VetBus

5 (5)
435 Carmel Creeper Pl, Encinitas, CA 92024, USA

Hours:

How to Save Money at VetBus

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 11,756
4.9 Embrace 17,140
4.9 Fetch 18,308
4.2 Figo 2,602
4.7 Hartville 165
4.9 Healthy Paws 10,008
4.9 Lemonade 805
4.6 ManyPets 2,343
4.0 MetLife 652
4.8 Nationwide 21,407
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.5 PetPartners 113
4.3 Pets Best 12,229
4.6 Pumpkin 1,473
4.6 Spot 7,024
4.9 Trupanion 73,550
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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Matthew Faust

Our 16 year old golden retriever, Winston, was facing insurmountable health issues and we knew that we wouldn't have much more time with him. After consulting with another mobile vet, we ultimately chose Dr. Heidolph due to her overall demeanor, compassion, and professionalism. We are so thankful we did. Dr. Heidolph was able to fit us into her schedule quickly on a holiday weekend. She was thorough in her explanation of our options and incredibly empathetic with our ultimate decision and subsequent experience. She was calm, thoughtful, and made an otherwise heartbreaking experience as comfortable as possible. We are so grateful we were able to say goodbye to Winston at home, where he could be surrounded by the family who loved him.

posted: 05/26/2020

Wendy Johnson

I had to face the difficult decision to put my dog down. dr Heidolph came recommended by a friend of mine that also used her 5 years ago. She was amazing and compassionate. She came to my house and helped Me say goodby in my own way. She didn’t rush me at all and I felt that she was as interested in my dogs comfort as I was. If anyone is facing the very difficult decision that it is time put you pet down, she is the one I would recommend. Doing This I’m comfortable surrounding for your pet makes it more bearable.

posted: 11/16/2019

MIndy Weiss

We have now being using the services of Vet Bus since their inception. We have found Dr. Heidolph to be a compassionate and concerned vet whose primary objective is the proper care of our beloved Max. Dr. Heidolph's breath of knowledge and her willingness to share is a pure comfort. We have recommended Dr. Heidolph to several of our friends who continue to use Vet Bus as we have. Dr. Heidolph is a rare and welcomed Vet in the world of today.

posted: 05/03/2019

Matthew Vega

Dr. Vera Heidolph is truly amazing!! She is VERY smart, kind, and truly an animal lover. I would trust her with all of my animals in a heartbeat. She is worth her weight in gold to say the least. It is sooooo helpful to be able to have a true expert be able to help out your pets from the comfort of your own home or from the VetBus. She will likely find conditions and diagnose diseases that other vets miss!!! She has probably the best ability to find heart murmurs and heart problems on my cats than any vet I have ever met. For example, I have 6 cats, and even after multiple hospital vet visits with other places, I was only aware of 1 cat having heart problems, yet in 5 min Doctor Vera was able to find even the most faint heart murmurs and rhythm problems in 4 of the 5 cats examined! This is extremely important because now that we know about them, we can watch for clinical signs and potentially put them on medication long before it becomes a problem or kills them. #DrV=LifeSaver Her Vet Tech (nurse) is also really smart and amazing! I would say she was also one of, if not the best Vet Tech I have met especially from a knowledge and skill standpoint. I highly recommend the Vet Bus and most importantly Dr. Heidolph for any of your pets needs. She will take the time and precautions to make sure your animals are happy, calm, safe, and not stressed out. She for sure was born for this job, as she has a natural calming sense with my animals. My cats were about 5 times better with her than they were with other vets. Normally it becomes a world heavy weight championship boxing match between my cats and the other vets, but this time I was able to help hold them, Dr. H was able to give them a safe sedative to take the edge off my cats that were abused and scared of new people, and it went really smoothly especially for my seniors. My wife and I love Dr. Heidolph and we highly recommend her! She will be our vet forever! You will NOT be disappointed by switching to VetBus and Dr. Heidolph for all of your primary care needs, especially when Covid is over and there is more flexibility. Like all doctors/vets, she is following all of the CDC and state safety guidelines, so I would recommend you email her through her website to ask about your pets specific situation to she if she is accepting that type of appointment right now, as some things at all vet hospitals are on hold especially if they are not necessary for everyones safety. But I am sure she will point you in the right direction either way. If it is a appointment or procedure that she is taking right now, you won't be disappointed, and it will be worth the extra fee to have her treat your pet at home or using her state-of-the-art VetBus. Also, if you are one of those really smart people that thinks the Corona Virus is fake and are refusing to wear a mask because you are so smart and smarter than all of the doctors of the world, I would tell you that Dr. Heidolph and every other Vet in the United States for that matter is not a good choice for you, as like all doctors, she is going to tell you that you need to wear a mask at all times to be treated by her right now (FYI it is not only for your safety, it is for her and her staffs safety). So if you feel that the burning of 1 calorie it takes to put on a 10cent paper thin surgical mask for 30 min is too much work for you, I would recommend you fly down to South America to see a Vet there as I hear that they will treat you without a mask on, and I am pretty sure the appointment comes with a free viral infection also.

posted: 11/10/2020

Susie Phillips

Dr. Heidolph is the best!!

posted: 03/04/2021