VCA Family and Oahu Veterinary Specialty Center
3.4 (126) 98-1254 Kaʻahumanu St, Pearl City, HI 96782, USAHours:
Monday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Friday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours
How to Save Money at VCA Family and Oahu Veterinary Specialty 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:
| 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 & CompareGetting 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
Overall pretty good experience here. I took my dog here for cancer treatment and the doctor was very honest in her diagnosis. It wasn't news I wanted to hear, but it was what I needed to hear. He is on his first round of chemo now and just be warned, it's NOT cheap. I would suggest only getting tests done that are absolutely necessary because the cost adds up fast. Overall, I feel like my dogs and y needs were taken care of here and we'll be back!
posted: 02/11/2024
I’ve been to a few vets on island and the doctors and staff at VCA are the best. They are compassionate and I felt very confident that my dog was getting the best care possible. I never felt rushed, things were explained to me in detail and the staff knew how to handle my dog. The last vet I went to put a muzzle on my dog just because of his size. They didn’t do that here because they know how to handle animals. I highly recommend this place.
posted: 02/26/2024
Our baby was throwing up blood so we took her to this ER. Dr. Justine Y. was very honest letting us know she needs to do some procedures to fully determine what’s causing the vomiting of blood but can give her anti-nausea and fluid to assist with her symptoms. She recommended a few procedures but wanted to prioritize ultrasound. Unfortunately, ultrasound wasn’t available until the day shift so she recommended for us to return in the morning or sooner if symptoms worsen. Symptoms were a bit better but she was still throwing up with blood until 3 in the morning so took her back to get the ultrasound. We got there around 6:30, Dr. Justine Y. immediately came out to take care back. She informed us there’s a wait for the ultrasound but expect a call back between 9 and 10. Unfortunately, she had the night shift and was not able to follow-up but since we were given a great treatment from the night shift staff, we trusted that our baby will continue to receive good treatment. However, it was past 11 and we still haven’t heard from VCA so I called but was told the ultrasound wasn’t completed and that to just wait for their call. After 12:30, I called again as I haven’t heard from them. I was informed then that the ultrasound has been completed and that I would be receiving a call within 10-15 minutes. At 2pm, I still haven’t heard from the Vet so I drove there. Upon arrival which before 2:30, I immediately approached the front desk requesting for them to release our baby so we can take her to another vet. I was told to have a sit and wait for the doctor to call me. It’s 2:50 and I’m still waiting. They are holding our baby hostage without any assistance! This place shouldn’t exist with the way they are treating our baby. The day time front desk just told me that I should just keep waiting until the doctor is free to give me an update. Horrible!
posted: 03/06/2024
I don't want to give less than 5 stars but my wife was just told that we have to bring our dog in for an annual checkup before being able to get an allergy shot. Mind you, he was hospitalized there for 3 days 2 weeks ago and we spent over 4 thousand dollars. This is a vet tech appointment to get his cytopoint injection that he has had a lot of times, but they will not help our dog get relief from his constant itching and gnawing of his paws. So now, we are told he has to wait until March 10th for his appointment, and maybe then can he get relief. Incredibly disappointed.
posted: 02/20/2024
I've been bringing my dog here for about a year since they are pretty much the only place on the island that can treat his current condition. With that being said I have had numerous appointments that have been all day appointments with a drop off time in the morning for them to conduct a variety of labs, x-rays and ultrasounds and then they would contact me in the afternoon when he was ready for pickup. The drop off time has always been between 7-8am. Well today I had another one of his all day appointments and went to drop him off at 7:45 and the assistant told me he needed to be there at 7am and that I would have to reschedule for the following week. I mentioned to her that he would be there all day and wouldn't they just be able to work him in for his labs, ultrasound, and x-ray to which see said no. Well its known to both myself and VCA that he has cancer and I am trying to get him taken care of to give him the best quality of life but I think it is pretty ridiculous that they can't get him in that day and work him in throughout the day in order for him to get the care he needs. As to what others have said about their prices I definitely agree that they are very pricey. Maybe it is because they are one of the only animal hospitals on the island so they know they can get away with it but I find it pretty absurd that myself and I am sure many others are consistently paying $1500-$2000 for some basic labs, x-rays and an ultrasound. Heck an ultrasound on a human costs nowhere near the price they are charging. You pretty much spend everything to find out what your pet has and then have no money left to spend on the treatment plan. With all that being said the staff are very friendly with our little guy and do treat him extremely well when he's there so I do have to give them at least two starts as I do think customer care and kindness is very important and if I was rating a company solely on staff's attitude VCA would get 5 stars all day long but taking care of the customer and price has to be considered when factoring in a review and based on my experience today, taking care of the customer and price is where VCA is failing.
posted: 12/04/2023