Walmart Adds New

Walmart Adds New Pet Care Services

by Polly Elliott

Pet adoption rates have soared during the pandemic, the multi-billion dollar pet business has gotten even hotter, and companies like Walmart have embraced the expanding market.

In 2019, Walmart dabbled in the industry, with Walmart PetRx offering both online veterinary prescriptions and in-store fulfillment of drugs you would typically take home from your veterinarian. They also offer preventatives, like flea and tick, in conjunction with a growing line of premium pet products starting to appear with the typical Walmart fare.

While you won't currently find a veterinary office onsite at all locations, it is likely coming to your local Walmart as time passes. There is a great deal of change in the pet aisle at Walmart, and the question is, should you add your pup's needs to the grocery list? After all, they are promoting it as "full-service" in some locations. Does this mean our dogs will be allowed in the stores?

We think the first thing to consider is that they are just getting started here. We have yet to see anything other than the typical grocery store fare in the dog food aisle. The pharmacy staff is currently primarily human-educated, so they will not have those great medication tips you will get from your vet or the vet tech handing you the meds. Things like make sure they eat first, make sure they have more potty opportunities. The "speak to the pharmacist" option really may have little value when you have canine-specific questions regarding the meds you are picking up, at least until they have licensed veterinary staff on site.

On the dog food topic, we suggest that you stay with your boutique pet stores, where you will also often find a level of guidance from knowledgeable staff. Again, "premium" pet food is still a highly debatable topic regarding the definition of premium; more expensive does not define quality.

Is it all about saving money? We did a little price investigating since the cost would likely be the main reason for purchasing your pet supplies from Walmart. The canine meds advertised on Walmart.com were similar in cost at the veterinary clinics we comparison shopped; we compared various medications, from maintenance meds to cancer drugs. Still, they were higher and on a few medicines, and considerably so. Like everything else, if you're budget-conscious, you will want to shop around, but there is considerable value in those canine-specific instructions you will come home from your vet with.

Walmart has also partnered with PetPlan health insurance, and we are very much proponents of dogs having health insurance. There is so much technology that can help our dogs lead better lives in today's world, but it can be expensive. All of the DU dogs are covered, although with a different company. Pet insurance is another topic that you will want to shop around for, and we noticed a large number of exclusions on the Walmart plan - check the details carefully. Lastly, on the Walmart topic, they have currently partnered with Rover. com for things like pet sitting, dog walking, etc... Rover.com offers over 300,000 providers in local communities across the country. As a partner, Walmart is offering a $20 gift card to their store when you complete your first service through Rover.com and an additional $20 gift card when you complete your 5th service within a 6-month window. If you are already a Rover.com customer, accessing their website via Walmart's partner link might offer a small return.

Change is inevitable in this current crazy world, and retail giants are taking leaps into the already booming pet industry. You can find almost anything on Amazon, and Chewy grows every day. Keep in mind that there are trusted faces at your local pet store, veterinarians who call your dog by name and offer warm pats on the head that you can't get via a laptop.