Wellness care is important to keep your pet healthy and prolong their life, and veterinary wellness plans can help ensure your pet has access to routine health care. Our Willow Wood Animal Hospital team knows you want the best for your pet, and we explain how your pet can benefit from a wellness plan.

#1: Pet wellness plans promote good veterinary care

Puppies and kittens should be evaluated and vaccinated monthly from about 6 to 8 weeks of age until 12 to 15 weeks of age. Adult pets should be assessed by a veterinarian at least once a year, and senior pets should be evaluated every six months. These examinations can prevent certain diseases and help detect some conditions in the early stages when they are easier to treat. A wellness plan for your pet encourages you to schedule their preventive care appointment, because you have already paid for the service, ensuring your pet receives the veterinary care they need and deserve.

#2: Pet wellness plans protect your pet from infectious diseases

Wellness plans include core vaccinations for your pet at every life stage. Core vaccines protect your pet against dangerous infectious diseases, such as rabies, parvovirus, distemper, and feline panleukopenia. After your pet receives their initial vaccine series, they need regular boosters to maintain protection. Depending on your pet’s lifestyle and disease risk, our team may also recommend some non-core vaccines.

#3: Pet wellness plans protect your pet from parasites

Parasites, including heartworms, which can significantly damage your pet’s heart and lungs, and intestinal parasites that can cause anemia, malnutrition, and gastrointestinal disease, frequently target pets. Your pet should be screened for these parasites at least once a year, and wellness plans provide tests to ensure your pet is parasite free.

#4: Pet wellness plans help prevent emergency situations

Many veterinary emergencies, such as hypoglycemic seizures and severe kidney failure, occur because conditions aren’t detected in the early stages when they can best be managed. Wellness plans include an annual preventive care examination and wellness diagnostics to help identify health complications as soon as possible, and include:

  • Physical examination — We thoroughly examine your pet from their wet nose to their fuzzy tail to detect conditions such as heart murmurs and arrhythmias and abdominal masses.
  • Blood work — Our veterinary team performs a complete blood count (CBC) and biochemistry profile to assess your pet’s overall health and detect conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, infection, and anemia.
  • Thyroid levels — We assess T4 levels to ensure your pet is not affected by thyroid disease.

#5: Pet wellness plans protect your pet from dental disease

Dental disease affects the majority of pets by 3 years of age. Bacteria attracted to leftover food particles accumulate on your pet’s teeth, forming plaque, which hardens into gritty tartar deposits if not removed. Dental disease can lead to issues such as bad breath, painful gums, loose and missing teeth, tooth root abscesses, and a fractured jaw. In addition, the bacteria can enter your pet’s bloodstream, spreading infection and damaging organs throughout their body. Professional veterinary dental cleanings are the only effective way to remove the harmful bacteria from under your pet’s gum line, where they cause the most damage. Some wellness plans provide a routine dental cleaning package to help ensure your pet’s mouth stays healthy.

#6: Pet wellness exams ensure your pet is spayed or neutered

Spaying or neutering your pet protects them from serious health complications and can prevent certain behavioral issues. Spayed female pets are protected from pyometra, a serious uterine infection, and have a decreased mammary cancer risk, while neutered male pets are protected from testicular cancer and are at decreased risk for prostate problems. In addition, spayed and neutered pets are less likely to roam and to urine mark their territory. Some puppy and kitten wellness plans include a spay and neuter package to ensure your pet receives this important procedure. 

#7: Pet wellness plans help you budget for your pet’s veterinary care

Pet wellness plans can be paid for monthly or annually, allowing you to better budget your pet’s veterinary care, and causing less financial stress when your pet needs veterinary-recommended preventive care services. These plans enable you to afford comprehensive veterinary care and avoid potentially expensive treatment costs caused by preventable and undiagnosed conditions. 

Our wellness plans also include a 5% discount on all additional products and services, and a significant discount on examination fees.

Wellness plans are an easy way to ensure your pet receives the preventive care they need. If you would like to subscribe to a wellness plan, contact our Willow Wood Animal Hospital team to discuss the options and find a plan that best fits your pet’s needs.