Ark Veterinary Clinic: Helton, Mick DVM

4.3 (25)
4965 Barger Dr, Eugene, OR 97402, 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 – 12:00 PM, 2:00 – 5:30 PM

Friday: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Saturday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Ark Veterinary Clinic: Helton, Mick DVM

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 891
4.7 ASPCA 11,682
4.9 Embrace 16,115
4.9 Fetch 2,750
4.4 Figo 2,658
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 7,531
4.9 Lemonade 805
3.2 ManyPets 2,372
4.6 MetLife 597
4.8 Nationwide 21,399
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.7 PetPartners 112
4.5 Pets Best 7,257
4.3 Pumpkin 1,375
4.7 Spot 6,602
4.9 Trupanion 60,522
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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JD
JD

I don't know what happened to this place but its not the same as it was 2 years ago. My dog had surgery and anesthesia to remove a potentially cancerous mast cell tumor a few years ago and the entire thing cost ~$350. I paid far more than that just for an exam, to test her blood sugar and do an EKG. Once those results came back and the only anomaly was low blood sugar, they suggested testing to check insulin levels and do an ultrasound of her pancreas for tumors at an estimated $1300. After they sent me an email with a now-broken link that redirected me to a sketchy webmd-type page on pancreatic cancer in dogs. If this is the cost of testing then the treatment must be unimaginable. They wanted to put her under anesthesia for the ultrasound too, which they estimated would be $500+ on its own, she is almost 12 and this is extremely risky and not good practice given I initially took her in because she was having spells of weakness. She's my service dog. She keeps me alive and I'm not taking that chance and they clearly did not have her best interests at heart if they immediately jump on tacking on any additional charges they can give you. Even at the potential expense of your animal's life. They let her blood spoil after the first blood draw and I had to take her back again a few days later to get it taken again. After the second blood draw, they brought her out to me with a severe limp. She could not get into the car without help. It took her 3 days to recover. She was absolutely terrified of the place when I took her in after that, and that was a new development. I don't know what happened to her back there, but I'm not risking having it happen again. They refuse to prescribe heartworm medication without a heartworm test even if your animal has been consistently on them for the entire year. This is new and was not a thing at any of my previous vets or even this one when I first moved here. I have been told by many many vets that as long as there is no lapse in their heartworm treatment, tests are unnecessary. Even after a few months, a test is unnecessary, because it takes quite a long time for a severe enough heartworm infestation to develop to make giving them medication risky. The test costs $200. They also told me a few years ago her warts and skin tags were very standard canine papillomas and weren't anything to worry about and something many dogs get as they age. I knew this because her mast cell tumor was a completely different texture and shape and placement within the dermis and the fact it had no external structure like the papillomas. This past visit they told me those same warts and skin tags ALL could be potential mast cell tumors and suggested a biopsy. Care is inconsistent over years and even days within the same week. One day we had a lot of friendly people, the next my dog came back able to walk less than when I brought her in. Clearly the Hippocratic Oath does not extend to veterinarians, at least not at this location. I need to find a new vet. I never want to take my dog back here.

posted: 07/31/2023

Vanessa Rodriguez

Just called to inquire about getting my cat spayed. I was told I would need to make an appointment for a checkup first ($79). I asked what the purpose of this appointment would be since spaying is an extremely routine procedure. I was told it was “so the vet could get to know my pet and make sure everything is okay with her before the procedure”. Sounds like a completely pointless appointment and unnecessary expense for such a routine procedure. Seems like just a way to get more money out of someone for a routine procedure. I then asked for a ballpark figure for the cost to have my cat spayed. I was told she can’t give out that information. When I asked why, her reply was very vague and did not make much sense. Something about every cat is different and there may be more things involved, weight, etc. I said, ok, can you give me just the average of what your clinic normally charges for this procedure? Like, not asking for a quote. Not asking for some figure to hold them too. Just an average cost for a procedure they do all the time. I was told “they don’t want me to give out that information”. Wow. Ok. So, I’m guessing it must be very expensive, let alone the completely pointless $79 pre-appointment. I’d go elsewhere. Shame on this business for being so shady and underhanded.

posted: 04/25/2023

amy battaglia

I can't tell you how grateful I am for this clinic. My dog got attacked and my vet was closed. Ark gave her such excellent care, on top of having more open hours, that even having felt like we got good care from our last vet, we're switching. Thank you Ark!!!

posted: 03/01/2023

dorothy mason

i love the staff , and how they take to my pet . i dint like that i had phone call with a vet last yr and was not told i would be billed for it and when i took my new puppy i was then charged for a bill last yr and my new puppy . they dint go over the bill with me and what the charges would be . so was more that i exspected. not saying i dint owe it just wish i was not blundsided by it

posted: 01/03/2023

Eva Benore

Let me start with in the past I’ve had a really good experience with the ark clinic. Just recently, I had found out that my dogs primary vet had left the clinic which should have a been a red flag from the start. So onto my main issue. I had called to make an appointment for my dogs surgery about a month ago and was quoted a specific price range that I had agreed upon. When I took my dog in for the blood work/exam before the surgery, I was informed the price had greatly gone up from the quote. I understand inflation, but when I was emailed the quote I would have expected that it would’ve been a current up to date quote and they should have honored that. I’m more upset at the fact they have my dogs weight and information, and that I should have been given the correct quote from the beginning than to be blindsided at the appointment. Unfortunately this experience left a bad taste and I will be looking for another vet clinic.

posted: 03/24/2022