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Although sometimes referred to as Banfield Pet Insurance, Banfield isn’t pet insurance at all — it’s a wellness membership plan. Despite this confusion, the primary question we have — is Banfield wellness care worth it? Its plans don’t cover illness or injury, only preventative care.
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive insurance plan to cover accidents and illnesses in addition to preventative care, you may want to consider pet health insurance.
Banfield Wellness Overall Rating
4.0/5.0
Our team determines the overall rating based on several factors, including coverage, pricing, customer support, and more.
Pros & Cons Comparison Table
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Widely available across the U.S. | Annual contract required |
| Unlimited office visits | No illness or injury coverage |
| Weekend and evening hours | Contract automatically renews |
| $15 discount on membership fee for additional pets | Some Banfield reviews online complain about upselling while at appointments, so it rarely ends up being free |
| Personalized plans available | Plans are often more expensive than competitors’ wellness plans |
| Must visit a Banfield location |
How Does Banfield Wellness Plan Work?
Banfield Wellness Plans require you to visit a Banfield Pet Hospital, most of which are located in almost 1,000 PetSmart stores across the country. Its plans offer preventive care, which include bi-annual comprehensive wellness exams that can cover vaccinations, parasite control, dental, nutrition, and behavioral consultations.
Alternatives To Banfield
No longer thrilled with the idea of Banfield for preventative care for your pet? You may want to consider another wellness provider or pet insurance alternative. To find the best, our experts regularly analyze the national companies. You also might want to consider pet insurance to cover the financial risk of unexpected vet expenses. Learn all about this year’s top-ranked companies.
Pricing
Pricing for Banfield’s Wellness Plans vary based on your pet’s breed, age, location of residence, and several other factors. It offers different plans for each type of pet: dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens, which we highlight below. We’ve also included quotes we ran in December 2020.
Black Labrador Retriever
The following quotes are for a 1-year old spayed female with a birthdate of 01/01/2020 in the Iowa zip code 50125.
- Active Care: $31.95/month
- Active Care Plus: $42.95/month
- Special Care: $53.95/month
Mixed Breed Cat
The following quotes are for a 1-year old spayed female with a birthdate of 01/01/2020 in the Iowa zip code 50125.
- Active Care: $25.95/month
- Active Care Plus: $37.95/month
- Special Care: $45.95/month
| Early Care | Early Care Plus | Active Care | Active Care Plus | Special Care | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal | Puppy/Kitten Younger Than 6 Months | Puppy/Kitten Younger Than 6 Months | Dog/Cat Older Than 6 Months | Dog/Cat Older Than 6 Months | Dog/Cat Older Than 6 Months |
| 2 Physical Exams |  | | | | |
| Wisdom Panel Health | Puppy Only | Puppy Only |  | | |
| Vaccinations | | | | | |
| Diagnostic Testing | | | | | |
| Fecal Exams | (3 per year) | (3 per year) | (2 per year) | (2 per year) | (2 per year) |
| Deworming | (5 per year puppy, 4 per year kitten) | (5 per year puppy, 4 per year kitten) | (2 per year) | (2 per year) | (2 per year) |
| Spay/Neuter Surgery | | | | | |
| Dental Cleaning | | | | | |
| Urine Testing | | | | | (2 per year) |
| Additional Diagnostic Testing | | | | | Cat Only |
| Preventative X-Rays (3 Views) | | | | | |
| 2 Eye Pressure Tests | | | | | Dogs Only |
| 2 Electrocardiograms | | | | | Dogs Only |
| Unlimited Office Visits | | | | | |
| Discount On Most Other Banfield Services & Products | 5% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 20% |
Optional add-ons include parasite control, spay/neuter, additional dental, chronic care, and a Wisdom Panel DNA test.
Customer Reviews
Typically we post two positive and two negative reviews that we’ve found online when we do an individual review like this.
Do You Need A Pet Wellness Plan?
We think the primary questions to ask yourself if you’re considering a wellness plan, especially one with Banfield, include:
- Is there a Banfield Pet Hospital (inside PetSmart or on its own) in my area? Is it close enough that I would go there versus my current vet’s office?
- Have I met the vets that work there, and do I feel comfortable with them caring for my pet?
- Can I budget on my own for wellness care for my pet, or would a plan like this help me better prepare financially for my pet’s regular preventative needs?
Before you sign up with Banfield, here are some other pet wellness insurance options you should consider.
What Canine Preventative Measures Are Most Important?
Check out this video by Banfield that highlights what you should be doing as your puppy transitions into adulthood.
Are Banfield Wellness Plans Worth It?
It really depends on several factors. First, some Banfield animal hospital locations are better than others — ask your neighbors/friends/coworkers and do your research online to see if your local Banfield Pet Hospital is up to par. After all, the kind of veterinary care your dog will receive is the most crucial factor.
Second, if your pup is healthy and young and has finished chewing everything he finds, a Banfield plan may be all you need for preventative care. If you have a new puppy who is always in trouble, your dog is older with more significant health concerns but few pre-existing conditions or if your pet has chronic health problems, you may want to consider pet insurance, which covers illness and injury.
Another major factor to keep in mind? Pet emergency visits aren’t covered by Banfield plans, whereas they are with pet insurance. Pet insurance can come with a higher monthly price tag, but it could be your better option, in the long run, to truly manage unexpectedly high vet bills.
If you’re considering pet insurance, be sure to check out our pet insurance reviews. Many of the pet insurance companies offer wellness plans as add-on products to their health insurance. Another option would be to purchase a Banfield Wellness Plan in addition to pet insurance, but this will likely prove more expensive than bundling them together with a company that offers both. Getting both pet insurance and a wellness plan would provide coverage for both your routine pet exams as well as unexpected illnesses and accidents.
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