The Pet Hospital of La Mesa

4.5 (411)
5336 Jackson Dr, La Mesa, CA 91942, USA

Hours:

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 AM – 5:00 PM

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at The Pet Hospital of La Mesa

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

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asia aruta

Love the passion and love for animals here!! Took my cat BehBeh in for a day of appointment. The vet and assistant were extremely helpful and caring. I felt so reassured and heard when BehBeh and I came in. Got results back quickly and plan to come back for annual shots and all! Highly recommend!! :) BehBeh is a fan as well!!

posted: 09/13/2023

Lee Tenbroek

We have been taking our cats to The pet Hospital of La Mesa for over 10 years. For the last approx. 4 years Dr. Leto has been caring for our cats. She is the greatest!!!!! Honest, caring and always takes the time to explain everything very clearly. We had a wonderful cat that later in life developed kidney problems. I asked Dr. Leto to be straight forward about what the stages would be and how they could be addressed. She was very honest with the most caring explanation. She made sure our sweet boy was always comfortable and was lovingly cared for till the end. There was no question who we would take our new 2 rescue cats to for care. One of them came with health issues and she again has been great. We feel so blessed to have her taking care of our fur babies.

posted: 04/26/2023

Monika Lemp

We had to switch vets after our old one retired, but our first new choice was not a good match at all. We did not feel confident that our cat was in good hands. A friend recommended the Pet Hospital of La Mesa (she has three dogs in their care). Our cat Stevie, has a cough, needed her shots and a general head to tail thorough check up. Booking our first appointment was quick and easy, thanks to the very kind and professional front desk staff. The vet-assistant was friendly and carefully did the preliminary exam and helped put Stevie at ease (she gets very scared to leave her home). Dr. Decker, our vet, took her time to get to know Stevie, asked a lot of questions, all the while she was calming down Stevie some more. Dr. Decker discussed the possible causes for the cough and recommended a blood test for a specific one. Three days later her suspicion was confirmed and we are now on course of recovery. We are extremely grateful for her expertise, calm and grounded approach. We would 100% recommend this Veterinary Hospital.

posted: 07/10/2023

George Ohnesorgen

The La Mesa Pet Hospital has the most friendly, helpful, and professional people around. Have had my fog snd cat there for years and before that our previous animals. Sidney, my dog, has anxiety issues but they were very attentive with her and kept her calm and happy. Just great services by the entire staff.

posted: 08/07/2023

Kevin Loomis

The staff and doctors at hospital of La Mesa are outstanding. The care for the animals is very clear and professional. The only area they definitely lack is when you need to come in same day. I've had several cases where I've needed to push very hard to get our pet in the same day because they were booked. They said we needed to go to urgent care or an ER. That is unacceptable. They should have 10 to 20% of the day available for emergencies instead of booking every moment. Fortunately there were able to either get a cancellation or get an accommodation but I had to push hard. This is an area they should definitely improve on. If you're investing your time with a vet over a decades they should be available to you when you contact them with an emergency. No exceptions.

posted: 06/29/2023