Afford-A-Care Pet Hospital

4.4 (904)
3003 SE 14th St, Des Moines, IA 50320, USA

Hours:

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: 8:00 – 11:30 AM

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Afford-A-Care Pet 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 11,411
4.9 Embrace 14,234
4.9 Fetch 2,051
4.4 Figo 2,579
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 7,477
4.9 Lemonade 783
3.2 ManyPets 2,153
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 5,260
4.9 Trupanion 60,297
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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Alisha Jetty

Afford a care pet hospital has treated all our pets like family. Not only are their services very competitive, the quality of care is above and beyond other facilities we’ve used. Every staff member has a heart of gold and it means so much. Thank you for always being there, we love you guys!

posted: 08/05/2023

cynthia Thomas

I always bring my fur babies back here. Especially new kittens. I have had several sick kittens given to me to care for. Other vets would ignore my concern and tell me as long as they are eating and playing they are fine. I came here for a second opinion on one of them because he was wheezing while breathing and not gaining weight. I was told by another vet he was only 4 weeks old that’s why he was so small and since he was playing that he was fine. I had proof he was older than that but the vet ignored me. So I came here for a second opinion after spending 175 dollars to have him weighed and turned away by the other clinic. He ended up having severe respiratory infections and the vets here helped me and started treating him right away. They are efficient, kind and very responsive to concerns.

posted: 07/03/2023

Janelle Graham

Everyone is great, they pour their heart out to us and our pets. They grieve with us and celebrate alongside us. Couldn’t recommend a place more. Their prices are amazing and they always discuss everything with you beforehand. I’ve never had an issue in the three years I’ve been going here.

posted: 09/22/2023

Lori W

Very nice people there and the price of all his puppy shots were amazing. The vet even comes in and gives a puppy exam for free. My vet charged me $69.00 to just walk in the door and then the shot cost. Very impressed.

posted: 02/06/2023

kayla ippach

Wow wow wow am I amazed at such a great group of people. I’ve taken my cat to a few other vets in the last week, all of which are supposed to be very well rounded clinics. This is the first place within the last extremely stressful week that I felt i was listened to. They looked at every single thing I brought up. They let me advocate for my cat and didn’t just worry about getting money in return. this place CARES about your animals. I was treated like I had been going there for years upon my first visit. I was overwhelmingly happy with the price for the procedures done, and that they ask up front what your price range is. After getting many different meds that did not help and many exam fees later, They did more for my cat than any of my previous vets and stayed hundreds of dollars under budget of what I have recently paid for very little work. I cannot stress enough how glad I am that i found this vet. We will be lifelong customers!

posted: 07/05/2023