This article was brought to you by Aon Happy Tails.
It’s not every day you find a hooman that keeps cotton candy as a pet. They look so fragile, the strands drifting in the wind. You’d worry that as fragile as it seems, it’d fall apart. However, as Eugenia comes to learn, taking care of Kiyo the pomeranian would be its own reward.
Eugenia first met eyes with Kiyo in 2020, when she and her husband began a new chapter in their lives. The two were looking for a new place to stay and coincidentally, so did Kiyo. Eugenia had always wanted a pet — it was her lifelong dream to have a pawpal to call family. So as fate would have it, Eugenia and her husband met Kiyo and fell in love with her immediately. The three have been inseparable ever since.
An Energetic Ball of Fluff
The pomeranian embodies a sense of wonder that is impossible not to love. When she’s outdoors, Kiyo can run circles around her pawrents with her zoomies, sleep under a shelter, and eat grass. Once indoors, can be found looking wistfully out the window. Kiyo plays tag with them, enjoys receiving hugs, and likes getting cradled to see the great outdoors.
All that energy burns a lot of calories and it shows in Kiyo’s appetite. She is highly motivated by food and very greedy, so Eugenia uses her favourite chews to motivate the borker and learn new party tricks. That being said, while the family of three do like to explore new ways to have fun, they also enjoy a relaxing sunset walk on days with good weather.
The Common Worry
As a pawrent of a young pomeranian, Eugenia frets over Kiyo a lot. “My biggest fear is finding out Kiyo is sick,” she mentioned, “as it would be my negligence. Especially so if it is something that could have been prevented.” A common medical condition for dogs is Luxating Patella, where a dog’s kneecap shifts out of alignment. The condition plagues small dog breeds more, and while most dogs can be diagnosed with Grade 1 or 2 Luxating Patella without much pain, its degenerative nature means it will only get worse over time.
Kiyo was diagnosed with Grade 1-2 Luxating Patella. Eugenia has made it a point to slow its progression by taking preventive measures with Kiyo. For starters, she avoids letting Kiyo jump or stand on her hind legs, as those add unnecessary pressure on her joints. Going up or down the stairs is greatly minimised, so the family prepared ramps — even for getting into and out of bed — instead.
“We’re going to buy baby mats to cushion her joints,” Eugenia said. She noted that these measures can be made more effective with rehabilitation working in tandem. “I feed Kiyo fresh and raw meals, which are nutritionally balanced. On top of that, she is also on hip and joint supplements.” In the near future, Eugenia plans to bring Kiyo to hydrotherapy to help strengthen her leg muscles too.
Role of a Pawrent
Eugenia insured Kiyo only after being diagnosed with Luxating Patella — pre-existing conditions are not covered. However, Eugenia believes it is better to be safe than sorry. “There can be a multitude of unknowns that we may not be able to control or foresee,” she said, “but being insured gives me peace of mind, knowing I am co-insured if I have to fork out expensive vet bills one day.”
Of the many benefits to getting pet insurance, Eugenia (an Aon Happy Tails policyholder) listed out her most important ones:
- Being able to bring Kiyo to any vet for the initial check-up.
- Offering lifetime coverage
- Low premium fees
- Coverage of up to SGD7500 and No-Claim Discount (NCD)
Pawrents insuring their furbabies can bring them peace of mind on their furbabies health and future medical expenses. “In an unfortunate event, we may have to fork out a hefty sum,” Eugenia cautioned. “Instead of emptying our wallets, getting loans, or worrying about finances, we can spend more time in the present with whatever is happening to our furkid.”
*Bonus Content*
Say Kiyo could speak hooman for 7 days. What would you say to her / do with her for that one week?
If Kiyo could speak hooman for a week, I would take leave from work, proclaim our (husband and I) love for her, find out about her favourite place to visit, favourite activity and foods, and repeat for that whole week!