Are you considering purchasing a wellness plan for your cat or dog but you want to know if it is worth it, and what it covers? Our Springfield vets will discuss wellness plans and why they are beneficial for your pet.
What is a pet wellness plan?
You want to provide the best care for your pet now that you have one, but pet care can be costly, especially if your pet becomes ill or injured. A wellness plan can assist with these expenses.
A wellness plan costs a small amount of money each month but the wellness Plans "group" all the preventive services you need to keep your pet healthy throughout the year into a monthly payment plan, helping you save money and manage your budget.
What does it cover?
The primary distinction between pet wellness plans and pet insurance is that the latter pays for injury or illness treatments after they occur. Pet wellness plans, on the other hand, cover routine and preventive care procedures as well as screenings to avoid potential health issues.
Vaccines
Core vaccines must be given to every pet to ensure that they will not catch infections or diseases that could harm them, your other pets, and sometimes even humans.
Core vaccines for dogs include canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis, and rabies. Panleukopenia, feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus type I, and rabies are the core vaccines for cats. These diseases are the leading causes of death in puppies and kittens, and some can be fatal within days of infection. Vaccines are therefore critical.
If you don’t have a pet wellness care plan you’d need to pay out of pocket for each vaccine.
Blood test
Complete blood tests will alert the veterinarian to any abnormalities in the pet's blood that may necessitate intervention. If there is a problem, your standard pet insurance policy should cover it. However, the screening is only available as part of additional wellness and preventive care packages.
Heartworm Tests & Prevention
While heartworm treatment is covered by pet insurance, prevention and tests are covered only by pet wellness insurance.
If you don’t have such a policy, you will have to pay out of pocket.
Fecal Tests, Deworming & Urinalysis
A fecal test is performed once per year to determine if any gastrointestinal parasites are present. Similarly to this are the heartworm and tapeworm tests to determine if these parasites are present. This may require several treatments over some time.
Urinalysis is a routine test that looks for chemicals in the urine. This is done in order to detect diseases like kidney failure and urinary infections as early as possible. While most pet health insurance plans cover treatment, preventive measures are usually not covered.
Flea & Tick Prevention
There are a few options for preventing ticks and fleas. But most pets are given monthly medicine to avoid this.
What is the difference between pet insurance and a wellness plan?
Both wellness plans and pet insurance policies provide benefits, but they are not the same. When it comes to your pet's veterinary care, it's critical to understand what services are and aren't covered. That way, you won't be caught off guard when you go to the vet or need to budget for your pet's care and treatment.
What does a wellness plan cover?
Wellness plans typically cover routine vet care such as microchipping, vaccinations, and dental care. The primary goal of these plans is to assist you in spreading out the cost of improving and maintaining your pet's overall health.
What is pet insurance?
Pet insurance takes care of any veterinary bills if your pet requires emergency veterinary care.
Treatment for illnesses such as cancer or diabetes, as well as emergency care, can be very costly. Pet insurance pays your bills for accidents and conditions covered by your pet's insurance policy.
What does pet insurance cover?
Policies vary, but in general, pet insurance covers illness treatment as well as any emergency treatment required after an accident. Some pet insurance policies may also cover prescription medications, hereditary and congenital conditions, and orthopedic conditions.
How do I choose which option to buy?
Some pet owners purchase both pet insurance and wellness plans to ensure their pet's complete protection, while others choose only one. Understanding how each of these options works can help you and your pet decide which is the best option for you and your pet.
Ask your vet if you would like help deciding what is best for your pet based on their particular needs and concerns.