Vets Near Me > Alberta > Calgary > VCA Canada 17th Avenue Animal Hospital

VCA Canada 17th Avenue Animal Hospital

4.4
233 17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2S 0A4, Canada

Best Pet Insurance in Calgary, Alberta 2025

Hours:

Monday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Thursday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at VCA Canada 17th Avenue Animal Hospital

Schedule Regular Vet Visits

One of the best ways to save on vet bills is to prevent expensive health issues before they develop. By scheduling regular wellness checkups, your vet can detect health issues early, helping you to avoid costly treatments and surgeries down the road.

Price Shop for Pet Prescriptions

Oftentimes our fur babies are prescribed human drugs off-label. Your vet is apt to charge more for these medications than you would pay at your local pharmacy. In fact, big-box or chain pharmacies can offer steep discounts. So it’s best to price shop.

Pet Insurance

Most pet insurance providers will pay between 80% and 90% of the vet bill. You can even get coverage for routine care and things like vaccinations and dental cleanings. If you do the math, you’ll most likely find that pet insurance makes financial sense in the long run as well as gives you peace of mind.

How Do You Choose the Right Pet Insurance Provider?

Pet Insurance Review makes it incredibly easy for pet parents to select an insurance provider they feel good about. You can use our handy comparison tool to get the gist of what a company offers. We’ve also collected over 150,000 reviews of insurance companies from real pet parents like you to rank the top providers in the market. Here is the current ranking of each:

Top Pet Insurance Providers of 2025
Rating Provider Total Review
4.9 Fetch Canada 166
4.9 Furkin 348
4.1 Pets Plus Us 862
4.3 PHI Direct 31
4.8 Spot Canada 149
4.8 Trupanion Canada 25,888
1.0 Desjardins 1
5.0 OVMA 1
3.3 Peppermint 3
2.5 Petsecure 226
0.0 Sonnet 0

Or, you can simply get a fast quote from multiple providers and go from there.

Thinking of insuring your pet?

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Getting to Know Your New Vet: Essential Questions to Ask

Choosing a new veterinarian is an important decision for any pet owner. You want to find someone who is competent, compassionate, and a good fit for you and your fur baby. To help you get the most out of your first appointment, here's a list of essential questions to ask your new vet:

Tell me about your experience with [pet type].

Different vets have different areas of specialization. Some are experts with cats, some dogs, some pocket pets, and some horses. Knowing that your vet has vast experience treating your specific type of pet can bring you peace of mind.

How do you handle emergencies?

You must know what to do in case of a pet medical emergency. Inquire what after-hours policy the clinic has, whether they have on-site emergency care available, and if they have a relationship with any nearby emergency animal hospitals.

How do you communicate with pet owners?

Good communication is key to building a trusting relationship with your vet. Ask how they prefer to communicate (phone calls, emails, online portal) and how often you can expect to hear from them.

Are there any breed-specific health concerns I should be aware of?

Some breeds are predisposed to certain health conditions. Knowing what to watch out for can help you catch problems early and get your pet the treatment they need.

Do you have any questions for me about my pet?

This is a great question to ask because the answer will show that the vet is interested in getting to know your pet as an individual and is willing to listen to your concerns.

Bonus question: Can I take a tour of your facility?

Getting a feel for the clinic's environment can help you and your pet feel more comfortable during your visits. Remember, you’re not just looking for a veterinarian, you’re looking for a partnership. Do not be afraid to ask these questions and any others you can think of. Any vet worth their salt will be happy to answer them. Because the more informed you are, the better equipped you'll be to make decisions about your pet's care! And that should be every vet’s top priority.

Reviews from Google

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Trena Laine

Knowledgeable and accomodating! We've always had great experience with our cats, no matter their ages. Transparency is key for us and have been in weird situations where other vets have just expected us to pay for a non mentioned blood work assessment, VCA has always been gracious in providing options, suggestions, approx quotes/costs to make an educated decision on whats best for our cats. Highly suggest this place.

Allan Lavallee

I am writing a negative Google review for the first time ever! I have a 16 year old cat (special needs, deaf, cerebellar hypoplasia) and she’s super special to me. I’ve had her since she was 4 months old. Pumpkin was a patient of at VCA Forrest Lawn; however, I moved downtown and 17 Ave Clinic was an obvious choice to have her file moved to this location. I brought Pumpkin to her appointment at 16h00 today for her Solensia shot. It was administered by a Veterinary Technician - they missed the first shot completely, and the second attempt was in the left hind leg. Pumpkin let everyone know it didn’t feel very good and she didn’t like it. Since Pumpkin is deaf, she is not a very vocal cat but when she is, she commands attention. I know I might sound like a helicopter parent to some, but truthfully, I am doing what any parent would do and not go where there is pain. Back to Forrest Lawn we go. I cannot speak negatively about all of VCA… I’m going back to Forrest Lawn… but I know that because VCA is a large corporation with a bottom line, not much will happen. I do not want anyone to be terminated because of this; I prefer that more training be mandated for Vet Techs so this can be avoided.

Michael Procinsky

What a pleasant experience! Dr. Friesen was very kind and honest, and my kitty was so comfortable he couldn't stop purring, which made the heart examination tricky! Being that I am a student, it was nice the the doctor was very realistic and I didn't feel any pressure to do what was out of my budget, within my cats best interest. There was also a welcome sign to new patients with Garfield's name, small but kind gesture. Every staff member was really kind and took the time to say hi to me (although it was the kitty they really wanted to meet hahaha)! Great place, I would highly recommend.

Jen Naturkach

All of the staff was very kind and patient with my anxious dog. The vet was very thorough and took the time to answer all of my questions and concerns. A great clinic to bring your pet

wadewave

I really wish I could give zero stars. We have been taking our pets here over the last three years, our dog and our cat. We have had such a bad experience with Dr. Reza Hassanzad on several levels. First our Dane had a rash on his tail. This so called vet took a sample and dug so deep in the dogs tail that not only did it bleed for days, he has a permanent scar that will not grow over with hair. Second, they are always wanting to overcharge for everything. Ear infections, often happen with our dog, and was diagnosed at this clinic. We went to get additional antibiotics and they refused to dispense and stated they needed to re-examin. This is ridiculous! They are just looking for money all the time. We will NEVER take our pets here again. Dr. Hassanzad also has such a huge attitude and is impolite most of the time. Steer clear from this VCA hospital. We prefer Fish Creek. It's a long drive, but the service and vets there are phenomenal.

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