most recently Yvonne DiVita, to local people who care about entrepreneurs in North-East Ohio such as Cleveland's Tech Csar Michael DeAloia, local lawyer-VC-decent-person-who-cares Cathy Panzica, the Red Room Revolution and Panzica Investments, and of course, my partners and cheerleaders at Jumpstart, our first funders. Since I work from home at the moment, I need to find all the inspiration and energy I can get and these people keep me buzzing about pet insurance morning, noon, and night.

Apart from hob-nobbing with the best, we also worked behind the scenes on a number of items that you should be seeing soon - the Embrace look and feel (I can't wait to show it off!), fine-tuning our product design and pricing with our new insurance partners (I can't wait so show the product and our partner off too!), and we've been thinking and rethinking our back office infrastructure so that you never see it except for the benefits that you get from having a streamlined integrated system (technology changes every month it seems - so many new software toys to play with!). We also have a number of marketing alliances perculating, although nothing I can tell you about yet until we announce our new insurance partner (see, I told you that was important!)

We also received some very-much-appreciated public recognition during the year. For example, Embrace was selected as a COSE special category finalist, which came with $1,000 cash and some other goodies. We also were mentioned in Business Week and a number of other articles, including the most recent pet insurance research document, and US News.

The list goes on...

On a personal note, my family moved house in October so we're now putting down our roots, which feels very good, and we are also expecting our second daughter in the new year. Seems like I'm going to be giving birth to two babies in 2006 - a delightful challenge to have, I must say.

Finally, Alex and I would like to thank everyone who has been so encouraging to us and even those who have not. We learn something new every day, whether it be positive or cut-to-the-bone criticism but it all adds up to making us better.

Looking forward to a productive and interactive 2006, your friend,

Laura

Number of bones in a cat

"Although humans are more than 15 times the size of a cat, a cat has more bones – 244 to 206."

[Courtesy of Purina - apologies for the awful music and woofing/meowing that goes with this site. Come on Purina, move into the 21st century please!]

Sample vet bill - check up, vaccinations, microchip

Since I was at the vet (here in Chagrin Falls, OH) the other day, I thought I'd post my expenses so you can see a sample of a routine care vet bill.

• Physical exam $36.50
• FVRCP-C-Triannual (combo shot for Feline Viral Rhinotrocheitis/ Calicivirus/ Panleukopenia/ Chlamydia - only required every 3 years) $15.40
• Feline Leukemia (only available annually at the moment) $15.40
• (no rabies shots as his previous one last year is only done every 3 years)
• Microchip implantation (my vet uses AVID chips) $41.00 (note that I have to pay an additional $15 registration fee to register Barnes in the AVID PETtrac database)

I also bought 24 5.5 oz cans of Prescription Diet Feline G/D (geriatric) as well - the only one that Barnes will eat.

Diamond Pet Food recall - contact information

There has been a lot of press recently about the Diamond Pet Food recall caused by food contaminated by aflatoxin, a deadly toxin produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus, that can occur on corn and other crops (check out CNN, Myrtle Beach Online and Bloggingpet). I even saw a spot on CNN on Christmas Eve with a family that lost their dog just before Christmas - everyone was so sad (and also wanting damages from the company - I'm sure they aren't the only ones.)

Diamond has vets on staff to answer questions if you suspect you have one of the recalled food bags or your dog has eaten some of the contaminated food. They have a number of press releases on the topic. Customers can contact the Information Center toll-free at 1-866-214-6945 to receive complete information on pet health concerns, along with a listing of the products and specific eastern states included in the recall (open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. EST).

Some facts around the recall:

Only those states that receive products from the company's Gaston, S.C., facility are included in the recall. Those states are Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

Products included in the recall can be identified by the Date Code and "Best By" dates listed on the back panel of the package. Recalled products will have a capital "G" (in reference to Gaston) in the 11th or 12th position of the date code (18 lb. to 55 lb. bags), and "Best By" dates between March 1, 2007 and June 10, 2007. The capital "G" will be in the 9th position on smaller 4 lb. to 8 lb. bags.

A complete list of products included in the recall is posted on the company's Web site at http://www.diamondpet.com.

Clinical signs of aflatoxin include loss of appetite, yellow whites of the eyes, yellow gums, yellow in the belly or areas where hair is very thin, severe, persistent vomiting combined with bloody diarrhea, discolored urine, or fever. If your pet exhibits any of these signs, please consult your veterinarian immediately.

Microchipping your pet using RFID technology

Anita Campbell posted a very interesting commentary on microchips for pets on her RFID blog last week - check it out.

I will make a prediction for 2006: pet RFID tagging will go mainstream in the United States. This is a product whose time has come.

I've been thinking about getting Barnes microchipped ever since our previous neighbor took a very unfriendly tone with him, but I never got around to it until now. I happened to be taking Barnes to the vet last Friday for his checkup and because of Anita's article, I actually remembered to ask about microchipping. So, now Barnes is the proud carrier of a new microchip - I just have to remember to register him online (I wonder how many people forget to do that after visiting the vet's office. Not much point having a chip if it's not connected to anything, is there?)

Anita's perspective is that 2006 will see big growth in microchips in pets, mainly because of one of the company's intention to spend big on advertising in 2006.

However, there is something new on the scene: a well-funded company that is mounting a major television ad campaign. Those of you living in the U.S. may have seen the new TV commercial for Home Again, the microchipping service by Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation. (If you have not seen the ad, go here and click on the link in the center of the page to watch it online.)

I think that microchipping is becoming more thought about and accepted by responsible pet lovers; however, my vet said that far fewer cats than dogs are microchipped in her practice, which seems strange to me since the cats that do go out, go out unsupervised and more likely to need the chip. More pedigree dog owners are opting to go for the microchip as part of their caring dog guardian behaviors so that will likely be the driver for microchip sales in the near future. Any microchip companies like to share who buys the chips and why? We'd love to hear it.

If you are interested in learning more, check out the websites of AVID and HomeAgain, the two main microchip suppliers.

Purina vet comments on pet insurance

Purina has a few vets online who answer questions about particular topics (Ask a Mentor) and I found one question up there about pet insurance. Unfortunately, the Q&A seems to be replaced every time the questions are refreshed so I can't link to the question. I'll reprint it below for you below.

This is what the vet, Dr. Steffen Stacey Runquist had to say.

Question: I would like to get pet insurance for our 3-month-old rescued male kitten. He was very ill when we rescued him at 2 or 3 weeks old with upper-respiratory infection and severe conjunctivitis and we believe that he will struggle with intermittent infections throughout his life. Finances are also tight for us and I want to make sure he gets all the proper care, neutering and vaccinations. Can you advise

Answer: Pet insurance has become more common over the past years and is certainly something to consider, especially if your finances are tight. I usually recommend you talk to your veterinarian to see if they have an insurance company they are familiar with. I also recommend you do a lot of research to see if it is worth it. There is a choice of policies; some cover preventative care such as spay/neuter, yearly exams and flea/heartworm preventative, while other policies may cover only emergencies. In some cases there may be an age cut off and many times they will not cover congenital or pre-existing conditions. This could be a consideration for your kitten. Be sure to ask lots of questions from the company you are thinking about and be sure to ask them their policy on upper respiratory symptoms, since this is what you suspect you may have to deal with. I also recommend you question them on prescription coverage as they can be quite an expense. There is no doubt that insurance is helpful in some cases and has saved pet owners considerable expense, but I have also had clients frustrated as well. So, do the research, make a cost comparison and talk to your veterinarian. Good luck!

This is sound advice; however, your vet is very busy and won't know all the ins and outs of pet insurance to advise you on. Also, vets are not licensed to sell insurance so she or he cannot advise you on the specifics of the insurance contracts. By all means, ask your vet if he or she has any thoughts about pet insurance, but it's one piece of the puzzle - make sure to do other research on what's right for you, as mentioned in the discussion above.

Happy Holidays

I'm winding down for Christmas, which is fast approaching, (no more forecasting our financials for the gazillionth time!) and I wanted to wish you and yours the best of the season.

Here in Cleveland, it is warming up and the snow is melting (must clean the ice off the roof before it all freezes into one large block). I'm off to pick up Ellie from her Christmas party at day care and we're taking Barnes to the vet for his annual physical and shots - Merry Christmas Barnes!

So, enjoy the holiday and emerge relaxed and refreshed to start the new year.

All the best,

Laura

Barney and Miss Beasley Christmas Movie

Barney and Miss Beasley are George and Laura Bush's dogs and they star in their a 9+ minute "A Very Beazley Christmas" movie, with George and Laura with supporting roles. (go to the website link below and it's the top movie on the right hand side under Barney's movies)

In fact, they have an amazing little website devoted to them and their antics with no less than 7 mini-movies, ask Barney a question, and sign up for the latest First Doggie pictures.

Someone's really spent a lot of time on this. It's quite fun really.

Update: see more on the 2007 Holiday Extravaganza!

Training a cat

Ha ha, I hear many of you say - training a cat is impossible! Actually it's not, although it's much different than training a dog.

Check out this article on training a cat.

Cats cannot be discipline as you would a dog. With a dog they are social dominant that can be trained to have you as the dominant one. The reason that cats will not react as a dog is that cats have social groups only by respect and social groups.

It's written in a slightly stilted way but if you dig though it, it has lots of tips on what to try if you are looking to get a well behaved kitty in the house.

An fun alternative to declawing and a fashion statement too

Check out these colorful Soft Paws nail caps for cats and kittens and even for dogs too (to stop scratching hardwood floors).

Promoted as safe, effective and humane alternative to declawing, they come in clear as well as funky colors, even special ones for the holidays (check out the talking cat too). They also have an excellent page on clipping a cat's toe nails if you would like a refresher - pictures included.

How do they work? You glue them on just like human fake nails and replace them every 4-6 weeks or as they fall off. No more fur a-flying when your cat scratches the furniture to pieces - with Soft Paws, supposedly there's no damage.

Has anyone out there tried this product and would like to comment on them? Perhaps a picture or two?

Pet products never cease to amaze me. How abut you - got any good ones you'd like to share?