Banfield Wellness Plan vs. Wag! Wellness Plan

As a pet parent, you know how expensive vet bills can be. And while our fur-babies are worth every penny, costs can add up fast. Pet parents spend anywhere from $120 to $650 per year on checkups and diagnostics. That's just for preventative care — unexpected emergencies and illnesses can add thousands to the total.

Of course, covering those routine costs is part of being a responsible pet parent. But what if we told you that a pet wellness plan could put 100% of those costs right back in your pocket? Yep, you heard us right — 100%.

What's the best pet wellness plan? Are pet wellness plans worth it? We've answered these questions in our detailed breakdown of two of the best-known wellness plans on the market: Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans and Wag! Wellness.

First things first: A pet wellness plan is not the same as an accident and illness policy. Pet wellness plans cover preventative care procedures like routine exams and vaccinations. Pet insurance typically covers emergencies and newly diagnosed conditions.

Pet wellness plans work hand-in-paw with pet insurance to give your fur-baby the comprehensive coverage they need to stay healthy and happy. When you invest in both a pet insurance plan and wellness coverage, you'll get reimbursed for up to 90% of all eligible vet costs, saving you thousands each year!

Banfield Optimum Pet Wellness Plans and Wag! Wellness Plans are 2 of the most "pawpular" options. Which one is the right choice for your pet? Read on to find out!

Banfield offers 4 types of wellness plans for puppies, kittens, dogs, and cats. The puppy and kitten plans have 2 tiers: Early Care and Early Care Plus. The dog and cat plans have 3 tiers: Active Care, Active Care Plus, and Special Care.

Pricing and coverage vary depending on your location, your pet's age and breed, and the level of coverage you select.

Are Banfield's wellness plans worth it? That depends on your needs and budget. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of Banfield's wellness offerings.

Pros:

• Covers some dental care costs (Active Care Plus and Special Care plans for dogs and cats only)
• Provides nutrition coaching
• Unlimited vet visits

Cons:

• Only allowed to visit vets in the Banfield network
• Some states don't have any Banfield Pet Hospital locations (including Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming)
• Pet parents are required to sign a 12-month contract

Prices of Banfield's Optimum Pet Wellness Plans aren't listed on the website. According to a Banfield Pet Wellness Plan review from Pawlicy, plans start at $37.95 per month for dogs. For an accurate estimate, you'll need to apply for a quote.

To give you an idea of roughly how much you can expect to pay depending on costs of living in your area, we applied for 2 mock quotes for a 3-year-old mixed breed, neutered male dog.

For our first quote, we set San Francisco, California as our location. Costs of living in SF are high compared to other US cities. Here are the prices we were quoted:

• $44.95/month: Active Care
• $59.95/month: Active Care Plus
• $75.95/month: Special Care

For our second quote, we set Raleigh, North Carolina as our location. Costs of living in Raleigh are low compared to other US cities. Here are the prices we were quoted:

• $33.95/month: Active Care
• $44.95/month: Active Care Plus
• $56.95/month: Special Care

A one-time enrollment fee applies, unless you sign up for automatic recurring payments. Our quoted enrollment fee was $66.95 for San Francisco and $49.95 for Raleigh.

As you can see, the cost of a Banfield Optimum Pet Wellness Plan varies quite a bit depending on your location, as well as your dog's age, breed, and spay/neuter status.

All Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans include:

• Unlimited clinic visits
• Unlimited access to Banfield Vet Chat
• 2 virtual vet visits per year
• 2 thorough physical exams per year
• 1 nutrition coaching session per year

Early Care Plan

• 1 round of diagnostic testing for parasites and underlying disease per year
• All required and recommended vaccinations and boosters
• 3 fecal exams per year
• 1 canine DNA test (puppy plan only)
• 4 deworming treatments per year
• 5% discount on Banfield products and services

Early Care Plus Plan

Everything in the Early Care Plan, plus:

• Spay/neuter surgery
• An additional 5% discount on Banfield products and services (for a total of 10%)

Active Care Plan

• 1 round of diagnostic testing for parasites and underlying disease per year
• 2 fecal exams per year
• 2 deworming treatments per year
• 10% discount on Banfield products and services

Active Care Plus Plan

Everything in Active Care, plus:

• 1 dental cleaning per year
• 1 urine test per year
• 15% discount on Banfield products and services

Special Care

Everything in Active Plus Plan, plus:

• 1 preventative x-ray per year
• 1 eye pressure test per year (dog plan only)
• 1 EKG per year (dog plan only)
• Additional diagnostic tests for thyroid disease (cat plan only)
• 20% discount on Banfield products and services

Wag! Wellness lets you visit any vet clinic in the U.S. Within 24 hours of treatment, you'll get reimbursed for 100% of all eligible costs.

You'll pay one flat monthly fee no matter your location or your pet's species, age, or breed. We'll never charge an enrollment fee or tack extra costs onto your bill. Our plans are also available on a month-to-month basis, which means no contracts (and no headaches!).

Let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of Wag! Wellness Plans.

Pros:

• Visit any vet you want
• No financial caps for eligible procedures
• Month-to-month plans with transparent pricing and no enrollment fees

Cons:

• Base plan doesn't cover dental cleaning (available as an add-on)
• Doesn't cover senior health screens

With Wag!, you won't have to go through the hassle of applying for a quote. Check out our flat monthly fees:

• Gold: $14.95/month
• Platinum: $29.95/month
• Diamond: $59.95/month

We also offer optional add-ons:

• Flea, tick, and heartworm meds: $19.95/month
• Grooming: $19.95/month
• Dental cleaning: $29.95/month
• Spay/neuter: $29.95/month

Gold Plan

• 1 physical wellness exam per year
• 3 vaccinations and boosters per year
• 1 blood test per year
• 1 round of diagnostics per year (including heartworm tests and liver, pancreas, thyroid, muscle, and bone panels)

Platinum Plan

• 1 physical wellness exam per year
• 6 vaccinations and boosters per year
• 1 blood test per year
• 1 round of diagnostics per year (including heartworm tests and liver, pancreas, thyroid, muscle, and bone panels)
• 1 deworming treatment per year
• 1 urine and fecal test per year
• 1 anal gland expression procedure per year
• Unlimited access to Wag! Health Vet Chat
• 10% discount on all pet care services through the Wag! app (including dog walking, dog boarding and sitting, drop-in visits, in-home and virtual dog training, and cat sitting)
• Waived booking fees and VIP support for all Wag! services

Diamond Plan

• 2 physical wellness exams per year
• 9 vaccinations and boosters per year
• 1 blood test per year
• 1 round of diagnostics per year (including heartworm tests and liver, pancreas, thyroid, muscle, and bone panels)
• 2 deworming treatments per year
• 2 urine and fecal tests per year
• 2 anal gland expression procedures per year
• Unlimited access to Wag! Health Vet Chat
• 10% discount on all pet care services through the Wag! app (including dog walking, dog boarding and sitting, in-home and virtual dog training, and cat sitting)
• Waived booking fees and VIP support for all Wag! services

Flea, tick, and heartworm meds add-on

The flea, tick, and heartworm meds add-on covers all brands, including:

• Nexgard
• Bravecto
• K9 Advantix
• Advantage Multi
• Heartgard

Grooming add-on

Our grooming add-on covers up to $300 in grooming expenses over a 12-month period, including:

• Blow-dry
• Haircut
• Nail trims

Dental cleaning add-on

Our dental cleaning add-on covers up to $400 in dental cleaning expenses over a 12-month period, including:

• Pre-anesthesia blood tests and electrocardiograms
• Anesthesia
• Tooth extraction
• Dental clean and polish
• Prescribed medications for post-op pain management

Spay/neuter add-on

Our spay/neuter add-on covers up to $400 in spay/neuter costs over a 12-month period, including:

• Pre-anesthesia blood tests and electrocardiograms
• Anesthesia
• Surgery
• Prescribed medications for post-op pain management

Ultimately, the right choice for your pet depends on several factors, including your budget and the amount of coverage you need. 

With Wag!, you'll pay one flat monthly fee for routine care — you won't pay for extras you don't need. If you do need additional coverage, our add-ons are comprehensive yet affordable. Plus, you won't have to switch veterinarians, and if you decide Wag! Wellness isn't the right fit for your woofer, you can cancel anytime.

Still on the fence? Check out what Penny, proud parent of a Yorkie, had to say about switching from Banfield to Wag!:

Talk about a glowing review!

Start comparing Wag! Wellness Plans today to find the right fit for your fur-baby. Got questions? Leave a comment below!