Page 17 - The Jewish Voice - August '23

The Jewish Voice, Page 17

LiFestyLes

Tip of the Tail weak, stagger, have seizures, or become unresponsive. Established in 1981, Palm City Animal Medical
Heatstroke can result in a very serious condition called Center is dedicated to providing the best possible care
Heatstroke in Pets: Recognizing it, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), which for your pets. With focuses on compassionate care in
Preventing it, Treating it can lead to multi-organ failure and even death. It is critical surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation, preventative
that animals with heatstroke be seen by a veterinarian as medicine, extensive diagnostics, and emergency service,
soon as signs are recognized so that aggressive treatment Palm City Animal Medical Center combines exceptional
can be initiated. medical care with a caring philosophy for pets and their
The easiest way to avoid heatstroke is to keep your pet owners. For more information, call 772-283-0920, visit
indoors when it is hot and to avoid over-exercising them, www.palmcityanimalmedicalcenter.com or find us on
particularly during peak temperature times. If your pet does Facebook at www.facebook.com/PalmCityAnimalClinic.
experience heatstroke, recognizing the signs, initiating
cooling, then getting them to your vet quickly will give Financial Focus ®
them the best chance for survival and complete recovery.
A brief summary of the important points discussed in What Does It Cost Not to Have Life
this article can be found below, or for more information Insurance?
about heatstroke or any other pet-related topic, contact
Palm City Animal Medical Center at (772) 283-0920. By Sally Sima Stahl
Heatstroke occurs when an animal’s body overheats Recognizing Heatstroke It’s probably not on your
due to hot, humid weather conditions (environmental • Restlessness calendar, but September is
heatstroke) or due to strenuous physical activity • Excessive panting and increased heart rate Life Insurance Awareness
(exertional heatstroke). • Excessive drooling Month. And that means it’s
Florida’s high summer temperatures and high humidity • Vomiting and diarrhea a good time to become more
are the biggest risk factors for heatstroke in our area, • Dark red, purple, or blue gums aware of the benefits of
but certain activities such as exercising your pet when • Weakness, staggering, and/or seizures having life insurance — and
it is hot, leaving them in the car (even on cool days), or • Unresponsiveness or coma the dangers of not having it.
providing inadequate shade when outdoors can increase Preventing Heatstroke Unfortunately, confusion
that risk further. Animals that are overweight and those • Keep your pet inside during peak temperature times. about some of the basic
with short noses (brachycephalic breeds such as the • Exercise your pet when it is cool (early morning and elements of owning life
Pug, Shih Tzu, Bulldog, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso, Boston late evening). insurance may be keeping people from getting the
Terrier, etc.) are at particular risk for heatstroke because • Provide shade for your pet when outside, even if it protection they need. More than half of uninsured
excess weight and brachycephalic conformation can make doesn’t seem very hot. Americans say they have put off purchasing coverage
panting less effective which reduces an animal’s ability • Bring fresh water with you if you take your pet to a because they don’t know what to buy or how much
to cool themselves. park or to the beach. they need, according to Life Happens and LIMRA,
Heatstroke is a serious emergency that requires • Do not leave your pet in the car at any time, even on two nonprofit organizations that provide research and
veterinary care. If you suspect your pet is experiencing cool days. education about life insurance.
heatstroke, bring them indoors or under shade quickly, Treating Heatstroke Yet, while this confusion may be understandable, a
apply cool, wet towels to body, armpits, and inner thighs • Move them inside or under shade. delay in acquiring appropriate insurance can be costly
then transport them to your vet. • Apply cool, wet towels to the body, armpits, and in more ways than one. From a strict dollars-and-cents
The immediate signs of heatstroke include restlessness, inside thighs. perspective, it’s generally much more affordable to buy life
panting, increased heart rate, and drooling. As signs • Point a fan at them, if available. insurance when you’re younger. But there are potentially
progress your pet may vomit or have diarrhea, the gums • Seek veterinary care immediately. Heat stroke is a much greater costs involved in not having insurance when
may become dark red or purple, or your pet may become life-threatening emergency. it’s needed — and these costs are personal.
To be specific, what is it worth …
… to know your family could stay in your home if
something happened to you?
… to know your children could continue their education
plans?
… to know your debts could be paid without burdening
your family?
Clearly, if you were to assign these benefits a price tag,
it would be pretty high. And that’s the value of owning
sufficient life insurance.
So, let’s return to the issue of people putting off buying
insurance because they don’t know how much they need,
or what type they should have:
• How much is enough? You might hear that you
need life insurance equal to about seven to 10 times your
pretax annual salary. That’s not a bad ballpark figure, but
not everyone is playing in the same ballpark. To get a true
sense of how much of a death benefit you require from
your life insurance, you’ll need to consider a variety of
factors, possibly including your current income, spouse’s
income, the size of your mortgage (in addition to other
liabilities), number of children, educational expenses, and
final expenses for funeral arrangements.
• What type? You can essentially choose between two
basic types of life insurance: term and permanent. As its
name suggests, term insurance is designed to provide
coverage for a designated period, such as 10 or 20 years.
Generally speaking, term insurance is quite affordable for
most people, especially when they buy policies as young
adults. On the other hand, permanent insurance, such as
whole life or universal life, is usually considerably more
expensive than term insurance. This is because permanent
insurance premiums, in addition to providing a death
benefit, help build cash value, which you can typically
access through loans or withdrawals, giving you additional
flexibility should your financial needs change over time.
In choosing between term and permanent insurance, you’ll
want to evaluate several issues, such as how long you think
you’ll need coverage and how much you can afford to pay
in premiums.
Finding out about the benefits, costs, and types of life
insurance can help you make informed choices to help
protect your family for years to come — so don’t delay
learning what you need to know.
By knowing exactly what to expect from Social
Security, including the tax effects, you can more effectively
incorporate your benefits into your overall retirement

Lifestyles on page 18