5 veterinary schemes and discounts that can save you money on your pet’s healthcare

One of the most important aspects of pet ownership when it comes to doing everything that your pet needs is getting your pet veterinary care when they need it, whether this be in an emergency or for their ongoing requirements, such as annual health checks and booster vaccinations, flea and worming treatments, or having your pet spayed or neutered.

However, veterinary care of all forms can be expensive, especially so if you own a particularly big dog-and while pet insurance and having a contingency fund to help in emergencies is definitely advisable, if you’re in the know, there are a range of different ways in which you can save money, get discounts and overall, pay less for your pet’s necessary veterinary care.

In this article, we will share some tips on five common veterinary assistance schemes and discounts that can save you money on your pet’s healthcare. Not every clinic will offer all of them, or run their schemes in the same way-but it is always worth asking around to find out, as your local clinic may be running schemes that you do not know about and could be eligible to join. Read on to learn more.

Monthly payment plans

Annually, most pets like cats and dogs will need a reasonable amount of money spent on their ongoing care, covering things such as flea and worming treatments, and their annual health check and booster shots.

Many clinics offer monthly payment plan schemes that allow you to spread the cost of your routine care, by paying the clinic a set fee every month throughout the year. Many clinics offer an incentive for joining such schemes too, such as something free or a small percentage discount, so it is worth asking!

Vaccination for life schemes

Vaccination for life schemes are a fairly new concept, but as they are becoming more widely known of and more and more customers are finding out about them, they are on the increase across the UK.

The concept of this scheme is simple-when your pet has their vaccinations or boosters, you can choose to pay an additional one-off cost (anywhere between £70-£200, depending on the type of pet you own, their age, and what vaccinations they have) and then all of your subsequent annual boosters are free for the remaining life of your pet.

Again, not all clinics offer a vaccination for life scheme, but most of the large chain clinics do, and a significant number of small local clinics too, so it is worth checking it out!

Puppy and kitten clubs

Most clinics offer specially tailored schemes and incentives for people to register their new puppy or kitten with the clinic, and help with the cost of all of the essentials that puppies and kittens need in their first year of life.

When you take into account the initial two-stage vaccinations, the first health check, flea and worming treatments, spay or neuter, weight and health monitoring and for puppies, socialisation classes, puppies and kittens are apt to cost quite a lot of money in their first year of life and need to go to the vet several times-many clinics will run puppy or kitten clubs and discount schemes in order to get your custom, not only for the first year but to retain you when your pat has grown up!

Ask about puppy and kitten clubs at your local clinic, and you may find that you get a sign up pack with a free flea or worming treatment, and discounts off the cost of spay or neuter later on.

Nurse clinics

Nurse clinics are run by most practices to take some of the strain off the vets, and enable clients to get professional help and advice over minor issues without the need to pay for a consult with a veterinary surgeon.

Monitoring and managing your pet’s weight and getting help with a range of other ongoing issues can all be covered by nurses in many cases, and if you need help with tick removal or cutting your pet’s claws, these are usually covered in nurse clinics too-either for a small fee, or in some cases, free to registered customers.

The benefits of registering and annual health checks

Finally, one thing that is true of all clinics is that the fees they charge for their services in an emergency or out of hours are almost always higher for non-clients than clients that are registered with them, so register with your local clinic now, rather than waiting until you need something.

Some clinics even offer special incentives for registered clients who bring their pets in annually, such as discounts off the cost of out or hours or emergency fees on top of the general savings made through preventative healthcare. Additionally, if nurse clinics are free at your local practice, you will be expected to register there before you can use their services!