Amici Pet Hospital of Little Italy
4.6 (50) 2135 Columbia St, San Diego, CA 92101, USAHours:
Monday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday: 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Sunday: Closed
How to Save Money at Amici Pet Hospital of Little Italy
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 |
---|---|---|
4.4 | AKC | 891 |
4.5 | ASPCA | 11,699 |
4.9 | Embrace | 16,490 |
4.9 | Fetch | 9,361 |
4.2 | Figo | 2,597 |
4.7 | Hartville | 164 |
4.9 | Healthy Paws | 9,964 |
4.9 | Lemonade | 805 |
4.6 | ManyPets | 2,330 |
4.0 | MetLife | 621 |
4.8 | Nationwide | 21,404 |
4.3 | Pet Assure | 12 |
4.5 | PetPartners | 112 |
4.3 | Pets Best | 12,035 |
4.6 | Pumpkin | 1,425 |
4.6 | Spot | 6,788 |
4.9 | Trupanion | 66,493 |
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 & 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
Here's the thing- I would love to give Dr. Fritz a good rating. She was always great to deal with. But the problem is that in order to see her, you have to deal with the absolutely TOXIC reception staff. It may not be all at the front desk staff, but I have consistently encountered issues. First off, they will put you on hold for upwards of 15 min every time you call. I understand urgent things can come up but not every single time! And when you are in the waiting room, it becomes clear that they are happy to put you on hold and then just lazily proceed with their day, sometimes even loving on THEIR pets that they bring to work with them and have behind the desk. I had an instance when I called and specifically listed off the things I needed to achieve during an appointment I was trying to make. We were moving and needed to address a few annual things before heading out of state. I was told that the doctor did not have any openings but they could get us in for a tech visit. I reiterated my objectives for the appointment to confirm they would be achieved and even said maybe this isn't the right fit to which the receptionist said she would schedule the tech appointment. Upon checking out of the tech visit, I find out that we did one of the four things I had requested during my booking and my total was still $300. When I asked why the other things were not done, the receptionist stared at me blankly, and rudely stated that it was only a tech visit. I am relatively certain she was the one I spoke to at booking and didn't care to accept responsibility for her mistake. I asked for my pet's records to be emailed, they never were. I called twice waiting on the phone for a total of 30 min to have them send an email that had previously been requested. They also refuse to send prescriptions to other vendors, forcing you to either stop at the office or go through their pharmacy (which I am sure they make money from). With such poor customer service, it always blows my mind when they say they are booked out months in advance for basic annual exams. If you do choose to go here, know they are the type of place that is going to advise you run every possible test even if it's not a logical approach. I brought my pet with an upset stomach and our bill came up to over $1K only to find out she had a stomach bug that resolved the next day. And that's after I questioned some of the suggested testing that would have resulted in the exact same treatment and putting a pause on some of the more aggressive treatment they had suggested; we went with hydration and an anti-nausea med and she was back to new. Dr. Lafey is fine, if not a bit condescending and aloof.
posted: 10/26/2023
The team over at Amici Pet Hospital of Little Italy genuinely cares about their pets and clients. They've gone above and beyond each and every time. I'm very grateful and thankful Robbie, my senior corgi, has a great care team with Amici! Dr. Scott Lafey, our primary vet, has been meticulous, kind and very thorough in all of our visits. He takes his time going over potential causes of infections and injury, risks associated with each treatment plan and potential probabilities of what could happen, if we left things unchecked and alone. He is also patient with his explanations too and I always leave more educated and informed than when I walked in. The staff and technicians also deserve a shoutout as well, especially Natalie H., one of the Client Care Specialists. She definitely cares about all the pets and their owners, and really brings the human into client care and interactions. I love interacting with her each and every visit, especially with how kind, genuine and real she is. Amici Pet Hospital, please give this gal a raise - she definitely deserves it and is one of the main reasons I decided to transfer over to Amici Pet Hospital of Little Italy. Without a doubt, y'all are the best. Thank you for caring for Robbie as he was your own!
posted: 02/10/2023
Having dealt with the gambit of all types of vets, it's really nice to have one I feel like I can actually recommend to the people and pets I care about. Dr. Lafey is the best. Communicative, honest, understands how anxious pet parents can be, and always trying to make sure I do the best thing, not the most extensive or expensive. Even after an issue, he and Dr. Saltzman have been great about making sure me and my pup feel safe and supported. A lot of vets make you feel like you're dealing with a mechanic. Not here.
posted: 06/08/2023
Our 20 year old cat Lola has been seeing Dr. Hayes ever since we moved to San Diego, and we could not ask for a better veterinarian. Dr. Hayes and her team are skilled, caring, knowledgeable, and we value their advice and recommendations regarding our little geriatric baby😺❤️
posted: 04/02/2023
Everyone here is super nice! My dog LOVES coming here and Dr. Laffey is great! He explains things without making you feel stupid or that you don't care for your dog.
posted: 08/01/2023
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