Dockdiving Labrador Retriever has Shoulder Surgery

Background

Sheri, Kiara's mom, knew Kiara was the puppy for her when she climbed into her nephew's lap at the breeder's, curled up, and went to sleep. They brought her home Memorial Day Weekend and Sheri took out a policy for Kiara, and shortly thereafter, she noticed that Kiara no longer wanted to walk on slippery surfaces and would yelp in pain when playing with her sister, Kaiya. A local veterinarian diagnosed her with tendonitis and prescribed Deramaxx and 6 weeks of rest.

However, fast-forward, Kiara was still experiencing pain and was sore after jumping off their dock, a frequent event given that Kiara competed in Dockdiving. Sheri took Kiara to a specialty veterinarian, the Veterinary Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Group in Annapolis Junction, MD, to get a second opinion. Kiara had biceps tendonopathy caused by repetitive motion, in her case from Dockdiving, though biceps tendinopathy is not common in Labs.

Kiara underwent a bilateral shoulder arthroscopy and radio-frequency treatment. She is recovering nicely with the help of a physical therapist. Knowing Kiara needed shoulder surgery, Sheri went through the pre-certification process and got a response very quickly from Embrace.

Sheri explains:

"Embrace makes the claims process so easy, which is great when you are already so stressed over your pet's condition. Embrace is more than an insurance company to me. It means a lot to me as a pet owner that the staff always inquired about my girls. In all my correspondence everyone puts a note in saying they hope the girls are doing well or to give the girls a scratch from them. It may seem like a small gesture, but to me, it means the world. The care and consideration that Embrace gives to me as a customer is outstanding."