Does my dog really need Banfield veterinarians?

[Sinadrea]

I've used Banfield vet for my dog for five years and I have been paying $80 per month, but I'm wondering if my dog really needs this monthly membership? I still have to pay for services and operations at Banfield, and it would be better if the monthly $80 made everything there free like a club membership of some sort.

What are your opinions? What type of vet do you use for your dog?

I would say it's only beneficial if they're older and need more treatments such as xrays or minor joint treatments. Dental was useful also. I used it for 2 dogs and a cat but it end up getting expensive!
I moved to a rural area and its a lot cheaper to not pay a monthly fee if they just need annual shots. The vet takes care of both livestock and house pets.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Thanks for all your insightful advice!

I'm no longer renewing my Banfield veterinarian membership that charges $80 a month (not including fees for surgeries and treatments). I realized that I was being scammed this whole time.

My 9 year old dog is an INDOOR dog. He goes to the bathroom in our bathroom on dog pads. We do not let him go outside in order to avoid diseases and parasites (which is how I lost my first dog). He stays indoor with my cat. Does my dog really need $160 Simparica Trio medication that prevents heartworm medicine, even though he stays indoors ALL the time? Will a flea collar suffice? Also, my indoor 5 year old cat just wears a flea collar and she has never gotten heartworms.

What are your opinions?

Sorry to hear about your first dog. May I ask what happened? Diseases/parasites from the outdoors are mostly preventable and treatable in dogs these days.

Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes. My vet advises that I give heartworm preventative any time mosquitoes are active (this includes unusually warm days in the winter - they can come inside too!). If I were you I'd continue heartworm and flea treatments at least in the warmer months, but that's just me. There are much cheaper heartworm and flea preventatives out there. But you don't want to get the cheap stuff that doesn't work, so ask a vet beforehand to get an idea of what works and what doesn't in your area.

 

[AinaWGSD]

I highly doubt they are scamming you, it sounds like you just don't understand what the "membership" benefits are. They should have no problem explaining what expenses that $80 goes towards and why they think you should consider it to be worth paying. That said, I personally prefer not to use corporate vet offices. The veterinarians' are somewhat limited on what treatment options they can offer because they are bound by corporate policies. Versus a privately owned vet clinic where vets are free to make their own decisions on treatment protocols.

Does my dog really need $160 Simparica Trio medication that prevents heartworm medicine, even though he stays indoors ALL the time? Will a flea collar suffice? Also, my indoor 5 year old cat just wears a flea collar and she has never gotten heartworms.

What are your opinions?

Yes. Maybe not Simparica specifically, but all dogs should be on flea and heartworm preventative. Even if they don't go outside, mosquitoes (which transmit heartworms) and fleas can still get in your house and affect your dog's health. Flea collars are ineffective. Not only have the pesticides in flea collars been around forever, meaning fleas have had decades (longer than I've been alive) to develop resistance but they kill fleas by contact and fleas can easily avoid your dog's neck. Want to talk about a waste of money? Flea collars are quite literally throwing your money away on something that studies have long ago proven do not work.

Cats don't typically get heartworm the same way dogs do. Most of the time when heartworm is found in cats its an incidental finding and not the cause of death. Fleas do not cause heartworm, heartworm is transmitted through mosquitoes. A topical flea medication is still important for cats, even indoor only cats. Again, flea collars don't work and are a waste of money. They only persist because when they were introduced in 1964 fleas hadn't yet developed a resistance to them and they were the most effective option at the time. They're cheap compared to other flea treatments, until you have to pay through the nose to get rid of a flea infestation in your house.

 

[MROO]

The only time I'd consider a Banfield-type vet is with a brand new puppy. My Mom did, and got her pup's shots and neutering at a significant discount. After his first birthday, she switched to a regular vet and has never regretted the decision.

 

[Squawkers]

I personally think too much stress is put on flea and heart worm medications. I know heart worms are deadly and not to be messed with, but I only give my dog heart worm medication during the spring and summer, and I don’t do it straight through. It takes heart worms about six months do show up on heart worm tests or do any damage. So I’m not worried about their being time in between doses. Stinky did bring up a good point about mosquitoes coming in the house, so yeah I could see it still being a good idea to do it in the summer. I also think it depends a lot on your climate. I feel like dryer climates have less of a problem with mosquitoes and fleas in general. Not to argue with anyone, I just personally wouldn’t give preventatives year round (unless maybe you live in a super humid climate) even with a dog that goes outside.