Banfield Pet Hospital

4 (84 reviews)
865 Jackman St, El Cajon, CA 92020, USA

Hours

Monday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM Tuesday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM Wednesday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM Thursday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM Friday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM Saturday 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sunday Closed

How to Save on Veterinary Costs at Banfield Pet Hospital

Preventive care

Routine wellness exams can help identify health issues early, often before they become more serious or expensive to treat. Regular checkups are one of the most effective ways to manage long term veterinary costs.

Compare prescription pricing

Some pet medications prescribed at veterinary clinics may also be available through local or online pharmacies. It can be helpful to compare pricing when appropriate to reduce ongoing medication costs.

Consider pet insurance

Pet insurance may help cover a portion of eligible veterinary expenses depending on the plan, including accidents, illnesses, and in some cases preventive care. Coverage details, reimbursement levels, and deductibles vary by provider.

Why Pet Insurance Information Appears on This Page

Looking for information about Banfield Pet Hospital? This page also includes pet insurance resources to help pet parents understand how to prepare for unexpected veterinary expenses.

Veterinary care costs can vary widely depending on the type of visit, treatment, or emergency. Many pet parents explore pet insurance before they need it so they are better prepared when unexpected situations arise.

How to Choose a Pet Insurance Provider

Pet Insurance Review helps pet parents compare insurance providers using verified customer reviews and real-world experiences. Our tools make it easier to evaluate providers based on claims experience, service quality, and overall satisfaction.

We have collected more than 220,000 reviews from pet parents, creating one of the largest independent databases of pet insurance feedback available.

How rankings are determined

Unexpected veterinary expenses can happen at any clinic. The providers below are ranked using verified reviews submitted by real pet parents through Pet Insurance Review. Results reflect overall satisfaction, claims experience, and value based on real world feedback. Rankings are updated regularly as new reviews are submitted.

Top Pet Insurance Providers of 2026
Rating Provider Total Review
4.8 Adoro 19
4.5 AKC 1,801
4.4 ASPCA 12,226
4.9 Embrace 19,970
4.9 Fetch 5,900
4.1 Figo 2,868
4.4 Hartville 183
4.9 Healthy Paws 11,365
4.8 Lemonade 833
4.6 ManyPets 2,416
4.7 MetLife 11,195
4.8 Nationwide 25,683
3.9 Pet Assure 15
4.3 PetPartners 121
4.9 Pets Best 15,326
4.8 Prudent Pet 2,864
4.7 Pumpkin 3,533
4.6 Spot 11,560
4.9 Trupanion 55,033

Compare Pet Insurance Plans

You can compare coverage options from multiple providers to find a plan that fits your budget and your pet’s healthcare needs.


Getting to Know Your Veterinarian

Choosing a veterinarian is an important decision for pet parents. A strong vet relationship is built on trust, communication, and understanding your pet’s individual needs.

Experience

Ask whether the clinic has experience treating your specific type of pet, since care can vary between dogs, cats, and pocket pets.

Emergency Care Procedures

It’s helpful to understand how the clinic handles after-hours emergencies, including whether they provide emergency services or refer to nearby emergency hospitals.

Communication Preferences

Ask how the clinic communicates with pet parents, including updates, test results, and follow up questions.

Breed Specific Health Considerations

Some breeds may be more prone to certain health conditions. Early awareness can help with prevention and early treatment.

Facility Tour

If available, touring the clinic can help you and your pet feel more comfortable before the first visit.


Final Note

Pet care decisions often involve both medical and financial considerations. Having access to trusted veterinary information alongside pet insurance comparisons can help pet parents feel more confident when planning for their pet’s health and wellbeing.

Explore Topics

Reviews from Google

4

84 reviews

This location inside PetSmart is a good fit for my kitties and me. Checkers and Turtle have received good care and are both healthy. Having an Optimum Wellness plan really spreads the expense of their care to monthly payments, instead of all at once. Just a couple of things: Wish the Vet was available in person to speak with. I miss the more personal interactions. And lower payments. I've had to drop their dental coverage because it became unaffordable. A sliding scale according to income would be fairer.

Aug 29, 2022

Very sad and disappointed that this Banfield location was not able to catch causes of growing illness 3 times in a row (3 separate visits) all within 2 weeks. The only time we got thorough diagnosis and medication was when we went to non Banfield associated vets totaling $1000 spent to get the service Banfield overlooked. We expressed our concerns and our cat’s symptoms however Banfield brushed them off and basically told us “she’s fine” every time to get us out quick. Very sad and disappointing again. Respiratory infection, Gastroenteritis and constipation all brushed off/not caught by Banfield despite coming in when symptoms were early and fresh. My cat has not recovered to 100% after more than a week and banfield is no help at all :(

Jul 11, 2023

I've been going to the vet for a few years now. I have my cat on a wellness plan I think its the best plan they have. I play close to $700 for it.. free visits to check in your pet is great but the services they offer on the wellness plan you are only able to use a few times. That being said, they up-charge on anything they can. You'd walk thinking that you are covered with the wellness plan and in most cases you are but then as your checking out without even seeing the doctor you have $200+ bill on "tests" they needed to run.. oh and if your pet is on a prescription good luck. They will want to keep running tests on your animal, thus you're paying for more tests, the prescription and have to keep bringing your animal back. These tests are not cheap. I had an incident happen recently.. pretty much my final straw with them. I was not able to bring my cat in for more tests as I am busy with work so bringing her in every month can be challenging. I need a refill on her prescription.. I waited 15min at the front no one was there and then a lady came from the back to the front desk had an extremely bad attitude. I don't know if she is dealing with something personally or is highly stressed but it made an everlasting negative impression on me. Usually with customer service you need to put on happy face and make us feel welcomed.. I felt like I was bothering her by simply asking for a refill for my cats meds. She mentioned that I wouldn't be able to see a doctor until the very next week and the doctor there now is a "Fill in" and would not be able to prescribe me the meds for my cat. Hey, I understand I could wait for an appointment but since she was such a B about it I'd rather not even come back and waste my money on a vet that doesn't value their clients. At the end of it I asked what I should do? she said "Take your cat to another vet" Okay lady, I will do that with a smile on my face :) I don't remember her name, I just remember she had a name tattood on her hand (very professional). I will be canceling my wellness plan and looking else where for vet. Do not waste your time with them

Mar 23, 2023

I have been paying for a membership for roughly 4 years. I think I have been able to use the services twice at most. They have very limited availability and hours. Some locations are only open certain days, very hard to get in and I have had to use other vets to take my dog to. I absolutely hate the system there. You drop off your dog - don’t speak to a veterinarian, they are supposed to call you and set a time for pickup. Today, it’s been 3.5 hours without a call from them and I just called and they replied with the veterinarian will call you - no range of time - I also asked if I could pick up My dog (she is 14 and very uncomfortable anywhere but home). And they emphatically said no. This is a similar experience to the other times I have been in. I will comment further when I pick up my dog. At this point I will be cancelling my membership and heading to other clinics. Update: my dog can’t even get up since coming home from Banfield Vets, she cried the entire time bringing her home- I have never heard her cry before. I have been up with her all night, we have tried to get her up on her legs and she can’t get her balance. I don’t know what happened there since the vet didn’t come talk to me - only sent the person that checks out messages to tell me her blood panel results. Her bloodwork came back normal, but now she is crying and can’t walk. I am beyond mad.

Oct 5, 2022

I've never been to a vet where you never interface with the doctor. It was bizarre. I had a 2:30 appointment to get travel clearance for my young, healthy dog who I brought with all her up to date vaccines and flea/tick and heartworm meds. I got there at 2. They took my dog back right around 2:30. Then there was a weird back and forth where the tech kept coming out to ask clarifying questions or to try to get me to buy more products. I didn't get out of there until 4:30. I eventually got what I needed (a signed slip of paper saying my dog was healthy), but I was not prepared for it to take that long and it was a real burden. Half the staff was nice enough but...I will not be back.

Jan 6, 2023