Here’s What to Know About Pet Wellness Plans

 

They say that prevention is better than cure. It is the same with humans as is with pets. While you want the best for your pets in terms of health care, you also want to make sure it doesn’t have to go down that route. It means preventing the development of severe diseases and medical conditions that will require maintenance medicines and regular visits to the veterinarian.

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How can you achieve this while also saving money? It’s simple. The pet wellness plans are the answer to your worries. This is very different from pet insurance plans because the pet wellness programs cover routine and preventive veterinary services for your pets. The following are the most common services covered by the wellness plan:

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• Annual exams

• Spay/neuter

•  Routine vaccinations

•  Routine blood tests

• Heartworm testing

•  Fecal testing

• Teeth cleanings

•  Flea and tick treatments

•  Microchips

• Urinalysis

 

Where to Get Pet Wellness Policies?

Most pet insurance companies offer pet wellness programs as add-ons. However, veterinary clinics and hospitals also provide this plan, although they may require you to avail of the services only within their networks. Ask your veterinarian about it if your pet insurance company does not offer a wellness program.

 

Should You Get a Wellness Plan for Your Dog? 

Both pet wellness plans and pet insurance policies are essential to keep your pets healthy. The wellness plan will ensure that your pets have been screened for common ailments that affect their breeds. These tests will prevent exacerbating health problems. On the other hand, pet insurance will cover emergency medical bills. Since vet visits can cost thousands of dollars, it’s important to have these policies on hand.

 

What Is Preventive Pet Care?

To keep your pets healthy, you must regularly take them to the vet. They need vaccines, boosters, screening tests, and the like. Watch out for breed-specific diseases such as cancer for Golden Retrievers and Labradors. Serious health conditions are expensive to treat, so preventing them is what you should aim for.

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The common problems with pets are gingivitis, periodontal disease, and oral cancer. These could lead to severe oral pain, tooth abscesses, tooth loss, cancer progression, and system infection if not treated. Large dogs are also susceptible to arthritis, degenerative back disease, cancer, hip dysplasia, and torn cruciate ligament. Pet wellness programs can lead to reduced mobility and severe pain. These may even be fatal.

 

Do You Need to Buy a Wellness Plan?

Like pet insurance, a pet wellness plan is optional. However, you should choose it as an add-on if you buy pet insurance. It is one way to protect your finances because by preventing serious illnesses, you will also save on expensive veterinary treatments that will require a pet insurance policy.

This plan is better purchased when the pets are still young because they need vaccines and boosters. When they start getting older, some of their health problems will begin to crop up. That’s when the wellness program for screening tests will become helpful.

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Pet insurance and pet wellness go hand in hand to improve the well-being of your pets. They will also increase the chances of them living long and healthy lives. The wellness programs, in particular, are preventive methods that will put your mind to rest and decrease the chances of expensive medical procedures in the future.