Pug gets too snug under a blanket

Meet Jax, Diana’s lovable pug and favorite snuggle bug

Caring for aging pets isn’t always easy; an older pup often requires special care and a whole lot of extra snuggling. Take for example Diana A.’s snuggly pug, Jax.

Diana says, “Jax is a big cuddler and a big sleeper, especially now that he's older. He'll sleep with us and cuddle. That's all he wants to do. He's not big into toys. He's not big into playing.”

Of course, that’s only part of what Jax loves to do. He also loves to snack. She continues, “We initially were going to name [him] Hoover, because—like the vacuum—[he will eat] anything within his reach. Even now that he's blind, he still can sniff out food anywhere in the house.”

Jax isn’t the only small dog with a big personality in Diana’s home. His siblings, Coco and Berry, vie with one another for attention and dominance. Jax, for his part, stays above the fray. “He's very laid back and easygoing. He doesn't care about anything. He's just a sweet boy.”

Taking it easy is one of Jax’s go-to moves. However, his insatiable love of cuddling resulted in a scary situation—one that also led to his Hambone nomination.

What happened?

Jax was recovering from a recent surgery by snuggling up with Diana on the bed. He was groggy from the after effect of anesthesia and quietly napping his way toward recovery. To get extra cozy, he curled up under a comforter.

Diana says, “He's like a little heater … if he's on you, it's almost like having a heating pad on you, because he gets really hot, really fast.”

Still feeling lethargic from his surgery, Jax didn’t get up to regulate his temperature like he normally would. Meanwhile, Diana had drifted off to sleep next to him.

She remembers, “When I woke up, he was breathing very shallow. He was very hot [and] his tongue was sticking out of his mouth. He was drooling—he was really sick.”

Diana rushed him to the nearby veterinarian, who determined he was at risk of heat stroke.

“They put him on a cooling blanket, [and] put fans on him. Within ten minutes, they let me in the back, and the dog looked like the Queen of Sheba,” Diana laughs. “Everybody was fussing over him, and the fans were blowing on him. They were giving him food. He was having the time of his life.”

After about an hour of careful observation, Jax was cleared to return home—now with a full belly. Diana says, “Everybody was coming over and giving him love and affection and pats. He was fine there.”

How Nationwide helped

After 12 years of regular check-ups, age-associated health problems and occasional surprises, Jax was a regular at the veterinarian. Getting the best care isn’t cheap, which is why Diana is glad she insured Jax with Nationwide® pet insurance back when he was a puppy.

Diana says, “I don't have to second-guess whether I can afford the incident that's going to be the vet bill down there, and I can take care of them without worrying about how much it's going to cost me.”