La Costa Animal Hospital

4.6 (91)
7668 El Camino Real #101, Carlsbad, CA 92009, USA

Hours:

Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at La Costa 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 2024
Rating Provider Total Review
4.4 AKC 889
4.7 ASPCA 11,392
4.9 Embrace 14,179
4.9 Fetch 1,995
4.4 Figo 2,561
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 7,475
4.9 Lemonade 781
3.2 ManyPets 2,145
4.6 MetLife 487
4.8 Nationwide 21,391
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.7 PetPartners 110
4.5 Pets Best 7,194
4.3 Pumpkin 1,131
4.7 Spot 5,194
4.9 Trupanion 60,280
4.8 Prudent Pet 124

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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Brian Weisenberg

Do not waste your time or money on this veterinarian. Our oldest Siberian had some persisting issues and they always said she looked great, panels looked great, etc. Her issues continued and they never looked at her seriously. I took her to a different vet in Encinitas and we realized that she had liver cancer throughout after some tests that La Costa wouldn’t run. She had to be put down because her cancer was everywhere. When we had been trying to convey to La Costa Vet’s of her potential issues. This place only wants your money… stay away. The veterinarian was rarely in as well. They never took my wife or her observations seriously about our oldest dog. We will be reporting this.

posted: 03/16/2023

Henry Rohrbach

The staff is friendly and knowledgeable! We first brought Theo here when she was 8 weeks old and they have taken care of everything for the last year and a half (vaccination, microchip, spay, allergy/skin infection). Highly recommend!

posted: 01/15/2022

Nikki Gallion

I have a baby boy 6 month old Bengal cat. Originally he was going to be an indoors only cat but I decided to walk him on a leash in front of my house and he comes to work. I choose Aviara Animal Hospital at first, and made a big mistake. They traumatized my cat so bad there and made me feel like they were all about the money. The vet even called from inside and said they had a rough time holding my cat down. I took him to La Costa Animal Hospital and was getting ready for another possibly bad experience. Not only did they make it wonderful for Oslo, he was stress free. They did not try to push services and the vet and staff were very caring and professional.

posted: 10/30/2020

Alana Alvarez

Have taken my dog here many times and have had very positive experiences with the staff and vets. They seem to really care and are transparent with pricing.

posted: 06/13/2023

Nowelle Gaid

I have been taking my dog odin here for over 3 years and they staff has always been friendly and yes the cost of taking your dog to a good vet in La Costa can be a little pricey but duh.. its a good office in la costa. I've never had a bad experience with them and even if u miss an appointment if you call them and discuss the reason they are reasonable and won't charge you. The negative reviews on here about that are obviously from a rude person that has no self awareness.

posted: 12/09/2022