VCA Animal Hospital of Santa Cruz
Hours
How to Save on Veterinary Costs at VCA Animal Hospital of Santa Cruz
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 VCA Animal Hospital of Santa Cruz? 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.
| Rating | Provider | Total Review |
|---|---|---|
| 4.8 | Adoro | 19 |
| 4.5 | AKC | 1,801 |
| 4.4 | ASPCA | 12,227 |
| 4.9 | Embrace | 19,970 |
| 4.9 | Fetch | 5,909 |
| 4.1 | Figo | 2,868 |
| 4.4 | Hartville | 183 |
| 4.9 | Healthy Paws | 11,371 |
| 4.8 | Lemonade | 833 |
| 4.6 | ManyPets | 2,416 |
| 4.7 | MetLife | 11,221 |
| 4.8 | Nationwide | 25,693 |
| 3.9 | Pet Assure | 15 |
| 4.3 | PetPartners | 121 |
| 4.9 | Pets Best | 15,328 |
| 4.8 | Prudent Pet | 2,865 |
| 4.7 | Pumpkin | 3,539 |
| 4.6 | Spot | 11,570 |
| 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.
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Reviews from Google
95 reviews
Find another vet with better trained staff and more time to pay attention. VCA Santa Cruz vet techs traumatized my 11-week-old puppy. They show no awareness of dog’s behavior needs — like to give them a few seconds to smell a instrument or hand before shoving a thermometer in their ear, or not to over-stimulate them before an invasive procedure). It seems like they prioritize squeezing the most appointments into a single day, rather than quality care/time. There was vomit in my dog’s carrier when I picked her up that went unnoticed by the staff. We found a new vet and I suggested others look elsewhere.
Jul 18, 2023
VCA has been my go to Vet ever since the first week that I adopted my pup a little over a year ago. She had a bad reaction to a vaccine she had gotten from the shelter. As a new dog mom, I was extremely concerned and due to the positioning, thought there was something wrong with her microchip, which had also just been put in. VCA got me in right away, even though I had called other, more urgent animal care centers who said they would not be able to see me. The people at VCA are so warm, sweet, friendly, put the animals at ease, and make sure your pet (and you!) feel fully taken care of at the end of your appointment. I had an appointment this morning for some routine vaccines and they took such great care of my dog, Stella. She can get a little bit nervous, but they made her feel right at home, let me be with her while she got her shot, and gave her so much love afterwards that she left there in great spirits! Big shout out to Melissa and Michelle at the front for being so welcoming and kind, and Ellen for administering the vaccine so well that my pup didn’t even seem to notice! Could not recommend this place more highly.
May 8, 2023
The VCA team really care about your pet family. They genuinely care about my senior pup and understand how important he is to me.
Jul 20, 2023
Took caboodles my cat there she fractured her paw. They got her a cast and gave me an affordable plan to pay for everything. Good service all around but slow on getting results for her x-rays because they use a third-party. Still would recommend.
May 12, 2022
The manager Michelle is amazing and a life saver! My dog sitter for my husky puppy fell through the day before my trip and she was able to get him into boarding last minute. I could not be more thankful, not only did I still get to leave town but I felt good knowing he was safe. They even had the vet techs texting me updates and pictures. Let me just say her and her team are the reason I will not be switching vets for my three fur baby’s! Highly recommend!
Oct 25, 2021
Veterinarians in Santa Cruz, California
Adobe Animal Hospital of Soquel
1600 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95065, USA(831) 245-0072
Adobe Animal Hospital of Soquel
1600 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95065, USA(831) 462-5293
Adobe Equine Veterinary Services, Inc.
1600 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95065, USA(831) 476-6025
Animal Hospital of Soquel
2651 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062, USA(831) 475-0432
Animal Hospital of Soquel
2651 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062, USA(831) 475-0432
Ark Animal Hospital
2616 Mission St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA(831) 426-3399
Banfield Pet Hospital
490 River St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA(831) 427-2783
Chanticleer Veterinary Hospital
2701 Chanticleer Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95065, USA(831) 475-1479