Our MOSTLY Walking Creature is going to be turning one year old on Sunday. So, we do not have the back-to-school depression or celebration (depending on how you look at it) to deal with this time of year.

However, we learned something interesting from our friends at PurinaCare® Pet Health Insurance. For those families that do have Walking Creatures going back to school, it can sometimes be a bit rough on us pets.

See, we get used to having a different routine over the summer months and most of us like having our staff, even junior members, around. Woofers especially like the junior staff members but JEESH they like everyone, don’t they? Silly woofers.

Anyway, if your pet is acting weird then he/she might have “post summer stress.” Dr. Bill Craig, DVM, Chief Medical and Underwriting Director of PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance, provided us with these signs that your floofer or woofer might be suffering from this anxiety:

1. Hyper-salivation or drooling.
2. Soiling the pet owner’s belongings.
3. Chewing or scratching at doors or crate.
4. Non-stop howling, barking, meowing.
5. Compulsive grooming or licking.
6. Tearing up furniture or pushing items off counters.

Here are some ways to help alleviate this stress:

1. Slowly get your pets used to a post-summer schedule. Practice positive reinforcement with praise and treats for appropriate behavior.
2. Go back to regular walking and leash routines.
3. Make sure your pet doesn’t associate you grabbing your keys and coat with their being left alone. Sometimes grab these items even when you’re not leaving.
4. Create a place in the house that feels “safe” to your pets – a well lit area where the family usually gets together. Turn on the TV and keep toys and clothes with the family’s scent in the room so your pet feels comforted while there.
5. Don’t punish bad behavior related to anxiety; it will only reinforce the stress.
6. There are medications available for woofers and floofers experience extreme stress. But they typically don’t work without a behavior modification program. Talk to your vet about medications and side effects.

Thanks, PurinaCare, for the great information. It’s hard to imagine that we would ever miss the Walking Creature but you never know!

Guest Blogger: Female Staff Member

I’ve been confused about pet insurance for a long time. I’ve been in situations when vet bills were astronomical and I know lots of you out there have been in the same position and may even be struggling now. It’s heartbreaking and feels wrong to have to think about money when your pet’s health is at stake.

So I’ve looked into affordable pet insurance a few times and was overwhelmed by the complexity so I gave up. When I was recently offered the opportunity to speak with Dr. David Goodnight, president of PurinaCare® Pet Health Insurance, I welcomed the chance to learn a few things that might help me make sense of it all!

First of all, how much do you love the name, Dr. Goodnight? It made me like him before I even spoke with him! Dr. Goodnight is a vet and has three cats himself – and yes, he has pet insurance. Why, if he’s a vet, does he have insurance? “People just don’t understand how expensive veterinary medicine is these days,” he told me. “There are so many new technologies, treatments that are very effective – and costly. Yes, I’m a vet and I can take care of the preventative care of my pets but if there were something seriously wrong, I would want to engage a specialist or surgeon in that area.”

Interesting.

I asked Dr. Goodnight what the biggest misconception about pet insurance is and he told me that people think pet insurance is an investment. He cautions that we shouldn’t look at it this way because it is not about getting your money back. You should hope you don’t ever have to use it, because that would mean your pet has had serious problems. You should think of pet insurance more like car insurance, he told me. You don’t want to ever need it but it’s there if you do.

PurinaCare has two plans available, one with preventive care (ideal for younger pets) and one that is just for accidents and illness. The premiums will be lower with the latter. With preventative care, your routine care should be covered (usually less 20%) along with a possible co-pay and then your monthly premium. With major care coverage, you know that if you’re ever in a position where your furbaby needs extensive care, you’ll be able to swing it. This makes a lot of sense to me.

But obviously you’ll have to decide what’s best for you.

Another thing Dr. Goodnight told me is that people are shocked by how much vet care costs these days. Well, I have to agree with that. But the thing is, he said, the care is better now. We have so many options now and the ability to pinpoint and solve health issues. Medical advances cost money. Personally, I’m glad we’ve made these advances!

There are a lot of insurance companies out there but did you know only 1 percent of Americans insure their pets? After my conversation with Dr. Goodnight, I talked to my husband and we’re definitely going to get the boys covered.

One thing I liked about what I learned about PurinaCare is that they entered the market not too long ago after doing extensive research into the current needs of pet owners. Their main goal is to make the insurance process easier for both pet owners and vets. Wonderful! Anything to simplify my already overloaded life is okay by me.

Some tips Dr. Goodnight gave me to share:

1. Insure your pet when he/she is young. It’s easier and probably won’t require an exam. Plus your premiums will be lower.
2. Review all your options before making a decision. PurinaCare has a checklist on their site that will help (it’s on the home page on the bottom, in the center).
3. Have realistic expectations – you probably won’t get a return on the money you shell out each year but you’ll sleep a lot easier.

I’m interested in your feedback on this issue. Please leave comments below!