Best Friends Animal Hospital

4.7 (107)
5110 Clark Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233, USA

Hours:

Monday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Tuesday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Wednesday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Friday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Best Friends Animal 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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holly noe

I’ve been a client of Best Friends since they opened. I can’t imagine going anywhere else. I’ve had several pets over the years and they have always been extremely friendly, thorough and loving to my fur babies. Always happy to see me and my family. On separate occasions, Dr. Fugents saved both of my cats lives. Her experience in this field is top notch.

posted: 09/29/2023

Fred Erickson

Dr. Weber and the staff are AMAZING! They truly care about you and your pet. When our bearded dragon, Pip, was at the end of his life she allowed our family to come say goodbye before he was euthanized. She was thoughtful and knowledgeable about exotic pets, and all of the staff are so friendly! They even sent us a sympathy card!

posted: 02/19/2023

Cynthia Barbanera-Wedel

I can't say enough great things about this placed. We've been seeing Dr Weber for about 10 years now, and she has been amazing with both of my birds. I trust her completely. The technicians and office staff are always so kind. You can really feel the love and compassion from everyone working there. The exam rooms always look and feel clean, and they've always been on time. I highly recommend Best Friends Animal Hospital!

posted: 05/31/2023

Richard Barber

My job (feline behaviourist and cat-sitter as well as erstwhile veterinary assistant) has seen me caring for animals across homes, shelters, vets and at work and I have easily clocked up 20,000+ hours over 12 years and 2 countries in the animal care field. Without doubt, Best Friends Animal Hospital is at the absolute top of my list of vets for their professionalism, knowledge, bedside manner, cleanliness and efficiency. If they had availability, I would take all 7 of my rescue cats there, but I am honoured that, despite being full up, they made an exception and squeezed me and my beautiful kitty Morris in for a checkup. They don't lose opportunities to provide socialisation for shy animals and are as skilful as they are intuitive about animals' needs. They also don't pad vet bills or unnecessarily prescribe medications (unlike some vets here in Sarasota - ugh!) I can't recommend them highly enough. Would give 100 stars if I were able to.

posted: 06/10/2023

Holli Rieth-Werbelow

There are plenty of vets in Sarasota, go to one that cares about your pets quality of life because Best Friends Animal Hospital only cares about taking your money! They are rude, inhumane and take advantage of seniors!!!

posted: 09/27/2023