BLOG 60

25 September 2017

Hello to my faithful family & friends

Being a health blogger means I get to talk to many patients, medical staff, health committee’s and media. Just lately, as a family we've decided to try becoming 'foster carers' for a city dog & cat rescue group. We have now had the experience of caring for 2 rescue dogs. Our first one was 'Oscar' - a 13 year old Bischon Frise and then 'Bailey' - a 5 year old Maltese-Terrier. Both dogs came from a background where they were either dumped or neglected and both little boys were adorable in their own ways. As much as we gave to them in love & food: they gave back to us in licks and cuddles.

Both dogs worked well with our own Maltese-Shih Tzu (Bobby) and both dogs have now been successfully re-homed. The dog 'foster caring' experience (provided by a Brisbane group called 'Little Legs Dog & Cat Rescue) has been a wonderful learning experience for our teen girls, who have learnt how important it is to volunteer for community and assist 'people & paws' when the going gets tough. I highly recommend considering dog and/or cat foster caring as a way to 'give back' from home and also assist a needy community organisation.

Because, of my many health issues, due to triple cancer | medical negligence | transplant | GVHD - I often find it hard to actively volunteer (or work at all) outside of my home. This is why 'foster caring' for these fur-babies makes it easier for me to stay involved and assist where needed for a cause that is greatly connected to my heart. At-home volunteering is a great opportunity for anyone who has health issues and/or finds it difficult to be mobile or active.

Therefore, our experiences as foster carers now lead me to the subject of this blog. I truly believe that the role of animals and pets in our lives are very important. There is a reason why God blessed us with them, particularly 'smart' creatures we can communicate with like dolphins, whales, pigs and of course the canine and the feline. Many animals are not just here to feed us or to be part of the 'circle of life' - many animals contribute to stabilising our mental health, lowering our blood pressure and giving us a reason to go for a daily walk.

However, I believe there are a lot more hidden benefits to animal companionship, that we as humans are still not aligned to or aware of. Science plays a role here in finding out the key health benefits those animals or pets are able to provide for us, as human beings. An excellent dog owning website, has created this article with the health benefits of pets featuring readable studies. I know for a fact that the animals that have passed through our home, either temporarily or permanently, have helped me with my health and that of my family

All science aside, having an animal in our home, always provides a cuddly, cute and sweet member who also gives us something to laugh at and something to giggle about. Our girls and we adults have always enjoyed having a small dog or two around and not only playing with them, but watching them play with each other!! We all know how incredibly healthy laughing and being happy can be, for our personal health and family health.

My next point, in relation to the above thoughts is about caring for the animals that take care of us. There seems to be enough evidence to suggest that animals do a great deal for us and our health. Unfortunately there also seems to be an enormous amount of owners who don’t attend to the medical needs of their pets. I believe this is mostly because of the cost of veterinary services.

Good vet work can cost a fortune specialist vet work - even more, with some surgery’s now specialising in chemotherapy and radiation therapy for animals. Only ten years ago cancer services for animals was unthought-of. Animal Rescue’s, pounds and shelters are full of animals who have been surrendered because the owner cannot afford veterinary care and have let the animal go. The owners give up the animal due to their medical issues and the costs associated.

I believe this is such a sad thing to do to a bonded animal and also to a family that loves their furry companion. There is one important consideration and ‘item of action’ to take care of, when one buys, adopts or rescue’s an animal: pet insurance. All insurance is important and this I realised when I was found to be suffering from blood cancer number two and was required to leave work permanently – insurance saved the day, for me and my family.

We have always insured our animals and there have been occasions when it has payed off. Insurance money to some people is dead money, however for us – we don’t consider it so.

We consider it a vital part of life and an important component of having a furry companion – being sure that from month to month, we can be guaranteed that if our little guy needs urgent surgery, treatment for a lump, investigations for odd symptoms or maybe a nasty injury.

You might be wondering where does one start, when searching for the right pet insurance for your family. There seem to be so many options and companies around. How can an animal lover like me create the time I need to look at every company and what they offer? Well, luckily – we know of a FREE service that provides a number of different options and has done all the hard legwork for you.

An awesome company called iSelect. They help with a number of different insurance options, but most importantly, specialise in pet insurance. I would highly recommend using this service. Not only do you save time and effort, trawling through countless websites and recommendations, but imagine comparing all of the PDS (Product Disclosure Statement’s) without help? I really believe, for most people, it’s just too much to deal with.

When you use iSelect pet insurance, everything you need to know and compare is listed for you in plain English, easy to understand information about the benefits and costs involved. So, make sure you think about my recommendation above. I can’t be any more passionate about this type of insurance.

All of us love our animals, most of us take care of them day-to-day, yet some of us aren’t prepared for when the worst might happen. The other day, we opened our garage and a local cat (lou-lou) strode into our garage, suddenly – Bobby spotted her and WOW! He sprinted out the door and chased her in a couple of seconds. The experience was nuts.

Both animals could have dashed across the road, got squished by a car or killed each other. Thankfully, no harm became them. BUT, it could have been a day we needed to claim on our pet insurance. Don’t hesitate to get your pet insurance sorted out today!!

Thank you for reading,

Much Love,

Jodie & The Guerrero Family xx