Banfield Wellness Plan Review: Is It Worth It? | Canine Journal (2024)

Although sometimes referred to as Banfield Pet Insurance, Banfield isn’t pet insurance at all—it’s a wellness membership plan. Despite this confusion, pet owners’ primary question is whether Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan (OPW) for dogs is worth it. Their OPW plans don’t cover illnesses or injuries-only preventive care.

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive insurance plan to cover accidents and illnesses in addition to preventive care, you may want to consider pet health insurance. You can learn more about this by reading our pet insurance reviews.

Alternatives To Banfield

Are you no longer thrilled with the idea of Banfield for preventive care for your pet?Consider anotherwellness providerorpet 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 aboutthis year’s top pet insurance companiesand instantly get free quotes below.

How Does A Banfield Wellness Plan Work?

Banfield Wellness Plans require you to visit a Banfield Pet Hospital, most of which are located in an estimated 1,000 PetSmart stores across the country. Their Optimum Wellness Plans offer preventive care, including bi-annual comprehensive exams covering vaccinations, parasite control, dental, nutrition, and behavioral consultations. You also get unlimited office visits and pet chats.

What Does Banfield Cover?

Banfield offers different plans for each type of pet: dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens, which we highlight below.

	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.

Pricing

Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plans’ pricing varies based on your pet’s breed, age, size, location of residence, and several other factors. I’ve put together a couple of pricing examples below. As you can see, a young cat is more than an old dog based on the location, with vet care in a metropolitan city being higher than in a rural midwest town.

Black Labrador Retriever

The following quotes are for a 4-year-old, 20-pound spayed female born on 01/01/2020 in Clive, IA.

• Active Care: $36.95/month
• Active Care Plus: $49.95/month
• Special Care: $62.95/month

Mixed Breed Cat

The following quotes are for a 1-year-old, 8-pound spayed male born on 03/01/2023 in Alexandria, VA.

• Active Care: $39.95/month
• Active Care Plus: $58.95/month
• Special Care: $70.95/month

Do You Need A Pet Wellness Plan?

I think the primary questions to ask yourself if you’re considering a wellness plan, especially one with Banfield, include:

1. 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?
2. Have I met the vets that work there, and do I feel comfortable with them caring for my pet?
3. 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?

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.

Does Banfield Wellness Plan Cover Emergencies?

Another major factor to keep in mind is thatpet emergency vet visits aren’t covered by Banfield plans, whereas they are covered by traditional 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 comparison. Many 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 routine pet exams and unexpected illnesses and accidents.

Is Banfield Wellness Plan Worth It?

It really depends on the location and your dog. Some Banfield Animal Hospital locations are better than others — ask your neighbors/friends/coworkers and 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.

Additionally, if your pup is healthy and young, 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 your pet has chronic health problems, you may want to consider whetherpet insurance is worth it.

Why Trust Canine Journal?

Canine Journal has been covering the topic of vet bill assistant options like wellness plans and pet insurance since 2012, well before other conglomerates discovered the rising popularity of health care for our pets. Sally Jones has over 20 years of experience in human health sciences communications, including 10 years as an expert on pet health conditions and treatment. Many of our authors have personal experience with wellness plans, includingKimberly Alt, Canine Journal’s go-to writer for pet insurance, with whom Sally consulted. She also consulted withMichelle Schenker, Canine Journal’s in-house licensed insurance agent, for additional expertise, ensure accuracy, and give Canine Journal the authority to write about and assist readers in purchasing policies legally.