Ashwander Animal Clinic

4.6 (63)
2001 6th Ave SE, Decatur, AL 35601, USA

Hours:

Monday: 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 – 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 – 5:00 PM

Friday: 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 – 5:00 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Ashwander Animal Clinic

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
4.4 AKC 893
4.5 ASPCA 11,894
4.9 Embrace 18,659
4.9 Fetch 26,461
4.2 Figo 2,622
4.6 Hartville 171
4.9 Healthy Paws 10,219
4.9 Lemonade 808
4.6 ManyPets 2,388
3.9 MetLife 760
4.8 Nationwide 21,412
4.0 Pet Assure 13
4.5 PetPartners 115
4.3 Pets Best 13,076
4.7 Pumpkin 1,718
4.6 Spot 8,264
4.9 Trupanion 61,022
4.8 Prudent Pet 1,904

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

Thinking of insuring your pet?

Get Quotes & Compare

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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Fraskie

Amazing people that do amazing work! They are very caring and passionate people and anytime I've ever had to take my pet to them I've always known they were in good hands! Affordable, quality service that you can't beat. Highly recommended to pet owners!

posted: 11/23/2023

Miranda Miranda

My husband's parents used to bring their dog here years ago. We have been taking our cat for two years now, ever since she was kitten. We take our 3 senior dogs there as well. Dr Ashwander and his staff is knowledgeable and experienced. Small, loving office that takes great, straight-forward care of our fur-babes.

posted: 02/07/2020

Davina Patterson

Took our baby in due to a bad tooth and a cough. Had our wonderful vet send records to this vet. He did an amazing job as far as the tooth problem. He prescribed him some cough pills which didnt help at all. If he read the records from previous vet he would have known. Here it is 2 weeks later and he refused to write the cough meds that helped him from the other vet. He has a collapsed trachea which is very painful. Vet said the meds had a narcotic in it. Who cares this is our baby suffering and he wanted to give him vitamins. Thank God we found an amazing vet to take care of him so we can all get some sleep.

posted: 09/04/2020

Teresa Greene

Dr. Ash is a wonderful vet and is very knowledgeable. He has treated our dog and 3 cats. His staff is very friendly and always accommodating to us and the needs of our pets. I highly recommend his vet services.

posted: 09/04/2020

Vanessa Austin

Dr. Ashwander is amazing! He has amazing bed side manner. So sweet to the animals and pet parents. He has many years experience and will do all you can to help your furbabies.

posted: 03/17/2021