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Banfield Optimum wellness plan - pricing $ Hello, I was reading a chain of posts the other day talking about pet insurance and someone mentioned the Banfield Pet Hosptials plans. It's not really insurance, they call it prepaid "preventative care". I thought I would share what I learned yesterday when I went up to Banfield (which is in our local PetSmart) to check it out. For Puppies (there are 2 plans -- this is for the basic plan which is the more expensive but more comprehensive of the 2 plans): One-Time membership fee: $99.95 Annual Plan cost: $263.40 This covers all vaccinations during the first year, free office visits, the entire cost of the spay or neuter, blood work, organ screens, deworming, 3 fecal exams, and some more things. Seems like a good deal to me -- I wonder if there is a catch? I asked that question - and they said no (of course). But maybe there really isn't. I do know that when I looked at their pricing list , the prices looked high to me (they charge $270 for a spay and their vaccine prices looked a little high but i'm not an expert). And if anyone is interested in the rates for Dogs... One time membership fee of - $69.95 Annual Plan Cost - $263.40. Just thought I'd share that. Cheryl |
We don't have a Banfield close to us and I don't know much about them but in so far as a spay/neuter I live in NJ and our vet charges $350. I personally think that is criminal but he's a good vet and I am afraid to take my Yorkies anywhere else. Ten years ago, I took my Newman to be neutered and used a spay/neuter clinic and paid $175 and he ended up with an abcess on his penis and had trouble with his throat. He now has a collapsed trachea that I can't help but feel was helped along by that spay/neuter ten years earlier. That seems fairly cheap for all you are getting, especially if it includes the spay/neuter. If we should get a Banfield close by I think it's something I'd atleast check into. Pet care is so expensive. Elaine |
As far as Banfield goes, office visits are included, BUT if your dog is sick and needs meds, their meds are usually more expensive. Also, if you need another fecal exam other than the ones covered by the plan, it's more expensive. If your baby needs anything extra, their prices seem to be higher. So as long as your baby doesn't need anything other than what is covered in the plan, then you're good to go :) |
What is Banfield? Like a vet clinic? Is it run by Petsmart? Judy |
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That is the part that I am a little bit afraid of. Getting roped into a clinic (b/c after I pay almost $400 I won't want to go anywhere else for the year).. and then them tell me I need "this" and "that" and have it be super expensive. although for the 1st year, just the cost of the spay and the vaccinations alone, I think would be more than the cost of the plan? I donno... |
As I said in the other thread, I have the banfield program. Gypsy is in the one for the adult now, but the puppy one paid for itself when it comes to the spaying and vacs. I have had to have her in for treatment for various things when she was younger and no cost for the visits. The Banfield clinics are owned by the vets at least the one here is and the vet who is the owner (or part owner) is wonderful. She really cares more about the pets then the cost. |
from what i understood they dont charge you for the visit but in some cases charge you a fee for the doctor and the nurses separately. which adds up to a office visit or even more. This all sounds great above, but what happend when they break a leg? how much do they charge then? |
also i wonder with all these AKC registered yorkies in here, why is no one using the akc insurance plan? http://www.akcphp.com/BHIA/ |
[QUOTE=La Princesa;1261207]from what i understood they dont charge you for the visit but in some cases charge you a fee for the doctor and the nurses separately. which adds up to a office visit or even more. [QUOTE] I have never been charged a fee for the dr or nurses sep. I have went a couple of times where there were no fees at all cause I did not get meds. |
One time while I was on the plan, I needed to get antibiotics for Miko. They did not charge me the office visit because it is included in the plan, but I was charged not only for the meds, but also for the fact that they had to write a prescription...I think it cost like $12.00 for them to write the prescription, which they said was totally out of their hands because it goes through corporate?? and then they charged for the meds... |
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This is cheaper than what I paid in vet bills a couple weeks ago. Paddington got his second set of vaccinations, his rabies shot, fecal tests, and neutered, all in one week. I spent $400 in vet bills-2/3 of my paycheck!!!! :eek: If I had known enough to shop around, I would have gotten this plan just for the vaccinations and the neutering alone, and went with another vet for checkups/meds. It wouldn't matter that I am paying for office visits at another vet, because just the neuter and vaccinations would have made this plan pay for itself! -O |
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Banfield is GREAT for a puppy. The vet where I take my adult, Wylie, would have charged about $400+ for a neuter - ridiculous! So, I signed Marcel up for Banfield for at least the 1st year - includes the neuter, a ton of labs, fecal tests, heartworm tests, vaccines, bunch of screenings, deworms, and 10% off every thing else (which, of course, could be "built" back in the price). Often times, when Marcel has a charge, I'll call a couple other vet offices to see what they charge - and it's right in the ballpark of Banfield, then you get the 10%. I don't know if we'll keep him there after puppyhood, but man am I glad we're doing it this first year. |
This is what I am thinking too. I think it's worth it for the puppy year - just for the vaccines and spay alone. And nothing says that I can't take Violet to another vet for other things if I find Banfield prices to be too high. Yesterday I called a couple of vets in my area, and between the spay and office visits and vaccines, I'm looking at well over $500... so the banfield makes sense for us I think. I also like that at our Banfield they have 4 full time vets and I can walk Violet in and be seen whenever (although they do recommend appts.) This irritating about how they charge $$ to write prescriptions. But it's still probably worth it for the rest of the benefits. |
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