Caring for a pet is expensive. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the cost of raising a dog is about $1,400 a year. And that’s on top of the $1,800 in onetime costs for the first year of a dog’s life. If you consider the average lifespan of a dog is 10 – 13 years, we’re talking about $14,000 – $18,200 over a pet’s lifetime. To help make taking care of a pet easier and more affordable, Petco introduced their Vital Care subscription pet care program in 2020.
Vital Care offers pet parents several benefits worth looking at. Here’s everything you need to know about Petco Vital Care and what it covers.
An important note: Vital Care covers basic pet needs and is not pet insurance.
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1. Petco is the only retailer with a wellness plan — called Petco Vital Care.
If you’re looking for a pet wellness program from one of the major pet stores, the only option you have right now is Petco Vital Care. While there are alternatives to Petco’s Vital Care, PetSmart and Pet Supplies Plus do not offer a paid membership for pet wellness needs.
2. Petco Vital Care costs $9.99 – $19.99 a month, depending on the type of pet you enroll.
Petco Vital Care plans for cats and dogs cost $19.99 a month, or about $240 a year (plus tax). Plans that cover fish, small pets, reptiles, and birds cost $9.99 a month, or $119.88 a year.
You can enroll on Petco.com, sign up in the Petco app (iOS / Android), or text VITAL to 79949.
Once you enroll in Vital Care, you’re also automatically signed up for Pals Rewards, Petco’s loyalty program.
TIP: Petco charges tax on their Vital Care plan. Since we can’t list the taxes for every state, it’s up to you to add on your respective tax to our Vital Care estimates.
3. Check out what you get with Vital Care and Pals Rewards.
Over the last couple of years, Petco has changed and added a few benefits to their Vital Care plan, but the cost of the plan has only increased by $0.99. Depending on the type of pet you have, your benefits may be slightly different, but the plan is pretty straightforward across the board. Here’s what it includes for each plan type.
Vital Care Benefits for Cats and Dogs:
- 10% off any brand of dry, wet, fresh, or frozen food
- Extra 5% off food when you sign up for Repeat Delivery
- $20 off service on Rover.com (onetime use)
- $15 Pals Rewards every month to use on any health and wellness needs (a total of $180 per year)
- $20 Pals Rewards for all routine exams at the vet of your choice OR unlimited routine exams at participating Vetco Total Care locations
- For dogs only: 20% off every grooming service, including nail trim, deep cleaning shampoo, haircut, and 15-minute brush out
- For cats only: 20% off cat litter
Vital Care Benefits for Fish, Small Pets, Reptiles & Birds:
- 20% off all supplies
- 20% off all nutrition
- Extra 5% off food and supplies when you sign up for Repeat Delivery
- 20% off additional small pets, fish, birds, or reptiles
- $5 Pals Rewards every month to use on their health and wellness needs (a total of $60 per year)
Pals Rewards Benefits for All Pets
- 5% cash back on all of your Petco purchases ($1 spent = 1 point)
- Exclusive coupons and promos
- Spend your rewards like cash at Petco
Related: Use our hacks to save on pet supplies, no matter where you shop.
4. Once you factor in the Pals Rewards you get back, the cost of Vital Care is around $5 a month.
The yearly cost of a Vital Care plan — $240 for cats and dogs, or $120 for smaller pets — may give you sticker shock, and that’s understandable. But you also need to factor in the benefits that come in the form of Pals Rewards every month to determine if it’s worth it for you. Here’s the full breakdown when you factor in the Pals Rewards you get back each month.
For Dogs and Cats:
- Vital Care Cost: $240 a year
- Pals Rewards: $180 a year
- Final Cost: $60 a year
For Other Pets:
- Vital Care Cost: $119.88 a year
- Pals Rewards: $60 a year
- Final Cost: $59.88 a year
So after factoring in the Pals Rewards you get, you’re only paying about $5 a month for Vital Care.
5. You can save $10 a month on Petco services with Vital Care.
Another way to see whether you are getting your money’s worth with the Petco Vital Care plan is to calculate its value based on the discounts you get for grooming and other services. For example:
Cost of Petco Services Without Vital Care:
- One nail trim a month: $12, or $144 a year
- One bath every three months: $30, or $120 a year (starting bath price for medium-size dog)
- Vet exams per year: $70 a year
- Total cost: $334 a year
Cost of Petco Services With Vital Care:
- One nail trim a month: $9.60, or $115.20 a year
- One bath every three months: $25, or $96 a year (starting bath price for medium-size dog)
- Vet exams per year: free unlimited visits
- Total cost: $211.20 a year
Vital Care Savings: $10.23 a month, or $122.80 a year
6. Enrolling additional pets in the Petco Vital Care program can save you even more.
When you enroll more than one pet, you can save $2 per pet, per month (or $24 a year per pet) with the Vital Care multipet discount. Here’s a look at what it would cost for two pets:
- Multiple dogs and cats: $17.99 a month per pet, or $431.76 a year for both pets
- Fish, small pets, reptiles, and birds: $7.99 a month per pet, or $191.76 a year for both pets
7. Don’t sign up for Vital Care if you don’t like commitment.
Like many other subscription services, you have to commit for an entire year. You can cancel at any time, but Petco will continue charging you until the 12-month commitment is done.
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