Our pawpals only as much as a quarter of our hooman lifespans. In the short amount of time that they spend with us, we as pawrents would want them to live with minimal discomfort. That is the ethos that Alvina, pawmom of her Japanese Spitz Lexi, hopes to carry.

Alvina works in the IT industry and has made the switch to work from home more often to spend time with Lexi. “I felt our time with our dogs are too short,” she said. “Adjusting to a new job isn’t easy, but having a happy pill like Lexi makes it a whole lot better!”

Great with the neighbours

The four-year-old stepped into Alvina’s life looking worse for wear. Lexi was initially introduced as timid and fearful of everything; a quiet dog with prominent tear stains. “We weren’t sure what to expect at first,” said Alvina, “but the Lexi we now know is more curious and bold in exploring the world around her. She loves humans a lot, and though she is not very vocal, she will bark when her guard is up.”

Lexi is a model resident, greeting her neighbours every evening and taking notice of the hoomans she meets on her walks. On occasion, her neighbours would even pop by the house to greet and play with her. With pawpals, she plays with older dogs more, but not so much with high-energy doggos. 

Foodie but also a cutie

“Beyond belly rubs, butt taps, and more love from hoomans, Lexi also enjoys her walks!” Alvina explains. Lexi knows when a walk is happening (Alvina getting her stuff and wearing her mask is a good cue) and will wind up excitedly for it. “Her favourite words are “Let’s go!” and she goes crazy once I pick up the leash!” 

In their free time, Alvina also enjoys running through dog tricks with Lexi. The food-driven doggo loves all kinds of food, but Lexi has taken her love a step further — Alvina has realised that Lexi can identify the words “cheese” and “banana”. “Our cheese slices and bananas are always missing a small corner, but who can resist those eyes of hers?”

Hope for a pain-free life

“My biggest fear is her health problems that will come as she grows older,” says Alvina. Japanese Spitzs have a higher risk of developing Luxating Patella (LP), a condition in which their kneecaps dislocates from their normal position. In an effort to give Lexi a pain-free life, Alvina has begun incorporating supplements into her diet. 

The underlying concern that pawrents like Alvina face has always been the cost of surgeries. Without proper financial planning, medical care for one’s furbabies can end up at an unmanageable cost. “I heard about the high costs of surgery and vet expenditure, especially when pets developed more ailments with age,” she said. 

Alvina believes pet owners should never have to be put in a situation where they had to weigh the costs of medical treatment, which is why she placed pet insurance as an immediate priority when she first heard of its inception. “Pet insurance became an immediate priority when I realised they existed. If we need health insurance, why not our pets?” she said. “The few hundreds you spend on the insurance is only the cost of a vacation at a nearby country. The unconditional love that they give back is truly priceless!”

*Bonus Content*

Say Lexi could speak hooman for 7 days. What would you say to her for that week?

“I’d ask her what are the things she likes/dislikes, things she’d like more of, and what she loves about being in this family. I’d keep talking to her like you would with your best friend. I’ll ask why she barks incessantly at my dad every night, and why she pees on the bathroom rug in the kitchen. Although I’m not sure how talkative she would be, seeing how few sounds she makes compared to other dogs… maybe she’s more of a listener?”

This article was brought to you by Aon Happy Tails.

Our pawpals’ love is boundless; our love for them unwavering. We want our furry friends to be at their safest and happiest, and this rings especially true for Denise and Jon, a couple looking to do better to protect their little Maltipoo, Kylo. 

A fated encounter

Denise’s journey as a pawrent began with Sasha, a Mini Schnauzer and best friend throughout her youth. When Sasha passed on in March 2021, Denise and Jon were devastated. The months that followed saw the couple visiting pet shops from time to time, looking at the cute puppies to ease the yearning they felt for Sasha.

Denise and Jon made their rounds at the store one day, and the Maltipoo who would later be known as Kylo was out of his pen and roaming about. An instant connection, Kylo made a beeline for Denise and made himself comfortable on her lap. “I felt loved instantly,” Denise recounted.

Kylo, the ace of hearts

Of course, Kylo’s vibrant personality is not exclusive to his family. The boy steals the hearts of all he meets, making them swoon over his charm. Kylo loves his belly rubs and loves receiving attention from everyone around. On most days, the Maltipoo makes frequent demands to do zoomies in the garden and play fetch with his pawrents. When the tempo of the days takes a lull, he is just as content on the couch next to Jon. 

During the weekends, the couple will bring him cruising in the car, and playdates with his equally energetic sister, Kara.

A necessary safety net

“Our biggest fear as pawrents is definitely [Kylo and Kara] falling sick,” Denise considers the communication barrier with their furbabies, especially how they are unable to vocalise their concerns. “It’s heart-wrenching to see them in pain and discomfort.”.

Denise emphasises the importance of pet insurance for their pets. The promise of a life well-lived with their pawrents means giving them only the best — appropriate dieting, a healthy amount of exercise, and of course, a policy that guards against illnesses.

“In the early days with Sasha, pet insurance was unheard of. Unfortunately, by the time pet insurances were a thing, she could not be covered for her pre-existing conditions.” without a policy that could potentially offset the costs of treatment, Denise and Jon faced a major financial setback. “Who knew a CT scan for your pawpals would be in the thousands?” she lamented.

*Bonus*

If Kylo and Kara could speak hooman for 7 days. What would you say to them/ do with them for that week?

“We’d tell them we love them very much and we’d do anything to ensure they are at their happiest and healthiest. We’d tell them there isn’t a single member of our family who does not love them, and that they bring us so much joy into our lives.

I’d tell them they had a big sister Sasha, who taught us what unconditional love is and how we have become better humans through our experience with her. And with all of that, we’d give our all to ensure their forever with us is all worth it!”

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:

1. Being able to bring Kiyo to any vet for the initial check-up.
2. Offering lifetime coverage
3. Low premium fees
4. 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!