Best Friends Animal Hospital

4.4 (274)
1520 9th St S, Great Falls, MT 59405, 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: Closed

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Best Friends 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 891
4.5 ASPCA 11,757
4.9 Embrace 17,158
4.9 Fetch 18,571
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 12,232
4.6 Pumpkin 1,473
4.6 Spot 7,033
4.9 Trupanion 73,743
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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Alexus Johnson

My husband and I have only been here twice. Once, was when we first got our new dog, and she got in a bad fight with our older one. She was injured pretty badly and it was midnight. The vet came to the office within 15 minutes and fixed her up. The person at the front desk was SO friendly, and her and the vet made us feel so much better. They do charge a hefty emergency fee, but what can you expect when you ask them to come to your beck and call at midnight? The second time we came here was when we took our older dog in a couple days ago. He was bleeding heavily when going to the bathroom. His primary vet is Associated, but when we called to tell them it was an emergency, they said they had a staff meeting for the next two hours and couldn't see him that day. We brought him to Best Friends and they fit him in immediately. The young girl at the front seemed miserable and wasn't very friendly, so I was worried. Nevertheless, the vet assistant and the vet took great care of him. The real cherry on top, was when we received a call today from them asking how our dog was doing and if we had any questions. It was a small, simple thing, but something we appreciated greatly and we weren't expecting. We have now decided to make Best Friends our primary vet.

posted: 05/20/2023

Mackenzie Diaz

Taking away my 5 stars & changing it to one. Today my sister called to transfer her dog’s records that I had previously put under my account to her own along with a new dog she just adopted. Instead of allowing her to do so, Best Friends instead decided to give out my personal information about an outstanding bill I have with them & refused to transfer the dog’s records. I have been going here for almost 3 years straight & have spent well over $8000+ at this place. I have an outstanding bill from 3 different surgeries & have paid on time every month for 2.5 years. Because I was a DAY late, they froze my account, gave out my personal information, refused to let my sister transfer her dog’s records & threatened to send me to collections. I love Dr. Norton, he is a great vet that saved my cat’s life & I will forever be grateful for him & the medical staff but the front desk & accounting office need to be accountable for how they treat loyal clients.

posted: 06/01/2023

Kip Folkerts

Took our dog in for a check up to get her shots updated. This was the first time we've been there. I was so impressed how clean it was and how friendly the staff is. The Doctor/Vet is definitely a pet lover. He talks to your pet and even tells them to cough or breathe in and out while listening to their heart like a human Doctor would. Highly recommend them.

posted: 03/29/2023

David Brunelle

Far from best friends? I’ve had my last go with these folks. The female doc is about rude and insulting. I had a issue with a 4 month old puppy that took to best friends and it was disappointing and maddening. She could have handled it so much differently. There is such a thing as a Vet not liking your pet!She is not in check. I won’t go into the front desk operations it’s worse. No good. IMO.

posted: 06/07/2023

Robert Langan

We had to take both our cats in for their shots. In and out with no problems👍

posted: 07/27/2022