Banfield Pet Hospital, My Fur Baby & a #GIVEAWAY {#sponsored}

Disclosure - I was provided with Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plan® and ProHeart® 6, by Banfield Pet Hospital, which has also provided the information and giveaway. The dog and opinions expressed are my own ;-)

Even though I primarily talk about food and my kids, every once in a while I share stuff about my fur babies as well. Today I wanted to share with you my most spoiled rotten little dog...

Talk about a mess. This dog is completely spoiled and an absolute lap dog. Unless his Rottweiler personality takes over....then he is ferocious (so he thinks). He is part of our family and we love his little demanding self dearly. That's why his health is very important, and heartworm prevention is at the top of that list. 

That's where Banfield Pet Hospital comes in. If you have pets, you know vet visits can get pretty expensive; especially if you have one like Currituck here, who at 6 months old had to have emergency surgery due to an intestinal blockage because he eats EVERYTHING. (Story for another day!) Banfield is the only pet hospital that I've come across that has an Optimum Wellness Plan®. With their plans, office visits are FREE and I was shocked (and pleased) at everything that is included under the plans. Many include annual heartworm testing  which can be administered during a routine office visit. (Go here -Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plan® to learn more about the plans offered.) Plans can be customized based on the needs of the individual pet, and combine physical exams, routinely recommended vaccinations and screenings, unlimited free office visits, service discounts and more into one affordable veterinary care package.

Banfield believes in preventive veterinary care as the best way to improve the quality and longevity of a pet’s life by reducing the risk of developing serious, costly and sometimes fatal diseases (such as heartworm disease). I can't say that my dog sings the praises of Banfield as much as I do. He has a lot of anxiety when at the vet (or when anything disrupts his regular routine!)

But I have to say the veterinarian and her technician did a great job at making him as comfortable as possible. He absolutely hates getting his nails trimmed, to the point that I don't even attempt it at home anymore. They snuggled him in a blanket and worked together to get the job done. Even when he acted like he was going to take someone's hand off!

His 'pedicure'. (That's how it was listed on the receipt! Made me laugh.)

This was one of the best parts of the entire visit. Not that he had a shot, but the fact that the ONE shot provides SIX MONTHS of heartworm prevention! It's called ProHeart® 6 and is an injectable heartworm preventive that can be prescribed to healthy dogs over the age of 6 months and delivers six months of protection in a single dose. I LOVE this because now I don't have to think about it for SIX months! 

Having to remember to give the dogs their other heartworm pill every month was a source of stress for me, because it was just one more (very important!) thing I had to keep up with. ProHeart® 6 can protect dogs from dangerous heartworm disease by preventing immature worms from maturing into adults that cause damage in the pet’s heart. Treatment of heartworm disease is difficult and painful for the dog, as well as expensive for the pet owner. (Just remember that before a pet can start on heartworm preventive, he/she needs to be tested to make sure they are free of adult heartworms, this is done through a quick, simple blood test.) If interested, here is a video on How to Protect Your Pet From Heartworm Disease. 

**If you are interested in trying ProHeart® 6, here is a link to a coupon for $10 off a 6-month injectable heartworm preventive. Also, if you would like to request an Banfield Pet Hospital appointment online, go here. 

GIVEAWAY time!

Banfield Pet Hospital has agreed to provide one giveaway winner with a free office visit at their nearest Banfield Pet Hospital for their dog to receive a free heartworm test and free 6-months of Proheart® 6. (You and your dog just need to be a U.S. resident and have a physical mailing address, no P.O. boxes). That would save you a good chunk of cash that you can spend on something else. Like chew toys. Or dog food. Or sweaters :-)

Just enter via the rafflecopter form! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One last thing - 

Banfield will donate $1 per reader comment (up to 100 comments) to Banfield Charitable Trust (once the giveaway has concluded). Banfield Charitable Trust is a donor-supported non-profit whose mission it is to preserve the human animal bond by keeping pets with their families who love them. Each year, BCT helps 100,000 struggling families through seven programs ranging from life-saving emergency care to assistance with pet food or other urgent pet care needs.