Mercy Animal Hospital
4.5 (551) 604 Gayle St, Gardendale, AL 35071, USAHours:
Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 8:00 – 11:30 AM
Sunday: Closed
How to Save Money at Mercy 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:
| Rating | Provider | Total Review |
|---|---|---|
| 4.5 | AKC | 1,796 |
| 4.5 | ASPCA | 12,102 |
| 4.9 | Embrace | 19,758 |
| 4.9 | Fetch | 5,329 |
| 4.1 | Figo | 2,831 |
| 4.5 | Hartville | 179 |
| 4.9 | Healthy Paws | 11,030 |
| 4.8 | Lemonade | 822 |
| 4.6 | ManyPets | 2,413 |
| 4.7 | MetLife | 8,294 |
| 4.8 | Nationwide | 24,776 |
| 3.9 | Pet Assure | 15 |
| 4.3 | PetPartners | 121 |
| 4.9 | Pets Best | 8,891 |
| 4.8 | Pumpkin | 3,082 |
| 4.6 | Spot | 10,838 |
| 4.9 | Trupanion | 55,032 |
| 4.8 | Prudent Pet | 2,673 |
| 4.3 | Adoro | 4 |
Or, you can simply get a fast quote from multiple providers and go from there.
Thinking of insuring your pet?
Get Quotes & CompareGetting 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
We have used Mercy Animal Hospital since my Leo was just a pup. He is now 11 years old. The staff at Mercy is awesome. They treat Leo as if he was their own. He loves going to visit his friends at Mercy.
posted: 10/24/2024
I like Mercy Animal Hospital and the doctors, and pretty much all of the staff have all been great to my pets. But there is one person named Jess who comes to get the animals and brings them back out, and maybe she even cuts nails. One time, my dog came out from getting her nails done, and she was bleeding, and we had to take her back three times for them to stop the bleeding. When we brought her back the third time and had been dealing with Jess, she looked at my dog and asked her why she kept doing that (bleeding). My response was, "I don't think it's my dog's fault." Well, today I took her there for a grooming, and Jess came out to get her, and of course, most dogs don't want to go to the back there freely. My dog wanted to stay with me, and instead of picking my dog up (she is a small dog with no aggression) and carrying her back there, she was literally dragging her by her leash. Thank God she had on a harness because if it had only been a collar, she would have choked her to death. I said, "Could you please pick up my dog and not drag her like that?" This girl is not very gentle with animals. Someone needs to discuss this with her. These are our babies.
posted: 11/08/2024
Our dog loves this vet! They are very proudly fear free, and she loves going to see them because she's always going to get treats and love from the staff. All of the vets and techs are caring and kind. They also work with you and make sure you understand what's going on with your pet. I also find their pricing structure reasonable.
posted: 10/23/2024
If you're having an emergency, don't even bother. My dog and I were treated terribly by them today. I woke up to a veterinary emergency. My dog was actively coughing up blood. I was freaking out so I called every vet near me open on Saturday's. I guess at least Mercy had someone to answer the phone. I immediately explained the emergency situation and I needed to know if I could bring my dog there. The lady was nice and got my information and said they would be able to see him. I drove 20 minutes there. I got in the lobby and there was no sense of urgency from the staff. I waited for about 5 minutes with my dog coughing before one of the employees at the counter finally acknowledged me. She then went to the back for a few minutes with us still in the lobby. When she came back I was told they couldn't see my dog because of two quotable excuses; "We aren't equipped to give your dog the care needed," even though they hadn't even taken one look at him and the real kicker "We have a full schedule, and are only open till 11:30 today." They did try to make suggestion for one other vet clinic that didn't open for another two hours. I told them that would not work as he needs care now which is why I called before I drove here. I quickly loaded my dog back into my truck and began trying to find other vets. A lady who didn't work there came out to me and knocked on my window and let me know there was a emergency vet called Steel City Emergency Vets open 24/7 in Hoover another 30 minutes away. I don't know why no one employed by Mercy did not recommend this when I called or while I was there and wasted precious time that could have been used getting my dog the treatment he urgently needed. I would never take any of my pets to a vet that doesn't at least seem to care if a part of your family is dying and neither should you. I will never take any of my pets to Mercy Animal Hospital again. What a joke.
posted: 10/12/2024
I was new to the area and needed to find a new vet and I was recommended Mercy. At first aside from their pricing which is HIGH, they were fine. However at one point one of my cats came down with a medical condition that took a few months to treat. During this process sometimes they were great, other times they were less than helpful. Several months after my first cat was done with his treatment, one of my younger ones started to show signs of the same illness. When I brought her in and explained, the staff's attitudes, including the receptionists, were beyond rude and unprofessional. After the second check up with her I had had enough and took her to two other vets in the area to have a second opinion and get further treatment. When explaining the situation at Mercy, both agreed their behavior was EXTREMELY unprofessional. When I was done at each of those clinics and saw how much less I was being charged, I realize that Mercy are absolute PRICE GOUGERS. You are better off going to the emergency vet hospitals than going to Mercy for how much you will be charged. As for attitudes and professionalism, I have not had any problems with the other vets in the area.
posted: 09/09/2024