Advanced Veterinary Hospital

4.1 (47)
1230 Wilson Hall Rd, Sumter, SC 29150, USA

Hours:

How to Save Money at Advanced Veterinary 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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Taquisha Jolie

Was heading out of town and desperately Needed update shots for my new 3 month old German Shepard before taking her to boarding. My daughter and I were all over town looking for a good Vet to take in our Asia, Everyone was either booked or not accepting any new patients. So after riding around and calling for some hours I told my daughter this would be our last stop for the day… Lucked up and there was a canceled appointment 😄 so Asia could be seen immediately. IM SO GLAD I CAME HERE!!! Dr. Gerard definitely knew his stuff when it came to our new German Shepard puppy 🐾 answered our questions and made suggestions, you can tell he has a love for animals. He took great care of Asia ❤️

posted: 02/28/2022

Jessica Smyth

I recently visited Dr. Gerard's office after I found one of our neighborhood cats was sick. He and Lois are amazing. He was knowledgeable, empathetic, and helped me put together a plan to get this sweet cat healthy. Lois helped facilitate the whole process and even called at 8pm one night to check in after we had another cat neutered. What an amazing team! We will definitely be staying with this outstanding practice. Thank you!

posted: 04/29/2020

Cathy

Service is pretty slow, one of the ladies is quite rude and used rope to make a harness on a dog that didn't need one. Note: They say that the collar was lose/poor yet we tested it and it does not come off of her and she does not tug. The collar cannot come off of her unless unclipped.

posted: 11/08/2022

David Gohn

I took my new dog Bella to AVH today for the first time. They were Great. My previous vet could not see him till Monday. I really wanted to get her in before that. I had a bad experience at a local shelter. I called this morning and they fit me in today. They were Friendly Helpful and reasonably priced. Dr. Gerard spoke with and told me what to expect with my new dog. It felt like I had been going there for years and it was truly a pleasure to do business with them. I am very happy to have found them and looking forward to bringing Bella in the future.

posted: 05/09/2020

Sabrina Valentine

I rarely write reviews but after my last encounter, I though I’d share. I have been going here since February because of its cleanliness, location, and the very helpful/knowledgeable Dr. Girard. He has been great to my pup and I am always pleased with his professionalism and service. Mrs. Lois, on the other hand, has been rude on multiple occasions. She mostly seems visibly/verbally annoyed and inconvenienced when we’re arranging appointment dates. It’s frustrating especially when she doesn’t communicate flexibility effectively. I came an hour before closing and she clearly didn’t know how to handle her attitude or multiple customers under pressure. Today I left there feeling insulted after arranging a surgery for my pup. I’m only returning to get the surgery done, but the customer service here is not where it should be. I’m highly disappointed. 3 stars only because the person we all come to see actually does a very good job.

posted: 10/01/2019