Animal Wellness Veterinary Center

4.9 (14)
570 Main Ave, Norwalk, CT 06851, USA

Hours:

Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Animal Wellness Veterinary Center

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 2025
Rating Provider Total Review
4.4 AKC 895
4.5 ASPCA 12,059
4.9 Embrace 20,317
4.9 Fetch 27,446
4.1 Figo 2,790
4.5 Hartville 177
4.9 Healthy Paws 10,763
4.8 Lemonade 815
4.6 ManyPets 2,428
4.6 MetLife 5,901
4.8 Nationwide 21,417
3.9 Pet Assure 15
4.4 PetPartners 117
4.9 Pets Best 14,145
4.7 Pumpkin 2,569
4.6 Spot 9,894
4.8 Trupanion 62,983
4.8 Prudent Pet 2,472

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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Kristin Jones

We really liked Dr. Alvarez and her holistic approach to veterinary care, but it turns out money is more important to them than my dog’s care. I called to ask if my dog should get a vaccine over the phone and they told me to email Dr. Alvarez. I did. Well she answered with a simple yes and charged me $60! This charge was never mentioned to me over the phone. Also, never has a vet ever charged me or anyone I know to ask a very simple question. I feel like this really limits communication between vet and client. We ended up changing vets as I felt I couldn’t go to her for help without incurring unknown costs.

posted: 05/26/2024

Nancy Kline Gorkin

Dr. Alvarez is the most thorough, kind and compassionate Vet. We have been under her care for over 10 years and cannot say enough about her wonderful care of our pets.

posted: 03/18/2024

Marta H.

We have been going to Animal Wellness from the moment we got our dog. Wonderful vet; great team. Dr. Alvarez and her staff are kind, friendly, courteous, compassionate and you can tell they truly love animals. Dr. Alvarez combines traditional western medicine with alternative/naturopathic methods to provide best care for each patient (and that was one of the main reasons I picked her clinic to begin with). Every single time we are there, as soon as we come in, we are taken right into our own exam room and seen promptly. The entire clinic is clean and inviting.

posted: 10/08/2018

Jessica Ranallo

After we moved we tried a few different vets, but they didn't feel like they cared, just wanted to charge you for everything they could. Dr. Alvarez is AMAZING! You can tell she cares the about the animals. She is knowledgeable and explains things without talking down to you. After we started seeing Dr. Alvarez one of our dogs started having a lot of health issues and ended up needing surgery, we couldn't have been happier we had Dr. Alvarez. There staff is extremely kind and helpful. They are easy to get a hold of. If you have pets you need Animal Wellness Veterinary Center!

posted: 01/21/2020

Tess O'Reilly

UPDATE: We've moved way up into Litchfield Co. and still drive back to Dr. Alvarez! We've been seeing Dr. Alvarez with our past and present dogs and cats for seven years now. I just recommended her to a friend in Stamford as she isn't happy with her current vet. Give them a call, you won't regret it! _________________________________ We have two cats and a dog and have been going to Dr. Alvarez for four years, since we moved to the area. She is the perfect balance between western and eastern medicine and always has the pet's best interest in mind. Her staff is caring and patient and I'll be a client here until the day when/if we move away.

posted: 05/15/2020