FAQs

UPC FAQ

1. Why should I sign-up for a pet care plan through Dogtopia and United Pet Care (UPC)?
   1. Dogtopia pet parents are eligible to receive an exclusive savings with United Pet Care. Instead of the standard $30 a month membership, Dogtopia pet parents may join at $25.99 a month per pet.
2. How does the pet care plan work with pet insurance?
   1. Your pet care plan can be used as a standalone savings plan or in conjunction with pet insurance.
3. Who are the Primary Care Veterinarians on United Pet Care?
   1. The veterinarians participating in United Pet Care are all private practitioners who meet professional qualification standards of veterinary medicine. UPC’s most important goal is to assure its members of the highest possible quality of care.
   2. You can find our most up-to-date list of participating vets here.
   3. If your veterinarian is not listed, call the United Pet Care office to find out how your veterinarian may join the provider network. UPC’s number is 602-266-5303.
4. What are the benefits of the pet care plan with Dogtopia and United Pet Care?
   1. Dogtopia pet parents are eligible to receive an exclusive savings with United Pet Care. Instead of the standard $30 a month membership, Dogtopia pet parents may join at $25.99 a month per pet.
      
      United Pet Care is different than an insurance company. It is a membership savings program. Because of that, its members receive major discounts on office visits, vaccinations, procedures, surgeries, medications, and so much more.
   2. In addition, our membership program has:
      1. NO claim forms
      2. NO deductibles
      3. NO exclusions due to pre-existing conditions, age, or hereditary/congenital conditions
      4. NO waiting period
      5. NO limit to the number of veterinary visits
   3. And best of all, the savings are immediate! The pet care plan discounts your bill at the time of service, which means more money in your pocket right away!
5. What exclusions does my vet have?
   1. If your veterinary office is offering a promotion or a special of any sort, you may elect to take advantage of their promotional price OR use your care plan discount off their regular pricing.
   2. Please Note: If your veterinarian sends out your lab work or radiology, it will not be eligible for the pet care plan savings.
6. Can I update my preferred veterinarian?
   1. Absolutely! You can make changes to your pet care plan within your Account section of the Dogtopia Shop or through United Pet Care’s website. If you can't log in, simply call UPC’s Member Services Department at 602-266-5303 and the change will come into effect on the first of the following month.
      
7. What is included in the discount at the vet?
   1. Wellness visits and routine care, vaccinations and parasite screenings, in-house labs and x-rays, sick visits, dental exams, allergy treatments, emergency care and hospitalizations, and cancer care.
8. What discount will I receive from the vet?
   1. In-network vets offer discounts from 20-50% off. You can see the discount offered by specific in network vetshere.
      
9. When will I be able to start using my benefits?
   1. Vet discount benefits begin on the 1st of the month following your subscription. If you subscribe on the 20th, they will begin on the 1st of the next month (10 days later).
      
      However, members will be able to access their additional perks as soon as they activate their UPC member portal (whiskerDocs, prescription savings, at-home test kits). Members will be able to access their additional perks as soon as they activate their UPC member portal. The vet discount will not begin until the 1st of the following month.
10. How do I modify my pet care plan?
    1. You may modify your membership by visiting the “My Account” section of the Dogtopia Shop. Having trouble accessing your account? Contact support@dogtopiashop.com.

24/7 Pet Helpline via whiskerDocs (Included in UPC subscription)

1. What is whiskerDocs?
   1. The first of its kind in the United States, whiskerDocs is an innovative company that provides 24-hour access to veterinary consultation services. They do not diagnose; but rather they help educate pet parents about the decisions they need to make on behalf of their pets (decision support).
2. How do I access the pet helpline?
   1. UPC subscribers can log into their UPC member portal and begin a session by clicking on “Pet Helpline”.
3. Is whiskerDocs staff available 24/7?
   1. Yes. The whiskerDocs team of veterinary technicians and veterinarians is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
4. Is whiskerDocs staffed with veterinarians exclusively?
   1. No. The whiskerDocs team is comprised of licensed veterinary technicians and licensed veterinarians. Your questions will be answered by licensed veterinary technicians who are specially trained in veterinary telehealth. That said, a veterinarian is always on call for escalated cases as deemed appropriate.
5. What kind of questions can whiskerDocs answer?
   1. Whether it’s an urgent or a casual question, whiskerDocs can help. Their pet experts have decades of experience, and are available any day, any time. They can handle almost any question, including emergencies, signs and symptoms, behavior, chronic condition management, general pet care from food to nail trimming, wellness advice from dental cleanings to vaccine schedules, medication information, complementary and alternative health care, financial guidance, and more. They help a pet parent decide on the appropriate action steps to take on behalf of their pet.
6. What is whiskerDocs unable to do?
   1. whiskerDocs is unable to give an exact diagnosis, prescribe medications or prescription diets, or prescribe a definite treatment for an animal’s condition.
7. Can whiskerDocs provide home care advice?
   1. Yes. whiskerDocs can provide home care advice when it’s believed that the home care steps are proper or adequate for the current complaint or issue.
8. Can whiskerDocs provide help during Emergency situations?
   1. Yes. whiskerDocs has a library of toxic thresholds and is well-educated on proper intervention protocols that can be used to help assess the severity of a situation. If home intervention is necessary to save a pet’s life, whiskerDocs will provide you with the proper protocol to follow. Please be aware that any situation that is determined to be an emergency will be referred to your local emergency hospital, as long as one is available, regardless of any supporting home intervention steps the team has provided.
9. Can whiskerDocs assist on pet behavior problems?
   1. Yes. whiskerDocs is able to provide behavioral advice to you, as long as possible medical causes for the behavior problem have been ruled out.
10. What general and wellness care advice can whiskerDocs provide?
    1. whiskerDocs veterinary experts are well-educated on current vaccine protocols, veterinary visit recommendations, preventative care protocols, and day-to-day care of pets in all life stages from babies to seniors. Further, many whiskerDocs telehealth specialists have completed an additional specialized training in NAVC Certified Pet Nutrition Coaching.

1. How can whiskerDocs provide support for animals with chronic conditions?
   1. whiskerDocs can help clarify treatment protocols, providing the time and attention that a primary veterinarian may not be able to provide. They can also provide education on proper follow up care, ways to improve conditions at home, and much more.
2. Can whiskerDocs provide prescriptions?
   1. At this time, veterinary practice law does not allow whiskerDocs to prescribe medications.
3. Can whiskerDocs authorize medication refills?
   1. No. whiskerDocs is not the prescribing veterinarian, and therefore cannot authorize refills.
4. Can whiskerDocs provide alternate treatment recommendations in cases where the primary veterinarian’s recommendation isn’t covered by my policy?
   1. whiskerDocs can provide additional information about various treatment protocols and educate you on other possible options, but only to educate you about things to discuss with your primary vet. Without having a direct doctor-patient relationship, it is impossible for whiskerDocs to suggest a treatment other than the one recommended by your primary vet.

Pet Prescription Savings Card (Included in UPC subscription)

1. What is the pharmacy savings card?
   1. It is a pharmacy savings program that provides millions of cardholders across the United States and Puerto Rico free access to affordable generic and brand medications. This is achieved by negotiating discounts with more than 67,000 participating pharmacies and pass those savings directly on to you.
      
      Even with these discounts, medication costs can vary greatly from store to store. An Online Pricing Tool has been developed that gathers and compares all available drug prices in your area and sorts local pharmacies from the lowest to highest price.
      
      The focus is to find ways to negotiate deeper discounts with pharmacies, so all individuals and their pets can afford the medications they need.
2. How does this program work?
   1. Obtain your free card through the link provided on your UPC member portal under 'Perks'. Choose ‘For People’ or 'For Pets' and there you can text, email, print or save to your phone.
      
      Use the Online Pricing Tool to find the pharmacy with the lowest price for your medications.
      
      Simply present your pharmacy savings card in physical or digital form at the pharmacy along with your prescription and pay the lower of your insurance copay, the cash price or the pharmacy savings card discounted price.
3. Who can use the card?
   1. The program can be used by every member of your family including pets. Everyone is eligible, with no income or age restrictions, and the program can save you money even if you have prescription benefits.
4. Who can benefit from the card?
   1. Everyone has the ability to save with the card, however those who meet any of the following criteria will gain the greatest discounts:
      
      - Those without insurance or prescription benefits.
      - Those with insurance who have generic copays higher than our discounted price.
      - Those who have insurance but have limitations like high deductibles, non-covered medications, high copayments or plan maximums (caps) on their benefits.
      - Those who do not want to submit medications under their current health insurance.
      - Those who are in their waiting period for healthcare coverage.
5. How can you enroll for the pharmacy savings card?
   1. The card provides free access to discounts with no registration or activation required. Simply click "Get Your Free Card Now" and search for prescription prices using the Online Pricing Tool then show your pharmacy savings card at the best pharmacy and save.
6. Does the card work for Over-The-Counter medications?
   1. Yes, if you have a valid prescription for the OTC and the drug is an FDA approved medication.
7. Do I have to pay a fee to participate?
   1. No, there are no additional fees. Just take this Free Card along with your prescription and pay the amount owed for your medication at the pharmacy to receive your savings.
8. Can I combine the pharmacy savings card discounts with another form of payment?
   1. No, the pharmacy savings card cannot be combined with any other insurance, copay cards, manufacturer coupons, government subsidized program, or any other secondary payer. Tell your pharmacy to run the pharmacy savings card as the primary form of payment for your medication(s). If you have any form of prescription benefits, ask your pharmacy to compare it to the pharmacy savings card price.
9. Can the pharmacy savings pet card be used for all pet prescriptions?
   1. The pharmacy savings pet card can only be used for pet prescriptions that have a human equivalent. You must have a valid prescription written by a veterinarian or other animal licensed care provider. Our program does not work for pet specific prescriptions e.g., heartworm medication).

MySimplePetLab Home Health Tests FAQ (Included in UPC Subscription)

1. What are my savings as a UPC pet care plan member?
   1. Pet care plan members save $25 on every pet test they order through their member portal.
2. Who is MySimplePetLab?
   1. Designed by veterinarians for vets, pets, and pet parents alike. MySimplePetLab is a leader in distributed pet care testing and results. It provides the tests, technology, lab, operations, and results to deliver simple pet care from home and/or in clinic.
3. How does it work?
   1. Simply activate your test on their website, collect samples, and mail from any mailbox or post office (includes pre-paid return envelope). You will be notified when the samples arrive at the lab to be processed and then notified again when results are ready. We encourage you to share your results with your veterinarian using the AutoShare function.
4. Is a vet visit required?
   1. No, a veterinary exam, prescription, consultation, or relationship is NOT required to purchase the test, submit a sample, or get results. However, we do encourage you to share your results with your veterinarian in case a follow up visit is necessary.
5. Are tests vet approved?
   1. Yes. Simply put, pet owners now have direct access to some of the same professional tests as vets. The types of tests available through MySimplePetLab are recommended, performed, analyzed, and acted upon by veterinarians every day.
      
      There is no guarantee that your MSPL test will be accepted by your vet. Your vet may require additional and/or repeated testing based on the test results. Any additional testing is the responsibility of the pet parent.
6. How can I get help with my order?
   1. You can call 833-738-8378, email hello@mysimplepetlab.com, or use the chat function on www.mysimplepetlab.com.