Pet Insurance

Axle + Clover at the vet

Recently, I have had a lot of people asking about the Pet Insurance that we have on Axle and Clover. I know some people think that pet insurance is a complete waste of money, and why in the world would anyone insure their pets? But honestly, over the past year and a half we have saved well over $5,000 on vet bills on Axle alone.

I will couch this by saying that we probably take our dogs to the vet more than the average pet owner, but our dogs are basically just furry children to us. And since our insurance includes unlimited FREE vet visits, why wouldn't we take them in if we thought there was a problem. I've always felt its better to take them in and have the vet tell us its nothing, than not take them in and have a serious problem later. Especially since we don't ever get a bill for the office visit.

Back in May we took Axle and Clover in for their yearly exams. These exams are basically like a full physical for dogs. They check them from nose to tail, inside and out. And since we have two dogs, everything we do is doubled. The full work up includes...

Office Visit: $38.95 (X2)......................................100% Covered by insurance

Blood Work: $42.96 (X2).....................................100% Covered by insurance

Comprehensive Exam: $45.00 (X2)......................100% Covered by insurance

Boarding during exam: $33.21 (X2).....................100% Covered by insurance

Neurological Exam: $24.95 (X2)..........................100% Covered by insurance

Fecal Sample: $9.20 (X2)......................................100% Covered by insurance

Heartworm Test: $27.95 (X2)................................100% Covered by insurance

Organ Function Screen: $59.10 (X2).....................100% Covered by insurance

Parasite Fecal Exam: $25.62 (X2).........................100% Covered by insurance

State Rabies Tag: $4.00 (X2)

ProHeart Monthly Fee: $14.26 (X2)......................100% Covered by insurance

Tonometry: $22.95 (X2).........................................100% Covered by insurance

Bordetella Vaccine: $20.95 (X2)............................100% Covered by insurance

Distemper Parvo DAPP Vaccine: $29.95 (X2).......100% Covered by insurance

Leptospirosis Vaccine: $14.95 (X2).......................100% Covered by insurance

Rabies Vaccine: $15.95 (X2)..................................100% Covered by insurance

Medical Waste Disposal Fee: $3.10 (X2)...............100% Covered by insurance

Total: $856.10

After Insurance: $8.00 

On a $856 vet bill we paid a grand total of $8.00 out of pocket. And this was just on their yearly physicals. I can't even tell you how many times we have walked into the vet's office thinking something was wrong, and walked out owing absolutely nothing. Its wonderful not having to think twice about taking the dogs in. I know that the immense cost of veterinary care can deter a lot of people from taking their animals in. And, like with people, sometimes waiting means waiting until its too late...

We pay a small monthly fee of about $50 for Axle and a little bit less for Clover. And while that does add up to almost $1200 a year, we still save hundreds and hundreds of dollars on vet bills. Plus we get the piece of mind knowing that when we do take them in for a visit, its not going to cost an arm and a leg just to get seen by our vet. Especial since Axle is a 'special needs' dog and requires more care than the average dog.

We use Banfield Pet Hospital as our primary veterinarian, and we LOVE them. All of the Vets and nurses are so wonderful with Axle and Clover. And they always make sure that I understand any and all procedures or medications.

If you have pets, especially special needs pets, I highly recommend at least looking into pet insurance. It it becoming more common, and most vet's do offer some kind of wellness plan for their regular patients.

Do you have pet insurance or any kind of wellness plan? What have your experience been when it comes to handling expensive bet bills? Please let us know in the comments below! We love hearing about your personal critter stories!

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Also be on the look out for At The Dog Park's very first giveaway coming soon! We have been contacted by a very awesome company to do a product review, and we will be giving one of their really unique items away to one lucky winner!

Dog Park Adventure: Back in Action!

This week was the first time we have been back to the park in about a month... The last few weeks Axle has been feeling a bit under the weather. He has been sick off and on since we adopted him last year. But our vet could never really tell us what was wrong with him. The best guess we could make is that he was just really susceptible to getting bacterial infections.

 Axle and Clover wait for their friends to arrive.

But this most recent time he was sick, his usual rounds of antibiotics and probiotics didn't seem to be working. Axle was vomiting several times a day, almost every day. And even on the medication, he still wasn't getting any better.

 Vlad is a little camera shy.

So after going back and forth to the vet about three times, they decided to do just one more fecal test to see if anything would show up. Well, the 3rd time was the charm and it came back positive for Whip Worm. Our vet told us that they could do six of these tests on a dog that had Whip Worm and MAYBE one of them would come back positive.

 Clover is fast!

After we got the results Axle and Clover both began treatment for Whip Worm. We had to treat both dogs, since it would be extremely easy for them to pass it back and forth. Our vet thinks that the Whip Worm could be what has been making Axle sick for the past year. So with this new information we were really excited, because we might have finally found out what has been wrong with Axle for so long.

 Clover, Axle, and Hachi

We began the treatment for the Whip Worm, and for a few days it seemed to be working. Axle was not throwing up, and he was starting to get a little bit of his energy back!

 The welcoming committee

But a few more days passed, and Axle started vomiting again. He was lethargic and just was not himself. Right away we called the vet and made an another appointment to bring him back in. The vet was really concerned, becuase he should not be throwing up while on this new medication.

 There was a good crowd at the park!

So back to the vet we went. I swear, we are in there so often that I don't even have to give my name anymore when I call. All I have to say is 'Axle is sick' and they know exactly who we are. I'm not really sure that's a good thing... But I am glad we have such a good relationship with our vet. It really eases my mind when one of the dogs is not feeling well. 

 Hachi is a ham!

After talking with our vet about all the different possibilities, they decided that he may actually have something else wrong with him in addition to the Whip Worms. So we decided to put him on a trial diet along with some new medication for Acid Reflux. And I'll be honest with you, deal readers, I was not aware that dogs could even have Acid Reflux.

 Clover sporting her Summer Cut.

So once again we were sent home with yet another new medication and a very pricey prescription bag of dog food. Axle and Clover were both already on a sensitive stomach and skin brand of dog food. We had suspected that Axle had some type of food allergies, but we were never really sure what exactly he could be allergic to.

 Axle enjoying the sunshine!

But with this new possibility of Axle having Acid Reflux, we might finally be able to get him on the right medication and diet to make him feel better. The hardest part about the whole thing is that Axle can't just tell us where it hurts. I feel so bad that he has had to go through test, after test, after test. Even though we love our vet, its still so stressful for Axle every time we have to take him in.

 Hachi is sooo handsome!

Over about a week or we had to slowly transition Axle from this old food, to his new prescription food. We wanted to do this slowly so as not to upset Axle's system even more. Just switching his food immediately could really throw his whole system out of balance.

 

Greeting a new friend.

Finally after a week Axle had fully transitioned to his new food, and had been taking his Acid Reflux medication too. Thankfully he seems to be doing really well on this new diet and medication! Its such a relief to us and him, that he has stopped throwing up every day, and has gotten a lot of his energy back.

 Axle and Henry.

Axle and Clover still have to go through one more round of the Whip Worm treatment. But since Axle has been on this new diet and medication, he has not thrown up once! It has only been about two weeks, but we are hopeful that Axle will continue on the path of recovery with the help of this new treatment.

Lets play!

I never thought of Axle as a "special needs" dog, even though he technically is. He has always just been my little Axle. I never want to keep him from doing things he loves like going to the dog park, or going swimming in the pond by our house, just becuase of his health issues. So I was thrilled when the vet told us that as long as he doesn't have any problem while on this treatment, we will not have to change his daily lifestyle.

I love the rustic old barn next to the park.

I would simply be heartbroken, if I could never take Axle to the park again. And that was one of my fears when he started getting sick. But thankfully his illness does not seemed to be triggered by his environment. And even better, he has gotten used to taking his Acid Reflux pill twice a day.

That's the spot!

Poor boy just goes belly up, as soon as he sees me heading towards the cabinet where we keep his pills. I know when most dogs have to take a pill, it needs to be wrapped in cheese or deli meat for it to even have a chance of going down. But I guess Axle is so used to taking pills, he just rolls over and lets me put the pill in his mouth and he swallows it on his own.

Chloe is ready for action!

Axle has has another appointment with the vet in a few weeks to make sure he is adjusting well to his new diet and medication. I don't know for sure if he will have to stay on the Acid Reflux medication forever, or if they will lessen his dosage, but I'm just thankful that he seems to be feeling better.

Sunset at the dog park!

I know that the dogs are happy to get to go to the park again too. We had not been taking them, on the off chance that it was an environmental issue. But now that Axle's stomach is not getting upset on his new treatment, we will be able to get back into our routine park trips again!

Henry takes a break in the shade.

I promise I will keep all of you updated on Axle's progress. So many of you have already been so sportive and concerned about what has been going on with him lately. And I honestly cannot tell you how much it means to me that so many people care about my two crazy fur balls!

 

It wouldn't be a Dog Park Adventure without a close up of Clover!

Do any of you have any Special Needs pets? Or pets that have chronic health issues? What are your ways of dealing with the stress of frequent vet trips, bills, medications, or special diets? Please share them in the comments below! We love hearing about your personal pet stories. 

Please also share your pet blogs or websites with us! We are working on a special project in the near future and want to include our dear readers! Also be on the look out! We have a few really awesome contests and giveaways coming up as well!!!

Dog Park Adventure: Let's Go Swimming!

Since it has been so incredibly hot lately, we have been trying to find fun ways for the dogs to cool off. One thing that we have always loved doing, is taking trips to one of the local dog parks that also has a pond where to the dogs can go swimming! And this past Friday we did just that!

 And as you can see, they had a blast!

 Axle and Marley (tan dog) love to fetch sticks out of the water! And even little Wally (white dog) got in on the action.

 "Come on in guys! The water's great!"

 Axle and Marley playing tug of war in the shallow water.

 Marley won. Axle tries to be a good sport.

Clover is still a bit unsure about the whole swimming idea. She will go in up to her chest, but that's about it. She leaves the actual swimming to her brother.

 Clover taking a break to catch some rays.

 

 Axle likes to try and swim out to the middle of the pond.

Stanley prefers to watch all the shenanigans from the grassy banks.

All the dogs had a lot of fun at the pond. I love that they are able to run and play in the water. Its great to be able to take them on a hot day. After we got back home, both the dogs stunk like pond water. So they were given baths. They didn't enjoy their baths as much as they did swimming. But I'm sure it was worth all the fun they had that day!

What do you do to keep your dogs cool in the summer months? Let us know in the comments below! We love learning about you and your dogs!

Dog Park Adventure: A New Park!

We have been frequenting a new park lately. I had no idea this one even existed, but its a lot closer to the house than our usual mid week hang out. This park is a little smaller, but its beautiful. There is a great walking trail, and even a big pond. These pictures are from last week, because its been storming really heavily the last few days, so we haven't been back yet. But hopefully the nice spring weather will return shorty, and we can head back!

 Waiting for new friends.

We met a pretty Akita named Willow

Clover likes to 'hunt' the other dogs sometimes. 

 Clover was stoked to see her old buddy Indy!

 Has has gotten SO BIG! And he is only about 7 months old, Indy is going to be HUGE when he is full grown.

The four of them were so happy to see each other again!

Fancy a seat?

 Axle enjoying the sunshine.

 Indy!

We plan on heading back to this park later this week as long as the weather is nice. What have you been up to lately? Do any of you take your dogs to the park? We love to learn all about our on line doggie friends. See your dog? Let us know in the comments section below, so we can put their name with their picture!

And don't forget to check out out Axle Bites Etsy shop! We just had our booth set up at the Franklin Art Scene this past Friday! Thanks for everyone that stopped by to buy some treats!

Doggie Makeovers!

Hello dear readers, it has been a while. Real life just seems to be getting in the way lately. We had a death in the family at the beginning of last week, so there has been a lot of visiting family in town. It was really wonderful to have everyone here, I just wish it were under better circumstances. We have been spending a lot of time with everyone while they were here. And even managed to get all of the younger cousins over for a game night. That was a lot of fun, and hopefully the next time everyone gets together it will be for a happier reason.

One thing that we were able to get done last week we gave Axle and Clover their much needed summer hair cuts. We have been wanting to do this for a few weeks now, but its just now starting to stay consistently warm out. This was the first time we've done this, but I am actually really happy with how their hair cuts turned out!

 Clover Before

Clover After

Paul made me leave her tail fluffy. I think she looks like a lemur, but it is pretty cute. And my goodness is she so much happier without all that fur! Clover is usually not a cuddly dog. She will sit next to you on the couch, but if you try to love on her too much she bails. But since we shaved her down all she wants to do is be cuddled and petted. I really think she just got so overheated before, but now that she isn't carrying around all that fur she is a lot more comfortable. 

And she also wants to be outside all the time now! We have a small back patio that the dogs can go out on and get some fresh air. Clover was never really too keen on the patio, but now I can't get her to come inside! Its so funny to see her jump up and run to the door whenever I ask the dogs if they want to go out. But when its time for them to come in I have to physically go out and get Clover because she is having too much fun laying in the sunshine.

And don't worry about her getting too cold. The dogs have beds, blankets, and pillows galore. Axle and Colver are both strictly inside dogs. They only go outside to potty and play. Otherwise they are kept safe, warm, and cozy inside the house.

Axle Before

Axle After

Axle is making such a weird face in this photo. There was a big bumble bee buzzing around when I took this. And he sooo wanted to eat it. Does anyone else's dogs like eating bumble bees!? I swear they both go nuts trying to catch them when ever they happen to buzz by.

Axle doesn't look that different, but we figured we'd go ahead and shave him down too. The dogs both seem a lot happier with their summer cuts. The back patio was completely covered in fur after Paul and I were finished. But it was worth the mess because we would have had a $200+ bill if we had taken them to the groomers. And I think that we did a pretty good job too! And it has cut down on the shedding tremendously!

Do you clip your dogs for the summer? Have you ever done it yourself, or do you use a groomer? Do you have any grooming tips? Drop us a note in the comments below!

RIP Purple Squeaky Ball

So it finally happened. Clover's very favorite, special purple ball lost it's squeaker... We have many many toys for the dogs. And none of them belong to one dog or the other. Axle and Clover are surprisingly good at sharing their toys. But the purple ball has always been special to Clover. Given the choice of every single toy in the toy box, she will always go for the purple ball first. And I'm really surprised it lasted the almost full year that it did.

We don't buy the dogs a lot of toys with squeakers in them because they go out so easily. And normally squeaker toys just don't last that long in general. So we were stoked when we found a Kong Ball with a squeaker in it. Clover loves squeaky toys, and she loves this ball.

 I so wish she had been facing the other way in this picture. I can only imagine the excited look on her face.

We will still keep the purple ball for Clover. Its not destroyed, just punctured from being chewed on. Clover keeps trying to get it to squeak again. Shes been nosing it, and pushing it around with her paw as if she's saying "Wake up! Lets Play!" She has over a dozen other toys to choose from, but it makes me sad that her favorite one is now broken. Next time we go to PetSmart we will have to pick up another one for her. 

 Clover, is that a UFO?!

Do your dogs have favorite toys? Are there any specific types they favor? Squeaky, stuffy, balls, bones, rope? Are there any specific brands you like to buy for them? Lets us know in the comments! We love to hear all about your furry friends!

Don't forget to follow us on Bloglovin! And be on a the lookout for a BIG announcement from At The Dog Park next week!!