Vet healthcare scheme - is it worth it?

acquamarine

Hi everyone, I got a new puppy last week. The other day I took her for a check up and my vet gave me information on a scheme they have. For a monthly fee this provides you with the following:

Full clinical examination twice a year
Annual vaccinations
Worming (for 12 months)
Flea treatments (for 12 months)
10% discount on consultations, hospitalisation, blood tests, medications, spaying, xrays, microchipping

Not sure the exact monthly cost. They have a chart on the leaflet which shows cost depending on size of dog. My pup is a labrador and I am assuming it would be on the fully grown size which would be a large dog which is £13.45 per month.

I am thinking this may be good to do for the first year as I will be getting her spayed and microchipped and as a pup she will need worming more regularly.

Would welcome some advice as to whether you think this would be more cost effective or if I should just pay for the treatments as I go. I will be getting separate pet insurance for her.

She goes for her first injections on Monday so I need to make a decision by then.

Thanks!

gettingready

Congratulations o the nev puppy.... photos??????


Is your puppy insured?

Please look into insurance rather than any "vet schemes" as....

Flea/Worming you will get online MUCH cheaper than any vet scheme with its discounts.

10% off consultation will be nothing to compare to insurance paying full vert bill (minus excess) in case anything happens.

Annual vaccinations are a mior cost if you budget for it in advance.

MIcrochipping is cheap.

You probably won't need "full clinical examination" twice per year - one with the vaccinations is fine for most dogs.

So really, all those vet schemes are just simply not worth it.

shortdog

Pets at Home are doing microchipping for £10.

sharloid

our vet offers a similar scheme for £9.99 a month which we decided to get as well as insurance. This is our first dog and we liked the idea that we'd be going to the vet once a month which means we could ask any questions we had. It's up to you, as I suppose if you price everything separately it'll probably be cheaper - but we like it.

acquamarine

Thanks everyone for your replies. Gettingready I got four weeks insurance which the breeder arranged and I will definitely be taking out my own cover for her. I just wondered about this scheme as I don't think insurance covers spaying? However, as you say you can get worming treatments cheaper online. With my last dog at the end of her life she was on medication for arthritis, I looked on line at the best prices and the vet that I was with then price matched.

Thinking about it I will probably just pay as and when she needs it. I will enquire at the vets if they do a price matching on prescriptions as my other vet did but if not I think legally they have to provide a prescription don't they? Although is worming a prescription drug anyway?

Again, thanks everyone.

I will try and upload some pics when I get the chance, although I'm not very technically minded! She is absolutely beautiful. It's early days but doing very well with her housetraining. You forget how exhausting puppies are though - but she's worth it!

gettingready

Insurance does not cover spaying but it is a one off issue/cost and you will be paying your ver monthly.. add it up and see if it is worth the 10%? Dobt it very much...

Instead of this I would go for a highest possible cover with insurance, no point really paying both is there?

Waterfalls

Insurance and the health scheme are different things. One covers emergencies and illness. The other is for the routine side of things. Insurance is def a must!
And if u plan on doing the correct amount of worming, flea treatments and vaccinations etc. then u can spread the cost of these across the year. And this is usually worked out at a discounted cost = so def worth considering!

dawnie1972

I took my vets pet plan out purely because they offered it to me when I collected Milo from the hospital and by taking it out there and then I got a 10% discount on my bill which was £650 so i'd already saved £65, I pay £10.95 a month but I wont be renewing it when its due as unless you get a big vets bill you dont really save anything - especially as Milo is not now allowed to be wormed/flea treated etc due to his medical conditions. Also read the T&Cs as you are tied in for 12 months and if you leave before the end of the term you have to pay back any discounts you've received.

gettingready

so its 131 per year..... neutering easiuly done for that with enough over for worming/flea treatment... money making machine for the vets

Hintza

Full clinical examination twice a year

Do you go to the doctor twice a year for a full medical? I certainly don't take the dog.

Annual vaccinations

OK

Worming (for 12 months)

A couple of tablets

Flea treatments (for 12 months)

Not normally an issue with us, deal with them if/when it happens.

10% discount on consultations, hospitalisation, blood tests, medications, spaying, xrays, microchipping

Although we don't have pet insurance most do, so not sure of any benefit here unless the 10% is offered as a cashback (which would induce the ire of the insurer no doubt).

~Chameleon~

gettingready wrote: »

so its 131 per year..... neutering easiuly done for that with enough over for worming/flea treatment... money making machine for the vets...

... that will no doubt subsidise other areas of the practice to allow more affordable treatments to the public. Pet owners can be so short-sighted at times!! Veterinary practice is a business, not a charity!!