Pet Swag And Tail Wags From The BlogPaws conference

The BlogPaws Pet Blogging and Social Media conference in Kansas City was my 5th BlogPaws conference in as many years.  When I think back I can't believe how much I've learned, how many amazing people I've connected with, and how far my blog has come.  I've learned nearly everything I know about blogging and social media from BlogPaws, and the conference sessions are a big part of that.  My blog would never have made it this far if it weren't for BlogPaws.  Honestly, I probably would have quit blogging early on if I hadn't found this amazing community of pet bloggers!

I'd like to share some of our conference highlights with you, in case you weren't able to attend this year.

Phoebe posing at the 2018 BlogPaws Conference!

Seeing my Pet Blogging and Social Media friends in person, as well as many of their pets, is the greatest.  So many hugs, pets and belly rubs, & kisses go around!   

I also really enjoy meeting folks from brands I love and have worked with, as well as brands I'd like to work with in the future.  It's a great opportunity to learn more about their pet products, create relationships, and find out about new products they might be launching.

The educational working sessions and Keynote presentations are always so helpful to me in growing my blog and social media presence.  Things change so fast in the online world, it's important to stay on top of the latest trends and best practices!

CONNECTING WITH MY FELLOW BLOGGERS & THEIR PETS

The best part of the conference for me is seeing my blogging and social media friends to catch up in person!  It's extra special when they bring their pets along.  It's such fun when you get to meet in person, some of the pets you've come to know and love online.  They're just waiting for pets, belly rubs, and kisses from everyone!  Icy and Phoebe certainly got their share of blogger love!  They made lots of new doggy friends and a few cat friends too.  I've brought Icy and Phoebe to 3 out of the 5 conferences I have attended.  I love having them right there with me, and everyone loves seeing them, including the brands!

I created two Photo Collages highlighting just a few of the fun times we had with some of our blogging friends and our pets. I hope you enjoy them!

Kristin Avery of The Daily Pip, Susan Nation of Talent Hounds, Denise Yoder-Gruzensky of Denise's Dog Dish, Dawn White of Lola The Rescued Cat, Louie The Frenchie, Yoshi from A Girl and Her Husky, Riley from Spencer the Goldendoodle :

So many awesome blogger friends and pets to connect with at the conference!  

Kristin Avery of The Daily Pip, Susan Nation of Talent Hounds, Maggie Marton and Aimee Beltran from BlogPaws, Alison Reder of Sarcastic Dog, Rochelle BaRoss of The Broke Dog, Bryn Nowell of A Dog Walks Into A Bar, Coco The Couture Cat, Jada from Chestnut Mutts, and my girls Icy & Phoebe taking a dip in the "pool" Frontline set up for everyone!

More friends & pets from the BlogPaws confeence!

JUST A FEW OF MY FAVORITE PET BRANDS

Each year I really enjoy seeing brands whose products I love and with whom I have worked.  I always look for their booth's first!  I try to interact with my favorite brands all year long online but there's nothing like seeing them in person and building relationships. 

It was great seeing the folks from Zymox, including little Seattle, she's so adorable!  Zymox makes Oratene Brushless Pet Dental Care products, which I use for Icy and Phoebe.  Pet oral health impacts pets overall health, but brushing  your cat or dog's teeth can be so difficult - it is for me, anyway!  Oratene's brushless products make it a lot easier.

Nancy, Helen & Seattle from Zymox

I've written several reviews on my blog for Zymox during Pet Dental Health month (February) for the last few years, and I have also written about some of their other products like their Itch Relief Pet Shampoo and Rinse and their Wound Care products for pets. I love the entire Zymox product line!

It's always a good time seeing our friends from Bayer Animal Health, makers of Seresto, K9 Advantix and other pet health products.

It's always great seeing Bayer at the conference!  Thanks to our friends from Bayer Animal Health I had the opportunity to visit the K9's for Warriors facility in Jacksonville, Florida last year.  K9's for Warriors rescues shelter dogs and trains them as service dogs for military Veterans suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disability).  With support from Bayer, they are doing amazing work!

I always look for the wonderful folks from VitaBone at the conference!  My dogs love VitaBone's Artisan Inspired dog biscuits like Artisan Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry flavor and the BBQ Chicken & Sweet Potato flavor biscuits - YUM!  I was too busy chatting with them (they don't call me Chatty Cathy for nothing, you know, LOL!) so I didn't get a photo, but here's a cute photo of Phoebe at their booth last year, sniffing out a box of their goodies!

Phoebe always looks forward to samples of VitaBone goodies at the conference!

It was also great meeting the folks from Chewy.com , since BlogPaws and Chewy are now one big pet loving organization!  Icy and Phoebe posed in front of this backdrop, which Chewy put up in the Exhibit Hall to hint at where next year's conference is going to be.  After seeing this backdrop I had a feeling it would be in Florida, especially since Chewy's headquarters is in Dania Beach, Florida.  It was revealed on the last day that the 2019 conference will in fact be held somewhere in Florida.  We're excited because we love Florida, and we hope to be there for the conference!

We took Icy and Phoebe to Florida to visit family and have some fun in the sun.  Check out our Florida adventure posts Dog Friendly Juno & Jupiter Beaches and Dog Friendly West Palm Beach!  Friends, it's no surprise that we ended up moving there!

I really enjoyed chatting up Only Natural Pet, all natural pet products.  I'm very interested in supplements for Icy and Phoebe so I asked them lots of questions about that.   I appreciated all the information and the wonderful product samples they gave us!

Icy and Phoebe were so curious about all the samples Only Natural Pet had out!

Icy and Phoebe were very curious about all the products Only Natural Pet had out, especially the Bone Broth, Rabbit Treats for cats, and Salmon Oil!

DISCOVERING NEW PET BRANDS

It's always nice to meet new brands and learn about their products.  We met  DOOG Dog Owners Outdoor Gear, ECOS earth friendly products for pets and people, and WAHL, makers of quality grooming products for pets and people.  My husband loves Wahl and uses several of their grooming products - the ones for humans of course!

We were impressed by ECOS eco-friendly products, derived from replenishable resources.

Icy checking out some of the cool outdoor gear from DOOG.

There were so many other great sponsors at the conference, far too many to mention here!  I always leave the conference wishing I had more time to spend with friends and talk with brands reps! 

HELPFUL TIPS FROM WORKSHOPS & KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

The educational sessions at the BlogPaws Conference are so valuable!  As a Blogger and Influencer I never want to stop learning and improving, and the BlogPaws conference sessions help me do that.  Here are just a couple of useful tips from this year's conference sessions:

Jenny Guy from MediaVine spoke to us about building the relationships you want with brands.  One of her many tips that resonated with me was to Add links to a few of our Most Popular Posts to our blog's Home page or About page.  Why didn't I already have that?!  It was the first thing I did when I got home, I added links to 4 of my most popular posts to my About Me page.  Depending on what platform you use it might easy to add them to your Home page as well.

Jenny also mentioned how important it is to send the brand all your links, including social media shares, following publication of sponsored posts you've done for them.  She stressed the importance of maintaining overall communication with the brand throughout the campaign process as well.

BlogPaws Executive Team member Felissa Elfenbein talked about creating engaging content that gets seen, and the importance of working to build up your community.  She advised us to create authentic content people can relate to and share that content at the right times when our followers are online.  She also pointed out that we should share all our content as diligently as we share our sponsored posts.

SEO expert Jill Caren, who owns both 2 Dogs Media and Charity Paws, had great suggestions.  One of the first things she talked about was hosting your blog on a quality site.  Just because a site hosting company seems popular it doesn't mean their quality is better, so do some research and choose a host for your site carefully.

Jill advised that we'll never know what Google is looking for when we rank in search so don't try to figure it out!  We are better off thinking like the end user (reader), what they'll be looking for and the purpose of our content.  She cautioned us against over optimizing keywords, saying you don't need to put the same keywords into one post 15 times.  That was interesting, I always thought I should try to add keywords many times throughout my entire post - the more the better.  Obviously not!  I'm glad to hear that, I never want my posts to sound robotic or inauthentic.  The flow of our content should be natural.

Authenticity and Engagement was a common theme among pretty much all the keynote speakers and working session presenters.  It's hard not to focus on "the numbers" in your blog stats, but an authentic voice and natural engagement seem to be the thing brands value most when they look for bloggers to work with. I know, it's hard to believe the numbers don't rule brands' decisions in choosing bloggers to work with, but that was a key message we heard from speakers.  The numbers can't be ignored for sure, but we shouldn't get so hung up on growing our blog and social media stats that we lose site of our passion and why we started blogging in the first place.

ALL THAT SWAG!

It's amazing to come home with what looks like a truckload of Swag from all the generous conference sponsors!  It's a great way to discover and try new products from brands we love and from new brands whose products we're not yet familiar with.  

What do you mean I have to share some of my conference treasures?!

We got so many great products to try in our swag bags and at sponsors' booths, this isn't even all of it!  Icy and Phoebe want to keep everything for themselves!  I hate to be a buzz kill for them, but I always share some of our swag with their dog friends, and our local animal shelter.

The conference always goes by so fast!  We look forward to it all year and in what feels like the blink of an eye it's over.  We hope to be able to attend next year's conference in Florida!


Have you attended a pet industry?  If you did, leave a comment & tell us what your favorite thing is about being at pet industry conferences!

DOG FRIENDLY RIVER WALK IN PENNSYLVANIA

On the way to and from the BlogPaws conference in Kansas City, we stopped off in the quiet, historic town of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.  It's a very dog friendly little town with a beautiful river running through it.  The town is also home to Lock Haven University, a college with just under 4,000 students.

The William Clinger Riverwalk is a beautiful paved walkway that runs along the river for 2.25 miles.  The river is actually a levee that protects Lock Haven from the West Branch Susquehanna River. 

The Riverwalk is a nice long path that is very dog friendly and great for long walks.  We love visiting Lock Haven because the riverwalk offers a great way for both us and the dogs to get good exercise and take time to enjoy ourselves when we stop off during long road trips.  I would actually visit this dog friendly town for this beautiful riverwalk alone!

It's the end of Winter in these photos, but it's even more beautiful in Summer when all the trees have leafed out and bloomed.  I hope to visit in the Fall next time when the blazing colors of the Northeastern Fall foliage are in full swing.  I know that will be spectacular here!

The riverwalk is a great place for Icy and Phoebe to go exploring together.

Here's a short video of our evening stroll along the riverwalk:

HISTORIC TOWN, BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE

Lock Haven isn't exactly a bustling town.  There are a few little shops and restaurants, but it's a very quiet little college town.   That's what we love about it.  It's peaceful and quiet, you can enjoy the riverwalk and lovely architecture without worrying about crowds or finding a place to park.

Beautiful architecture on this historic building in Lock Haven, PA

Some parts of the town seem kind of run-down, but there is still a lot of beauty to enjoy - especially that wonderful riverwalk!

Phoebe in front of the Clinton County Courthouse, built in 1869

There is some lovely architecture in Lock Haven, PA.  Some of the buildings serve as student housing for Lock Haven University

WONDERFUL DOG FRIENDLY HOTEL IN LOCK HAVEN

During one of our cross country trips from Phoenix to New York we searched for a dog friendly hotel that was not too far from Interstate 80.  I was so fortunate to find a pet friendly Best Western hotel in the town of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.  Finding this town and hotel were one of those happy accidents while planning a cross country road trip with two dogs! 

We've stayed at this Best Western hotel 4 times in the past couple of years and we love it.  The staff is so friendly and accommodating, and they definitely welcome their pet guests!

Phoebe made herself right at home in our comfortable hotel room!

The rooms are updated, clean and very comfortable.  They offer free breakfast too.  The best thing about this hotel is that it's only a short walk from the hotel to the riverwalk.  We've enjoyed all our stays at this Best Western hotel, and will definitely return soon!  When I find a great hotel that really welcomes dogs I try to go back to it again and again on our many road trips with the dogs.

In Summer, Lock Haven has a lot of events that take place along the riverwalk, such as the free Summer concert series that takes place on a floating stage right on the river! 

We love visiting Lock Haven Pennsylvania, it truly is a haven, and a nice break from surrounding big cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia!

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Have you found other dog friendly riverwalks?  Tell us about it in the comments!

THE ACCIDENTAL PET ADOPTION

Although this is, for the most part, a dog blog I had cats as well for most of my life.  When I was young and lived with my parents we had outdoor cats.  There seemed to always be stray cats that found their way into our yard.  Awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering wasn't as strong as it is today.  My parents thought is was fine to just let stray cats be, so we fed them and enjoyed them outside, rarely inviting them inside the house.

I always wanted an indoor cat of my own.  One that would sit in my lap as I watched TV and sleep in my bed with me.  When I was finally out in the world and able to move out of their house, one of the first things I wanted to do was get a cat.  However, I had moved into Manhattan and having your own apartment was prohibitively expensive.  Most young people starting out in New York City share apartments with one or more roommates.  

I was thrilled to be living in the city and after an exhaustive search I finally found a roommate situation.  I couldn't wait to get my cat, but it was not to be.  My roommate didn't like cats and wouldn't let me get one.  The next roommate I had didn't want a cat either!

A couple of years later I moved back to Long Island, where I could afford my own apartment.  With this move I knew I could finally get the cat I so desperately wanted!  There was no one and nothing to stop me.

My beautiful Calico kitty, Maggie, the cat I had longed for

I asked around and searched for a kitten.  It was Winter and there weren't as many kittens available for adoption at that time of year.  A friend of my sister's is involved in rescue and found out I was looking for a kitten and that I longed for a Calico cat.  She knew of a Calico kitten that would be ready to be adopted in a couple of weeks.  Sight unseen I said I would take her!

I was so excited!  I was finally getting a kitten of my very own, an indoor kitty who would sit in my lap while I watched TV and sleep in my bed with me.  I began preparing for my new kitten.  There happen to be a Petco within walking distance from my apartment, so the very next evening I walked over there after work.  I picked out some cute bowls, a carrier, a bed, and a litter box for her.

As I was getting ready to leave the store I saw a woman walk into the Petco carrying a cardboard box with some holes in it.  I knew there had to be an animal in there and I was curious so I followed her to the back of the store.  She took the box to an area with a few cages.  Apparently, they had a small cat adoption center in the store.

I couldn't help but lean in close to see as the woman opened the box and lifted out a beautiful adult Tabby cat.  I remarked that the cat such really pretty markings.  "Are you looking for a cat to adopt?" she asked.  I told her I was there buying supplies to get ready for my new kitten who would be ready to come home in 2 weeks.  She asked if I might be interested in adopting a second cat.  "Oh no!" I said. One kitty was enough.  Then the woman asked if I wanted to hold the Tabby cat.  By now I know that once you hold them, they steal your heart!  He was so sweet, he nuzzled into my armpit as I held him!  But I gave him back, saying I just couldn't have two cats.

One cat would be enough... or would it?

I left the store and went home with my pet supply purchases.  As I lie in bed that night I couldn't stop thinking about that adorable, sweet Tabby cat.  On my way to to work the next day I thought about him while I was on the train.  Then I thought about him all through my first meeting.  By lunchtime I had told my co-workers and my boss all about him and how sweet he was.  I couldn't take it anymore, I just had to have that cat!

I ducked into a conference room and frantically dialed the rescue woman's number.  She had been smart enough to give me her card.  As the phone rang I prayed he hadn't been adopted in the 18 hours since I last held him.   When I got her on the phone, the woman said the cat was still available for adoption!  I told her I'd meet her back at Petco that very night.

Maggie and Mousey, my dynamic kitty duo!

I couldn't wait to get home after work and go pick up my new furry friend.  Thanks to the previous night's shopping spree, I already had the supplies I needed to bring home my new cat.  It was so exciting to see him again and bring him home.  Not only did I finally have a cat, but in two weeks I would have TWO cats.  I was overjoyed!  I just hoped they would get along.

My new cat was quite shy and quiet but very sweet.  Because of his shy demeanor I named him Mousey.   We bonded instantly and my time alone with him was wonderful.  I was still excited to get my new Calico kitten though, and I couldn't wait for her to join our  new little family as well.

Adopting Mousey was what I like to call "the accidental adoption", which can turn out to be the very best kind of adoption! It certainly did in my case.

Yeah, two cats are definitely better than one!  Mousey was my happy "accident", for which I am eternally grateful!

My Calico kitten was expected to come home with me in 2 weeks but because I had adopted another cat, we had to wait an additional 2 weeks for her to be old enough to get a Feline Lukemia test.  The test was negative - Whew!  I had already known I wanted to name my new Calico kitten Maggie, so when she turned 9 weeks old I traveled into Harlem to pick Maggie up and bring her home.

When she first arrived tiny Maggie was all piss and vinegar!  She hissed and raised her back at Mousey, who was completely non-plussed by her tough demeanor.  I think he was actually amused!  He laid down and stretched out on the floor to show her he was no threat.  It took a few days, but Maggie finally settled down and the two of them became fast friends.  In fact, they cuddled together all day long and were virtually inseparable.

I loved Mousey and Maggie so much, they were a big part of my life in those years.  Sadly, Mousey only lived another 3 years or so.  He had a heart murmur which caused him to leave us way too soon.  Losing Mousey was devastating for both me and Maggie. 

Maggie cat and I were together for nearly 19 years before she passed away.  She was with me through so many life changes, some wonderful and some tragic.  But through it all, we were together, and that's what really matters.  Maggie and Mousey will always be in my heart.

Years later I go my beautiful Husky, Icy.  Icy loved Maggie to pieces.  This photo was taken the first time Icy finally learned the Leave It command which was the start of peace in our home. It finally stopped Icy from chasing Maggie around to lick and play with her!  Icy desperately wanted to be besties with Maggie, who would have none of that!  This is my favorite photo of the two of them!

WINNER, WINNER, BETTER THAN A CHICKEN DINNER!

Recently BlogPaws, a pet blogging and social media network hosted a contest on Instagram.  You had to leave a comment about how you first discovered BlogPaws and why the annual BlogPaws conference is important to you.  The prize was a $200 Pet Travel Kit from Chewy.com.  I was so excited when I found out We Won the contest!!!

Phoebe was excited about all the great dog products we won in the contest!

As most of my readers know, we travel a lot with our dogs, Icy and Phoebe.  When planning vacations I always search for pet friendly destinations.  If we can't bring the dogs I pretty much don't want to go there!  As far as I'm concerned, Pets Are Family and you don't leave family behind when you're going on a fabulous vacation!  Well, OK sometimes you need to leave family behind when you take a holiday, but most of the time I want my fur kids with me if I'm traveling to a great vacation spot.

A few days after being notified that we won the contest, this box full of wonderful dog goodies from Chewy,com arrived on our front porch.

We won the BlogPaws & Chewy.com Pet Travel contest on Instagram!  Here is the first half of the winnings Chewy sent us.

I am so thrilled with all the wonderful pet travel gifts we got from Chewy.com.  Natural Balance treats, a giant Nylabone chew stick, Kong toys, a treat bag and more!  Here's a closer look at these wonderful pet products from BlogPaws and Chewy.com!

As if this wasn't fabulous enough, the next morning another box from Chewy was sitting on the front porch!  The dogs and I were so excited, it felt like Christmas morning!  This second box contained car travel safety harnesses for the dogs, a fabulous travel bag that will fit all of the dogs' travel gear, travel bowls, a beautiful pet blanket and more.

The second box of pet travel goodies from Chewy.com had everything we need for  great road trip!

Here's a closer look at the wonderful pet products in the second box of pet travel gifts from BlogPaws and Chewy.com!

When we travel with our dogs it's almost always by car.  Phoebe is a small dog and can fly in the airplane cabin with me.  But Icy is a Siberian Husky, way too big to fly in the cabin of an airplane, and I won't put my pets in airplane cargo.  

When we moved to Phoenix years ago, we thought it best to find a home and settle in before bringing our cat Maggie over.  That meant I had to fly my cat by herself in airplane cargo.  I hired a company to do all the necessary work needed for a pet to fly in cargo but I can't tell you how worried and stressed I was!  Flying with your pet in the airplane cabin is a bit of a process, but  I didn't realize how complicated it would be to fly pets in cargo.  Never again, so now we load up the car and road trip with the dogs!

All these wonderful pet travel products will be so helpful on our road trips with the dogs!

WITH ALL THIS GREAT TRAVEL GEAR FOR OUR DOGS, WE ARE BLOGPAWS CONFERENCE BOUND!!

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WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR PET IF YOU CAN'T PAY THE VET?

It's a pet parent's worst nightmare. Your dog or cat has a terrible accident, gets attacked by another animal, is hit by a car, or gets a devastating health diagnosis from your Veterinarian.  What happens to your pet if you can't pay the Vet bills, and you never did get around to buying Pet Health Insurance?

Once the shock and pain have set in, the fear comes.  Not just the fear of;  Will my pet be ok, but the fear of How in heaven's name am I going to PAY for this?!  What if I can't pay and the Vet won't treat my pet?  After all, Veterinarians need to make a living too.  With medical school debt, malpractice insurance, staff payroll, expensive equipment and other costs, they can hardly be expected to act as charity institutions.  

Pet Health Insurance Helps Ease The Fear

Many people are turning to Pet Health Insurance to help ease the fear of being blindsided by a hugely expensive Veterinary bill they can't afford.

Finding good Pet Health Insurance can be a daunting task

Pets are Family, and every family member deserves medical treatment, especially in the face of an emergency or life threatening illness.  The fear of not being able to pay for Veterinary services in the event of a serious pet injury or illness has led to substantial growth of the Pet Insurance industry.

This post is sponsored by Consumers Advocate® . I am being compensated to share information about Consumers Advocate's  information and reviews of the Pet Insurance landscape and product offerings.  As always, we only share information we feel is relevant and helpful to our readers.

In 1982, Lassie was the first dog in the U.S. to have a pet insurance policy.  Since then, along with the rise in pet health care costs, the pet health insurance industry has exploded.  

The Insurance Information Institute stated that the total number of pets insured reached 2.52 million in 2019, up 16.7% from 2018. This represents gross written pet insurance premiums of $1.56 billion in 2019.  About 83% of insured pets in the U.S. are dogs.

The Insurance Information Institute pet ownership report shows:

🐶 There are nearly 90 million dogs and 94 million cats in the U.S.

🐈 Spending on Pet Healthcare in the U.S. reached around 16 Billion dollars in 2020, and it's steadily increasing.

🐶 The average annual cost of medical expenses for a pet in the U.S. can be upwards of $700

Pet industry expenditure as a whole is expected to reach $69 Billion.  Included in that $69 Billion is a hefty chunk of change that is spent on providing medical care for pets. 

Each year more people are purchasing health insurance for their pets, especially in the U.S.  According to NAPHIA, by the end of 2016, nearly 1.6 Million pets in the United States had pet health insurance.  The majority of those pet health insurance plans cover both illness and accidents.

Pet Insurance companies and plans vary widely but finding the right health insurance plan for your dog or cat is vital. 

Consumersadvocate Provides Valuable Pet Insurance Information 

It seems so simple, just go out and buy a Pet Health Insurance policy and you'll never have to worry about being hit with Vet bills you can't afford.  Right?  If only it were that simple.  

Although there has been a huge increase in the number of pet owners purchasing health insurance for pets, not all pet insurance plans are alike.  In fact, navigating the Pet Insurance landscape can be mind boggling.  Prices, what's covered, when and why a claim may be denied, and what Veterinarians you can go to, vary widely from one pet insurance company and plan to another.  

Consumersadvocate does a great job of explaining the benefits and limitations of the many Pet Insurance companies and policies available.  

Check out this video to see how  Consumersadvocate can help you find the right Pet Health Insurance plan for your pet.

Years ago when Icy was a puppy, I won a year's worth of Pet Insurance at a fundraiser.  It seemed like a good thing to have in case of an emergency, but when I read the policy I saw that we would have to leave our beloved Veterinarian and use a Vet from their list of participating Veterinarians.  Because of that restriction, I never used the insurance.  Our fabulous Veterinarian was too important to us!

A financially devastating illness or injury can occur at any stage of your dog's life.

Since then, I have thought about getting Pet Health Insurance for Icy and Phoebe but it was really confusing.  There are so many companies and differences in policies that finding a pet insurance policy was too overwhelming!  The years ticked by and now my girls are both senior dogs, 12 and 13 years old.  

Thankfully my dogs haven't had health issues we couldn't afford to pay for, but I have friends with pets who have had prohibitively expensive medical issues.  Pet Insurance can be a Godsend in those instances, IF you have the right policy. 

Visit the Consumersadvocate Pet Insurance page  to figure out what questions to ask and see which companies offering Pet Insurance are rated the best.  They provide so much great advice and insight about pet insurance in general, pet insurance companies, and policies on their web site.  

If you're thinking about getting health insurance for your pet and want to learn more about how to go about finding the right plan, their web site is a great primer.  I suggest you go there first to start learning about pet insurance and the top pet insurance companies available.  

If you're lucky you'll find a great pet health insurance plan that can help pay for unexpected and expensive medical issues that may come up for your dog or cat.  If you don't, you could end up like some pet parents I know who were totally blindsided when they found out that their pet's medical treatment wasn't covered by the pet insurance plan they bought.

One of my blogger friends at McSquare Doodles has 2 beautiful Goldendoodles.  As a young puppy, her dog Bernie was diagnosed with atypical Addison's disease. Certainly an unexpected, serious illness for which you'd want your pet insurance to provide coverage.  

Unfortunately, simply because Bernie had been to the Vet once for vomiting 2 months prior to his diagnosis the pet insurance company denied coverage for any costs related to his Addison's disease, claiming he must have had a "pre-existing condition"!  

It's no surprise that she dropped that pet insurance, but the "damage" of being denied coverage was already done.  Learn more about Addison's Disease and how Irene deals with her dog Bernie's atypical Addison's Disease on her blog.

Conversely, my friend Jodi at Kohl's Notes, got insurance for her dogs, Felix and Kol.  She was lucky to have a great insurance plan that, over the years, covered several thousand dollars worth of treatments for Felix' torn ACL's and Kol's IVDD (Intervertebral Disk Disease) attack.

You want to make the right choice and find a pet insurance company and plan that is reliable and provides great coverage.  One that won't look for a reason to deny your insurance claim just when you need it most.  There is some leg work involved, but Consumersadvocate is a great place to start your research!

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Choosing a reliable Pet Insurance plan that will be there for you when your pet needs it most is vital!

 Consumersadvocate provides reviews and ratings of companies across 110 different industries so you can make informed decisions when choosing a company or product.  Pet Insurance is just one area in which you can find helpful information and ratings to help you make informed choices.  You'll also find information and thorough reviews on Mortgage Refinancing, Travel or Car Insurance, Home Security and much more!  They make it easier for you by doing the legwork!

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Have you ever had, or thought about getting, pet health insurance?  Tell us about it in the comments, we'd like to hear about your experience with pet insurance.

CAN OMEGA 3 SUPPLEMENTS IMPROVE DOG HEALTH?

It pains me to say it but my dogs are getting on in years. Icy and Phoebe are 12 and 13 years old.  I can't believe they're senior pets, where did the time go?!  As they've aged, I have seen some changes in my dogs vitality and skin coat so I've been researching the benefits of supplements for pets.

There have been so many advances in pet health over the years, enabling pets to live longer healthier lives.  If you read my earlier post about Giving Pets The Gift Of Good Health, you know that pet supplements are something I've become very interested in for Icy and Phoebe.  

Icy has always been able to hike for miles at a time!  I want  her to be able to keep doing that for years to come.

I want my dogs to be as healthy and active as possible so we can continue sharing adventures together for many years to come!  I feed them high quality dog food, give them medications to protect them from Ticks, Fleas, and Heartworm disease, and I make sure they get lots of exercise.  At this stage of their lives I feel they could benefit from additional supplements, including Omega 3 fatty acids. 

This post is sponsored by Salveo Petcare® . I am being compensated to help share information about Salveo's Pet Supplement products, but as always we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers.

DOG HEALTH BENEFITS OF OMEGA 3 SUPPLEMENTS

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to dog health and are an important part of a dog's diet. 

Dogs are physiologically unable to make their own Omega 3 fatty acids. This is why dogs have a dietary need for the Omega 3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic (EPA), alpha linoleic acid (ALA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  

Omega 3 essential fatty acids can be found in high quality pet foods, but usually in small amounts.  It can be beneficial to your pet's health to add Omega 3 fatty acids to their diet.   

Omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial for pets: 

🐶 Promotes Healthy Skin and Coat. Poor skin condition can cause itching, irritation, and skin allergies, which could lead to bacterial infections

😺 Can improve Immune Function

🐶 Can improve Heart and Brain function

😺 Can improve Joint function

🐶 Can reduce inflammation in the body. Many common pet diseases cause inflammation. Omega 3 fatty acids can help lessen the development of inflammation in a pet's body

😺 Can improve Allergies. Omega 3 fatty acids have the ability to reduce inflammation  

🐶 According to PETMD, Omega 3 fatty acids can help with kidney function, lymphoma, heart disease, cognitive function, arthritis, and other conditions

Fish oils, such as salmon and other fish oils are great sources of Omega 3's 

Salveo Petcare's fish oil supplements are a great way to add Omega 3 fatty acids to your dog or cat's diet.  I recently discovered Salveo Petcare's OMEGA 3 WILD FISH OIL and WILD SALMON OIL WITH OMEGA 3.  I've started adding Salveo's fish oil supplements to Icy and Phoebe's diet. 

I love that Salveo Petcare fish oil supplements for pets are:

🐟 Human grade
🐟 Free of GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms)
🐟 Have no artificial preservatives
🐟 Made in the USA and FDA approved
🐟 The salmon and other fish oils in their supplements are wild caught for purity

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Omega 3 Supplements Can Improve Dog Health

Facts and Ingredients label on Salveo Petcare's Omega 3 with Wild Fish Oil Supplements

Facts and Ingredients label on Salveo Petcare's Wild Salmon Oil with Omega 3's

In an article written by Dr. Karen Becker, DVM,  she explains that Omega 3s, play a huge role in your pet’s health and can also provide the following benefits:

💗 Can slow the development and spread of certain pet cancers

💗 Slow the growth of common yeast infections in dogs and cats

💗 Aid in the proper development of the retina and visual cortex

💗 Help prevent certain heart problems in your pet

💗 Help maintain healthy blood pressure and decrease triglyceride and blood cholesterol levels and help regulate blood-clotting.

I can give Icy and Phoebe their Salveo Petcare fish oil supplements directly or pierce the gel capsules and add it to their food, which is so easy.   They love the taste of these supplements, I guess because they are fish oil and my dogs LOVE all things fish!

Icy and Phoebe love the taste of their Salveo Petcare Fish Oil Supplements!

You can find Salveo Petcare supplements at online retailers such as Amazon

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NOTE: I am not a Veterinarian or Vet Tech, nor do I play one online! As always, be sure to check with your Veterinarian before adding any supplements to your pet's diet.  

Do you give your pet supplements or fish oils?  Tell us about it in the comments!