Embrace Pet Insurance Blog

The new and improved Embrace Wellness Rewards program

Since introducing the Embrace Wellness Rewards program in 2009, we've been loving the attention our Embraced pet parents have been giving it. Many people love the program and have given us lots of feedback on how to improve it, particularly increasing the limit and giving us a laundry list of items to add to it.

So, as part of our recent insurance product changes, we took the opportunity to make a few changes to the Wellness program as follows:

• we have added nail trimming, anal gland expression, gastropexy, and umbilical hernia repair to the Wellness Rewards plan
• we moved the dental cleanings out of the Wellness Rewards coverage into the new Dental Rewards coverage so the dental illness prevention and coverage were in one place (just like human dental coverage) - more details in a post coming later this week
• in addition to the $200 Wellness Rewards coverage level, we now have Wellness Rewards Plus with a $400 limit. This will help those pet parents who live in an area with high veterinary costs (like NY and LA) or those with a lot of routine visits to the vet
  • Rewards Plus covers the same as the basic Wellness Rewards coverage but with a higher limit and also adds prescription diet food and OFA and PennHIP examinations.
• for costs, see the flyer below

 
I think most people are going to find something here to please their budget.

Related Posts - move to RLI
Embrace has a new insurance partner - A+ rated RLI Corp
What the new Embrace / RLI partnership means for you - new terms and conditions
PennHIP Pet Insurance Discount now available at Embrace Pet Insurance
The new and improved Embrace Wellness Rewards program
Anyone interested in some Embrace Dental Rewards? Pick me, pick me!
Embrace Continuing Care Sublimits are gone!
Other interesting changes in the Embrace Pet Insurance policies

More discussion about anesthesia-free teeth cleaning

Dr Riggs started off a conversation last week about why a veterinarian should clean your dog's teeth (Guest Post: Why Have Your Dog's Teeth Cleaned By A Vet Anyway?) and there were some interesting comments about other alternatives. Dr. Riggs asked me to post his response to these comments:

Wow...who would have thought we could stir up this much controversy with a little dental blog!

In response to the comment about Vet Economics:
Veterinary medicine is a business. We do need to make a living through the services we perform. I can assure you the vast majority of vets do not recommend services(or "pad the bill"), such as dentals ,when they are not needed. We need to offer the best medicine and let the owners decide. One of the mottos we follow is, "Always offer what is indicated, nothing that is not". 

In response to the comments about anasthesia-free teeth cleaning:
What people don't realize is that you cannot do a thorough sub gingival curetting without anesthesia. The dogs will not let you. Anesthesia in animals, using the right equipment and agents, is safe. Our veterinary technicians are extensively trained and we use pulse oximeters, blood pressure machines and warming devises (bair huggers) to ensure the patients safely.

Can you do a little scraping under the gums without anesthesia? Sure, but not a true cleaning. The difference with human dentistry and veterinary dentistry is that animals will not open their mouth for you to clean under and around the teeth and gums on all four sides. You must clean all sides of the teeth to clean properly. When you scrap the enamel, you must then polish the teeth to help eliminate the microscopic grooves left in the enamel. This is done with a low speed polishing drill. If not, these grooves act as a scaffolding for tarter to grab hold. This is another step not done by the groomers.

The dentals we do also include dental radiographs. You can not tell tooth root abscesses without radiographs. It is the same reason dentist use dental radiographs on us. These require anesthesia in animals. (some pictures below) 

Finally, one misinterpretation from the article I think, was that you need to do a prophylactic dental each year. You normally do not. If the people brush the dogs teeth regularly often you can wait 3 to 4 years between dental. Owners have a lot of power in determining their pets dental health. We evaluate each animal yearly on their normal vaccine exams.

Rex C. Riggs D.V.M. Best Friends Veterinary Hospital Powell, Ohio. BFVH.org

First picture: The black on the xray is where bone has eroded away. So you can see the roots on the middle tooth is just barely on the bone. If more then 50% of the root is exposed then that tooth need to come out. We removed this tooth.

Second picture: The bottom tooth has total destruction of the roots and now has an infection of the jaw bone. On this xray you cannot rule out even a tumor. we tooth this tooth out and biopsied the jaw. This came back osteomyelitis.

Third picture: This is a good example of a root abscess on two teeth . The big 2nd tooth has the black halo area under the bifurcation. Then the third tooth has the classic halo around the first root. Both of these teeth needed removed.

What do you think?

Announcement: Embrace Pet Insurance partners with The International Cat Association TICA

Ooh ooh! Some exciting news I've been dying to share.

We at Embrace Pet Insurance have partnered with The International Cat Association (TICA) to provide discounts and pet health insurance education to TICA's members and pet owners.

While I do love dogs (having grown up with many different canine characters through to my adulthood), I've most recently had only cats in the house (young family, young company, neglected husband - no time to care properly for a dog - yet!) so I'm very happy with this relationship. Cats get the short end of the stick when it comes to pet insurance so hopefully our relationship with TICA will change that.

Here's my favorite part of the press release:

"Other organizations have associations with other pet insurance companies but Embrace not only provides what we consider the best insurance coverage compared to other companies, but Embrace also shares the same philosophy about cat welfare as TICA," said Fisher. "That is important to our members and it is why we chose to partner with Embrace."

About The International Cat Association
Organized during 1979, The International Cat Association (TICA) is the world's largest genetic registry of pedigreed cats, largest registry of household pet cats and kittens, and one of the world's largest sanctioning bodies for cat shows. TICA currently recognizes more than 54 breeds of cats. No matter where you are, you’re in TICA’s world. A world of fabulous felines…fun…and friendships. To learn more about TICA visit http://www.tica.org/

Picture courtesy of Emily Krooglik, age 6 (daughter of Alex Krooglik, co-founder of Embrace) - it's her modernistic tribute to her black cat Mila. Don't you think it's awesome?!

Celebrating Embrace Pet Insurance's 3rd anniversary - hello to year 4!

Can you believe it? Three years ago, in October 2006, we sold our first Embrace pet health insurance policy. Yes, it was to cover Lily, my newly rescued cat, but it wasn't too long after that that a brave soul, who wasn't a friend or family or a competitor, also bought an Embrace policy too - much to our delight and amazement.

We've come a long way from only being able to sell policies over the phone (it was another 6 months before we launched our first e-commerce website) and the only information about our policies was on this very blog. I'm still amazed that people actually picked up the phone and called us to buy a policy. We appreciate it very much.

Much has happened at Embrace over the last 3 years. If you are interested, we have a brief history of Embrace on our website. 

Most importantly though, every Embracer would like to thank YOU, the thousands of pet parents who put your trust in Embrace on behalf of your  cats and dogs. Simply stated, we wouldn't exist without your confidence we will be there when you need us.

I wonder what things will look like for Embrace in another 3 years. What do you think? 

New Embrace friend alert - PetRelocation.com

New friend alert! PetRelocation.com (this is what happens when you hang out too much on Twitter!) 

If you have ever left the US or Canada to go to Europe with a pet, it's worse than trying to get your own paperwork in order. The rules aren't particularly clear, the airlines are some help but not particularly enthusiastic, and you have that awful feeling as you look out the window on the plane whether they will turn your family pet away at the other end because you overlooked some nuance.

In my prior life many moons ago (pre-kids, pre-MBA, pre-Embrace), I worked at a large life and health insurance company in Toronto, Canada. At the time, I was an actuarial student and lucky enough to get an internal job posting to Dublin, Ireland, which I jumped at. There was just one problem - what to do with my cat Simon?

At the time, there was a 6-month quarantine period for cats and dogs (to prevent rabies reaching the British Isles) and so if you took your pet across the pond, he or she had to wait at the border for half a year before rejoining you. When faced with such a long time in some sort of government pet facility (I'm afraid that however nice it is, my imagination really went wild on that one), I balked at the option and luckily some relatives took Simon into their home while I was abroad.

Now the rules have changed (it's a bit round about but you bring your pet into the UK under the new Pet Travel Scheme and then take it into Ireland) but I must say, if I was to ship a pet abroad while working for another company, I'd hire professional pet shippers.

Since I didn't look at the option all those years ago, I didn't really know much about pet shippers until I was on Twitter (@laurabennett) and bumped into Pet Relocation over there. We got talking and now PetRelocation is one of our most interesting affilate sites.

Since becoming acquainted with PetRelocation.com, I wondered what it would be like if I was moving to Ireland today: how would I do it; how much would it cost; what would be involved? Over at their website, I was quite surprised to find a ready list of most countries you might ever want to move to (and some you might not) and detailed requirements of what you need to do to get from here to there. Here's the page for Ireland.

Now why would a pet shipping company give you all the information so you could do it yourself? Because now you can see how involved the process can be. If you want to do it yourself, you can, but if you find it a little bit daunting (and it's not something you want to mess up either), you can get help from someone who knows what they are doing.

Anyway, it's a great place to start if you are researching moving your pet. Pet Relocation is a nifty example of how a small but focused company can get the job done well.

Shipping within the US starts at $1,000 and overseas starts at $2,500 so it's not cheap but it sure does take the worry out of shipping your loved ones to your new home. I've just put a quote in for my "move" to Ireland so I'll let you know how much that turns out to be.

P.S. If you are moving, you can get a 10% discount off PetRelocation's services over at the Embrace Pet Community in the services section.

Pet-related Small Business Trends 2009

It's official! Anita Campbell, has posted the detailed Pet Industry Trends for 2009 that I write every year over on her Small Business Trends blog. It's from a small business perspective, a topic dear to my  heart.

In the meantime, here is a summary for you, just in case you didn't have time for the full version.
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Pet-related Small Business Trends 2009

Question: is the pet industry recession-proof as many say it is? Answer: 2009 will prove out whether or not pet owners spend on their pets through thick and thin.

The overwhelming pet-related trend in 2009 will be value for money – spending more thoughtfully and spending less. 2009 spending will level off as pet owners pay more attention to their budgets. The top ten trends are:

1. Pet parents will spend, but more thoughtfully than in recent years

Spending on pet supplies and over-the-counter medicines was projected to increase 5.1% in 2008 from $9.8 billion to $10.3 billion according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA) but before the recession announcement. We would not be surprised to see more modest increases in the range of 2% in 2008, continuing on to 2009.

2. Pet services for pets continue to grow

There’s a reason Wal-Mart is testing grooming in its stores and expanding its pet aisle – pet parents are spending good money in this area, even in a recession. More than $3 billion dollars will be spent on pet services in 2008 according to the APPA, which will likely continue to grow in 2009, but at a lower rate than in prior years.

3. Dog’s Star on the Rise for 2009?

The number of cats in the US have long dominated dog numbers (according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are more than 72 million pet dogs in the U.S. but nearly 82 million pet cats). Will the new First Dog inspire people with dog allergies to reconsider bringing a dog in-house?

4. Growing interest in pet health care

Pet parents are taking control of their pets’ health care as they do their two legged children. Technology from the human world continues to make its way into the veterinary tool kit including non-invasive surgeries, human medical devices and services being applied to pets. Pet lovers want, and are demanding, the same treatment options for their pets as they can get for themselves.

5. Pet insurance edges towards the mainstream

We estimate the size of the US pet insurance market to be $271 million in premium in 2008, up from approximately $220 million in 2007 (a 23% increase) and we expect 2009 premium to reach $328 million. We project that the market will grow to $500 million by 2012.

6. Hybrids take center stage

Not just popular for cars, recent years saw the popularity of hybrid dogs grow rapidly. As predicted last year, 2008 saw the growth of the puppy farm hybrid to take advantage of the inflated prices people are paying for these dogs. 2009 is only going to get worse in this respect.

7. Increased competition from larger players.

Larger companies are beginning to recognize the economic potential of the pet industry. Target and Wal-Mart are both expanding their pet selection and using pets in their advertising.

8. Large companies hold off buying smaller just when the prices are right.

Some might say that right now is the perfect time for consolidation in the pet industry because of the incredibly low valuations but don’t expect much to happen in the first half of 2009.   

9. Increased online sophistication from new pet-related businesses in ecommerce, design, and usability.

In 2008, a whole slew of new “WebMD for pets” websites appeared, such as WebVet, PetMD, and PetDoc, and we’ll see them battle it out for the lead position in 2009. Newer players are more sophisticated in design and ecommerce, reaching their target audience via web-site usability, search engine optimization, paid search, and word of mouth marketing.

10. Pet-related blogs continue to grow their influence.

The power of pet-related blogs really showed up during the pet food recall in the middle of 2007. Blogs such as Pet Connection, Pet Sit USA and Dolittler continue to provide high quality commentary on all aspects of pet news and issues.

And one final bonus trend that indicates the direction of pet health …

11. The divergence of the veterinary clinic

On the one hand, the advent of advanced human medical tests and treatments in the pet world has led to the growth in private specialty clinics. At the other end of the spectrum, there is good money to be made by a single veterinarian in a practice focusing on pet wellness, without the need for fancy equipment and more than a handful of support staff. We predict this divergence between wellness and accident/illness care in veterinary clinics will grow noticeably over the next five years.
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So there you have it - what do you think the pet trends of 2009, 2010 and beyond will be?

Sharing the link love - Licked Toys

How many dog toys does a dog go through in a lifetime? Many many, I think we'd all agree.

I know that even my parents' Jack Russell Terriers go through them like they were actually eating them (yes well, they were...)

Here is a site we can all have fun with: Licked Toys - the first dog toy graveyard. What a brilliant idea!

It's just a fledgling site but I think we can all come up with a photo or two of a crunched hedgehog or a destroyed tuggy to add to their collection.

Pet Travel is increasing - what do you think?

Here's the last "bonus" item in my Pet Industry Trends for 2008 article.

More people traveling with their pets
From day trips with the dogs in the back of the car, to trips abroad with your pets, more and more people are including their cats and dogs in their travels. As a result, more hotels, such as the Comfort Inn all the way up to the Westin are accommodating pets beyond just allowing them on the premises. This gives small businesses the opportunity to provide services to local hotels for pets or for accessories to make traveling even easier.

Recently someone asked me about my pet travel assertion and how I determined this trend.

In answer to that questions, there’s no magic stat that I’ve seen; I use the mosaiic theory - put a number of other stats and observations together and draw a conclusion.

• From Michael Dillon’s report Pet Industry 2007 Strategic Report, he comments on the baby boomers retiring and their pet spending:

55-64 year-olds represent a very compelling demographic due to 4% projected growth through 2010, according to the Census Bureau. 55-64 year-olds are the fastest-growing age demographic in the pet industry, spending $7.75 billion in 2005, up 127% from 2000. With the active boomer generation set to spend more time with their pets, whether at home or on the road, we expect to see more travel products for pets over the next two years.

• Boomers travel more than most (trends from the TIA Domestic Travel Market Report)
• Proliferation of pet friendly hotels (intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Wyndham Hotel, Ritz Carlton, Radisson, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Comfort Inn, Red Roof Inn, La Quinta, etc.)
• Appearance of numerous specialty travel services either for pets or involving pets (Bailey Knows Travel, Pets Welcome, Puppy Travel )

And so on…

What signs are you seeing to support my assertion or not?

A great last minute pet lover gift

For as low as $15 a month (sometimes even lower), you can buy the perfect gift for the pet lover in your life.

Why is an Embrace Pet Insurance policy a great idea?

• Free and instantaneous delivery! It is safe and easy to buy online and your policy is emailed to you immediately.

• Get up to 90% of the vet bill back: Your favorite pet lover will thank you when those unexpected vet bills pop up.

  Extensive coverage: Embrace policies cover all the big expensive health costs such as cancer and diabetes, and all hereditary conditions (as long as the dog has no signs of these things before the 14 day waiting period is up)

Use any veterinarian: You are not restricted to a network with Embrace.

How do I buy? Put your favorite pet lovers information in the application and your own credit card information and email in the billing section and you're all set.

What could be easier?

Competition: Embrace Pet Insurance on The Doggie Chronicles Radio Show

Yes well! Here's my first go at a radio interview about pet insurance on The Doggie Chronicles (I think I need work to be as good as Alex on NPR the other day.)

It sounded fine but I can improve in a few areas like not saying "Right!" to start every answer and not focusing on understanding deductibles as a benefit of this blog - duh! We have so much more interesting things here. But I think it was entertaining enough - what do you think? (See competition below)

BTW, the first half of the show is Jamie Miller, the owner and founder of Beer for Dogs and she's talks about how she got started and the lucky event of Arnold Schwarzenegger buying her beer for his dog. The Embrace bit starts after the middle of the show.

So, if you want to hear my funny accent or learn about beer for dogs, check it out at TDC - Beer for Dogs / Dog Insurance.

In fact, there's a prize for anyone who emails me a list of "Britishisms" you hear in my interview. No idea what the prize will be but I'll think of something good. Get listening!