If you're thinking about buying a wellness plan for your furry friend but aren't sure if it's worth the investment or what it covers, our vets in Seattle can help. They'll explain the benefits of wellness plans and why they're important for your pet's health and well-being.
What Is A Pet Wellness Plan?
As a new pet owner, it's understandable that you want to provide the best care for your furry friend. However, pet care expenses can quickly add up, especially if your pet falls ill or gets injured. That's where a wellness plan comes in handy.
By paying a small monthly fee, you can have access to all the preventive services your pet needs to stay healthy throughout the year.
These wellness plans bundle all the necessary services into a single monthly payment, which can help you save money and better manage your budget.
What Does It Cover?
Pet wellness plans and pet insurance differ in their coverage. Pet insurance covers the cost of injury or illness treatments that occur, while pet wellness plans cover preventive care procedures and screenings to prevent any possible health problems.
Vaccines
It is important to administer core vaccines to all pets to protect them from infections or illnesses that could harm not only them but also other animals and sometimes even humans.
Core vaccines for cats that are required are panleukopenia, feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus type I, and rabies.
These diseases are the top causes of death among kittens, with some succumbing to the illnesses within days of exposure.
Therefore, vaccination is crucial. Without a pet wellness care plan, you would need to cover the cost of each vaccine out of your own pocket.
Blood test
Complete blood tests will inform the vet about any abnormalities in the pet's blood that might indicate a necessary intervention. If there is an issue, your standard pet insurance policy should be able to cover it. But the screening itself is only included in additional wellness and preventive care packages.
Heartworm Tests & Prevention
Pet insurance covers the cost of heartworm treatment, but only pet wellness insurance covers prevention and testing. If you do not have this type of policy, you will need to pay for these expenses yourself.
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 scans for chemicals in the urine. This is done because we want early detection of diseases like kidney failure and urinary infections. While pet health care plans will cover the treatment, preventive measures are typically excluded.
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 offer benefits, but they are very different. When it comes to your pet's veterinary care, it's important to understand which services your pet is and isn't covered for. That way, you won't be left unexpectedly out of pocket when you visit your vet or need to plan the payment for your pet's care and treatment.
What Does A Wellness Plan Cover?
Wellness plans generally cover routine vet care such as microchipping, vaccinations, and dental care. The primary purpose of these plans is to help you to spread out the cost of improving and maintaining the standard of your pet's overall health.
What Is Pet Insurance?
Having pet insurance can cover emergency veterinary bills for your beloved pet. It can be costly to treat illnesses like cancer or diabetes, as well as emergency situations.
Pet insurance can help you financially by assisting with payments for accidents and conditions that are covered under your pet's insurance policy.
What Does Pet Insurance Cover?
Policies differ, but generally, pet insurance covers treatment for illnesses as well as any emergency treatment required after accidents. Some pet insurance policies may also include prescription medications, the treatment of hereditary and congenital conditions as well as orthopedic conditions.
How Do I Choose Which Option To Buy?
Pet owners have the option to subscribe to both pet insurance and wellness plans or choose one or the other. Knowing how each plan works can help you decide the best option for your pet's complete protection.
Ask your vet if you would like help deciding what is best for your pet based on their particular needs and concerns