Indian River Veterinary Clinic
4.7 (335) 5668 S Straits Hwy, Indian River, MI 49749, USAHours:
Monday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
How to Save Money at Indian River Veterinary Clinic
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 | 11,392 |
| 4.9 | Embrace | 14,179 |
| 4.9 | Fetch | 1,995 |
| 4.4 | Figo | 2,561 |
| 4.7 | Hartville | 164 |
| 4.9 | Healthy Paws | 7,475 |
| 4.9 | Lemonade | 781 |
| 3.2 | ManyPets | 2,145 |
| 4.6 | MetLife | 487 |
| 4.8 | Nationwide | 21,391 |
| 4.3 | Pet Assure | 12 |
| 4.7 | PetPartners | 110 |
| 4.5 | Pets Best | 7,194 |
| 4.3 | Pumpkin | 1,131 |
| 4.7 | Spot | 5,194 |
| 4.9 | Trupanion | 60,280 |
| 4.8 | Prudent Pet | 124 |
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
Grateful for this clinic! I called on Friday night and left a message and they called me first thing Saturday morning and saw my poor pup that was not feeling well. We were not patients at the clinic. This was our first visit. We will be customers for life! They took excellent care of our Golden Retriever. They were kind and compassionate. I will recommend their office. Thank you for seeing us on super short notice and taking excellent care of our sweet boy.
posted: 08/05/2023
We were at a rest stop on our way up north. Our dog was attacked by an unleashed dog. We quickly looked up the closest veterinary clinic and called. The amazing staff at Indian River Veterinary Clinic, was able to get us in right away. My dog needed multiple stitches and needed to be sedated for it. Turn around time from our initial phone call to them asking for their help, to them calling me telling me my dog was ready was an hour and a half! Amazing! It was not the start to my vacation that I was expecting but incredibly grateful for the amazing staff and awesome doctor that quickly got my dog the care he needed. I honestly couldn’t recommend this place enough. I’m so grateful for them.
posted: 06/24/2023
My experience was so positive from the moment I walked in the door. Everyone was so friendly and knowledgeable. Dr Heidi Dirkse truly understands my dog's needs and goes the extra mile to put me at ease and help my dog with her anxiety issues. She spent so much time with her. Also I was expecting a large bill but was pleasantly surprised that is was very reasonable.
posted: 04/14/2023
Brought my 9 week old puppy in to be seen in an emergency (she has RVS and possibly isn’t going to make it through the night) thankfully because no one else would see her as they weren’t taking any new patients because they are low staffed. They charge a $100 wall in fee but on the phone the said they won’t not run any tests to make sure we can afford to pay them. We brought her in and they brought her back and did a bunch of tests without even discussing how much they were going to be. They did find out about the RVS there and said she has a slim chance of making it through the night. Prescribed her antibiotics that would give her the only fighting chance that she has. During check out they told us the bill which was more than what we could afford to pay and they said they would cancel the prescription for my puppy if we didn’t pay all up front. The only medication that would help my puppy survive through the night, they threatened to take that away over money that we could have did a payment plan with or waited until I was paid next. I understand people don’t pay vet bills and medical bills but if you are gonna take a away the one chance that a puppy has of surviving something extremely serious because of money, then I really don’t have anymore hope for humanity. I will never be going here again under any circumstance.
posted: 07/17/2023
Always wonderful with my baby boy patches, saved my dad's pup a handful of times as well from near death situations. God bless this clinic!
posted: 08/08/2023