Banfield Pet Hospital

3.8 (175 reviews)
1040 University Ave Ste B105, San Diego, CA 92103, 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 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sunday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

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 12,230
4.9 Embrace 19,973
4.9 Fetch 5,921
4.1 Figo 2,868
4.4 Hartville 183
4.9 Healthy Paws 11,375
4.8 Lemonade 833
4.6 ManyPets 2,416
4.7 MetLife 11,266
4.8 Nationwide 25,712
3.9 Pet Assure 15
4.3 PetPartners 121
4.9 Pets Best 15,353
4.8 Prudent Pet 2,868
4.7 Pumpkin 3,551
4.6 Spot 11,597
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

3.8

175 reviews

The staff was courteous, gentle and professional. Some were from the closed facility Marina District, remembering my excitable tribe, Mama Bonnie, Papa Clyde & Son Junior Cuddle Bug. My appointment was a drop-off at 09:00 for my 3 large Pitbulls, all 3 -comprehensive exams, vaccines, nails clipped, 2-dental cleaning, 1-ears cleaned). I wanted to make sure that his ears weren't infected or worse, which needed to be looked inside with an otoscope. The veterinarian on duty, Dr. Katie Turner called me a couple of hours later to let me know that their liver enzyme levels were a tad high, but not a significant difference since their last cleaning. We discussed their procedures, treatments, etc. She also listened to my concerns along with questions about their kibble being over processed, & if she thought they should have an alternative, which is much too costly. She suggested for me to try an OTC Royal Canin Senior kibble to see if that would halt their food allergies as well as lowering their liver enzyme levels at their next visit in 6 months. I also let her know bcz this visit had an added expense, that I would be sharing their bi-monthly Heart Worm Rx as well as their monthly parasite drops. We talked for over 17 minutes. All 3 of my Pitties have wellness plans (which I highly recommend). I spend $209 monthly for the three. And at this visit, I had extra services that weren't covered in their plans, i.e. clipped toenails on all 12 paws, added parasite drops & ear cleaning. My fee only came to $188, but their covered services were over $3700. I am a senior and had previously fell in mid summer, and have either a bad dislocated or broken wrist on my dominant hand. That's why I had their nails professionally done. They were so long they were like TALONS! I can now trim my own fingernails. I can patch the holes in my couches and don't have to worry getting scratches on my legs & arms. The dog grooming locations are much cheaper, but they use a grinder instead, which causes much faster growth. Later in the afternoon, another staff member called me for over 8 minutes to let me know my fur babies were in recovery, needing observation for another of couple of hours bcz the dental cleaning used General Anesthesia. Afterwards they had their comprehensive exams and vaccinations. After 16:00, they were ready for pick up and was very excited to get back home. Banfield Pet Hospital in Hillcrest.

Feb 14, 2026

TLDR: they charge $90 for a 9 minute appointment and don’t even double check if your pet’s vaccines are expiring soon. They do the bare minimum and nothing else so they can justify more visits in less time to sell you their subscription. Go somewhere else or accept you’ll be paying a lot. When the Banfield downtown closed I was more than happy to come to this place because of how attentive the previous location was for my dog. My dog had a vet appointment 8 months ago, but I took him in 2 months ago because they said the new doctor has to see him to refill his prescription. Sure, the vet appointment was 6 months early, but better safe than sorry, so I took him and they saw him for a whole 9 minutes (I counted from the time I left the car to when I came back in) and I guess the $120 they charged me was worth it to refill his prescription. They did not, however, check in those 9 minutes if he was overdue for any of his vaccines, which is apparently not included in an “establishing care” visit. Or at least they didn’t notice that one expired exactly that week that I was at the vet. Forgive me, I thought since they check human vaccines at a human establishing care visit, it would be the same at a vet. I guess not at Banfield! So when I took him back yesterday to get his one vaccine he needed, and they tried to charge a $90 office visit fee for the 3rd time in less than a year. I cancelled the appointment on the spot and left. I recommend basically any other vet, the Vecto down the street took care of him just fine. Sorry to the veterinarian who works here who is really nice. I just can’t be paying $10/minute for someone to look at my dog and not even tell me if a vaccine expired that week.

Jan 11, 2026

Banfield Pet Hospital - Hillcrest Dr. Alfredo Miller Quiroz I am extremely disappointed with my continued experience at the Hillcrest Banfield location, particularly surrounding my dog's neuter surgery And wellness plans. My dog is currently 14 months old. I purchased the Banfield wellness plan specifically because it includes neutering. When my puppy was just over 6 months old, I asked to schedule the procedure and was told I needed to decide exactly at 6 months -- something that was never explained at any appointment or visit. I was then advised by staff to wait until my dog was a year old. I followed their recommendation. When the time came, I renewed a more expensive (2nd) wellness plan, scheduled the surgery, and repeatedly called to confirm that: * The procedure and what was needed was included in the plan * I would be charged correctly I was reassured multiple times by multiple staff members that everything was covered. On the day of surgery, they attempted to cancel my dog's appointment for the second time, while I was already in the parking lot waiting for them to open. I refused the cancellation. I was told they were "squeezing my dog in," which in hindsight should have been another red flag. After drop-off, I received a call from Dr. Alfredo Miller Quiroz, who stated he was unsure how to proceed and that I would need to pay additional costs because the recommended procedure was not covered -- directly contradicting everything I had confirmed beforehand. Several times due to the previous experience. When I explained the repeated miscommunication and incorrect information I had been given, the conversation shifted, and it felt as though my concerns were taken as a personal insult rather than a valid issue. I was not insulting anyone -- I was pointing out that I had been misled and poorly handled throughout this process. Additionally, phone wait times are extremely long, and in-person visits routinely involve excessive waiting, even when arriving on time for scheduled appointments. This only compounds the frustration and reflects deeper operational issues at this location. Unfortunately, after reading other reviews, I now agree with many of the poor comments about how this location is run. What is especially disappointing is that the veterinarians appear to go along with these practices rather than stepping in to help resolve or improve the situation. This experience with other simular interactions showed a lack of clear communication, accountability, and professionalism. I trusted Banfield with my pet and followed their guidance at every step, only to be put in a stressful situation, wrongful recommendations all on the day of surgery. WARNING: If you are enrolling in a Banfield wellness plan, do not rely on any assistance or confirmations. Be prepared for long waits, last-minute changes, or unexpected charges -- even when procedures are supposedly included in your plan And arrangements were made. I cannot recommend this location.

Dec 21, 2025

We’ve been coming to Banfield for many years (close to 20 years). We have three dogs. We have the wellness plan with Banfield because it is affordable. We have always had friendly service. Today we came in for a cytopoint shot for our dog who had an itchy foot. We got to the location 5 minutes before our appointment and were not seen until 30 minutes after we were scheduled. We were told that the doctor got behind. We understand the previous visits could have gone long. However, taking this long to see a vet tech is always taken 30 minutes to be seen. We were assigned to a room and when we got in there, the table had not been cleaned from the prior client. The table was covered in dog hair and prints from the previous dog. when the vet tech came in, she informed us that we were also getting a 6 month comprehensive examination part of our wellness program. We had not been informed about this when we were checked in as we had only scheduled for a cytopoint shot with the vet tech. So now what should’ve been a 15 minute appointment for just a shot with the Vet tech has turned into a full physical with the vet, in addition to the shot. We have now been here well over an hour. One of the big problems with Banfield is checkout. It can take 10 to 15 minutes just to check out. We are considering going to another vet because of the time that it takes for each visit. On another note, our dogs had their annual wellness visit six months ago and they told us today that this is a six month check. If that’s the case, why haven’t we received any notification for our other two dogs for a 6 month wellness check?

Jan 18, 2025

My elderly cat had to go under for a teeth cleaning. I was very nervous. I got my cat back within a couple hours and he looked like he was groomed aside from the bandages he had from the procedure. He was clearly brushed, nails clipped, paws oddly smooth (?), and smelled nice. Thank you for taking such good care of my loved one!

Sep 5, 2025