Small Animal Clinic - OVC HSC

4.5 (473)
28 College Ave W, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada

Hours:

Monday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Thursday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Saturday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Sunday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

How to Save Money at Small Animal Clinic - OVC HSC

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
4.9 Fetch Canada 166
4.9 Furkin 348
4.1 Pets Plus Us 862
4.3 PHI Direct 31
4.8 Spot Canada 149
4.8 Trupanion Canada 25,888
1.0 Desjardins 1
5.0 OVMA 1
3.3 Peppermint 3
2.5 Petsecure 226
0.0 Sonnet 0

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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Eunice Hong

It was my dog’s last blood donation today! Pamela was our nurse and she was amazing! Her and the staff today were incredible with Haru! We are so lucky to have had such great staff at OVC!

posted: 12/04/2024

Katherine

This was my first visit to OVC and I was really impressed. The staff were super kind and welcoming. They made sure I understood everything that was happening with my cat, and they always asked if I had any questions. I got updates twice daily on how she was doing. I dealt with both the Dr and a student, and they were great. I am grateful for the kindness and compassion offered here and I wouldn't hesitate to take a sick pet here again.

posted: 12/18/2024

Anand Rajin Jagdeo

When our 11 week old cocapoo Romeo was diagnosed with the very deadly Parvovirus in October of 2022 we first took him to the Brampton Veterinary Clinic where they wanted $6000 upfront to treat him and gave us a 20% chance of survival. I wasn't satisfied with that and was told that the only place that could give us a better survival % was OVC in Guelph but we had to get a referral for $200 plus we paid over $500 for whatever they claimed to have done. Long story short we took him to OVC where it ended up costing us $4000 but the professionalism that we experienced and the compassionate way in which they took care of our little Romeo was absolutely amazing. It actually reminded me of our experience when I once had to take my younger daughter to Sick Kids Hospital. Such was our experience that I have no hesitation in recommending their services to anyone who has a pet that may need their expertise and care.

posted: 11/10/2023

Chia Fen H

The best animal clinic in Canada (or in the world?!) Not only do they true care, they don’t charge everything for a ridiculous amount. My dog had gone through a few chemotherapy; and the staff here are absolutely amazing and caring, always make us feel welcome and taken care of. It made the journey of chemo less stressful. Special shout out to Dr Richardson, Mel, Geri, and the rest of the clinical care team. Words can’t describe my appreciation. Blessings!

posted: 05/06/2024

Justin

Had our first appointment with OVC HSC Ophthalmology Department for our cat Marshall. The student staff were so nice and explained every test they performed on our cat while also making the process light hearted and enjoyable. The Ophthalmologist was also very nice and performed further tests. We were given presciptions with written instructions and refills presciption slips we can bring to a human pharmacy as they noted it was cheaper to bring there which was very nice for them to offer/help cut costs. They suggested a follow up in a few months to see if the drugs are helping and were quick with the booking of that. The receptionist while checking out was also very nice and the price was more affordable than I thought it would be which was another pleasant surprise. Overall we were really impressed with our visit. Everyone was so nice, they saw us on time and were thorough with examing our Furbaby. Very blessed Ontario has such a great facility that offers so many vet services, it's worth the drive.

posted: 04/04/2024