Durham Veterinary Hospital

4.6 (105)
178 Parmelee Hill Rd, Durham, CT 06422, USA

Hours:

Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Thursday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Saturday: 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Durham Veterinary 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 891
4.5 ASPCA 11,694
4.9 Embrace 16,412
4.9 Fetch 8,370
4.2 Figo 2,594
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 9,957
4.9 Lemonade 805
4.6 ManyPets 2,327
4.0 MetLife 620
4.8 Nationwide 21,404
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.5 PetPartners 112
4.3 Pets Best 12,020
4.6 Pumpkin 1,425
4.6 Spot 6,776
4.9 Trupanion 65,624
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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Michael Nappi

I have been taking my dogs to Dr. Kumar at Durham Vet since the early 2000's. The genuine care you receive from Dr. Kumar and his team is second to none. Although my drive is 30 minutes one way and I pass many other vet hospitals on my drive, I know I am getting the best care I can possibly receive, so it's definitely well worth the travel for me to get the best for my dogs.

posted: 01/11/2024

Anthony Calabrese

1) Great doctors and staff. Very caring and inclusive of your pet's health. 2) They recently built an addition to their original building. It is very large, clean and professional. I have been taking my pets (dogs) to them for at least 10 years now. I highly recommend them.

posted: 09/12/2023

LaMont Gilbert

“I would definitely get a second opinion. My pet needed minor surgery. The first quote I received was extremely high. I went to a different vet for a 2nd opinion and was able to get the same surgery for 50% less.”

posted: 02/06/2024

Timothy Smith

PLEASE read if you're considering putting down your pet: I needed to take a few days before writing this review to make sure my emotions that day didn’t get in the way of what needed to be said about this practice. My family has been going to Durham Vet for years, trusting them with all our fur babies. A few days ago, when we had to euthanize our dog, I lost any and all respect I had for the practice. I want to walk through our experience for anyone also thinking about the hard decision we had to make. We made an appointment for that day and when we arrived, we had to wait to be brought to our room. After 15 minutes of waiting, which seems so much longer with these situations, we were brought into the room and there was minimum compassion considering the circumstances. It went right to business, asking us “are you sure” and starting to tell us about medication options. For some background, our dog was 13 years old, he could barely walk and stand up because of arthritis in his hips and back legs, his breathing was heavy and unhealthy, walking hurt him to the point where he would no longer go outside to the bathroom, and he had stopped eating. All of which they were made aware of when we made our appointment. After having to reiterate, for the first time, that our decision was final, we were then asked the payment method that we would be using for the day, read the charges, and asked for the payment as we were still sitting in the room with our dog. We had to wait even longer while our payment was put in. It’s disgusting that you need the money SO bad, you must ask a grieving family right then and there, before anything is even done. After that was over, our dog was taken out to be prepped for the injections. While he was out of the room, the veterinarian that was administering the shots came into our room and asked us AGAIN if “we are sure” and continued to speak about meds. We had to cut her off (I want to name drop but I won’t) and tell her, we are sure, and our decision was final. As she was getting up and about to leave the room she stopped, turns to all of us and says, “but he looks good”, to which we had to say AGAIN that our decision was final. Let me be VERY clear he may have looked heathy according to tests, but living with him and seeing his decline, his quality of life was diminished, he was in pain every day and he wasn’t doing good at all, he was just surviving for us. That is something that she would have seen if she spent more than a minute looking at him before she came to talk to us. As you can imagine, that made the following process even harder, as if this decision wasn’t already one of the hardest things you have to do. The whole experience from start to finish was agonizing. I will add a thank you to the vet tech that must’ve heard the aftereffects of that comment from outside of the room and switch us to Dr. Kumar, who we love, and took me out of the side room after the process was over, so I didn’t have to walk through the lobby in tears. I hope the owner of this practice, Dr. Kumar sees this and really rethinks how the practice goes about addressing these specific situations. Mention medication on the phone if you need to and note it down so patients aren’t asked repeatedly, have the room ready for these visits, send the bill in the mail, and make sure everyone knows how to address these situations and what to say and NOT to say unless they are absolutely sure. If you’re reading this and you’re going through the decision of having to put down your fur baby, my heart is with you.

posted: 10/26/2023

Rasel Ahamed

"A number of hidden costs that were not explained upfront. Zero transparency as to cost estimates and the actual work performed. Always trying to upsell their services and products."

posted: 01/25/2024