Introducing Pet Wellness Plans at Catawba Heights Animal Hospital

At Catawba Heights Animal Hospital, we believe that proactive care is the cornerstone of a healthy, happy pet. Our Pet Wellness plans are designed to ensure that your furry companions receive the preventative care they need to thrive. Regular veterinary check-ups, vaccinations, and screenings help us detect potential health issues early, often before symptoms arise, enhancing your pet’s quality of life and reducing the likelihood of costly emergency treatments down the road. Join us in fostering a healthier, happier life for your pets today!

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What is a pet wellness plan?

A wellness plan is a package deal that you have an agreement between you and your veterinarian. It is hospital-specific. You cannot take it between different veterinarians across different practices. It can only be used typically at that veterinarian's office unless it's a larger office with multiple locations; then, possibly, you can use it at other locations, but that would be a question for them.

We have wellness plans through the company Snout here, and it's an agreement between you, the owner, and I, that you sign for one year. It's a one-year contract that we are giving you these services, which are services that your pet needs every year to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Instead of paying every time that you come in, we allow you to make monthly payments. It's more budget-friendly, so you're not paying $300-$400 when you come in. Instead, you're paying a monthly payment over the course of those 12 months.

Wellness plans are preventative care packages. They include vaccinations with boosters if needed, fecal checks, and dewormings. You can add flea, tick, and heartworm prevention. For young pets, it can have spays or neuters added in. For adult dogs or cats, it can include dental cleanings. Most wellness plans do not cover dental extractions or any procedure done in the mouth other than the prophylactic cleaning, which is the removal of tartar and plaque from the teeth, followed by polishing and adding fluoride.

Dr. Kelley Wallace

How are wellness plans different from pet insurance?

Pet insurance is accepted at most veterinary hospitals in the sense that your pet will be seen, you pay the veterinarian, and then you submit your bill and paperwork to the insurance company, and they reimburse you. Pet wellness plans are hospital-specific or corporation-specific. They do not include injury or illness. If your dog comes in with an ear infection, while some wellness plans might offer a free office visit, like ours do, there's no office visit fee, but they won't cover the ear cytology, medications, or ear cleaning because that is an illness or injury, not preventative care.

What is provided in pet wellness plans at Catawba Heights Animal Hospital?

Routine checkups cover unlimited wellness office visits for your pet, regardless of whether they are sick or healthy. The plan covers vaccinations with boosters where needed, stool checks for parasites, leukemia AIDS tests for cats, and heartworm tests with tick screens for dogs. It includes annual blood work.

For small dogs, young dogs, or cats, you can add in the spay or neuter. For adult pets, you can add in the dental cleaning. Again, it does not cover extractions, but the cleaning itself is part of the package you pay for monthly. Your package can include a year's supply of flea, tick, and heartworm prevention for your pets. 

How do veterinary plans work with pet owners?

You bring your pet in, and there's no office visit fee. We perform the services that are due for your pet's wellness check and let you know when your pet is due for their next exam, vaccines, or blood work. This allows you to come in without worrying about the cost. Your credit card or checking account is automatically drafted or billed once a month by the company we use, called Snout.

Are wellness plans designed for different life stages?

Yes, they are! Here is a breakdown for different pet life stages:
 

Puppy Plans

Starting at $104 a month for 12 months

The Puppy Wellness Plan includes:

  • 2 DAPP vaccines
  • 2 DAPP + Lepto vaccines
  • 1 annual Rabies vaccine
  • 2 vaccinations against Lyme disease
  • 2 Influenza vaccines
  • 1 Bordetella vaccination
  • Plans also include laboratory diagnostics for 2 fecal samples, 2 deworming treatments (specific to roundworms and hookworms), a 4DX Heartworm test, unlimited wellness exams, and access to a 24/7 triage account.

Kitten Plans

Starting at $74 a month for 12 months

The Kitten Wellness Plan includes:

  • 3 FVRCP vaccines
  • 2 FeLV vaccines
  • 1 Rabies vaccination
  • Kitten plans also include laboratory diagnostics for 1 fecal sample, 2 deworming treatments (specific to roundworm and hookworms), a FeLV/FIV/HWT test, Unlimited wellness exams, and access to a 24/7 triage account.

Adult Dog Plans

Starting at $80 a month for 12 months

The Adult Dog Wellness Plan includes:

  • Annual DAPP vaccination
  • Annual Lepto vaccination
  • Rabies vaccination
  • Annual Lyme disease vaccination
  • Annual Influenza vaccination
  • Annual Bordetella vaccination
  • Plans also include laboratory diagnostics for an annual blood workup (including t4), urinalysis, fecal samples, a 4DX Heartworm test. Annual deworming treatments with Drontal plus, unlimited wellness exams, and access to a 24/7 triage account also included.

Adult Cat Plans

Starting at $55 a month for 12 months

The Adult Cat Wellness Plan includes:

  • Annual FVRCP vaccination
  • Annual FeLV vaccination
  • Annual Rabies vaccination
  • Adult Cat wellness plans also include laboratory diagnostics for an annual blood workup, fecal sample, urinalysis, and a FeLV/FIV testing. Deworming with Profender, unlimited wellness exams, and access to a 24/7 triage account also included.

Are wellness plans customized based on species, age, or health condition?

They are customizable based on species and age. Health conditions are not included because that falls under insurance, which is more about injury or illness. However, they are specified for species and age.

How do wellness plans support preventative care and long-term health goals for pets?

It supports the pet by allowing you to come in and get recommended, necessary care while breaking up the cost over a year instead of paying $300-$400 at a time. You can get a year's supply of flea, tick, and heartworm prevention, dental cleaning, spaying or neutering, vaccinations, fecal checks, and dewormings. There are a limited number of fecals, dewormings, and blood works offered, and additional ones would be at your cost. However, the basic preventive care expected for each pet is covered in our wellness plans, and you pay monthly instead of at each visit.

How do wellness plans make routine veterinary care more affordable?

You pay monthly, so you just bring your pet in and we provide the necessary services. If your pet has an illness or injury at that time, we can address it during the same visit, and you would pay for those services, whereas the wellness plan would cover the preventive services.

How can a pet owner decide if a wellness plan is right for their pet?

Talk to your veterinarian and the registered veterinary technicians. It is likely the right choice for any pet because it removes the worry of payment and ensures your pet receives necessary care annually. You don't have to worry about flea, tick, or heartworm prevention because it's included in the plan. Your pet is covered for the year, and your credit card or checking account is drafted monthly, so you don't have to worry about remembering or purchasing it each month.

Are wellness plans included in behavioral consultation and training support?

You can discuss this with your veterinarian during a wellness plan visit and checkup. However, specific behavioral consultations and training are outside the wellness plan and usually involve a certified trainer or behaviorist. We do not offer this at Kataba Heights Animal Hospital, but we can recommend professionals.

We use Snout wellness plans for puppies, kittens, adult dogs, and adult cats. You can customize them to include as much or as little as you want, including flea, tick, heartworm prevention, dental cleaning, spays, and neuters. It is one low monthly payment, with unlimited free office visits, whether your pet is sick or healthy. This allows you to bring your pet in with peace of mind. The plan is a monthly draft from your checking account or credit card and is highly customizable. You can call us at 704-827-0616 to discuss the plans over the phone or set up a consultation for more information and pricing.

Additional Add-ons

  • Dog Spay/Neuter: additional $50-$59 a month
  • Cat Spay/Neuter: additional $34-$64 a month 
    • Spay/Neuter additional fees are dependent on the pet's sex and size and cover the costs related to a routine spay or neuter. Pain medications both given in the hospital and for at-home recovery, an ecollar or bodysuit, and at-home sedation medications (if needed) are also included. Fees do not include complications or additional services (ie: hernia repair, in-heat fee)
  • Dog Heartworm and Flea and Tick prevention: additional $35-60 a month.
    • Options include: Proheart, Bravecto chews, Interceptor, or Simparica Trio. Prices based on dog's weight
  • Cat Heartworm and Flea and Tick prevention: additional $29 a month
    • Revolution Plus
  • Dental Cleanings: additional $50 a month for both dogs and cat
    • Dental cleanings include anesthesia, survey dental x-rays, and and the cleaning itself up to $550 worth of service. Additional fees apply for service costs over $550, extractions, post-extraction x-rays, and medications for at-home recovery.  

Please note: Wellness plans are preventative care packages. They do not cover disease or illness-related exams or treatments and do not cover emergency exam fees. Wellness plans are not the same as insurance.

There is no enrollment fee, just the first month's payment due the day of enrollment. The base plans auto-renew each year, but add-ons do not. Any questions or concerns about billing, contracts, etc. can be directed to the Snout team at [email protected].