Visits to the veterinarian—whether planned or unplanned—are a part of caring for any furry legged family member.

Nationwide recently analyzed its database of more than 1 million insured pets to determine the top conditions affecting dogs and cats. But behind the numbers are real pets and pet parents navigating these challenges every day, like Nationwide associate Jeremy Hubbard and his greyhound, Joon.

Affectionately called Joonbug, Joon is a retired racing greyhound and one of three in Jeremy’s household. “She is just the happiest dog—she loves, and will cuddle with, everyone and everything,” says Jeremy Hubbard, director of Business Capability Team Management at Nationwide.

A startling discovery

In 2021, Joon went in for a routine dental cleaning. As part of the process, Jeremy opted for an ECG to rule out any potential heart conditions before undergoing anesthesia.

“Knowing that greyhounds are already sensitive to anesthesia, and that Joon’s care was covered by Nationwide, we chose to have the test,” he said.

Unfortunately, the results showed abnormalities that required a full cardiology workup. Joon was diagnosed with leaky heart valves, increased flow velocity and an enlarged and weakened left ventricle. While greyhounds naturally have larger hearts than other breeds, her test results were concerning enough to require ongoing monitoring.

 

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