Pet Friends Veterinary Clinic

4.8 (473)
610 E Killian Rd, Columbia, SC 29229, USA

Hours:

Monday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Thursday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Saturday: 8:00 – 10:00 AM

Sunday: 5:00 – 6:00 PM

How to Save Money at Pet Friends Veterinary Clinic

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

hand swipe
Jan Jan

They’ve ALWAYS provided excellent and friendly service, whether I’m in person or speaking to them on the phone. The staff is very caring, and they actually care for and about the animals seen at their clinic. They have a collage of photos of the different pets they’ve seen over the years. I appreciate that. They’re honest when I ask about my doggo’s behavior, even recommending trainers who provide great socialization training. 8/30/2024 Whenever I have to drop Kobe off, be it for boarding or for care, I am always confident in the staff’s abilities at Pet Friends. I am pleased with the attention to detail, how he’s treated and cared for, and how we are treated. I love the little furbabies that comfortably and freely chill in this relaxed environment. I especially am grateful to Dr. Bare for alerting me to my doggo’s hot spot that was infected. I meant to ask them to check it but I totally forgot! She prescribed a treatment plan, and we are working to help him get better. Thank you, Pet Friends!

posted: 08/30/2024

Mister Ono

My pup Sheba receives the best care from the staff at Pet Friends and I cannot think of any reason to take her elsewhere! The friendly and knowledgeable staff,the willingness to answer questions and address concerns,not to mention how gentle they are with my four legged fur daughter speaks volumes to me.If you are looking for a reputable place to take your pet,by all means take them to PetFriends!

posted: 09/10/2024

roy holmes

Love everything about them. From the front desk to the vet techs and vet. Very friendly and kind everyone of them.

posted: 04/24/2024

Emmy Hunnicutt

Finding a great vet with reasonable prices to trust with your fur babies is SO HARD. They are the ones! I wouldn’t go anywhere else. Cannot recommend Pet Friends enough. They take such good care of our mini schnauzers and address any questions we have with care and empathy.

posted: 06/01/2024

Connie Strickland

I would not know where to begin, to tell you, what excellent vets Dr. Lillybear and Dr. Holland are. I believe that we have been customers for close to twenty years. Also, there is no way I could write this review without praising Amber our vet tech. She is an awesome human being who goes out of her way to be helpful. She never fails to get back to you when you are in need or have an emergency. Every animal we have or had sees one or both of these vets. Thus far that is 6 girls and boys. We have been through bone cancer, a rescue that after 15 years still strugles with PTSD, and a feral cat who struggled with a crippling tumor. On Friday, our daughter a cancer survivor herself just adopted two rescue kitties through this practice. If you are new to our area or thinking of changing vets you will not regret calling Pet Friends. Tell them that Amy, Snowball, Princess, Sammie, Kittie or Lucy sent you. Oh, yes, and now Tate or Ollie.

posted: 09/16/2024