Summit Veterinary Referral Center

4.2 (815)
2505 S 80th St, Tacoma, WA 98409, USA

Hours:

Monday: Open 24 hours

Tuesday: Open 24 hours

Wednesday: Open 24 hours

Thursday: Open 24 hours

Friday: Open 24 hours

Saturday: Open 24 hours

Sunday: Open 24 hours

How to Save Money at Summit Veterinary Referral Center

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 11,409
4.9 Embrace 14,230
4.9 Fetch 2,045
4.4 Figo 2,578
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 21,392
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.7 PetPartners 110
4.5 Pets Best 7,196
4.3 Pumpkin 1,163
4.7 Spot 5,259
4.9 Trupanion 60,296
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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Elizabeth Garcia

I'm so thankful for this place, exceptional service from the medical team. Dr Schwartz took the time to discuss options, answer questions and is clearly a very professional neurologist. He is an outstanding neurologist with integrity, high standards and compassionate. While Bella, our mini doxie (who we love like our own child), was staying for two nights after surgery, the team called each day to give us updates. On top of that, Kaitlyn, med tech sent me several pictures of Bella. What a truly wonderful thing to do as I didn't expect it! Kaitlyn and Hanna were amazing. I recommend this place if your dog needs urgent care. I can't say enough how much my heart has been touched by the care and compassion they showed. I highly recommend this facility.

posted: 09/07/2023

Wendy Bunker

Thank you for your exceptional care on 2/21. My vet sent us over that evening and within an hour my pup was having an emergency endoscopy to remove a rock. There was a woman at the front desk-Kathie who was amazing. She went above and beyond to assist us and I felt that she really cared about us and ensuring our needs were met. I felt the prices were extremely reasonable for the procedure. The lobby was comfortable and clean, and we appreciated the coffee machine. A big thank you to everyone who helped my girl! She’s doing great!

posted: 03/05/2023

Margaret Spath

What a wonderful experience all around. From reception to check-in, Dr Pan, the communication, the help with processing my pet insurance, and mostly the impressive level of care, I could not have been more pleased. My cat has been diagnosed with a very rare condition, and it came on suddenly. In a matter of hours we had a diagnosis and I still got to bring her home. Thank you to everyone!

posted: 09/08/2023

Jane Doe

Today is my Birthday and I just received the best gift I could ever ask for: my best friend, Stella, is home with me recovering. Less than 48 hours ago I had a panic attack and was sobbing uncontrollably thinking that she was dying. She couldn't urinate and began vomitting. We checked two local Animal ER's and they were at-capacity. Summit was able to see her, so we headed there immediately in the middle of the night. I was able to complete the intake online and en route. Upon arriving, they buzzed us into the spacious and beautiful lobby, which on it's own brought me some comfort. Handing my little girl over to the nurse after talking quickly with the staff on-site, I immediately felt relief that she was in the best place she could be to get help. The staff was helpful, welcoming and caring. The vet that night quickly checked her condition and met with us to advise surgery was needed to clear the obstruction of stones in her bladder. She said we brought her in earlier than most, which made me feel SO MUCH BETTER. She was friendly, knowledgable and informative. They worked with my pet insurance company (Trupanion) and I paid my deductible later that day. Stella got her surgery a few hours later and was kept for observation. I never thought in a million years that my 4 year old dog would need surgery already, but I don't want my dog going anywhere else in an emergency and there are no words that will properly convey my gratitude to every employee at Summit Veterinary Referral Center. They called me with updates and encouraged me to call if I had questions/concerns or if I simply couldn't stop thinking about her. They really helped me feel peace and faith the entire time I was without my dog. They made sure I understood what her meds do and how/when to give them when we left today. Now she is resting with me and she is ALIVE. Thank you so so so much Summit. 🥹🥲

posted: 08/29/2023

Eric Graf

My experience with Summit was more focused around the Oncology dept as our family Kitty was diagnosed with Lymphoma. She has since unfortunately passed away but she was in good hands the entire time. Dr. Callanan and her team showed us an overwhelming amount of compassion with our tiny family member and did everything she and her team could do to help her feel comfortable. I know that all of the team members treated our kitty with the utmost respect and care and that is what means the world to us. If you folks in the Oncology read this, once again thank you so so so much for everything that you did to help us with this nightmare. Thank you so much as well for the wonderful hand written card that was sent by the team. The only reason why it is not 5 stars is that the pricing is very very expensive here (you gotta do what you gotta do for your pets) and the front desk staff most of the time was a bit short but I am sure that they also deal with a lot up there. Thank you to everyone here. I don't mean to be rude but I hope we don't have to see each other soon. 5 Stars to the Oncology Department here. Take care, - Eric, Janae & Mittens

posted: 06/16/2023