Howard County Animal Hospital

4.6 (154)
8459 Baltimore National Pike #10, Ellicott City, MD 21043, USA

Hours:

Monday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Thursday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Saturday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Howard County 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 2024
Rating Provider Total Review
4.4 AKC 890
4.7 ASPCA 11,646
4.9 Embrace 15,682
4.9 Fetch 2,669
4.4 Figo 2,646
4.7 Hartville 164
4.9 Healthy Paws 7,521
4.9 Lemonade 805
3.2 ManyPets 2,356
4.6 MetLife 577
4.8 Nationwide 21,398
4.3 Pet Assure 12
4.7 PetPartners 112
4.5 Pets Best 7,244
4.3 Pumpkin 1,340
4.7 Spot 6,404
4.9 Trupanion 60,501
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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Kelly Miller

Highly recommend !! I called around to multiple hospitals and they were the only place willing to get us in today even though we werent exhisting clients. So thankful for that and the care and compassion they showed my old girl was top notch. Will definitely be making them our new regular vet. Cost was reasonable to which is always a plus.

posted: 11/07/2023

Sue Jones

I could not be happier with the experience that we received with our rescue dogs care. The shelter was recommending that just like be removed until we could get the second opinion and they saved his leg with a plate and a few screws. We drove from Elkton Maryland to get this surgery done. Mickey is a happy playful dog and you never would have known his leg had been broken. Thank you so much for saving his leg! Kayla & Sue Jones Toller Rescue Inc.

posted: 11/07/2023

Svetlana Dolgusheva

I recommend staying away from the Howard County Animal Hospital, a dangerous place for your four-legged friend. I went there with my dog vomiting and refusing to eat. I don’t know what was done during the visit, because the animal was taken away. But within 3 days my dog showed no improvement, she was still vomiting, didn’t eat and stayed in her cage a lot. The hospital called and inquired about her condition, persistently offering hospitalization (

posted: 11/04/2023

Aubrey McCready

Took my 14 year old boy in due to bladder stones. Everyone there was so nice. Astro was super nervous, but he quickly won the hearts of all the techs who met him. The vet was super friendly, and took the time to explain all of my options and the different types of treatment we can do. I couldn’t recommend them enough, the atmosphere was very chill, everyone seemed to have really good chemistry (meaning everyone seemed to have a really good bond with each other and enjoyed being around each other, which is incredibly important to me) and the office was very clean.

posted: 11/07/2023

Gary Berger

Great hospital and the doctor is very experienced and knowledgeable. However, be cautious when bringing a sick pet and presented with an expensive bill. I understand that to be safe the doctor should suggest any and all tests be done to diagnose your pets condition, but not all tests (IMO) need be done and some degree of consultation should be conveyed to the pet owner accordingly. For example, an X-ray and X-ray analysis is several hundred dollars. My pet was sick and had been sick before. I had to decide if I should pay $90 or $700 and the X-rays were the difference. I brought in another pet a week later and a similar scenario occurred. Long story short my pets are fine and are still fine. I was hoping the doctor would have been able to provide me with a better assessment going with and/or without the costly expenses. I was left with some doubt concerning the doctors interests in making money versus giving honest advice.

posted: 10/20/2023