Affordable Tucson Vet
Low cost wellness exams in Tucson.
Full nose-to-tail wellness exams for $35, flat. The same visit serves as your annual baseline and as the first-time visit if you're new to the clinic — there's no separate 'establish care' fee. Walk-ins are welcome; appointments are recommended if you want a specific time with Dr. Nelson.
What's promised
Flat $35 for any pet
Cats, dogs, puppies, kittens, seniors — same price, same exam.
One visit, no upsell tiers
We don't split exams into 'basic' and 'comprehensive' to charge more for what should be standard.
New clients & annuals, same fee
No separate first-visit charge. The exam that establishes care is the same exam you come back for every year.
Overview
A real exam, honestly priced.
A wellness exam is the foundation of everything else we do — a thorough check of your pet from nose to tail, with the vet actually taking time to listen, ask questions, and answer yours. It's the visit your pet should get every year even when nothing is wrong, because the things we catch early are the things that don't turn into expensive emergencies later.
Most Tucson clinics charge $55–$85 for the same exam, often with separate fees layered on top for new clients. We charge $35 for any pet, any age, whether it's your first visit or your tenth. Walk-ins are welcome for wellness exams, though we recommend booking ahead if you want a specific time slot or a longer conversation about something specific.
If your pet needs vaccines, a microchip, or any diagnostics during the wellness visit, those are billed at the prices posted on this site — never bundled into a vague 'wellness package' that hides what you're actually paying for what.
Pricing
One price, every pet.
No species tier, no weight tier, no age surcharge. Every wellness exam is $35, whether it's a kitten's first visit or a 14-year-old senior's annual.
Anything we recommend during the exam (vaccines, bloodwork, X-rays, a dental cleaning) is priced separately at the rates posted on this site. We'll quote it before doing it.
What's included
Every exam, the same thorough check.
No premium tiers. The wellness exam is a real exam, every time, for every pet.
Nose-to-tail physical
A full hands-on check: eyes, ears, mouth, lymph nodes, skin and coat, joints, abdomen. The vet feels for anything that doesn't belong.
Heart & lung auscultation
Careful listening for murmurs, arrhythmias, or breath-sound changes — often the earliest sign of issues that benefit hugely from being caught early.
Weight & body condition
We track weight visit-to-visit and flag any meaningful change, plus an honest body-condition score (we'll say if your pet's getting heavy or thin).
Dental & oral check
A look at teeth, gums, and oral tissues. We flag periodontal disease, fractures, or masses early — before they need expensive intervention.
Behavior & lifestyle conversation
Eating, drinking, energy, mobility, litter box or potty habits. A lot of medicine is just paying attention to what's changed at home.
Tailored recommendations
Vaccines, diet, exercise, dental care, preventatives — what your pet actually needs based on their age, lifestyle, and what we just found. No upsells, just our honest recommendations.
How it works
What to expect, from check-in to checkout.
Walk in or book ahead — either way, this is the rhythm of a typical wellness visit.
Check-in
Sign in & weigh-in
Front desk pulls up your pet's record (or creates one if you're new). A tech weighs your pet and asks a few quick questions about what's been going on at home.
In the room
Settle in with a tech
A tech takes a temperature, heart rate, and a fuller history — diet, medications, behavior, anything you've noticed. This is the part where bringing notes helps.
The exam
Time with the vet
Dr. Nelson does the full nose-to-tail exam, talks through what they're finding as they go, and answers your questions. We don't rush this part.
Wrap-up
Plan & checkout
Any recommended next steps — vaccines today, a dental on the calendar, a follow-up bloodwork — get priced and scheduled. You walk out knowing exactly what was found and what comes next.
FAQ
Common questions, straight answers.
If you're not sure whether your pet needs a wellness exam or something more, just call — we'll help you sort it out.
Do I need to book, or can I walk in?
Walk-ins are welcome for wellness exams. We hold capacity throughout the day for them, so you can usually get seen the same day. That said, if you want a specific time, a longer conversation about something specific, or a particular vet, booking ahead is the safer bet — especially on Saturday mornings.
I'm a new client. Is there a separate first-visit fee?
No — the wellness exam is the establish-care visit. Whether it's your first visit or your tenth annual, the price is the same $35. We don't tack on a 'new client' surcharge or a separate 'establish care' fee like some clinics do.
How often does my pet need a wellness exam?
Once a year for healthy adult cats and dogs. Twice a year for senior pets (cats and small dogs over 10, large dogs over 7) — they age faster, and twice-a-year exams catch things while they're still easy to treat. Puppies and kittens need more frequent visits in their first six months as they grow and finish their vaccine series.
Will you push a bunch of add-ons?
No. We'll tell you what your pet actually needs based on what we find — sometimes that's nothing beyond the exam, sometimes it's a vaccine or two, occasionally it's bloodwork or a referral. We'll explain why and quote the price before doing it. If you'd rather skip something, just say so.
What should I bring to a wellness exam?
Any prior medical records or vaccine history if you have them (especially useful if you're new to the clinic), a list of current medications and supplements, and a sample of your pet's food brand and amount if diet is something you want to talk about. Notes about anything you've noticed at home — appetite changes, limping, scratching — are gold.
Can I get vaccines or a microchip at the same visit?
Yes — and most people do. We can administer any vaccines or microchip your pet right there during the wellness exam. They're priced separately on top of the $35 exam (see the vaccine and microchip pages for current pricing), but you save yourself a separate trip.
What if my pet seems healthy? Do they really need an exam?
Pets are good at hiding discomfort — dogs and cats evolved to mask weakness, and a lot of what we catch on annual exams is stuff the owner hadn't noticed yet: early dental disease, weight gain, a heart murmur, a lump under the fur. The annual exam isn't about fixing problems you already see; it's about finding the ones that haven't shown up at home yet.
Ready when you are
Walk in or book ahead.
Either way, we're excited to meet your furry family. We'll walk you through what's recommended and what it costs before doing anything.