The Drake Center for Veterinary Care

4.8 (257)
195 N El Camino Real, Encinitas, CA 92024, USA

Hours:

Monday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Thursday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Friday: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Saturday: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Sunday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

How to Save Money at The Drake Center for Veterinary Care

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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Daria Noor Guichon

The absolute best. The staff is so friendly I’m always happy to go there! Dr Leslie is an absolutely god sent. She’s so friendly, easy going and welcoming. The staff is always there to answer questions and easy to reach. The place is clean and welcoming. My cats actually love going there !

posted: 06/21/2023

Denise Williams

Reviewing your info on line Very helpful indeed . Came to to pages to ask about hyper vocalization in kitties . Without being too one way or another we don’t give him all the attention all the time but give him adequate attention to try find out what’s happening . Useful to double check litters and interactions with us and his house mate kitty . Thank you for a very good resource . Certainly appreciated.

posted: 09/11/2023

Amy Johnsgard

Everyone at Drake is fantastic. I recently brought my pittie mix to see Dr. Boehme. She is like a guardian angel for animals! She is so caring and knowledgeable. She was literally moved to tears during our appointment seeing how sweet and loved my little furbaby is.

posted: 08/10/2023

Janelle Gilbert

Update 7/15/23: Went to the Annex for the first time today, and it was a great experience. The office is new and nice, and the staff is lovely. Just a quick vaccine update and we were out of there. Perfect! -- We've really enjoyed working with Dr. Shotwell who has been the primary veterinarian caring for our three cats. She's kind and caring, really knows her stuff, and loves kitties. We also appreciate that she explains diagnoses and treatment plans clearly, asking for our input regarding options and making sure we are comfortable with the plan. The vet techs and front office staff are very good as well. It's a busy practice, but they are friendly and helpful. This is our vet for the foreseeable future!

posted: 07/15/2023

Info - Encinitas Plumbing

We are a local business, and found the Drake Center while searching for a local veterinarian for our 5 y/o Blue Nose. I was searching specifically for non-sedative dental cleaning, but came across a very informative page from their website explaining why sedative cleaning is better. That info, and the glowing reviews on here made it obvious that we needed to check them out. We are so glad we did! They made us feel comfortable from the very start. The doctor listened while I explained a long-time anxiety issue we've been dealing with. Over time, it had gotten so bad that prevented us from getting out as often as we'd like. The doctor performed an exam, and discussed some options for helping us deal with Pepper's anxiety. We are on day 1 with a mild sedative, and the result is nothing short of a miracle! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We are excited for the future, and looking forward to getting them choppers cleaned in a few weeks.

posted: 08/07/2021