Linville Animal Hospital

4.4 (68)
4004 NC-105 #2, Banner Elk, NC 28604, USA

Hours:

Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

How to Save Money at Linville 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

hand swipe
Yvonne Ballaera

Dr. Lang was fantastic with my senior bully. He eased my worry and actually worked us in as I was concerned he was going into kidney failure. Happy to say he is much better!!! If you need a great vet who really cares look no further than the team at Linville!!! They are top notch

posted: 07/08/2023

Kristen Keene

My dog has Addison's disease and needs a Zycortal injection every 28 days. It's nothing to mess with as it's a very serious condition, which left untreated will result in death. My dog has been to this vet before while vacationing in the area, so 6 weeks before our trip I made sure that I made an appointment for him to receive his injection. I contacted the clinic twice to make sure they had everything they needed, and confirmed that if they did not have the medication on hand, they would have enough time to order it. I showed up for the appointment and the young lady at the front desk seemed to remember the phone conversation and asked if I had brought the vile of medicine with me. I was confused at first and said, no, that I had called to confirm that they would need to order the medication 6 weeks ago. After waiting about 15 more minutes, I was told that they did not have the medication because no one ordered it and I would need to go up to they Animal Hospital in Boone!! Appointments can't be made there as it's an emergency hospital, you have to wait your turn. I can't spend all day waiting at an animal hospital because I also have a special needs child. Sitting in a car for hours is not an option. Nonetheless, it had to be done. All in all it cost $145.00 to just walk in the door, and then another $118. for the injection. This could have been a very serious situation and it angers me that the lady at Linville Animal Hospital acted like she could care less and it was my problem, not hers. I realize mistakes happen but this mistake could have had deadly consequences! They should have called me before I drove up there to let me know they never got the medicine. Seemed like nobody was on their game. From now on I will drive to Boone for better service/care. Doctor's, please remember the person sitting at the front desk dealing with patients and answering phones, should be the best you have on staff because they are the one's people will remember and the main reason people won't come back!

posted: 07/04/2023

BOZcakes

Very patient and awesome with my little dogs. They answer questions clearly and are very clean. Impressive staff as well. Sarah

posted: 05/12/2023

Cammy Duncan

Everyone was so compassionate about our Golden and so very gentle with her. I highly recommend them!

posted: 05/21/2023

T Laurens

Dr Lang saw my Lab, Barley, 9 years ago when he was 2-years-old and while we were briefly living in Banner Elk. Our home vet had told me “not to worry“ about a bump on his left leg, so we didn’t. Barley had an accident during fetch and had to be put under to repair his nail. With him under Dr Lang called and urged us to allow him to biopsy Barley’s bump. At first I declined (I had already dismissed him during consult about the bump) but he convinced me. Barley’s bump was a mast cell tumor and the diagnosis saved his life. My regret in retrospect is that we took Barley to a specialist surgeon back home to have wider margins removed (it was Dr Lang’s advice to get better margins since the cancer was confirmed, and he was willing to do it as soon as we said go), I should have trusted Dr Lang. Nothing wrong with the specialist we found, but with another decade of life I see how rarely gifted Dr Lang was and I’m sure still is. Thank you Dr Lang, you saved my boy and he just celebrated 11 years because of you.

posted: 02/04/2023