VCA San Mateo Animal Hospital

3.1 (32)
2320 Palm Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403, 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 VCA San Mateo 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 11,392
4.9 Embrace 14,179
4.9 Fetch 1,995
4.4 Figo 2,561
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 7,475
4.9 Lemonade 781
3.2 ManyPets 2,145
4.6 MetLife 487
4.8 Nationwide 21,391
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.7 PetPartners 110
4.5 Pets Best 7,194
4.3 Pumpkin 1,131
4.7 Spot 5,194
4.9 Trupanion 60,280
4.8 Prudent Pet 124

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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David Li

Very predatory practice. They scare you into spending WAY MORE than what's needed when you are most vulnerable and worried about your loved one. Took two of our dogs in and they scared us to pay $2k each for a bunch of check ups and multiple drugs and specialty food. When we asked what's needed / not needed they said everything is needed "just in case". Our regular vet (which we couldn't book with at first) prescribed stomach ache medicine instead and offered a progressive plan to rule out issues and not like these guys that tries to charge you the max upfront. What a scam!

posted: 03/18/2023

F G
F G

they put me on hold Everytime 30/40 mins also they disnt transfer our dogs has been 5 days !

posted: 04/06/2023

James Dennis

Friendly caring, hlepful

posted: 02/02/2019

Justine Sto Domingo

We came here multiple times but my dog never get better. Still going worst. Hate that i do have insurance for a year then you cant even use it because they are always "full" you can only use it every 2 months or 3months while paying monthy for $60. Its to late to cancel it because of the contract. At first they are all nice and very assisting but for long time eh. Cant recommend. Worst vet hospital ever. Wasting time and money.

posted: 08/18/2021

Lisa Murphy

I've taken my dog here several times and this was the place I called if I had a health issue with my dog. They've always been okay with regard to care, and prices. That said, I have not been to them for three years, and have heard their prices are higher now. Anyway, I was satisfied with them until I realized that they were sharing my personal info about my dog with outside agencies. I do not appreciate that and have changed my review from 4 stars to 1. The people there never told me my info was going to be shared with anyone. Trust is everything in establishing a relationship with a Vet. They lost mine. EDIT 4-24-16 I've just responded by email to the SM Animal Hospital's response (below). I am happy to give them a chance to explain how my dog's (and my) personal information came into the hands of an outside party right after coming there. It happened twice.

posted: 04/27/2016