Creating a Health Plan for Your Puppy

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 22 December, 2022

Your pets are part of the family. In the same way you have health insurance for your family, it’s important to make a health plan for your puppy as well.

The best way to take care of your puppy is with prevention. When deciding to have a pet in the family, you want to make sure to pay attention to his health. In fact, it’s especially true for the first few months of life.

What is a puppy health plan?

Just as we have medical policies and services, it’s important to do that with your puppy too. A health plan for your puppy is a package of services that you use to take care of your animal.

This is very important in the first months, which is the most expensive time. For example, your puppy will need vaccinations and deworming protocols in this period.

This health plan makes a contract with the vet, which can be an annual payment or a monthly fee. However, payment depends on the vet you choose. Either way, it focuses on disease prevention and improving your pet’s quality of life.

Making a health plan with your puppy benefits both him and your wallet. It’s important to choose an affordable plan that best suits your pet’s needs.

In fact, having this plan in place will give you peace of mind for your pet’s health. At this stage of life, it’s important to have a vet service that can detect problems in time.

What should you look for in a health plan for your puppy?

There are some basic aspects you should consider when making a health plan for your pet’s life:

• Essentially, the health plan should include the complete vaccination schedule. For example, it should include vaccinations for distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, and canine adenovirus.
• Rabies shots, which also needs a vaccination schedule.
• Yearly checkups, both for specific problems and overall health.
• Puppy dental care. This is very important – make sure you schedule dental checkups and cleaning.
• Deworming plans. In fact, this includes both internal (gastrointestinal, heart and lung parasites) and external (fleas, ticks, etc.)
• Puppy microchip

Additionally, if you have the money, we recommend a plan that includes lab tests, medication and adequate food.

Choosing a veterinary clinic

It’s important to choose a quality center and to compare costs. There are many differences between clinics and vet centers. Therefore, don’t get carried away by factors like closeness, possible friendships, etc.

In addition, other things that can influence your choice are the optional services that each center has. Often, there might be offers and discounts. However, the quality of service is the most important thing, which directly affects your puppy’s health.

Factors to consider when choosing a vet

An additional service that can be very useful is nutritional consultations. The health of your pet largely depends on a good diet and weight control.

Another element to take into account when getting a pet is reproduction. In other words, do you want your dog to breed or do you want your puppy to be spayed or neutered? Therefore, getting good advice will help you decide what’s best for you and your puppy.

Also, a consultation in the first few months is essential, since it’s the one that has to do with behavior. Advice on how to train your dog and get the right behavior is essential at this stage.

Everything related to education and socialization is crucial when making a health plan for your puppy. Taking these steps early on will impact your pet’s future.