Banfield Pet Hospital

4.1 (104)
490 River St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA

Hours:

Monday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Thursday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Saturday: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

How to Save Money at Banfield Pet 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 11,414
4.9 Embrace 14,242
4.9 Fetch 2,055
4.4 Figo 2,580
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 7,477
4.9 Lemonade 783
3.2 ManyPets 2,156
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 5,275
4.9 Trupanion 60,301
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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Elizabeth

Jess is so helpful and friendly! She makes it easy to drop off my Oliver, as I know he’s in good hands. Everyone at this office is welcoming. Dr. Sugar is amazing! She is thorough and detailed, as well as knowledgeable and experienced. She listened to and addressed all my concerns, and gave me tips on how to handle behavior issues. Totally recommend!

posted: 07/31/2022

Esiquiel Rivera

Staff cancelled my appointment because one of them tried putting their leash to take one of my dogs to the back. I told staff that I was going to muzzle my dog but staff said " he looks friendly I don't think he needs a muzzle". My dog launched at staff when they tried putting their leash. So they cancelled his appointment. I had a second dog that had appointment as well but they cancelled the 2nd dogs appointment too.. why I don't know 2nd dog had nothing to do with 1st dog actions.

posted: 08/04/2023

Jill Smith

Called specifically for an “in-room” visit for my anxious dog (since every other visit, they just take her back and I can’t see what they are doing) and was scheduled for an “in-room” visit. Showed up and was told that the doctor doesn’t do “in-room” visits and they would take my dog back and then call me. I told them that I had specifically scheduled an “in-room” visit because my dog is anxious, and that I spoke AT LENGTH with the scheduler about it, and was told that there must have been a misunderstanding. A colossal waste of time, gas, and a dose of my dog’s anxiety medication just for this office to screw up yet again. The worst is the stress my dog went through - just to not be seen. I have hated this corporate hell hole ever since the beginning, but now we will never go back. There was a “misunderstanding” every single time and the staff couldn’t care less.

posted: 07/27/2023

Chris Goelkel

The vets at this location are great, but they seem heavily understaffed. They close early random days and leave you on hold for long periods of time. I would give them 5 stars but recently service has dropped. I have been using them for 2-3 years now i hope they get the recent staffing issue under control. When they have staff they are great but bandfield is burning this location.

posted: 04/28/2023

Jennifer Anderson

Dr. Drexler is Amazing!!! Our boy, Olaf, gets very nervous about going to the vet. Dr. Drexler and her team came in and got everything done even with him acting a little aggressive. I am so appreciative of her and the staff at this location! We drove all the way from Monterey because we didn’t like the doctor in our area. 10/10 I highly recommend this one! Thank you Dr. Drexler and team!

posted: 05/22/2023