Telehealth proved to be a literal lifesaver this past year for people in need of medical attention who didn’t want to venture into a brick-and-mortar facility to receive top-notch treatment. But did you know you can sign up for the same high level of digitally administered care for your cat or dog? You can with Pawp, the digital health clinic for your pet.
For just $19 a month, Pawp subscribers receive unlimited telehealth service for up to six cats and/or dogs—which includes access not only to top-flight vets, but also to pet experts who can help with social, emotional and behavioral issues—plus an annual $3,000 safety net should any pet emergencies arise.
Wondering exactly how Pawp works and what the benefits are? We spoke with pet owner and Pawp subscriber Julia H. to ask her all about how Pawp has helped her be the best pet parent she can be to her new Pomeranian, Elvis. Keep reading to learn about how Pawp provides all the tools and information you need to give your pet everything he or she deserves.
Q: Hi, Julia! Let’s start by asking you to tell us about your pet!
A: More than happy to! Elvis is an all-back Pomeranian. He's four months old now but I got him when he was only eight weeks and under two pounds. He was so tiny and felt very breakable to me, so I was really nervous. Now he’s a little over 3 pounds and stronger, he'll be five pounds when fully grown. He recently finished all of his shots, so he's been going to the dog park this week. It’s been fun and he seems super happy.
Q: How did you discover Pawp?
A: The first time I heard about Pawp was when I started looking for vets in New York. I was also looking at pet insurance to try to understand if it was worth it, by comparing what each of them covered and what the monthly rate was. After spending some time browsing different pet insurance websites, it kind of felt like a scam because they had a lot of hidden fees and weren’t super clear about what they did or did not cover. Honestly, it felt like they charged a lot of money for not very much coverage. That’s when I came across Pawp. The information on their website is simple, concise, and straightforward. For a monthly fee of $19 (so less than a dollar a day), you can cover up to 6 pets, get unlimited telehealth for you to video-chat or text their licensed vets at any time, and a $3,000 safety net in case of a life-threatening emergency.
Q: What part of Pawp’s service were you most interested in when you signed up?
A: To me, it was the 24/7 telehealth service. But, I have to admit that their Emergency Fund has an amazing value too. Even though I haven't needed to use it yet (fortunately), it definitely gives me peace of mind to know that Elvis is protected regardless of our location and the fact that I can get instant professional advice on everything I need at any time.
Q: Can you tell us about the first time you turned to Pawp for help after becoming a member?
A: I actually started using Pawp even before I got Elvis. I had so many questions since I have never owned nor raised a puppy before. Pawp got me unlimited access to licensed vets, so I started asking them about vaccination schedules and what kind of food they recommended. I also wanted to check what kind of food he was being fed at the breeder and whether I should change it or not.
I use Pawp as my go-to digital vet clinic. Within minutes I can get in touch with professionals for big and small questions. It's basically just like having a vet that I can video call or text whenever I want and wherever I am, which is amazing.
Q: How did Pawp help prepare you for your future role as a pet parent?
A: It was extremely helpful. I mean, when you Google something, you just never know what you're going to get. A hundred different answers will appear on your screen, but you’ll never know which information is trustworthy or just sponsored. It's just so much easier to be able to talk directly to a vet whenever questions arise. But other than Pawp, there’s really no way to do that, especially for a flat fee of $19 a month. So yeah, after getting informed on everything I needed to know I felt way more prepared, confident, and supported.
Q: Have you ever used pet insurance before? If so, what makes Pawp different?
A: No. The other pets that I've had have been family pets, so even though I wasn’t as involved [with them] as with Elvis, my parents didn’t use pet insurance. But after doing some research on pet insurance companies, I found that a lot of information was hidden on their side and their fees depended a lot on the dog’s breed, age, locations, and pre-existing conditions.
Unlike traditional pet insurance, with Pawp you can cover up to six pets at no extra cost besides the $19 monthly fee, and they have the $3,000 emergency fund for you to use once a year - even if that emergency relates to pre-existing conditions. No other company does this. Besides, if you get in touch with their vets and they confirm that your pet needs emergency care, you can go to any vet clinic in the U.S and they will pay them directly before you leave the clinic. So besides being a safety net for your pet, Pawp’s also a safety net for the pet owners from a financial standpoint.
Q: Can you tell us about a time when Pawp helped you and Elvis by saving you time, stress and money?
A: Not long ago, Elvis and I went out of town for a wedding. Elvis was playing with one of my friend’s bigger dogs and she stepped on his little paw so he started limping. He wasn't putting any weight on one of his front paws so I was like, “Oh my God, I'm gonna have to go to a random emergency vet clinic in an area that I’m not familiar with.” But instead, I used Pawp and within minutes I got connected to an amazing vet. I showed her how Elvis was walking and she said: “Yeah, he's not putting weight on it, so you should keep him off of his leg for an hour. Maybe hold him in your arms and keep him calm. Wait around an hour and then put him back on the floor, if he's putting weight on it, then it's okay. If he's still not putting weight on it, you need to go to the emergency room.” I waited an hour and he started putting weight on his paw, so luckily everything was fine in the end. I saved money in this scenario because if I hadn't called Pawp, I would have to take him in for an emergency visit and it probably would have ruined my weekend. It would have been really annoying and really expensive, but ultimately he didn't need it. His paw was just sore and he was a little bit scared.
Another time that Pawp gave me peace of mind and saved me a trip to the vet was when Elvis ate some of my cereal. I used Pawp and quickly sent a picture of the ingredients to a vet to ask her if I had to be concerned. She told me that none of those ingredients were toxic to dogs so that everything was fine. Easier for me than Googling it.
Q: What would you want to tell other pet owners about using Pawp?
A: I would tell them that protecting their pets doesn’t have to be expensive, but it’s important. It’s normal that sometimes we get worried, especially if you are a new puppy parent like me. Elvis will have some transitions since he’ll stop being a puppy eventually, but I am happy that I have Pawp’s support to get all my questions answered and worries buried.
So many pet issues and questions can be solved with just one video call or text, which has given me peace of mind, saved me money on vet visits and allowed me to be more productive and show up in a more focused way since I don't have to worry about it anymore.
Click here to learn more about Pawp or to become a member today!
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