185. Most Pet Owners Can’t Afford a $250 Vet Bill – Are You Prepared?

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Welcome back, pet parent.
Today we're doing something a

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little different for this show,
but I promise it's going to be

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worthwhile because so many of
us, and I'm just like we all

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knew this, but we actually have
studies that show so many of us

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are not prepared for what it
actually cost to care for our

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pets.
And I think that's really been

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super top of mind, especially in
the last few years, because we

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have all been really trying to
figure things out with

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inflation.
And Oh my gosh, the numbers for

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what things cost now versus how
much income has gone up is just

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insanity.
And caring for our pets is

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something I know you listening
are it's all you want to do is

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make sure you're taking care of
your pet as well as you can.

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So one of the things I know
Isabel and I have talked about

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it before on the weekly pet
roundup.

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So if you caught the episode we
did on pet insurance, this is

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going to kind of tie in a little
bit here.

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So it's probably been 5 or 6
years maybe since I got a care

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credit credit card.
And I'm sure we all use credit

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cards in different ways.
Sometimes we use them when we

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really don't want to have to use
them.

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But the way I use it literally
for anything I need veterinary

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care wise, but there are other
ways that you can use it.

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I set it aside and I only use it
for veterinary expenses and I

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also have a dedicated savings
account for veterinary expenses.

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But sometimes things happen.
I have been there many, many

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times and we're going to talk a
little bit about that and some

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of the things that we can do as
pet parents to prepare.

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One of those things being like
actually understanding what the

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lifetime of care can be for
having a dog or a cat.

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So today's guest is Jonathan
Weinberg and he is the Senior

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Vice President and General
Manager of the pet and the Co

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brand business at Synchrony,
which is the care credit card

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that I was just talking about.
And he has a very extensive

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resume and finance.
I'm not going to bore you with

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all of that because he's
actually a lot more interesting

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than his resume.
He needs one to believe.

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Jonathan, thank you so much for
being here with me today.

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No, you, you don't worry.
I, I, I'm happy.

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I'm more interesting than than a
piece of paper.

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And you can see I got Maddie
here and Maddie's my miniature

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will.
She's 14 years old and she sits

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with me all day during work and
she sleeps for about 95% of my

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meetings.
So it's it's, it's also boring

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in real life, but but it's
important work.

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Yeah, well, it is.
You know, the world, the world

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needs to go around.
And money is how we do that.

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And it's, I know for a lot of us
been an exceptional struggle in

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the past few years.
Maddie, much like my dog

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Kimberly, who has been barking
her head off as we have been

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trying to record this episode.
They don't have any clue about

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what money is or how it works or
how we get through the world.

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God bless them because I wish I
could be like that.

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I wish so much.
But that just isn't the reality

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of the world we live in.
And we're certainly not going to

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get at all political here today.
We really just want to talk

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about what we can do proactively
and when something happens.

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Because I was reviewing some of
the information that you sent

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over and we'll get to all of
that about specialty veterinary

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care and the lifetime of care
study that Synchrony put out.

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But I would love to hear a
little bit, Jonathan, about your

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dog Maddie and some of the
things because I know you've

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been through a lot together.
So I would love to hear a little

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bit more about Maddie.
Of course.

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Well, Maddie is a 14 year old,
14 1/2 year old miniature

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poodle.
And she is, is, is a very, you

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know, worldly dog.
She, she, she started living

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with us from, from a puppy, you
know, right away about, you

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know, six weeks.
But about 18 months into her

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life with us, we moved to Hong
Kong.

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So she lived in Hong Kong with
us for two years.

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And then after two years, I got
asked to move to London.

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And so she lived with us in
London, where I worked for five

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years and then she was back in
New York for a bit and now we're

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based in Florida.
So she's, she's been living in a

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bunch of different places.
She's also, she's been to I

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think 13 countries.
We have a little pet passport

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for her.
So she, she, she gets around,

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but she really is, you know, my
right hand lady and, and really

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a great part of the family.
But as a senior dog, you know,

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she struggles with some health
conditions, which are not

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uncommon in, in, in, you know,
for her breed, she has Cushing's

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and she also has a mitral valve
deficiency.

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So she gets she she's, you know,
has lived a great healthy life

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so far.
And, and there's things now that

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we need to change, whether it be
behaviors or, or certain

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treatments that she needs to do
to continue to be a part of our

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family for as long as we hope
she can be.

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And you know, with that also as
as we're going to talk about

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later, comes cost, But that's
that's life these days, right?

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It is.
It really, really is.

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And I'm curious because one of
the things we talk about on this

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podcast a lot is getting back to
nature and bringing in holistic

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modalities to care for our pets.
Of all the places you've lived

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and Maddie has lived.
In my mind I'm thinking the

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least access to like natural
space she might have had was in

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Hong Kong.
But I don't know, tell like, of

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all the places she's lived,
where does she get the most

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access to nature?
In London is, is where she had

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her most access.
Hong Kong was great, but it was

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very much you know, it's, it's,
it's packed right.

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And so she spent a lot of time
and and real estate comes with a

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very high premium and so she
spent a lot more time on

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pavement in London, which was
incredibly dog friendly, right.

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So she would, you know, she was
a regular at the pub, you know,

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she tried to get in with fake ID
to buy.

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They didn't, they didn't count
dog ears for her to be able to

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buy a beer.
But in London, we lived very

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near Hyde Park and Kensington
Gardens and she would be off

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leash.
And then it wasn't uncommon.

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We would take her up to Scotland
when we went there and she would

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just run around.
And so that was, that was

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probably where she had her
biggest opportunity to be in,

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in, in nature.
I'd say that came with a plus

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and A minus because in, in Hyde
Park in London, she would quite

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often when we'd let her off her
leash, she would then proceed as

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quickly as possible to the
nearest fox poo and rub her back

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in it and she would come back
and invariably we'd have to give

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her a nice deep cleaning.
I guess that that was her

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natural instinct and you know,
she just loved doing it.

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It is.
You should look into FMT, that's

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we pay a premium for healthy
poop these days.

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OK, I'm going to look into it.
But that was something that you

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would always come back.
And right when my wife would

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take her on a walk, she'd come
back to our place.

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She'd be like, no, you can't
better or you're gonna get a

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bath.
I'm like OK.

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Yeah, no, I get it.
I would have to do that too.

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So OK, she does have some issues
that you have to manage and not

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only do you have to manage those
issues, but that comes along

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with, and I know so many people
get so frustrated about this,

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but it it's very necessary to
continue monitoring lab work,

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especially when an animal or a
human for that matter, is on

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medications because there are a
lot of side effects and we need

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to mitigate that as much as
possible.

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So there is a high price tag for
that.

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And do you use care credit?
I do and I and I use it, you

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know, for precisely those kind
of reasons.

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Is the monitoring more than you
know, OK, the initial

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diagnostic, you know, probably
cost money, but making sure her

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levels are right with her
cushions is very important.

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So her cortisol levels to make
sure that, you know, she's in

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that, you know, healthy spot
and, and is at the right place.

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The other expense, which is not
insignificant is I need to take

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her to the cardiologist for her
mitral bowel deficiency.

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I'd say I take her about three
times a year.

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And with that is, you know,
it's, it's not even medicine,

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right?
It's, it's an EKG to see if her

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heart murmur is getting stronger
or if that, if that if her aorta

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and, and the other parts of her
ventricles and her heart are,

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are weakening, right?
And that takes a, you know, it's

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like a four or five hour
appointment.

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And I, we make a little bit of a
day of it, me and her, right.

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And, and because we got to drive
also about an hour for the

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specialist.
But yeah, I, I use, I use care

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credit all the time.
And then I just happened to have

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to use it again over the holiday
time.

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I don't want to embarrass her on
your podcast, but she had a

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ruptured anal gland.
We do, you know, treat them and

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get them normally express, but
she had to have, she had to go

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in for a little bit of an
emergency treatment over to

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break.
She's doing great now.

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But that was something that as
we'll talk about was completely

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unexpected, right?
You can't plan on that.

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Yeah, well, I actually pulled up
a quote from you and it's

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called.
It was published back in October

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on Synchrony's website about how
prepared we are as pet parents,

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especially for the cost of
specialty veterinary care.

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And you said nearly 50% of
today's pet parents

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underestimate the cost of pet
care.

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And unexpected emergency care
plays a big role in this

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miscalculation.
I I've been there.

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I have, I've had so many, well,
I've had so many pets and I

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think, you know, we can
certainly get lost in like the

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cost of one pet can be
astronomical, especially if that

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pet has serious issues, whether
they're genetic or, you know,

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whatever else may be going on.
We talked a lot about vaccinosis

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and things like that here on
this podcast, But the sheer

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amount of pets that I have had
in my life, I have been through

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so much crypt orchid surgeries
and resistant bacterial

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infections.
I have had a cat who got blocked

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multiple times urinary blockages
and I got him a a perennial

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urethostomy surgery which in its
own like just the surgery was

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like 5 grand.
I have had a cat in intensive

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care for a week who went septic.
Like there are so many things I

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recently my most recent issue,
which actually surprisingly was

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not a huge expense for me, but I
think that that comes with the

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line of work I do now and, and
caring for my pets a little more

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naturally.
But I did have to get him

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diagnostics for osteosarcoma,
which was out of nowhere.

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And you know, I didn't know
until he broke his lung, right?

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So it's just been like you
learn, you live and you learn.

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And as we were talking about on
the like pre podcast eating that

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we had, you were talking to me
about how many new pet parents

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we have, like people who they
are just getting their first pet

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ever.
And possibly with the pandemic

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that kind of exacerbated those
numbers, what they would

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normally be in a generation
because we were all at home and

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like, what are we going to do?
I'm lonely, get me a pet, right?

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So just understanding what it
actually cost to care for a pet.

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And I have to say, I would say
your numbers are on the low end,

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but I think that's because I,
you know, work with people who

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do care for pets more
holistically and that can be

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more expensive.
But I'm just wondering if I'd

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love to talk about that.
Yeah, I think it's a couple of

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things.
I think also, Jessica, there's a

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different level.
There's a spectrum of care and

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then there's the level of, you
know, bonding that certain pet

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parents have with their pets,
which you're probably on a

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different level of as you.
That's not judging.

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It's not, you know, it's just
the way that is central and your

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family is maybe a little bit
different than than than other

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people.
Same thing with me and Matt.

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She, she, you know, we all work
for her here, right?

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I would have been retired years
ago, but he's just tough.

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But listen, I think a couple
things starting with the first

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time pet parents, yes, I think a
lot of people got pets at a

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accelerated rate, you know, than
than normally.

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And so we saw that population
grow and they they are not

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prepared for what you know,
usually you learn after your

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00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:05,600
first pet, you know, not you
learned all you know how to

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00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:07,400
teach them, how to train them
better.

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How do you teach them how to
sit?

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00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,200
How do you, you know what you
know, what food do you you might

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00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:14,000
want to be better AT?
And then the other thing is you

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00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:17,040
learn about expenses and how
much it actually costs.

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00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:20,600
And so we're having a much
larger population of the pet

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00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:22,560
parents that don't have that
first time experience.

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That's number one.
Number two is that when you

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think about the expense and the
kind of the health of a pet,

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00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,040
yeah, you have like, OK,
starting off in the beginning

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00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:37,240
when you get them and whether,
you know which vaccines and, you

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00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,480
know, whatever you decide to do
as a pet parent does the startup

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00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:43,480
costs tend to be higher, You
know, getting your whatever it

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00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:45,360
is, a crate, the dog bed, all
that stuff.

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00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:48,040
The first year tends to be high.
Then you tend to you know go

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00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:52,920
down a little bit years 1234 and
then they start getting going up

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00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:54,880
because that's when dogs start
to age.

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00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:58,000
And depending on the breed in
particular, but certainly the

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larger ones at a more
accelerated rate, maybe some of

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00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,520
the snub, those ones start to
have breathing difficulties at

242
00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:07,360
that point.
And so we're now starting to see

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00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:12,040
that age come from the pandemic.
Pet boom is now starting to hit

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00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:13,840
also.
So people need to be prepared

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00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:15,760
even more so.
And then the third factor, which

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00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:19,400
we talked about is just costs
have gone up, number one, and #2

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00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,280
savings have gone down.
So when you put those two things

248
00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:25,320
together and with that, you know
the financial piece of it with

249
00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:27,800
savings going down and costs
going up and then the other

250
00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:31,080
elements, yeah, it's a very
important topic to talk about at

251
00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:34,080
this time.
Well, and the other thing that

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00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:45,120
this particular blog post says
is that 80% of pet parents are

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00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:50,760
worried about the potential cost
of veterinary care as much or

254
00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:55,960
possibly more than the outcome
of getting or not getting the

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00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,920
care, which is never a place we
want to be.

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00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:02,640
But it's the reality of the
world we live in and and where

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00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:07,320
we're at.
And I know that in one hand we

258
00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,560
think, oh, that that poor animal
isn't getting the care they

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00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:12,480
need.
On the other hand, it could be

260
00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,640
that animal being relinquished
to a shelter or a rescue.

261
00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:20,760
And those, those services also,
they need support.

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00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:25,200
They need help.
They're always over full over

263
00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:28,160
their limit on what they can
handle and what they can take.

264
00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:33,360
It's just, it's, it's sad and I
know it.

265
00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:40,280
Also, I think I, I wouldn't be
doing a, a service to my

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00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,200
community, especially with all
of the veterinarians that I'm

267
00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:47,880
fortunate to to be friends with
and even some who mentor me.

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00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:52,960
It puts a strain on the
veterinary profession.

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00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,360
Everybody in the weather it's a
veterinarian or a tech or

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00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,880
whoever else.
Because we are seeing that I

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00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,080
think they have actually
surpassed the air traffic

272
00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:05,160
controllers as the profession
with the highest suicide rate.

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00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,120
They are overworked, they are
burnt out, and they get yelled

274
00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:14,600
at and cussed out and crapped on
all day long from people who are

275
00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:18,760
like, you know, angry with how
much it costs.

276
00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,840
And it's really not the
veterinarians fault.

277
00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:23,480
They're literally trying to stay
afloat.

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00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:25,680
They're not becoming
millionaires doing what they do.

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00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:29,480
And so I think it's important to
bring that piece in when we're

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00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:32,120
sitting here talking about how
expensive it is.

281
00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,480
Absolutely.
I think you're absolutely right.

282
00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:39,240
The costs are not high
arbitrarily right, right.

283
00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:46,400
I think that there is a people
who work, whether it's vets or

284
00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,880
vet tax, need to earn a living
wage and they are, they bear of

285
00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:51,800
a brunt.
They are, you know, but people

286
00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,600
that you know, speak pet, if you
will, and know how to diagnose

287
00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:58,440
and, and make sure that our our
pets are being cared for.

288
00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:01,640
And I think that's a very
important equation to it.

289
00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:05,800
I think that you have a stat
that that I have in, in, in that

290
00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:09,520
release that you that you that
you read was that four to five

291
00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,079
pets in their lifetime will
experience an emergency.

292
00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:16,560
And that 80% of those pet
parents are as worried about the

293
00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:20,040
outcome as they are on the cost.
And you're absolutely right, it

294
00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:23,280
is that's an unhealthy equation,
right?

295
00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:25,920
What you have over there, you
know, people should be focused

296
00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:27,359
more.
Should it shouldn't have to

297
00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,520
focus on what this is going to
cost me you especially when

298
00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,920
you're going through it.
Yes, there's cost to doing all

299
00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:37,760
this stuff.
And so it's very important that

300
00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,960
we try to find a way to get
people to be prepared so that

301
00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,520
when that pet is having an
emergency and when you're

302
00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:47,720
stressed in that vet clinic or
wherever you are, we're having

303
00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:49,680
where where this is taking
place.

304
00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:53,400
You're not focusing solely on
the health and well-being of

305
00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:55,200
that family member as opposed to
the cost.

306
00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,880
OK.
So some of the other statistics

307
00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:03,440
that I saw in the lifetime of
care study that Synchrony came

308
00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:08,200
out with, which is just full of
incredible information.

309
00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:13,680
And I actually, I want to show
or I want to talk about the one

310
00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:15,880
year cost of pet ownership
because that's where I was like

311
00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:22,760
really that's all.
But for a dog, it spanned $12170

312
00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:31,120
to $28103.00.
For a cat 961 to 24/7 2487.

313
00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:34,760
Excuse me.
And I'm over here like, how do I

314
00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:39,120
get down to these numbers?
It's not going to happen for me.

315
00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:46,560
But in the same study we're
looking at, where is the

316
00:18:46,560 --> 00:18:48,080
statement?
Let me find it again.

317
00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:54,400
Like $250 I think it says.
Is the area where it begins to

318
00:18:54,400 --> 00:19:00,000
stress people, right?
So 25% of pet parents, a $250

319
00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,800
emergency is enough to create
financial stress.

320
00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:09,480
I think is, is, is, is that stat
and everyone, everyone has

321
00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:14,520
different savings and incomes
and economic profiles, right?

322
00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:18,880
And backgrounds, $250 is not
what it used to be.

323
00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,600
And that's, that's a scary
number for it to cause stress

324
00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:28,120
because even that isn't going to
get you that much nowadays in an

325
00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:30,680
emergency, in a vet.
And so that, that's, that's,

326
00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,480
that's a scary number.
And, and I think, you know,

327
00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:35,760
we're going to, we're going to
be refreshing this study, I

328
00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:38,400
believe this year.
And so I, I, I wouldn't be

329
00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:43,440
surprised about number jumps in
a not insignificant amount, but

330
00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:45,160
I, I, I don't know the results
yet.

331
00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:51,280
Yeah.
Well, and I know for my pets, I

332
00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:56,760
spend a whole lot more upfront
with them.

333
00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,120
And that's one of the things we
talk about a lot on this podcast

334
00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:05,400
because it is very difficult
when we have somebody sitting in

335
00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:09,120
front of us going, I can't
afford to do XYZ.

336
00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:12,360
And I get it.
Like I totally understand.

337
00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:15,560
I've been there.
More times than I would like to

338
00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:19,640
count or go back and remember
and the The reality is

339
00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:25,920
prevention can get us so far.
I mean, obviously it can't ever

340
00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:28,400
guarantee us anything.
We live in a toxic world.

341
00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:34,200
There are genetic things that we
have to account for, but one of

342
00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:40,240
one of the reasons that I have
care credit is because it's so

343
00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:42,280
versatile.
And I certainly don't want this

344
00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:44,680
to sound like a commercial for
care credit.

345
00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,560
But obviously that's what we're
here to talk about is being

346
00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:53,640
prepared and having something to
kind of ease that stress, ease

347
00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:57,640
the anxiety that you have.
And I will say for me, it has

348
00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:03,040
used that anxiety after having
been through so many multi $1000

349
00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:09,720
specialty vet bills to know that
OK, even if I don't have this in

350
00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:14,240
my savings account right now, I
have this card that's going to

351
00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:18,000
help me get through this and
I'll figure it out on the other

352
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,560
side because that's what my pet
means to me.

353
00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:24,760
So I don't know if there are any
other statistics that we want to

354
00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:26,720
talk about.
I have plenty of them pulled up.

355
00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,600
I'm sure you do too.
But that's kind of, you know,

356
00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:33,720
the, the prevention and the
anxiety, like reducing that

357
00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,280
anxiety.
That's where I I'm kind of my

358
00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:39,520
mind circles back around to all
the time.

359
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:42,200
Yeah, I think there's a couple
things you hit on whether it be

360
00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,280
just now or when we started off
right.

361
00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,680
You talked about that you have a
care credit card, but y'all talk

362
00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,000
about having a pet savings
account, right?

363
00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,840
The little bit you I know you
had another guest on talking

364
00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:55,960
about insurance.
I used to care credit, I used to

365
00:21:55,960 --> 00:22:00,600
own pets best insurance and now
we're a large, you know, we're,

366
00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,320
we have a partnership with
independent pet holdings, which

367
00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:08,480
also owns Embrace and ASPCA and
and some other Figo spot, a

368
00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:10,560
bunch of other insurance brands
and pumpkin.

369
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,640
And so, you know, we have, you
know, I have some, you know,

370
00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:17,240
kind of experience in that space
as well.

371
00:22:17,360 --> 00:22:21,200
What I'd say is there's, there's
not going to be 1 fail safe

372
00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,440
solution.
So it's a matter building a

373
00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,280
quilt, work of things or a bunch
of different layers of defense

374
00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,240
to help you be prepared.
I think listen, budgeting is

375
00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,120
very important, right?
So budgeting for what you need,

376
00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:35,680
which is a big reason why we did
this lifetime of care study

377
00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,880
because we wanted people to know
it wasn't to scare people, a lot

378
00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,040
of people at first when we
released this, you know, we're

379
00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,720
talking almost 2 1/2 years ago
now, right?

380
00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,680
I believe the initial study,
everyone's like, what, are you

381
00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:47,880
trying to scare people not get
pets?

382
00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:52,160
No, that's not it at all.
We want educated, you know, pet

383
00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,320
parents that understand what
they're, what kind of

384
00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:56,920
relationship they're getting
into.

385
00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,680
Like you said in the beginning,
like they don't know the pets,

386
00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:01,360
don't know how much each thing
costs.

387
00:23:01,360 --> 00:23:04,200
Although I will tell you for
some reason, Maddie, every time

388
00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:07,320
I give her like one of these
bones, she'll bury it with her

389
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,480
nose into our, you know, into
the couch or all over.

390
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,120
I find bones are all over the
house.

391
00:23:12,120 --> 00:23:13,240
I'm like, she's the only dog
here.

392
00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:14,600
I don't know what she's saving
for.

393
00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,480
No one's stealing her bones and
you know, she's 14 now.

394
00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:21,440
No one else has eaten.
Guarantee you that she still

395
00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:23,960
doesn't trust me.
But what I'd say is it's, it's

396
00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:27,480
having multiple ways.
So understanding the cost, step

397
00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:29,720
one, understanding, you know
what you're getting yourself

398
00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:33,840
into and understanding also that
it's, it's, it's a, it's a

399
00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,760
privilege to have a pet in your
family, but it's also a

400
00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,120
responsibility and a covenant
that you're signing up for that

401
00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:41,000
you agree to give them that
care, right?

402
00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:44,640
Number one, Number two, it's,
it's budgeting for it, right?

403
00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:47,680
And as much as you can, it's
never going to be perfect,

404
00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:49,400
right?
We talk about unexpected

405
00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,880
expenses and the cost that that
has and the stress.

406
00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:57,200
But what we know as pet parents
is chances are you're going to

407
00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:00,000
have an emergency in that
lifetime, right?

408
00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:01,520
We, we, we talked about it in
the study.

409
00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:03,920
Four out of five pet parents
have, you know, in their

410
00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:05,880
lifestyle.
We'll have a pet pet emergency.

411
00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:08,520
And then sometimes it might not
be an emergency, but you might

412
00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,680
think it is.
And still it'll be an emergency

413
00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,640
expense, right?
Because we, we tend to at times

414
00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:16,480
over, you know, because we don't
speak pet and we don't

415
00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:17,680
understand what they're going
through.

416
00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,480
Sometimes, you know, we, we, you
know, maybe bring them to that,

417
00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:24,600
that an extra time that isn't
necessary, you know, because,

418
00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:26,080
but you're just worried about
it, right?

419
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,400
So, you know, understanding, you
know, yes, there's going to be a

420
00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:31,440
surprise, but you shouldn't be
surprised that there's going to

421
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,400
be a surprise.
It's more about when it is as

422
00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,600
opposed to that it will happen.
You talk about pet savings

423
00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,200
accounts that you know, or, or
having a savings account or

424
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,160
rainy day fund, whatever you
want to call it in case that

425
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,680
happens.
Pet insurance helps in in

426
00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:48,360
certain cases, right, Especially
depending on when you get it in

427
00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:50,960
their life cycle and what kind
of policy and what works for you

428
00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,360
and what, how you decide to
treat them and what's covered.

429
00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:55,920
So study that.
But pet insurance is another

430
00:24:55,920 --> 00:25:00,640
great tool and that and then
tier credit and having that

431
00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:05,800
ability to have that line of
credit and be able to pay it

432
00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:08,920
over time is, is another very
valuable tool.

433
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:11,640
A lot of people use the care
credit card, like you say, it's

434
00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,520
my pet's credit card.
I reserve it for that pet for,

435
00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,240
for an emergency.
In some cases it's it's treated

436
00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:19,880
almost like self insurance and
self in case something's going

437
00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:22,440
to happen, you know that you
have that card and it's going to

438
00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:25,720
be able to pay.
So being prepared to have that

439
00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:31,480
care credit card as opposed to
when you're either on your way

440
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,440
to the emergency vet or at 2:00
in the morning and scrambling,

441
00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,680
yes, you can still apply at the
vet and you can apply 24 hours.

442
00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:43,960
And the decisioning is very
rapid, right, for getting the

443
00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,600
card.
But you know, we see more and

444
00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:49,680
more what I've seen a big shift
over the last few years is

445
00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:53,120
people taking out that card at
either point of adoption or

446
00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:56,040
earlier on.
Because as you mentioned, it's

447
00:25:56,040 --> 00:26:01,080
not just for emergencies, people
bring their vet, their, their,

448
00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:03,640
their pets at a vet numerous
times a year.

449
00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:05,360
And it, and it works for those
times.

450
00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:08,560
Now it's accepted even in
daycare and, and other places,

451
00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:10,880
you know, and which is, is, is a
good product.

452
00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:15,440
And, and I, I would say, you
know, the last thing that you

453
00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:20,200
mentioned, which is as important
is, is, you know, preventative

454
00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,120
health, like you mentioned,
putting aside the financing

455
00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:24,600
part, it's, it's kind of like if
you think about human health

456
00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:28,280
insurance, right?
There's a reason why hour annual

457
00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,280
physical you don't pay you
generally you co-pay or you

458
00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:34,600
know, it's because they want to
know that you're going to the

459
00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:36,560
doctor.
People that maybe go to the

460
00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:40,000
doctor or go to the vet tend to
be, you know, more attuned with

461
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:43,040
their health and you can also
catch things earlier on and you

462
00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:45,200
know what they're doing.
It's it's a behavioral thing

463
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,160
almost as much as it is an
actual thing.

464
00:26:47,360 --> 00:26:49,360
And so that's important for the
pet as well.

465
00:26:49,360 --> 00:26:52,320
So Wellness, you know, whether
it's a Wellness plan or just

466
00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:56,120
regular vet visits, right?
And, and, or like I know, you

467
00:26:56,120 --> 00:26:58,440
know, holistic or however you do
it.

468
00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,680
Diet, I know is something
Jessica, that you're very

469
00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,440
passionate about as well, right?
Making sure that you're doing

470
00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:08,480
everything in your power that
can reduce the risk of an

471
00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:11,200
emergency or or more acute
health issues.

472
00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:12,960
Yeah.
Well, and that is another thing

473
00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,920
that we kind of spoke about
previously is the versatility of

474
00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:22,080
the card because you're not
locked in to like you can only

475
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:26,200
use it here, right?
Not only can you use it for your

476
00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:30,880
pets expenses, but you can use
it in other medical care as well

477
00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:33,360
for yourself.
I know like my dentist takes it

478
00:27:33,360 --> 00:27:39,000
and places like that.
So it really can be one of those

479
00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:42,080
things Again, I'm just, I'm
going to come back to the mental

480
00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:46,160
health aspect of it because
that's where I am focused so

481
00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:50,080
much in my life right now is on
my mental health and reducing

482
00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:54,720
anxiety, reducing stress and
knowing that I am not going to

483
00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,800
be stuck in a situation where I
can't get my pet the care they

484
00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,160
need.
Even though in the moment I'm

485
00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,120
still going to be stressed out.
Like, let's be real, I'm not

486
00:28:04,120 --> 00:28:08,160
always thinking about, I'm not
going to be able to do it, which

487
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:12,080
is something that I remember
feeling in the past.

488
00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:14,520
So I don't take that for
granted.

489
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:18,520
Of course, as I said earlier, I
have a, a pet savings account

490
00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:23,200
also that I just, I have an
automatic transfer set up and I

491
00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:26,360
don't think about it and I don't
look at that account until I

492
00:28:26,360 --> 00:28:28,160
need it.
Like I just know that money is

493
00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:30,640
going into it and that's a
blessing.

494
00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:34,040
I understand that that's
something that, you know, we're

495
00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,800
all in different tax brackets
here, I'm sure, but it's

496
00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:41,040
something I set up a couple of
years ago and I haven't looked

497
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,120
at it since.
At first I, it felt hard to me

498
00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:46,640
at first.
And now that I've had it set up

499
00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,600
and in place for so long, I
don't even think about it

500
00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:50,360
anymore.
I'll log into my bank and I'm

501
00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,360
like, Oh yeah, that's right.
I have that right.

502
00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:58,280
So all the prevention, all the
and, and as you said, knowing

503
00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:02,440
what you're getting into, that's
one of the things that it's

504
00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,600
really, really easy for somebody
who has such a soft heart for

505
00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:08,840
animals to just want to take
them all in.

506
00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:13,640
I've been there too.
I know I have said this before,

507
00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,040
so it's not going to shock too
many people, but it may shock

508
00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:22,680
you. 1415, almost 15 years ago,
I had 12 cats.

509
00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:24,840
That's a lot.
That's a lot to care for.

510
00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:28,520
And at the time, they were like
four or five different

511
00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,880
veterinary prescription foods.
I was buying like it was

512
00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:36,200
expensive because we do we care
so much for these animals.

513
00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:40,520
And what I have learned and what
I want to pass on to anybody

514
00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:44,960
who's ready to hear it is that
we actually aren't helping them

515
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:49,400
if we can't take care of them.
So we have to realize what our

516
00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,400
limits are.
And what I have found has helped

517
00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,720
me because I am so empathetic to
all of the animals out there is

518
00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,760
finding ways to help other
people who are are helping

519
00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,920
animals.
And that kind of, it still makes

520
00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,920
me feel good in a way.
Like it's definitely not the,

521
00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,600
you know, dog cuddling up next
to you on the couch feeling, but

522
00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:16,080
there are things we can do.
So being realistic about what it

523
00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:20,320
actually takes financially to
take care of an animal, even if

524
00:30:20,320 --> 00:30:22,120
you're raising them
allopathically, even if you're

525
00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:25,000
feeding them kibble, I mean, at
least you're feeding them and

526
00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:29,360
knowing what that number is
budgeting for it, like you said,

527
00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,440
that is I wish more people knew
to do that.

528
00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:38,360
It's not just that initial cost.
And I, I am such a big proponent

529
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:43,080
for having labs done on your
dog, like or your cat.

530
00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:47,840
A lot of veterinarians don't ask
you to do this until they get

531
00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:51,640
later in life.
And I want it done early in life

532
00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:56,120
because I want to be able to
compare what's normal for this

533
00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:59,000
animal versus something has
happened and now we need to do

534
00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:01,320
labs and we have no idea what's
normal for that animal.

535
00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:04,480
And we're just looking at a
snapshot in time.

536
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:09,480
So just having this kind of
these resources, I think is is

537
00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:12,720
really helpful and I'm glad you
put this information out.

538
00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:18,120
Do you have any other tips for
people on how they can utilize

539
00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:21,920
your services or can they, where
can they get this information so

540
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,680
they can go through it and see
if they're prepared?

541
00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:27,720
Sure.
I I think a couple things that

542
00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:29,680
to equity point knowledge is
power, right?

543
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:34,240
And this is as you know, even
though, you know, they're not

544
00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:38,800
human or for the vast majority,
and it, it keeps people see that

545
00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,880
the great benefit that pets not
only bring our health, right,

546
00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:47,360
Because that's that that goes
under, you know, understudied

547
00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:49,960
or, you know, I know, but
there's some organization abri

548
00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:52,720
that, you know, are, are, are
stressing, you know, what that

549
00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:56,080
animal bond and how much all the
great, you know, results from

550
00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,080
our health result from, But
they're, they're a part of your

551
00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:00,240
family.
And even if you think at first,

552
00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:02,280
Oh no, it's not going to be that
way, Trust me.

553
00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:05,280
It for the vast majority, it's
great Americans are, are fully,

554
00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:09,440
you know, embracing the benefits
of having a, a pet in your

555
00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:11,240
household.
And, you know, talk about COVID.

556
00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:14,120
During that time, as much as we
wanted someone near us, it was

557
00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,320
the pet parents that were less
lonely.

558
00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:19,640
It was the ones they were able
to get outside and walk.

559
00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,600
And it was you really saw those
benefits when they did those

560
00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,720
studies.
So, you know, just be prepared

561
00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,960
because you are going to want to
spend more on that pet than you

562
00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,480
probably think you are because
they're just such an integral

563
00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:35,280
part of the the household.
I think when you're talking

564
00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:37,480
about, you know, your mental
health and one of your goals is

565
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:39,880
to eliminate some of those
stresses and things.

566
00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:42,280
That's why I think being
prepared, having the whatever it

567
00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:45,440
is like we talked about
budgeting preventative care

568
00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:48,840
credit before is so important is
you know, something's going to

569
00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,520
happen.
Dole put yourself in a position

570
00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:52,480
where you're going to be
stressed.

571
00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:54,800
Yes, no matter what, you're
going to be stressed because

572
00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:58,680
your family member is having
some sort of medical emergency

573
00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:02,200
or going through something in
the health when when you're when

574
00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:07,320
you need the card potentially,
but you know, and you're always

575
00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,280
going to be stressed about, but
remove one element of the

576
00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,640
stress, right, That that's
that's what we're saying.

577
00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:15,280
If there's not an annual fee to
use care credit, you apply.

578
00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:19,120
There's no you know what I mean?
So having it in your back pocket

579
00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:24,160
is, is, is, is a great, is, is a
great thing and, and will help

580
00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:26,880
you remove that stress.
And you know, what we also like

581
00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,520
to think is through the deferred
financing promotions that we

582
00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,440
offer where you, you know, you,
you, you have the ability to not

583
00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:36,560
have to pay interest for 612
months.

584
00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:39,800
You know, as far as you know,
two years in the vet space and

585
00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:43,160
and beyond in some of the other
markets is incredibly valuable,

586
00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,360
especially where interest rates
are these days, right.

587
00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:50,840
And and you know, so, so that
that's, that's a real big

588
00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:54,160
benefit as well and able to kind
of section it off.

589
00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:57,960
Yes, it's to your point, it's,
it's not just for pets.

590
00:33:58,280 --> 00:34:01,800
It's, it's very much accepted in
the dental industry.

591
00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:03,280
You're right.
You know, think about things

592
00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:05,560
that aren't necessarily covered
by human health insurance is

593
00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:09,120
typically where we have a larger
presence.

594
00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,960
So braces are obviously, you
know, kind of something big.

595
00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,760
If, if you guys cut my 7 year
old son poking his hand and

596
00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:19,239
during the interview and, and
before, if he poked his mouth,

597
00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:21,960
you would have seen like one of
his little teeth coming in

598
00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:23,400
sideways.
And I'm like, oh boy, I better

599
00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:25,760
have my card ready for this and
in another five years because

600
00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:28,600
I'm going to have to get some,
get some, get some work done

601
00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:30,440
there.
It's big in the cosmetic space.

602
00:34:30,440 --> 00:34:34,280
Chiropractor, you know, mental
health, it's accepted across the

603
00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:38,679
board in, in over, I think it's
approximately 275,000 locations

604
00:34:38,679 --> 00:34:42,159
in the US, right?
And in the veterinary market,

605
00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:45,960
we're accepted in 85.
Around 85% of the vets take it.

606
00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,600
And it's, it's not something
where it's limited to what

607
00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:51,639
services you kind of get at the
vet.

608
00:34:51,639 --> 00:34:56,239
So if there's a prescription
diet or, or medicine at the vet

609
00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,160
or the treatment and, and stuff
like that, it's just as long as

610
00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:02,320
it's used in, in that network.
So it's not like tied to any 4

611
00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:05,040
new areas or, or certain tests.
So that gives you the

612
00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:07,880
flexibility to, you know, kind
of use it for your needs.

613
00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,160
You can go to carecredit.com to
apply.

614
00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:13,600
I think that that's the easiest
kind of way.

615
00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:14,760
And there's like a drop down
back.

616
00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:17,440
So you could pick veterinary,
but it's not limited to that

617
00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:19,200
specialty.
So if you already have a card

618
00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:21,400
and used it in the dental
industry and it's maybe

619
00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,640
somewhere in a drawer, if you
had your laser eye surgery done

620
00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,000
four years ago and you're like,
OK, what do I you have it?

621
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:29,360
You can just, it still works
across the network, right?

622
00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:31,760
Which which is great.
But if you go to carecredit.com,

623
00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:34,080
you could apply or in your in
your vet clinic.

624
00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:37,160
You know, we're in so many of
them and it's very easy to

625
00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:38,880
apply.
You, you take a picture of the

626
00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,360
QR code in, in, in most vets or
they can help walk you through

627
00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:44,600
some of it.
It's a very quick decisioning

628
00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:48,160
process and it's, it's not let's
do a hard credit check at first,

629
00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:50,480
right?
So you can, you could pre

630
00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,640
qualify without, you know, it's
showing up on your, your credit

631
00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:55,480
score.
And then if you're interested in

632
00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:58,160
moving forward based on, you
know, the approval and the terms

633
00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:01,360
and the limits, you could then
go and it becomes a reusable

634
00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:03,760
credit card.
And I think what's important is

635
00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:08,160
the, the reusable elements of
it, because people have multiple

636
00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:11,080
pets, right?
And people have multiple use

637
00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,360
cases.
And so it's not one of these,

638
00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:18,320
you know, buy now, pay later
type products where if your

639
00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:20,320
credit is good, then you can use
it.

640
00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:22,680
But if your credit changes in
six months and you don't get

641
00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:25,960
approved, that's that's, that's,
that's, you know, a little bit

642
00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:27,640
risky.
So having, you know, more of a

643
00:36:28,240 --> 00:36:32,720
reusable line is, is something
that I think is, is a is a real

644
00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:36,960
benefit to this in particular in
in the vet kit, because we know

645
00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:39,800
that pets are going to go to the
vet multiple times per year.

646
00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:42,960
They are and that was what you
said earlier.

647
00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:45,840
One of the things that I did
want to point out, one of the

648
00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:49,920
biggest differences that I find
in having pet insurance and

649
00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:54,200
having a care credit card is not
that you, I mean, obviously you

650
00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:58,920
could use them together, but so
many pet insurances do not cover

651
00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:02,920
holistic modalities and care
credit doesn't care what you're

652
00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:05,040
getting done at the vet.
It's just that that vet accepts

653
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:08,160
it, right?
Yeah, accepted at the vet.

654
00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:13,120
So there's different alternative
approaches to caring for your

655
00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:14,760
pet.
Not judging on which is the

656
00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:18,160
right or the wrong is it that I
think, listen, I think the pet

657
00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:20,760
insurance space, you know, pet
insurance is a good product, but

658
00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,520
I think you're right.
I think there is ways to improve

659
00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:27,200
on more of the holistic
modalities.

660
00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:29,760
And that's something that I'm
certainly going to take back to

661
00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:32,360
the people that I work with
because it's, it's you got to

662
00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:34,440
understand what your market
needs.

663
00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,960
And, and you know, Jessica,
you're not alone in, in the way

664
00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:42,640
that you care for your pet.
I know you have a strong

665
00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:45,800
falling, but I have family
members, friends that are also

666
00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,120
very much into and they're like,
which pet insurance is it

667
00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:50,800
covered?
This is, it's happening more and

668
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:54,800
more and it's not, it's not,
it's not a fad, right?

669
00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:58,840
It's something that that's here
and, and, and, and it's not

670
00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:00,600
without merit.
And so we got to make sure that

671
00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,200
that that's out there.
I'd say the one last thing, not

672
00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,360
the last thing, but one,
everything that does work well

673
00:38:05,360 --> 00:38:08,360
with care Credit and Pets Best
insurance now and I'll start

674
00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:12,080
rolling out to other insurance
brands that IPA Jones is the

675
00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,320
ability to do direct
reimbursement of your claims.

676
00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:18,480
So we launched it towards the
end of last year and it's going

677
00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:21,360
to be expanding beyond, but it's
with Pets Best now, Pets Best

678
00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:23,720
Insurance.
And that's, you know, the way

679
00:38:23,720 --> 00:38:26,480
that pet insurance works in the
US is a reimbursement method,

680
00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:28,600
right?
And so you go send your bill and

681
00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:32,160
then you wait for a claim to be
decided upon and then you get

682
00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:35,000
reimbursed.
So what we've built now is, you

683
00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:37,880
know, it's pat pending, but it's
the first in, in the industry is

684
00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:40,280
where you'll go.
You'll use your care credit card

685
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:43,760
and then you'll file your, you
know, claim with, with pets

686
00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:47,160
best.
And when once it's decisioned,

687
00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:50,040
you get reimbursed directly on
your care credit card.

688
00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:52,760
And so it'll pay off, you know,
to the extent it could pay off

689
00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:54,960
the balance.
But if, if, if it matches, it

690
00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:57,440
pays off your balance and it and
it pays that off right away.

691
00:38:57,440 --> 00:39:01,080
So it removes the step #1 and it
allows for the pet parent to

692
00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:03,280
make sure that they're paying
off that, you know, balance on

693
00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:05,920
the credit card before the end
of that promotional periods that

694
00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:07,960
are benefiting for that.
So it's something that you know,

695
00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:13,000
makes life easier and also the
veterinarians love because it

696
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,400
just, it just helps that behind
the scenes.

697
00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:18,600
Yeah, yeah, that would make it
so much easier.

698
00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:24,040
Well, I am so thankful that your
PR team reached out to me.

699
00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:26,400
It was been such a pleasure
talking to you.

700
00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:30,560
And I will make sure that the
the life the current lifetime of

701
00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:34,680
care study as well as
specifically that the specialty

702
00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:39,360
veterinary care blog that's on
the Synchrony website are

703
00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:42,520
LinkedIn the show notes.
Because I think that information

704
00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:46,400
is very valuable for people to
kind of get an idea.

705
00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:50,600
I mean, you know, if you're on
your 10th pet, you do have kind

706
00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:54,040
of an idea, but there are so
many first time pet parents that

707
00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:58,000
do not, they just do not.
And I think even if we are not

708
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:01,360
first time pet parents, we know
somebody who is a first time pet

709
00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:04,760
parent and we can forward this
information to them.

710
00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:08,920
Again, as Jonathan said, not as
like a fear tactic.

711
00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:13,440
But as AI care about you and
like, we just need to make sure

712
00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:15,960
we're all on the same page and
we're, we've got this handled,

713
00:40:15,960 --> 00:40:18,040
we've got this covered kind of
thing.

714
00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:22,440
So want to thank you again,
Jonathan, for being here, for

715
00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:26,320
talking to my audience, for
helping them prepare a little

716
00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:29,680
bit more, because that is
definitely something we can all

717
00:40:29,720 --> 00:40:32,960
use a little bit more of.
No, well, well, thank you so

718
00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:36,520
much for having me and welcoming
me on the call and, and allowing

719
00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:39,800
me to, you know, share what I
know and you know what I believe

720
00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:42,920
and all this.
And I, I say I'd end on two

721
00:40:42,920 --> 00:40:44,800
things.
First of all, once our new study

722
00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:46,960
comes out, you know, it'll be
interesting to see where about

723
00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:49,840
changes and I'm happy to, you
know, update you guys and your

724
00:40:49,840 --> 00:40:51,920
audience on that if it makes
sense when the time comes.

725
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:55,120
And then just a thank you to you
and everything you do for the,

726
00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:57,560
for the pet community.
I know it's, it's, it's, it's,

727
00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:01,880
it's something that, you know,
listening to your other of shows

728
00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:03,880
and reading up about you and
learning about you.

729
00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:07,440
It's, it's thank you so much for
what you do for the community

730
00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:09,280
and educating.
And this is something that I

731
00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:12,360
know you, you dedicate so much
of your time and your life too.

732
00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:15,640
So it's, you're helping and it
means a lot.

733
00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:18,240
And, you know, maybe sometimes
doesn't get his notice as much

734
00:41:18,240 --> 00:41:20,800
as it should.
That's so kind of you.

735
00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:22,600
Thank you so much.
I appreciate it.

736
00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:29,760
Well, I hope that Maddie and
your son are both happy,

737
00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:32,880
healthy.
I wish them all the best, your

738
00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:34,120
son.
Health chicken.

739
00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:37,040
So she's excited also she, she
deserves some right?

740
00:41:37,240 --> 00:41:40,400
So I want to say thank you
again.

741
00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:44,720
I really appreciate you coming
on and being so open with the

742
00:41:44,720 --> 00:41:47,200
information to help prepare
people.

743
00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:53,800
And I hope Maddie has a a great
healthy life in front of her.

744
00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:57,200
I know she's already 14 1/2.
But you know, we can get a lot.

745
00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:01,960
We can get a lot out of these
for our babies and they deserve

746
00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:03,360
it.
So thank you again.

747
00:42:03,720 --> 00:42:05,880
Thank you.
All right guys, y'all have a

748
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:08,200
great rest of your week.
Thanks so much for being here

749
00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:10,000
and I will talk to you next
week.