As you know, it's Wellness Month at Embrace and we were chit-chatting about it on our Facebook page, when Mark Braun, one of our Embraced pet parents, eloquently said:
Yup, I've been extremely happy with the Wellness coverage, among other things with Embrace. It's like a health savings plan for your pet. I wrote a review at petinsurancereview.com about it. Not that Embrace needed more glowing reviews!
Given his obvious passion about pet wellness at Embrace, I asked him to write up his thoughts on wellness and the Embrace Wellness Rewards Program and much to my surprise, he agreed!
Here are Mark's own words about wellness.
__________________________________________
On occasion I’m sure we’ve all wished that our pets had controls, like the remote for a DVD player. Every once in a while I’ve longed for a pause button for my very active dog! But our dogs and cats aren’t machines; they’re complicated biological organisms just as we are. When we adopt a pet, we accept the responsibility for their wellbeing, physically, mentally and emotionally. Maintaining their condition becomes important to us and we want the best for them. Important aspects of maintaining their physical wellbeing include checkups, vaccinations, and treatments such as heartworm and flea prevention to protect them from dangerous pests. These are a part of wellness care.
I know from personal experience that far too many people only take their pets to the veterinarian when there are signs of a problem, perhaps an injury or symptoms indicating the onset of a disease. Imagine how much less anxiety for the owner and discomfort for the pet would be involved if these pets had been seen by a vet on a routine basis, catching potential problems before they can develop.
By examining your pet and monitoring vital signs, veterinarians and veterinary technicians can use their training and expertise to immediately recognize when there are signs present which may lead to a problem down the road, and suggest simple lifestyle changes to help prevent those problems. Perhaps a different diet or exercise routine will help Fido shed a few pounds, avoiding conditions like cardiovascular disease in the future. When you’re together with your pet every single day it can be hard to notice subtle changes. But your vet can take a fresh approach! A wellness visit also allows the staff to form a baseline understanding of what your pet’s behavior is like, what its vital signs show, when there is no sign of sickness. This can help greatly in recognizing and treating any illness in the future too.
I think that it’s extremely important to work with a veterinarian that you’re comfortable with. A sense of clear communication is essential. If you were uncomfortable with your own doctor, you’d switch doctors, right? A wellness visit, away from the stress involved in treating an illness, will give you the chance to evaluate your relationship with your pet’s doctor too. So if something does indeed come up, you’re not meeting someone at random for the first time with no prior communication.
Our animals live in the environment we chose for them. Modern medicine gives us the ability to protect them from many of the risks associated with that environment. With vaccinations available for diseases which used to be a death sentence for our pets, there’s no excuse to skip this essential protection. Same with heartworm and flea prevention; these are affordable and convenient safeguards and we owe it to our pets to keep them from the discomfort and illness associated with these pests too. At the risk of sounding too negative, how would you feel if your dog came down with a life threatening case of heartworm when a simple monthly chewable pill could have eliminated the risk in the first place?
It’s not free or even cheap to have a pet. I’d spend the money on these wellness requirements in any case. Embrace makes it easier with their wellness plans by adding to my contribution. It’s like having a health savings plan for my dog. And it’s important to me that there isn’t a pre approved schedule for payments either. My vet charges for a physical exam and it’s covered. That way I get to choose the care provider that I’m most comfortable with, and that my Gracie is most comfortable with too.
Related Posts:
January is Wellness Month at Embrace Pet Insurance
Guest post: cat wellness care or why cats are not little dogs
Claim Example: Spay (aka OVH/OVE in veterinary speak)
Claim Example: Neuter
Guest Post by Lea: This is your Weight-Loss Wakeup Call
Why Are Pet Veterinarian Visits Going Down?
The Embrace Wellness Rewards Plan
Guest Post: why wellness checkups are so important to me
The Embrace Wellness Rewards Plan
_____________________________________
Mark is pet parent to Gracie, a 3 year old mixed breed dog. They reside together in North Venice FL.
Note that Mark was not compensated in any way to write this post - except for virtual hugs across the interweb of course
