Free Vaccines For Life program

We believe it is very important for all pets to have regular physical exams.  Unlike us, pets often give no indication that there is anything wrong until a problem is advanced and more difficult to treat.  Annual preventive care visits give us the opportunity to give your pet a thorough physical exam, look for subtle changes, talk about your pet’s lifestyle, and answer any questions you have.

To emphasize the importance of yearly check-ups, we offer a Free Vaccines for Life Program, a simple, cost-effective plan to give your pet the regular and personalized care they deserve.  We follow the vaccination recommendations of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) to tailor our vaccination protocol based on your pet’s lifestyle.

How does it work?

For each pet you wish to enroll, there is a one-time enrollment fee for dogs and cats, along with a paid wellness exam every year (or every month if it is a puppy/kitten.  See more info on that below). After enrollment, your pet will receive all their core vaccines for free for the rest of their life, as long as they are brought to Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic within 30 days of their scheduled wellness exam.
The enrollment fee is per pet, not per client, and is non-refundable and not transferable.  If your pet is lost or passes away, the enrollment cannot be transferred to a new pet.  Likewise, if you rehome your pet, it is not transferable to the new owner.

What vaccines are included?

For dogs, the core vaccines include Rabies, DHPP (distemper, parvo, hepatitis/adenovirus, and parainfluenza), Leptospirosis, and Bordetella (kennel cough). For adult dogs starting a Leptospirosis regimen, there is a one-time charge for the Leptospirosis booster but no exam charge at the time of the booster. After that, all Leptospirosis vaccines are free.

The Lyme vaccine is not included in this program because it isn’t considered a core vaccine by the AVMA.  This vaccine is still very important for those dogs at risk (which is really any dog in Wisconsin), so we provide a 50% discount for pets enrolled in the program. Influenza is also not included, but recommended for dogs who travel, and spend time in daycares, dog parks, or boarding facilities (some boarding facilities now require this vaccine).

For cats, core vaccines include Rabies and FVRCP (rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia).  While feline leukemia isn't a core vaccine, it is included in the FVFL program for kittens and at-risk adult cats.

Will my pets get vaccines every year?

It depends.  Each pet will have a full physical exam and we will discuss with you which vaccines your pet needs. Not all vaccines are given on a yearly basis.  If a pet is in poor health or has a condition that prohibits the use of vaccines, the veterinarian may delay or not give vaccines.

This program should NOT be interpreted as a way to excessively vaccinate your pet as our philosophy is to give only vaccines warranted by the pet’s age and lifestyle.  

Will my pet need a wellness exam every year, even if no vaccines are due?

Yes.  To stay enrolled in the program, your pet will need to have a yearly wellness exam performed at Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic.  Wellness visits at any other veterinary clinic do not fulfill the requirement to stay enrolled in Free Vaccines For Life.  Medical or sick pet exams at a different time, even if in the same month as the wellness exam, do NOT fulfill the wellness exam requirement.

What if we are late for our wellness visit?

In order to make this program useful to you and your pet, we must see your pet within a month of the wellness exam due date.  If you do not come in for a wellness exam within that time frame, then your policy becomes null and void.  If this happens you may either purchase vaccines and wellness exams individually from that time on or you may re-enroll in the program if it is still available.

Please do not rely solely on your courtesy text and/or email reminders, as Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic cannot be held responsible for its non-arrival at your phone number or email address.  To make it easier for you to keep track of when your pet is due for the yearly wellness exam or any vaccine, you can forward book your exam for next year and we will send you reminders to confirm that appointment.

What about puppies and kittens?

Puppies and kittens require vaccinations every 4 weeks until they are 16-20 weeks of age.  You are welcome to enroll your new pet in the program at their first visit.  You would then just pay a wellness exam price at each visit and get all the required vaccinations for free and your pet would remain enrolled for the rest of its life!  All vaccines in the puppy/kitten series need to be given in a timely fashion to be effective. You will need to return for the next boosters within 4 weeks to continue to be enrolled in the program. 

If you have any questions about this program, please call us at (608) 819-6750 or send us an email (staff@fourlakesvet.com).