Bird Rock Animal Hospital

4.5 (38)
5588 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA

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 Bird Rock 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 11,411
4.9 Embrace 14,234
4.9 Fetch 2,051
4.4 Figo 2,579
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 7,477
4.9 Lemonade 783
3.2 ManyPets 2,153
4.6 MetLife 493
4.8 Nationwide 21,393
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.7 PetPartners 110
4.5 Pets Best 7,196
4.3 Pumpkin 1,163
4.7 Spot 5,260
4.9 Trupanion 60,297
4.8 Prudent Pet 125

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

hand swipe
meagan manion

Front desk staff is amazing and always so welcoming but unfortunately I would not recommend Bird Rock because it's very difficult to get a call back or an email returned in a timely matter if ever. You often have to keep calling and following up to get a response which can be upsetting when you need answers for your pet. In addition, it was recommended that my dogs cytology results be sent to a specialist for a better look and once the results came back my vet was unable to give me much information about what the cytology results from the specialist meant which was a bit disheartening.

posted: 05/11/2023

Melissa Laidlaw SPAA

Dr Marsden and all the team at Bird Rock have gone above and beyond to provide exceptional care to our sweet rescue pup. After she was surrendered to a vet in Chula Vista, Dr.Marsden worked alongside the SoCal Weim Rescue and Urgent care with Dr Pandi to get her the care she needed to get healthy and support us as we fostered her. We have since adopted her! Thanks to their love and care for our pup Hazel, she has pulled through and is now a healthy growing and playful puppy! I cannot express our gratitude enough and the phenomenal experience we have had with Bird Rock! Dr. Marsden is the best and deserves more than 5 stars! We highly recommend Bird Rock for your beloved animals to receive the love and care they deserve.

posted: 05/26/2023

Lisa Thurbon

The veterinarians always make time for my kitties, and it's easy to get an appointment. They don't try to upsell like many others. They even trimmed my cat's nails, since I don't like to do that myself.

posted: 03/23/2023

Gina McGrath

Loved Dr Karen marsden. She presented an affordable option that we never dreamed we'd be able to afford. Her knowledge of Chinese herbs and homeopathy is vast and great bedside manor. Office staff seems a little unorganized and not very quick to return calls however.

posted: 12/14/2022

Katie M

I had a very good experience. My cat needed treatment and they were able to get her in quickly. They were so attentive and informative. I learned so much for the brief time that I was there. My kitty is 3 and she's always had trouble keeping food down. I mentioned it to the vet, even though I was there for something different. She explained what was most likely causing the tummy issues, and then recommended different food for her. My cat hasn't thrown up in weeks and is so much happier. I highly recommend.

posted: 05/21/2021