College Animal Hospital
4.6 (408) 5653 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92115, USAHours:
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: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
How to Save Money at College 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:
| Rating | Provider | Total Review |
|---|---|---|
| 4.5 | AKC | 1,797 |
| 4.5 | ASPCA | 12,110 |
| 4.9 | Embrace | 19,785 |
| 4.9 | Fetch | 5,400 |
| 4.1 | Figo | 2,832 |
| 4.5 | Hartville | 179 |
| 4.9 | Healthy Paws | 11,071 |
| 4.8 | Lemonade | 822 |
| 4.6 | ManyPets | 2,413 |
| 4.7 | MetLife | 8,716 |
| 4.8 | Nationwide | 24,889 |
| 3.9 | Pet Assure | 15 |
| 4.3 | PetPartners | 121 |
| 4.9 | Pets Best | 8,940 |
| 4.8 | Pumpkin | 3,153 |
| 4.6 | Spot | 10,949 |
| 4.9 | Trupanion | 55,032 |
| 4.8 | Prudent Pet | 2,695 |
| 4.5 | Adoro | 6 |
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
My dog was overdue for her vaccinations and everyone was so welcoming and great with my dog. I was afraid that she would growl or bark due to seeing new people, but my dog was friendly with everyone. Great animal hospital, great pricing, and great staff all around. The cutest thing was when going up to the door, they gave a sign with your pets name welcoming you and the funny parking sign. LOVED IT!
posted: 10/25/2025
All the nurses and doctors were very friendly and professional! Thy helped me with my new kitten's check-up and were very sweet! Baby Scooter is happy to visit his new friends at College Animal Hospital!!
posted: 11/07/2025
My husband and I had been taking our two young cats here for a while with great care until our last couple of visits, the service went downhill. We had taken in a feral street cat and needed a lot of assistance with adjustment and anxiety issues with transitioning her into a loving home. We had contact the hospital multiple times asking what are some at home solutions to anxiety and adjustments. We tried Feliway and calming powder (recommended by them). For a short period it worked but we recently ran into the issue that it’s a deeper anxiety than home remedies. We called asking what steps and actions were needed to get her on potential anxiety medications and we were told to make an appointment and met with lots of attitude by the lady on the phone, we continue to explain the anxiety issues she was continuously having and the receptionist was rude and snarky and said “we don’t have any notes of her anxiety” when we were asking why an appointment was needed when we came for anxiety before, we just needed an explanation not hostility. My husband arrives at the appointment to give it a chance with the vet (Robyn Sayres via our invoice) she said that she would recommend blood work but it is not needed. My husband tried to confirm this multiple times throughout the appointment. She confirmed and stated she was going to send my husband home with a prescription with Prozac. He proceeded to wait in the lobby and they even retook her weight for the medication. He was told “yes we will email you the prescription” by three people in the office being anxious about this new step for our cat. A week goes by and we email, no response. I eventually text and only receive a response regarding an invoice not a prescription. We call today and are being told we don’t have a prescription on file and we would have to make another appointment (another exam fee) and do blood work (another fee) now. We would have been okay with blood work from the beginning, the communication that this was a requirement was not given until after we paid for our appointment and was told we would get a prescription by email and after we had waited a week. With the constant back and forth and lack of communication I sadly had to write the one star review to warn people of this. I will not be returning and wouldn’t recommend to family or friends.
posted: 02/20/2026
College Animal Hospital is great! They were immediately able to settle me down, and get me on the right track with my buddies health. I would recommend this Vet to anyone who hasn’t taken their dog to the doc in a while because they’re thorough, and very friendly and calming.
posted: 02/11/2026
This vet is great. A little small but the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. The veterinarian here provides great service for my elderly dog.
posted: 11/01/2025
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