Northside Animal Hospital

4.8 (361)
2121 N Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704, USA

Hours:

Monday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Tuesday: 7:30 AM – 7:00 PM

Wednesday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Thursday: 7:30 AM – 7:00 PM

Friday: 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Saturday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Northside Animal 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 2025
Rating Provider Total Review
4.4 AKC 894
4.5 ASPCA 12,057
4.9 Embrace 20,305
4.9 Fetch 27,409
4.1 Figo 2,786
4.5 Hartville 177
4.9 Healthy Paws 10,736
4.8 Lemonade 815
4.6 ManyPets 2,428
4.6 MetLife 5,637
4.8 Nationwide 21,417
3.9 Pet Assure 15
4.4 PetPartners 117
4.3 Pets Best 14,113
4.7 Pumpkin 2,549
4.6 Spot 9,855
4.8 Trupanion 62,914
4.8 Prudent Pet 2,445

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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Sabrina B

They were SO helpful squeezing my babe in for emergency services late on a Friday afternoon, didn’t have a long wait time at all, and took time to explain everything (including pricing) before proceeding. It felt like we made decisions together, rather than them pushing anything on me, or me feeling alone in the decision making. It was also clean / no strong odors lingering like some clinics. Highly recommended! I’ll be transferring to this clinic for primary care.

posted: 09/21/2025

Hannah Wilkins

They take care of my Great Dane Mable so well. She hated Vets, and since we switched to Northside they have been so understanding and patient with her. And she has become more calm with them. She trusts them and I do to!!!

posted: 06/19/2025

Hannah Harlow

I can't recommend Northside Animal Hospital enough. My cat has been a patient of Dr. Olsen and Dr. Shreve for over 3 years (since he was 12 weeks old) and they and all of the staff are so kind and always take the time to explain treatment plans and options to me in depth and answer any questions I have. My cat can be a bit nervous and they make sure he's comfortable throughout a checkup. They've always been willing to see my cat the same day I call when he's not feeling well. I believe they're independently owned which is becoming increasingly rare in Madison. They consistently go above and beyond and I fully trust them with my cat's care.

posted: 03/09/2025

Sarah Brockwell

The care they provide is incredible. They are thoughtful and trauma informed when it comes to handling our pet. We are happy we brought our cat in for a significant dental surgery, and when we had concerns regarding the cost of the procedure we were met with compassion and willingness to problem solve. Cost is something to consider at this clinic, especially with dental procedures, so it is important to go in knowing that the procedure may be pricey.

posted: 06/19/2025

Chase S.

Went to this place for a year or two. Finally switched back to truesdell after two separate occasions where they could not find any records of my animals, despite the fact that we’ve spent thousands of dollars there. One was an emergency situation. After multiple calls and giving them tons of information about myself and my animals, they finally found our records. It’s pricey. They force you to use this terrible app. The last time I was there with my three healthy animals, I paid over $1000 and got no receipt, no email, nothing printed out to tell me what I paid for. I was told the receipt would be in the app along with information about the services. Nope. They also seem to have a sliding scale. If you act like you can’t afford their services they charge less. If you say you can afford to pay in full they charge you more. Finally they just lack professionalism when compared to other vets. Instead of telling you ahead of time by email phone or text (or through their vile app) that you need to bring in a bag of your animal’s poop, they’ll charge you $300 on the spot and tell you to bring the poop in within the next three days. Are you kidding me? How many trips do I need to make here?

posted: 07/15/2025