Did you know that the first ever pet insurance policy in the U.S. was issued to TV’s Lassie in 1982? It’s hard to believe that pet insurance has been around for so long, but we’ve definitely been hearing more about it in recent years. Vet visits can be expensive, but they’re a critical part of your dog’s overall health and wellness. Pet insurance helps offset those costs, but still, some pet parents hesitate to get it. Is it a good idea? Is it a necessity? How do I know I’m getting the right plan for my money?

Why Pet Insurance is a Good Idea

We have pet insurance for our dog, Jackson, and we highly recommend it for senior dogs. As you may have read in our previous blog, senior dogs should be going to the doctor more often than their adolescent and adult counterparts. Pet insurance not only helps offset your regular visit costs, it also provides special coverage for unexpected illnesses and injuries. 

Unlike human insurance policies, pet insurance gives you a wider selection of veterinarians in your treatment area. It means that you’re able to find the best care and treatment for your dog without being so limited by family finances. Of course, securing pet insurance when your dog is younger or when you first adopt him or her helps you get the best policies. Still, your dog is family and you always want the best for them.

What to Look For in a Pet Insurance Policy

Now that you know you need one, what should you be looking for when you choose an insurance policy? Money.com recently listed their top 10 best pet health insurance companies, and we’ve gained a lot of insight from their article.

Does the policy have a deductible?

Much like human insurance policies, pet policies are often made with a deductible that you need to reach before they start covering your expenses. Some plans allow you to set your own deductibles. Others, like Embrace, base your deductible on how often you need medical services; every year you don’t file a claim, embrace reduces your deductible by $50. Keep an eye out for policies that have per-incident deductibles. 

Is there a waiting period for reimbursement?

The time you have to wait before you’re reimbursed for your vet expenses varies from company to company. According to Money.com, a majority of companies require a wait of at least 2 weeks before they reimburse you for what you spent to treat an illness. The speed with which you’re reimbursed often depends on the nature of your visits. Payment for injuries and accidents often happens more quickly than payment for chronic illnesses.

What treatments and procedures are covered by my policy?

Again, similarly to human insurance policies, every dog insurance policy covers different things. Your standard insurance policy will cover visits for injury and illness, with options to add on coverage for preventive care, dental care, and so on. Keep in mind that pet insurance policies most often do not cover preexisting illnesses, so any visits to treat conditions your dog had before you enrolled them in health insurance will not be covered.

Your Veterinarian Can Help

Your vet should be able to point you in the direction of the best insurance option for your dogs. Pet insurance companies require a full checkup for your dog before they can be enrolled, so if you haven’t already selected a veterinarian, now is a great time to do so. We’d love to hear more about your experiences with dog health insurance. Send us a message on Facebook at Pawsitively Pure Dog Food, or fill out the contact form on our website.

Truly a Human’s Best Friend

I’ll never forget the day we brought Jackson home for the first time. He was just a soft, sweet, curious puppy, with a lifetime of exploration and play ahead of him. We took him on his first walk, watched him gobble up his first treats, and guided him through new tricks and tasks. There’s no doubt that he (and his brother who came later) has improved our lives immensely. Dogs light up our lives every day!

We’re not the only ones who feel this way about our dogs! In fact, studies have shown that dogs have significant positive effects on their humans’ mental and physical health. Here are just a few of the ways dogs improve our lives: 

They’re great companions.

Whether your dog is your little shadow or they prefer to be a little more independent, dogs provide us with companionship unlike any other. Humans are social creatures, and current social distancing and self-quarantine regulations are keeping many of us separated from our friends and family. Dogs have been a saving grace for many who find themselves isolated from their neighbors at this time. Even in normal situations, dogs are our best friends! Who else is ready to play or go for a walk or cuddle on the couch at a moment’s notice?

They help reduce our stress levels.

Studies from Purdue University and the University of Pennsylvania have shown that people who own dogs have significantly reduced stress levels compared to those who don’t. In fact, these studies showed that dog owners often had reduced blood pressure, more regular breathing, and a reduction in body tension--in short, dog owners showed less of the negative health conditions brought about by excess stress. Don’t forget that playing with your dog can also help increase your serotonin and dopamine levels. Pure happiness!

They encourage you to exercise regularly.

Dogs are active creatures! The distant descendants of wolves, running, playing, and tracking are in their nature. They need physical stimulation to keep their mental and physical health intact. Many of your dog’s activities also include physical exercise for you, too! There are so many fun activities to try with your dog in the summer months. Try going for a long hike on a trail, or bring them with you for a dip in the pool. Even a game of frisbee in the backyard is a great way for both of you to get some fresh air and exercise.

Dog parents know that daily life is significantly improved when you have a dog by your side. Dogs are incredibly intuitive; they know how to cheer us up when we’re down, and they’re eager to celebrate our happy days with us. Has your dog improved your life? Tell us your story on Facebook. To give your dog the wholesome, human-grade nutrition they need to keep them going, visit the Pawsitively Pure Dog Food shop here. 

Once again, we’re starting to feel the heat of a true Florida Summer! If you’re anything like us, you’ve been spending a lot of time over the last few months taking your dog on long hikes and trail walks to pass the time in quarantine. Walking is wonderful physical and mental exercise for both you and your dog. Now that the temperatures are rising, however, you’ll need to take extra care to keep your dog’s paws safe and comfortable during your journeys.

Unfortunately, some pet owners may be oblivious to the fact that summertime walking surfaces can get too hot for your dog’s comfort. Luckily for them, we have this handy list of tips to protect those precious paws: 

• Do the 10-second check. As a rule of thumb, if the sidewalk or pavement is too hot for you to keep your hand on it for 10 seconds, it’s too hot for your dog to walk on. Often, we don’t recognize how hot the sidewalk is on a summer day since our feet are protected by shoes. When you get down to your dog’s height, you can get a better gauge on how comfortable and safe the surface is.

• Avoid asphalt, tarmac, and similar surfaces at all costs. If you think the sidewalk is hot, there’s a very good chance that the road is scorching! Dark surfaces absorb much more heat than light surfaces, so during the summer, tarmac and asphalt are no-gos. Letting your dog walk on surfaces that are too hot can cause blisters and sores that make it uncomfortable to walk and even dangerous for your dog’s health.

• Try to find wooded or shaded areas during the hottest months. Going off road is always helpful, and you’ll probably have a lot of fun discovering a new trail. Dirt paths will be softer to the touch than concrete surfaces. Just keep an eye out for biting insects and sharp hitchhikers that may get lodged in your dog’s paws.

• Protect their paw pads with soothing paw balm. Many dog parents use our paw balm for wintertime use, but it’s just as handy in the summer. After your walk, you can smooth some paw balm on their paw pads and between the toes to moisturize, soothe, and protect. Our dogs love getting paw balm after their baths. It’s packed with organic ingredients that help to kill harmful bacteria and keep paws soft!

We love spending time with our dogs, and we’re sure you do too! If you’re spending lots of extra time with your dog, be sure to keep their paw pads safe and comfortable so that you can continue to go on adventures all summer long. To learn more about our organic paw balm for dogs and other great pet products, browse our website.

For dogs and humans alike, nutrition is one topic that continuously evolves and changes. No doubt you’ve heard of at least four or five new fad diets over the last year. The low-fat diets of the 1980s shifted to the low-carb diets of the 2000s. One minute, grains are the largest portion of the food pyramid; the next, we’re cautioned to limit our wheat and grain intakes. Similarly, popular dog diets go through phases. Should you look for the grain-free dog food? The raw diet? Which type of food is best for your dog and for the community at large?

If you know our story, you know that wholesome, nutritious, human-grade ingredients are at the heart of our mission. Like so many other pet parents around the world, we got fed up with recall after recall of commercial pet foods and decided to take our dogs’ nutrition into our own hands. Since then, we’ve noticed a significant improvement in our dogs’ skin and coats, their energy levels, and the clarity of their eyes and ears. But for us, the human-grade food movement is about so much more than that. We think it’s the best option for the community at large for a number of reasons. 

No two dogs are the same, and neither are their dietary needs

Your dog is so unique! What other dog barks the way they do, gets the zoomies the way they do, or tumbles into playtime like they do? Your dog is an individual, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. Just as their personalities are unique, their body chemistry is their own, meaning they may react differently to different ingredients in food. Cookie-cutter diets just won’t cut it anymore.

Since we switched to whole foods for our dogs, we’ve found that it’s easier to include dietary supplements and minerals with their unique food blends. For a rundown of our favorite Mercola supplements, check out our blog. We work with our dogs’ vets to make sure they’re getting all the nutrients they need to improve their quality of life. 

Responsible sourcing is good for the environment

For our food and treats, we choose wholesome ingredients from responsible sources. Not only does this help us make sure we know exactly what’s going in our dogs’ tummies, but it also means we’re relying on ethical food producers whose methods benefit the environment. Without a healthy planet, we won’t have anywhere to let our dogs run and play! We think that environmental protection should be a cause for companies of any size and industry.

A healthy diet is a preventive measure

So much of your dog’s health relies on their diet. Obesity in dogs can cause joint pain, heart illnesses, low energy, and diabetes. On the other hand, unappetizing food can leave your dog underweight, bored, and tired. Your dog’s quality of life is based largely on their nutrition. Think about it: we use food and treats as training rewards, and we often share our mealtimes together.

Providing your dog with the right diet helps give them the energy they need to stay active and to properly metabolize food and treats. It also helps stave off diseases like arthritis and heart disease. In short, a healthy diet is pretty darn important.

How to get started with human-grade dog food

We always recommend speaking to your veterinarian before you make major changes to your dog’s diet. They can offer you insightful tips on transitioning and on which supplements to add to their bowl. Once you have your recommendations, find Pawsitively Pure dog food at www.pawsitivelypuredogfood.com/shop or stop by one of our upcoming markets to ask us any questions you may have.

If you’ve been keeping up with us on social media, you probably know that we’ve recently welcomed a new pup to our home. Little Miles brings our grand total to 3 furbabies. Some people may look at our very dog-friendly lifestyle and wonder how we do it - how do we get 3 dogs to get along in one household? How do we make sure they’re all reaching their health and nutritional goals? How do we have any room left on the couch between the three of them?!

Of course, there are additional responsibilities that come with introducing more dogs to your family. However, a multi-family household has a handful of benefits you just can’t get with an only dog. Here are the pros and cons of having a multi-dog household: 

Pros

• They’ll keep each other entertained and exercised! When your dog has a playmate around, they’re able to play tug-of-war, fetch, and wrestling when you’re not around to initiate playtime. You may find your dogs like to race each other. Whatever the play style, they’ll be able to take the often time-consuming task of exercising your dog off of the table.

• Having another dog around helps with puppy training. If you introduce a puppy to your family, chances are they’ll follow in your older dogs’ footsteps. You may find your puppy is easier to train as it will pick up cues from its pack leader.

• What’s cuter than one dog? Two dogs! We all want to spoil our dogs with the most love and attention, but we find our hearts are even fuller when there are more dogs around to take care of. You’ll have a lot more love in your household with multiple dogs.

Cons

• Introductions can be difficult. If your dogs aren’t introduced properly, you may find their transition period tumultuous. Sometimes dogs just don’t get along, and having two dogs in one house that don’t get along is never a good time.

• You’ll probably have more expenses with multiple dogs. While you’ll probably find that food costs really aren’t increased by a lot, having to pay two vet bills can be prohibitive to some pet parents.

• You’ll have more cleanup to do. Multiple dogs means multiple sources of shedding, dirty paws, and wet fur. Of course, we love these little things about our dogs, but for a head of household that already has their hands full, cleaning up after multiple dogs might just not be in the picture.

When it comes down to it, the right number of dogs for your household really depends on your unique situation. Take into account whether or not you have a yard, the amount of space in your home, and your emergency budget cushion. If you have room in your home and your heart for another dog, why not adopt? To learn more about the best nutrition for your new dog, browse through our shop or send us an email!