Look Ahead Veterinary Hospital

4.8 (339)
1451 Clark Rd, Butte Valley, CA 95965, USA

Hours:

Monday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Look Ahead 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 891
4.5 ASPCA 11,713
4.9 Embrace 16,627
4.9 Fetch 10,616
4.2 Figo 2,598
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 9,975
4.9 Lemonade 805
4.6 ManyPets 2,332
4.0 MetLife 625
4.8 Nationwide 21,404
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.5 PetPartners 112
4.3 Pets Best 12,053
4.6 Pumpkin 1,425
4.6 Spot 6,829
4.9 Trupanion 67,550
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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Vicki Woodard

I wanted to let look ahead staff and Dr Prather to know, how thankful we are that you cared for us and bubbles. We appreciate you immensely, you gave bubbles extra years to spend with us, you helped us in so many way. Thank you for everything you have done. We lost our bubbles on 5/26 .the covering vet was amazing and answered all my questions, gave me support, and helped me feel at peace with the decision, we laid on the grass with a blanket, the wind blowing and sun shining on us, surrounded by family. We let our baby go in peace. You always tried to make room on the schedule for her, accommodated our needs, and showed compassion. She was more than your patient and you treated her like you would your own dog. We are forever grateful for all you have done for our family. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️the woodard-garrison family. We love you bubbles.

posted: 05/28/2023

Jay Mallery (CrazyITGuy)

These folks are great! Reasonable prices and great service for my dogs. Also, they respond better with text messaging.

posted: 08/21/2023

Shawndra Patterson

My little dude got neutered here and also had the Stenotic nares surgery. He went on their "thursday nutering day" so I could get a worthwhile discount. Hes a little French bulldog so I was worried about him being put under anesthesia, since it can be hard for their little body's. The lady's up front reassured me he would be taken care of. When I picked him up they provided pictures of how his little nose surgery went and explained how to take care of him during his recovery. I was very impressed and knew if I needed a good vet in the future I knew where I'd be headed. Thank you guys for such a great experience and we will deffinitly come visit you guys again. ❤😁 Update* so we returned and had my female frenchie spayed there. We are now living in Humboldt county but vet bills can easily double here for any procedure. She needed to have a ear hematoma drained as well very badly and I was quoted $1300 here in Eureka but look ahead only charged me 600 for the hematoma drain, spay, chip, and stenotoc nares surgery! So worth the long drive for that kind of savings. Thank you guys for helping my other baby and again for being so reasonable with affordability ❤.

posted: 04/20/2020

Cathy Camp

Dr Brown is number 1 at our house. We've been going to Look Ahead for about 6 years now and have 3 Pugs. (WELL, until 10 days ago when we had to have 2 put down). Dr. Brown really understands our breed and takes time on each visit to listen to us and then actually evaluate our pets. He gets on their level, shows compassion and seems to actually connect like we do with them. I think we are as comforted by his care as our Pugs are. On the day that we put our senior dogs down (14 and 12 years old-a mother and her son-) Dr.Brown gave them a sedative to calm them a bit while we had our little picnic in the garden area outside with all 3 dogs. (They loved chicken nuggets and French fries) then it was time for the injection. Honey went first and then her son Mario as he laid in my arms. Even in these Covid times my husband, my son, myself and our 4 year old pup were all there as our older fur babies peacefully left us. Though we miss them dearly, I thank Look Ahead Veterinary Hospital's great staff for being so dedicated to their patients.

posted: 11/07/2020

anna

Dr Prather treats all three of my dogs with both western and Chinese medicine and acupuncture. She is amazing! She saved my elderly dogs life and we often refer to her as a miracle worker. She always answers my questions, makes me feel heard, addresses my concerns, and calls me back after hours when I am worried about something! I am so lucky to have found her and my dogs are thriving emotionally and physically with her help and guidance!

posted: 02/03/2023