Most dog and cat lovers agree that their pet is a family member — and that they would spend whatever it takes to keep their pet healthy and happy. According to a Synchrony Bank study, the lifetime costs to care for a pet range from $20,000 to $55,000 for a dog and $15,000 to $45,000 for a cat. Within the first year of a cat or dog’s life, the expenses can be as high as $2,800. So how can you raise a pet without going broke? One option is to use Walmart Pet Care’s offerings.
Launched in November 2020, the Walmart Pet Care program was developed during the pandemic to help new pet owners save money on their pet care needs. Over the last two years, Walmart has combined their Pet Rx pharmacy with partnered services from Rover and The Dodo to bring you deep discounts on everything for your pet.
Here’s everything you gotta know about the Walmart Pet Care program and how much it can save you on pet health insurance, food, medicine, pet sitting, and more.
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1. Pet insurance through Walmart Pet Care starts at $20.16 a month for puppies.
With Walmart Pet Care, you get access to Fetch pet insurance to help cover the cost of accidents, injuries, illness, and even exam fees for your pet. You’ll have to pay up front for your vet visit, but then you get reimbursed for up to 90% of the cost.
Your monthly cost for pet insurance through Walmart can vary depending on the age and breed of your pet and where you live. But on average, expect to pay about $25 per month for cats or $35 per month for dogs. The cheapest I’ve seen is $20.16 a month for small dogs up to a year old. To see how much it’ll cost for your pet, get a pet insurance quote like I got for my 1-year-old Boston terrier mix.
Here’s what you can expect to pay for Walmart Pet Care insurance compared to the competition, with a reimbursement of 90%:
Why get pet insurance, anyway?
According to a Forbes Advisor study, due to inflation, 45% of pet owners said a surprise vet bill of $999 would make them go into debt.
Here’s a quick look at what pet insurance can help cover, based on average cost figures from PetInsuranceReview.com:
- Diagnostic Tests (CBC, biopsy, urinalysis): $125 – $400
- Medications to Treat Illnesses: $250 – $15,000
- Treatment for Skin Conditions: $390
- Vet Clinic Boarding: $500 – $4,000
If your pet requires any of these services, you could be looking at thousands of dollars in vet bills if you don’t have pet insurance.
Note: Since every pet and situation is unique, your costs and savings will vary from ours.
Save 10% on the first year of Walmart pet insurance when you sign up.
When signing up a new pet with Walmart pet insurance, you can save 10% on your annual policy. For example, the cost for my dog Annie would typically be $37.95 per month with Fetch pet insurance through Walmart. However, they offered 10% off the policy, making the cost of insuring Annie $34.16 a month, or $409.92 for the year — a savings of $45.60.
2. Walmart pet insurance costs more the older and larger your pet is.
With Walmart Pet Care, the smaller and younger your dog is, the less you’ll pay for pet insurance through Fetch. While it’s not too expensive for younger pets, once they get to double digits, you’ll start paying over $100 a month.
TIP: The older your pet is, the more expensive coverage will be from any pet insurance company, not just with Walmart’s partner Fetch.
Here’s a look at what it’ll run you every month based on the size and age of your dog with Fetch pet insurance through Walmart:
3. Walmart pet insurance covers vet exam fees for sick visits; other policies don’t.
According to CanineJournal.com, the cost of a sick visit to the vet is $45 – $65, which doesn’t include expenses for treating the injury or illness. Fetch by The Dodo pet insurance through Walmart includes these costs in your policy, while other insurance companies just offer it as an add-on.
For example, if you opt for Figo pet insurance and want to add coverage for vet exam fees, you’d need to tack on $6.13 per month on top of their $31.76 monthly fee.
Additional perks included with Walmart’s pet insurance:
- Get up to $1,000 per year for virtual vet visits, which can be via text, email, call, or video.
- Get up to $1,000 per year for lost pet advertising and rewards.
Related: Check out our list of all the best pet-friendly stores.
4. But you won’t get a multi-pet discount with Walmart Pet Care’s insurance.
While Walmart Pet Care’s pet insurance has unique coverage, it’s not perfect. There’s no multi-pet discount, which is a fairly common offering from other pet insurance companies as a way for pet parents to save while protecting the health of their pets.
5. Book Rover dog walking or pet sitting through Walmart Pet Care for $40 in free gift cards.
Walmart Pet Care offers perks if you use Rover’s dog-walking and pet-sitting services. When you sign up for Rover through Walmart Pet Care, you get a $20 Walmart gift card for booking by April 30, 2023, plus another $20 gift card if you complete five bookings by that date. And it’s totally free to sign up.
Basically, those free gift cards could cover an overnight dog-sitting session (usually $35 – $100) or even a couple of walks ($15 – $30).
6. Walmart PetRx with AutoShip beats the competition by at least $7.
With the Walmart Pet Rx program, you can fill your dogs’ and cats’ prescriptions and choose AutoShip for automatic reorders. The overall prices are lower than competitors like PetMeds, Costco, and Chewy.com.
For example, here’s a price comparison on a 30-count order of 100nmg Rimadyl chewable tablets:
- Walmart Pet Rx: $37.66 and free shipping (get 30% off your first order, plus 5% off future orders with AutoShip)
- Costco Pharmacy (pickup only): $44.21
- PetMeds: $50.60 (save up to 35% on the first delivery and 5% on future deliveries)
- Chewy.com: $50.60 (save 35% on your first delivery and 5% on future deliveries with AutoShip)
7. Browse deals on pet food, supplies, and more for up to 50% off.
On the Walmart Pet Care site, under the Savings tab, you’ll find their deepest discounts on pet items like food, kitty litter, toys, carrier bags, and more.
Recently, I found a $70 cat tree and scratching post for just $36.88.
8. You don’t need to be a Walmart Plus member to use Walmart Pet Care services.
You don’t have to be a Walmart+ member to access or use Walmart Pet Care services or to get a Fetch pet insurance policy.
Have you used Walmart Pet Care for your furry friend? How was your experience? Drop a comment below and share it with the KCL community!
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