Did you know that there is a difference between wellness plans for dogs and insurance plans for dogs? Insurance plans for dogs cover unexpected costs associated with accidents or illness. A wellness plan for dogs is aimed at offsetting the costs of routine veterinary care for dogs and do not typically cover any type of emergency services.
Dog wellness plans might seem like overkill to some owners, but try thinking about it another way. Would you want to pay the entire cost out of pocket every time you went to the doctor, or would you prefer to have a co-pay from your insurance company? Wellness plans for your pets function in a similar way. They typically cover a set cost towards specific care treatments each year and can save you a lot of money.
Not every insurance company has a wellness plan to offer. Let’s take a look at the best routine care supplement offers on the market!
Name | Type of Policy Coverage | Rating |
|---|---|---|
3 annual deductible levels | ||
Fully customizable plans | ||
One simple comprehensive plan with customizable deductible | ||
Nationwide CareGuard Premier | Several annual deductible and reimbursement levels | |
AKC Wellness & Preventative Plans | Personalized policies |
Dog Wellness Plan Reviews
1. Pets Best Routine Care
My favorite wellness plan for dogs is from Pets Best pet insurance. Their routine care plans are great when it comes to helping pay for the costs of regular, preventative care for your dog. Plans from Pets Best must be bought alongside enrollment to their insurance and cannot be bought as a standalone service.
The EssentialWellness plan from Pets Best puts some money towards all standard routine care except teeth cleaning and spay/neutering. This plan costs $16/month. The BestWellness Plan puts more money than the EssentialWellness Plan does towards all exams, x-rays, and more and also includes teeth cleaning and spay/neutering for $26/month. Both plans have no deductibles.
Pets Best has exceptional customer service as well which is one of the reasons I like them so much. If you’re not sure what level of preventative care you’d like to invest in, give their helpful service agents a call to find out more about what each plan covers and how you can make the price work for your budget.
2. Embrace Wellness Rewards
Another option of wellness insurance for dogs comes from Embrace with their Embrace Wellness Rewards plans. Like many other wellness plans, these plans are not available as standalone plans and must be bought alongside a pet insurance plan from Embrace.
You have three different options when choosing a plan from Embrace that each gives you a different allowance: $250, $450, or $650 per policy year. Because this wellness plan from Embrace is paid on a yearly allowance basis rather than a per treatment basis, you can pick and choose which type of preventative care services your dog needs. There are no per-item limits.
3. ASPCA Advanced Wellness
ASPCA also offers wellness insurance for dogs like yours with the ASPCA Advanced Wellness plan. This plan includes coverage for annual dental coverage (which is rare), preventative heartworm and flea medication, and complete wellness coverage. This plan is $25 per month and covers many preventive treatments on a per-item basis.
ASPCA also offers a Routine Wellness plan that is less expensive at only $10 a month. This plan gives you less coverage but is a great way to offset the cost of spay/neuter surgery, basic testing, and basic vaccines. This plan does not, however, have very comprehensive coverage or dental coverage, so I don’t recommend it unless you want the bare minimum wellness coverage.
Either plan from ASPCA has some great benefits and will give you clear-cut coverage. It's important to know that ASPCA pet insurance is not run directly by the ASPCA but is run by Huntsville Pet Insurance. They pay a fee to ASPCA to use their name.
4. Nationwide CareGuard Premier
The next dog wellness insurance add-on plan I want to mention is by Nationwide. This plan is called the Pet Wellness plan. You can get this plan in two levels: basic or plus. Each level puts some money towards the following services:
- 2 physical exams/year
- Behavioral exams and treatment
- Vaccinations
- Heartworm tests
- Fecal tests
- Deworming
- Nail trimming
- Microchips
- Heartworm prevention
- 1 additional test
Basic and Plus put different amounts of towards each of these services, but the same services are included for both. Plans from are not available in all regions, so make sure to check your local availability before deciding on a plan from Nationwide.
5. AKC Wellness & Preventative Plans
The final preventative wellness plan I want to share with you today is from AKC, the American Kennel Club. Depending on the plan you choose, these plans can cover vaccinations, routine testing, wellness prevention products (heartworm, flea, and tick), dental cleaning, spaying/neutering and microchipping.
The Defender Plus plan, which includes spaying/neutering and dental care, is $26/month on average. The more basic Defend plan is $16/month on average. Both of these plans must be purchased as an add-on to a regular pet insurance plan offered by AKC. They cannot be bought as standalone plans.
Any plan you get from AKC has a 30-day money back guarantee, so you can try their services without worry of changing your mind in the first few weeks.
Invest In Dog Wellness Insurance
Wellness dog insurance will help you keep your pet safe through routine, preventative care. Many unexpected illnesses can be prevented by regular care for your dog, and wellness care will make those treatments easier to have done.
If you’re still not sure if you should get proper pet insurance, a wellness plan, or both, check out this video that once again highlights the difference between the two:
related resources
Personally, I like to buy both pet insurance and routine care insurance for my dog, Biscuit. Since annual dog care costs hit around $500 simply for preventative care, dog food, and other expenses per month without any help, having the routine care supplement helps.
Having a wellness plan also reminds me of which procedures I should make the most of having done yearly to keep Biscuit safe! It can be easy to let preventative care slip, but when you're paying monthly to have them covered, it can be a great reminder of what appointments to schedule for your pet.
I have heard a lot about there wellness plans lately. My family got a new puppy and friends and family have been recommending it to me. I like that they help with preventative care like shots and check-ups. Keeping up to date on all of the things that are going to keep him healthy are important, meanwhile I want to be saving money at the same time by doing it all. This seems like a good way to do that. When we find a vet, I’ll be sure to ask them if they offer this kind off service.
I like that you mention pet wellness has pet insurance. I never heard that it’s my first time. Thank you for the information. I’ll check that y dog has pet wellness.