Things we'd actually recommend to a friend whose pet just came back from the vet. Every category here came up repeatedly while we were building VetLens — the questions people ask after they see something in their pet's records.
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If we could tell every VetLens user one thing before they upload their first document, it's this: get insurance before something shows up. Most plans exclude pre-existing conditions from day one — which means the moment you have a reason to want it, it's often too late to get full coverage.
We point US users toward Odie. The accident and illness coverage is comprehensive, the claims process is straightforward, and they don't have the breed exclusions that catch people off guard with other providers. UK users we send to Waggel — same logic, built for the UK market. The quote is free and takes about two minutes.
→ Odie — get a free quoteWellness plans are a different product — and easy to confuse with insurance. Where accident and illness insurance reimburses you when something unexpected happens, a wellness plan covers the routine things you know you'll spend money on every year: annual exams, core vaccines, flea and tick prevention, heartworm testing, and in some cases dental cleanings or microchipping.
The math works if you're already paying for all of those things out of pocket — bundling them into a monthly plan can break even or save you money, and it makes the costs predictable. It doesn't help with emergencies or illness, so most people who get a wellness plan also carry accident and illness insurance separately. Odie offers both.
→ Odie — see wellness plansDutch is worth knowing about for two specific situations: when you need a prescription filled and your vet can't see you for two weeks, and when you have a non-urgent question you'd rather pay to get answered properly than google at midnight.
They're licensed in all 50 states and can actually write and fill prescriptions — most telehealth services can't. Anxiety medication, flea and tick prevention, skin treatments — prescribed online and shipped to your door. Not a substitute for hands-on care when your pet genuinely needs it, but a genuinely useful option for the gap. Use code PETS30 for 30% off.
→ Dutch — talk to a licensed vetThe case for fresh food isn't complicated: real ingredients, no fillers, portioned to your pet's actual weight and activity level. The difference tends to show up in coat quality and digestion — two things that come up often in the records we see.
For dogs, we'd suggest Spot & Tango — USDA-grade meat, no artificial preservatives, vet-formulated recipes, delivered weekly based on your dog's profile. For cats, Smalls is the equivalent: human-grade ingredients, recipes developed with veterinary nutritionists, and a format cats actually eat consistently. Worth trying for either if you've had recurring GI issues, unexplained weight changes, or just want to reduce variables in their diet.
If a weekly fresh delivery feels like too much to manage, frozen is a clean middle ground. Gently cooked and frozen — so none of the raw food handling concerns — with a short ingredient list and real proteins. Better than standard kibble for most pets without overhauling your routine.
Evermore is what we'd recommend here. They make food for both dogs and cats, which is useful if you have both and want to simplify what you're buying. Simple formulas, minimal processing, ingredients are what they say they are. Keep it in the freezer and thaw portions as needed — simpler than it sounds.
→ Evermore — shop frozen mealsOne thing we want to be direct about: supplements don't treat or prevent disease. If you see a product claiming otherwise, that's a flag. What they can do is support general wellness — joint mobility in older dogs, skin and coat health, digestive balance — and there's reasonable evidence for some of these uses.
If you're going to add something to your pet's routine, Zesty Paws is the brand we'd suggest starting with. Straightforward formulations, third-party tested, and the omega and multivitamin lines are where most pets see the clearest benefit. Check with your vet before adding anything if your pet is already on prescription medication.
→ Zesty Paws — shop supplementsMost useful if your dog's breed is unknown or mixed — which matters more than it sounds. Certain breeds carry meaningfully higher risk for specific conditions: DCM in large breeds, IVDD in long-backed dogs, brachycephalic complications in flat-faced ones. Knowing the mix helps your vet decide what to screen for and helps you understand what to watch for as they age.
EasyDNA's breed test covers 350+ breeds from a simple cheek swab, results in 2–3 weeks. They also offer hereditary health screening panels if you want to go deeper than breed identification.
They also do allergy and sensitivity testing — worth knowing about if your pet has chronic skin issues, recurring ear infections, or digestive problems that haven't responded to standard treatment and you're trying to narrow down triggers.
One honest caveat: at-home allergy tests for pets aren't validated to the same standard as clinical testing. They can produce false positives, and they don't reliably distinguish between a true allergy and a sensitivity or intolerance. The proper diagnostic route for food allergies is a vet-supervised elimination diet; for environmental allergies, intradermal testing by a veterinary dermatologist. That said, an at-home test can give you a reasonable starting hypothesis to bring to your vet — just don't treat the results as definitive without confirming them clinically.
Nothing on this page is a substitute for veterinary advice. If your pet needs urgent care, contact your vet or an emergency clinic directly.