Western Animal Clinic

4.6 (424)
5500 W 38th Ave, Wheat Ridge, CO 80212, USA

Hours:

Monday: 8:30 – 9:00 AM, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday: 8:30 – 9:00 AM, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Thursday: 8:30 – 9:00 AM, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Friday: 8:30 – 9:00 AM, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Saturday: 8:30 – 10:00 AM

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Western Animal Clinic

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 5,697
4.9 Embrace 10,255
4.9 Fetch 174
4.4 Figo 587
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 7,475
4.9 Lemonade 781
3.2 ManyPets 11
4.6 MetLife 424
4.8 Nationwide 21,391
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.7 PetPartners 98
4.5 Pets Best 7,194
4.3 Pumpkin 54
4.7 Spot 160
4.8 Trupanion 55,007
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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G Francis

We just brought our dogs in for their annual shots and were reminded why we love this place! We have been going here for years and LOVE Dr. Shiarella and the staff! Everyone is so attentive and gracious, it's obvious they love what they do! Dr. Shiarella is top notch: he's incredibly knowledgeable, thorough and sensitive to our dogs' history and current needs. Special thanks to everyone at Western Animal Clinic for the service you provide! It's a joy to know that our pups are in such caring and capable hands!

posted: 01/06/2024

Annie Swindell

Waits can be long with the walk in system, but it’s worth it to me. Everyone is really kind and chill and it’s more affordable than other vets. I trust them not to upsell me on unnecessary stuff - my cat was going through mystery health issues and while another vet I brought her to tried to sell me on $1000+ of tests, here they accurately guessed it was IBD and put her on steroids to see how she responded and 8 months later she’s doing great.

posted: 01/04/2024

Ruby Geiger

I’ve been taking my cat Tom to W.A.C. for about ten years and I couldn’t ask for a better team to take care of my fur baby. They are solution oriented, always offer options for treatment and are upfront with their very fair pricing. I’m a bit disappointed in myself for not writing a review sooner! They are always busy but the level of care has never faltered. 10/10

posted: 10/02/2023

Roxanne Larkin

Western Animal Clinic is amazing! I got my 1 year old, 53 pound doodle spayed here and the process was super simple. I probably called every place in denver asking for prices and W.A.C. had one of the best prices I could find. We did have to wait a couple of months since they were booked up, but it worked out just fine for us. The ladies in the front were very sweet and explained the aftercare very well. I would highly recommend!

posted: 08/07/2023

Joey Stockton

The vet was incredibly knowledgeable about rats and helped me with my 2 sick rats. They are on the mend now and seem like they will make it most likely. Thanks to Western Animal Clinic and the friendly vet who was very understanding and informative, my tragedy of losing two rats to an unknown virus or bacteria will hopefully not extend to 4 rats. Thank you so much, I only wish we had seen you sooner.

posted: 10/28/2023