This is a veterinarian, unlike no other. I walked in for the first time with one of my dogs and it was the first time I've ever taking her to the vet or she wasn't shaking. I could see Dr. Watanabe really loves what he does and cares for the animals.. read more

The very, very best. I have never trusted any doctor more. This is an EXCELLENT clinic, Dr. Watanabe and Dr. Sakamoto and the whole staff have my deepest respect and gratitude. read more

Love him. He knows so much and has such great advice and his bed side is better than anyone I have ever been to.

Great vets. Experienced and caring. Best vets I've ever seen. Caring and not money hungry.

Dr. Watanabe is the best - and I mean that sincerely. He goes above and beyond in his studies of every case, and saved my 10 year old dog from stage 4 lymphoma in 2022. 3 years later and she is still alive and well. Every veterinarian should flow suit, we need more like him. THANK YOU Dr. Watanabe!!! read more

I had a terrible experience with Dr. Watanabe. I brought my pet to see this doctor to seek help for my pet's painful symptoms. There were many red flags that I noticed at this office. I have never seen a veterinarian/ animal clinic accept cash as their only form of payment. Another extreme concern was how Dr. Watanabe was searching my cat's symptoms on google on his cellphone in front of me, and reading off the results. However, the most concerning part is that he misdiagnosed my cat. Dr. Watanabe urged me to come back to him to have my cat's teeth extracted- a full mouth extraction, and told me I could wait it out beforehand. I was hesitant to follow through with the doctor's orders, since it seemed like a process that would cause my cat furthermore pain. I took my cat to the specialist, and that's when I found out the truth, that he was suffering from a very painful and aggressive oral cancer. Dr. Watanabe should have his license revoked for making a critical mistake as he did. When I called the office to make them aware of Dr. Watanabe's misdiagnosis and how my cat's outcome would have been different had Dr. Watanabe been competent enough to make the correct diagnosis, they were extremely nonchalant about the situation. I don't recommend anyone to bring their pets to this place. I strongly urge anyone who reads this to run from this veterinarian. I strongly believe that Dr. Watanabe doesn't care about the animals he sees. read more

Dr. Watanabe is a Very Warm and Sensitive Veterinarian. Not only is a totally competent Doctor but he is surrounded by Assistants and Staff members that are just as concerned with caring for their patients welfare, as well as their owners. You can be sure that this is a highly reputable Veterinary Clinic. you won't be disappointed. read more

I've known him since high school, truly smart and wonderful person, honest throughout life.

Excellent vet and wonderful staff. I have been coming to the clinic for 20 years. I wish Dr. Watanabe was my personal doctor too!

Best vet in all of Los Angles county and worth the drive from every corner of the city.

Thank you Dr. Watanabe for taking great care of Kobe!! He and I really appreciate your skill and care in diagnosing and treating him. You have a terrific staff too!!! I highly recommend your office to anyone who needs your services. read more

Dean G Watanabe, DVM - Kobe - Veterinarians Near Me - San Marino, California

Dean Watanabe, DVM charges and does unnecessary procedures and orders and administers IV or subcutaneous medications that are not needed. Its all about money for him. Do not trust him in anyways. Please get a second opinion at all times. Things like IV or subcutaneous medications and labs and xrays are usually expensive and he does it way more often. He also makes people take their pets frequently and often for office visits so he can charge extra. Always review your bill. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS DVM. read more

I'm finally through with my puppy visits with Dr. Watanabe, as my pups were neutered last week and have one final follow up. I have never, in my life, met a vet who was able to connect with animals as much as him. I worked as a dog handler for a few years, and had many different contacts with vet techs etc, but there was always something that was off. Dr. Watanabe is worth the 6+ month waiting list for new clients. Full stop. If that means you missed this go around because you forgot to get your dog's shots, make the appointment for next year with Watanabe. I have two, one year old Malamute boys. As you can probably guess, they are 100lbs of pure excitement 24 hours a day. Within moments of meeting them, Dr. Watanabe is able to get them under control and get the shots administered. It was nothing short of magic. The way he's able to administer vaccines with my dogs literally trying to do backflips is jaw dropping. I thought it might have been a fluke, but for the past year, it's been the same every time. I called and asked about diets and all sorts of random nerdy questions, and Watanabe called me back during his off hours even to help answer all of those questions. He's extremely transparent, and honest with what is going on. He doesn't recommend procedures the dogs don't need(he's even undersold me on some things that weren't necessary that I thought were). Pricing is about the same as it would be anywhere else, but I think the biggest thing is that I -trust- Dr. Watanabe. I've been involved with dogs for 20 years, and he is the first veterinarian who I feel I could have a catastrophic event happen, and he'd get everything fixed up. Additionally, the office staff is always so kind. Once again, my dogs aren't the easiest to handle. I believe every single staff member has handled them, and they've always been so kind. It's extremely easy to try and be too forceful with big dogs, resulting in push back. However at this office, all of the staff are able to calm the dogs down and get all of their vitals etc without issues. Lastly, I want to give a special shout-out to Mary, who has had to deal with me on the phone with dumb questions so many times that I'm fairly sure I'll have to invite her to my wedding. She's a joy to speak to, and always has a way to make both my dogs and myself, comfortable in a vets office which is magic in itself. read more

Had my first visit yesterday after looking for good veterinarian for about 4 years after I coming back from Chicago. I struggle to find anyone that even came close to my Vet in Chiacgo. All the ones I had just kinda looked at my Cavaliers and said oh it's nothing just monitor!! My boy cav always had issues, from recurrent ear infections and to heart murmur. Which I never got real answer for besides monitor. Doc looked and listen, noted his murmur was already grade 6 showing venous insufficiency w/no palpable pulse to his lower limb lucky this is not like Cancer where it means life threatening event is next. He needs to be on heart meds right away to reverse any further damages. Ughh, and their teeth/gums have been ruin by all the other vets that told me to do NO anesthesia teeth cleaning. They have gum disease now because of the improper cleaning !!! I want to thank the staff members that gave my two cavaliers the chance to see Dr Watanabe, whomever that drew the lottery and picked them gave them a chance to many more years with me!! read more

Dean G Watanabe, DVM - My baby Shopo - Veterinarians Near Me - San Marino, California

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Dr Watanabe is a genius and so kind - been a customer for years - staff is friendly and helpful - so grateful to have this team caring for my pets read more

Dr. Watanabe has saved my dog's life on several occasions. I'm not sure she would have made it to 18 years without him. She meant a great deal to us. She was the last of my childhood pets; I had her for half my life. I will do my best to write a positive review for Dr. Watanabe without writing a scathing one about another vet. First off, we discovered Dr. Watanabe thanks to yelp. Specifically, it was the review about a dog with kidney disease. My 18 year old lhasa, had been dealing with kidney issues for most of her adult life. The reason for this was that Nikky was on a daily enalapril regime for her enlarged heart. She'd been on the medication for over 8 years. It was prescribed to her by her former vet. A vet who has cared for my boyfriend's family pets for years who I went to blindly, thinking they were the best option for her. Twice a year, we would have to have blood tests done to check her levels. Her kidney and liver were always high due to the medication. The vet was perplexed by her skin allergy issue. There was a time when I would take her in every week. It was costly and a terrible waste of time. My dog would get very nervous any time she was in a car. She assumed I was dragging her to another vet visit. In addition to all the trauma, all the meds my previous vet had her on probably hastened her cataracts which led to her eventual blindness. When I took her in to Dr. Watanabe, it was difficult to get an initial appointment. I'm not even sure he was taking in new clients at the time, but the receptionist I spoke with was very helpful. Nik was spewing stomach acid for over a week and my old vet was at a loss. Watanabe said it was due to her stomach acid and the bacteria in her mouth was causing her to vomit. Antibiotics was prescribed to alleviate the bacteria in her mouth and put an end to her chronic vomiting. The first visit was a thorough one. There were tests and blood work to get a good read on her health. Right off the bat, Watanabe diagnosed her skin allergies. He went with a multi-pronged approach. One was food-related. While I had her on Blue Buffalo and other holistic brands, there was still gluten present. Not only that, but she has to be on a meat-free diet. My dog was a gluten free vegan. Well, that diet only lasted a little while. She eventually quit eating altogether. We called it her hunger strike days. Watanabe gave in and told her just to put food in her stomach. She was already a small girl and was losing too much weight. Another reason for her skin allergies was bug bites. He gave her oral flea medication to help with her hot spots. We also put her on antibiotics since she had bitten areas of her back until they were raw and bleeding. Watanabe comes to Nikky's rescue once again. She was pacing like crazy. I thought that by the end of the night, she would have tired herself out. No such luck. I fell asleep on the couch to be close to her and was awoken by loud whimpering. We rushed her to the emergency vet. It was a Saturday past midnight. We didn't want them to do any tests or x-rays because it would have been crazy expensive. And I only trust her to Watanabe, anyway. I asked the emergency vet if perhaps her kidney stone was on the move? She agreed that it was a possibility and sent her home with enough painkillers to get her through the weekend until I could take her to Watanabe. Back at Watanabe's, x-rays confirmed that her stone was still in the same place, so several other procedures were ordered. She hadn't eaten or had a bowel movement in days. They monitored her and tried feeding her anything and watched it go through her system. It was an expensive test. He even had her on stool softeners, but even that yielded nothing. Since everything was working normally, Watanabe realized that it could possibly be an anal gland issue. It was odd because that had been expelled a month ago when we took her to her groomer last. Apparently, it had already grown back. Sure enough, she had a massive bm when we got home. Several actually, that night. I was so relieved. read more

Dr. Watanabe is an exceptional veterinarian! He is extremely knowledgeable and cares about his patients providing them with excellent care. He goes above and beyond what most other vets will do. When my dog had cancer, he went to the City of Hope and UCLA cancer researchers to get the latest treatments for my dog. I would not trust my dog with anyone else except for his other doctor on staff, Dr. Jeff. read more

Simply the best!! Dr. Watanabe has the intangible traits that are so special to a veterinarian! Always spot on! If he is you vet you are very blessed! read more

Love, love, love Dr Wantanabe! He is not only professional but also kind, caring and funny! He answered all my questions in details and gave me the best suggestions with the lowest amount of price. I've been to way too many vets that all they care about is to make money (like asking me to get a $1k teeth cleaning for my dog) in which Dr Wantanabe gave me a suggestion what would only cost me a few bucks. He is super friendly and super informative and I highly recommend him! The only down said is I waited almost a year for his appointment since he is so popular! But strongly recommended! read more

I have been a client here for 30 years and had 8 dogs treated and cared for. Dr. Watanabe is excellent! Knowledgeable and shares knowledge. Actually cares for each animals well being. Makes logical recommendations. Offers options read more

If you are fortunate enough to pay a visit to Dr Watanabe you're entire perspective on the practice of Veterinary medicine will be forever changed. He is endowed with a deep knowledge of his craft and has an extraordinary gift in communication and and shares it with great generosity. Five stars. Five very rare stars indeed!!! read more

This is the best vet in the San Gabriel Valley. Very personable and great with our pet.

Can I give 1,000 stars? I would if yelp allows me! Dr. Watanabe and Dr. Sakamoto saved my corgi's life. After going to countless doctors and specialists, all of them said that she is going to die due to her enlarged heart, arrhythmia and pulmonary hypertension in her lungs. And on top of that, she had a growing mass by her throat which was pressing her esophagus. She was either going to die from her heart and lung problems, or eventually become unable to eat. One of the cardiologists even told me to get an oxygen tank for her. Long story short, they were able to regulate her heart and remove the mass, while no one dared to operate on her. My corgi is now stable and happy. Dr. Watanabe and Dr. Sakamoto show love and care beyond any vet I've seen. They take the time to explain and only do exams and treatments that are necessary. Though they only take cash or check, their cost is a lot more affordable than any other vet clinics or animal hospitals out there. Oh! and I usually get out from my appointments within an hour. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to have found them. It does take 4-6 months wait for new patients, but it is worth it. I highly recommend getting a spot now! read more

We happily left our holistic vet for Dr. Dean and wish I had found him earlier. PROS: *Dr. Dean is very thorough, completed the exam with me in the room and was the most engaged vet I have observed. *He is open and supportive of diets other than kibble, giving good feedback on supplements and nutritional needs in home cooked diets specific to my dogs breed and size *Office visit and vaccination prices are competitive *Dr. Dean takes his time, he does not rush exams or his time with you!!!! *Clean waiting area and exam rooms *Easy parking CONS: *Cash and check only *Limited hours, with no weekend hours. *Does not always accept new clients and when he does, there is often several months wait before you can get in for the first appointment. (Note: He is worth the wait!) We are very happy with Dr. Dean, the only item I would suggest they improve upon is accepting payment via debt/credit cards. read more

The best vet around. Knowledgeable, kind, and very sharp. Take great care of my Emma.

Thank you so much for showing Ambro all the love and care throughout his vists with you all. You brought him back to life, and gave us so many extra years of happiness with him. We appreciate all the love and compassion you put into your practice. read more

We are in Pasadena, so we were looking for a good vet in the area. We took our little princess to this vet because of the good reviews we read. When we entered the clinic, we already felt unwelcomed. The receptionist asked us why we were there, and we said that we were new patients. In a very rude fashion, he said that they were not accepting "new clients." We were surprised as he did not even explain the reason for not accepting "new clients." When we left the clinic, they did not even say goodbye. It was awful. They made us feel as if we did not belong there. It may be because we are latinx, but we will need to look for a good vet during these hard times. read more

This is an emotional post. Our dog was diagnosed with IMHA. Dr Watanabe saved our dogs life after weeks of cook book bad medicine at a large chain of vet hospitals. After months of emotional torture, crying, fearful nights, and 15,000 dollars Miracle Doc (that's what we call him) understood the problem better in one visit. I can not express how much I trust and respect him and his passion and knowledge for his patience. It took a while to get in but when we did he has been responsive and made her a priority even seeing her the next day for another problem the other hospital misdiagnosed. He delivered answers and a hopeful outlook which has been relieving and brought so much joy to my family. Separately he has been seeing our older dog with hip dysplasia. Again the results have been amazing. I've noticed considerable more flexibility in his movement, less pain, and a over all happier demeanor. I've worked with dogs for 11 years as a trainer, packwalker, and a doggy daycare owner and I wouldn't waste my time or my clients time with anyone else. Put your trust in him you won't be let down Please ask any questions. I'd be happy to share my experience. read more

What kind of place won't accept new customers for at least six months? I truly want to support my local community so this is a shame. Terrible future planning to turn away new and potentially long term customers. read more

I've experienced a wide range of vets -- most of them seem to care more about money than caring for animals, and it's tough to know who cares more about what, but I know for a fact Dr. Watanabe cares about the health of animals above and beyond anything else. He has correctly diagnosed my dog and run the minimal amount of tests to do so multiple times and always suggests the quickest, most effective and yet least expensive procedure to get my dog back to 100%. I am immensely grateful for this. I moved away from Pasadena but I still drive an hour to see Dr. Watanabe, and I always will! The only thing I'd change -- I wish the office accepted credit cards! Please do that, wonderful San Marino Veterinary Office! read more

Dr. Dean has a special touch to all the four-legged. I heard about him from one of my guests that he is a very good veterinarian. When I called to make an appointment for my dogs whom now are in doggie heaven they told me that, they don't the new patients. That was six years ago. Now I am very fortunate that he accepted to see my four-legged son and daughter, my granddaughter. Dr. Dean, I want to thank you for taking your time talk to us even you have many patients waiting to be seen. My babies are so lucky to have you as their family Doctor read more

Dr Dean is the best - friendly, knowledgeable and really cares about his patients and their owners Be sure to call for an appointment, they are always busy busy busy. read more

Dr. Watanabe provides the best veterinary care in the San Gabriel valley. He is truly dedicated to the animals and their wellbeing. Dr.Watanabe saved my French bulldogs life when he had an allergic reaction. The whole office jumped into action when we came in unexpected on a very busy day. The ENTIRE team is amazing and show their dedication to their work. read more

Dr Watanabe, I have had the delight of his vet services for almost 15 years. I wish I had a doctor for humans like him and all I can say is he is amazing. His Intuition and knowledge is exceptional and i have never experienced in a Vet or honestly even a Doctor for humans...Just incredibly gifted and I feel so lucky to have him take care of my 3 cats and dog (he literally saved the lives of all of them) Mary, Mark and everyone at his office are so skilled, friendly, compassionate and knowledgeable. A+ read more

I have followed this doctor over 30 years since he was with Glendale Small Animal Hospital. I have been to a half dozen other vets where I live (Santa Clarita Valley) and have heard stories about a dozen others and the comparison is negligence at the least, criminal at the worst. NO OTHER COMPARES TO THE GENIUS DEDICATION, COMPASSION, AND WORK ETHIC OF DR. WATANABE. Period. read more

Dean G Watanabe, DVM - Dr. Watanabe diagnosed megaesophagus (pretty much over the phone) over 10 years ago after 2 vets failed. - Veterinarians Near Me - San Marino, California

What can I say a true life saver, a kind, compassionate person! Our dogs are never afraid to go there and always leave happy!

Dr Watanbe cares more about the care of the animals than making $$$$$. I drive over 20 miles to go to San Marino vet clinic.... I am so grateful I found this HONEST veterinarian. Unfortunately very has taken over humanity....Sunshine of Rays this is the Best I have found over 40 years of going to every vet clinic within 30 miles radius of my house. read more

I have been in Los Angeles for about seven years. In the seven years I've lived here, I have been to about that many different vets. They ranged from incompetent-- like the guy who wouldn't let me witness my cat's "acupuncture treatment" and brought her back to me after being in another room with her for maybe 10 minutes (acupuncture usually takes a bare minimum of 20 minutes just for the needles to sit, not including the amount of time it takes to insert them and remove them), to completely insane-- like the "cat specialist" who insisted that it "didn't matter" what I fed my cat. Needless to say, I was frustrated as hell. I've been having my cats' teeth cleaned at home because it's a lot less stressful for them, and a lot easier on me. The last time the cat teeth lady came, she told me that my older boy, Chachi, had two teeth that probably needed to be extracted, and recommended I take him to the vet. She recommended the San Marino Vet Clinic, and I am forever grateful to her for that. For the first time in 7 years, I feel confident in my cats' medical care. First of all, the place is gorgeous. I'm used to sitting on a rickety chair in a dingy waiting room smelling faintly of urine and cleaning solution. This place was spotless, beautifully and comfortably decorated and furnished, and a lot like being in the waiting room of a really, really nice bank. A bank that allows pets. Oh, and that's another thing. Usually at the vet's office, all the pets seem really nervous and antsy. Here, the dogs all seemed calm and not too put off at being at the vet's office. How common is THAT? Not very, sez me! Anyway, Chachi was not thrilled about not being home, and he was all over the waiting room (I had him on a harness and leash. Yes, my cat was on a harness and leash. He likes it better than the crate. Shut up). The staff were really tolerant of him-- actually, they were really great with him, oohing and aahing over his very nervous cuteness. I watched Dr. Watanabe, the vet who owns the clinic, shuttling in and out of the treatment room. I watched him treat a dog right there in the lobby-- the dog needed shots; he distracted him with treats and gave him the shots right there. I watched him spend plenty of unrushed time talking to each pet owner about their pets, answering all questions, never making them feel like they had to getingetoutpayup. He clearly cared about each and every animal there, and the animals clearly loved him, too. Whithin a few minutes of getting on the treatment table, Chachi had actually calmed down enough to crunch down the treats Dr. Watanabe put on the table for him, and started purring and rubbing on the good doctor. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is. The doctor explained to me that the non-anesthesia dentists don't get under the gumline, and showed me the proof in Chachi's horribly swollen gums. So I arranged for a teeth cleaning and we decided to do a urinalysis to make sure that the bacteria from his gums hadn't affected his kidneys. After I brought Chachi back for his dental work, Dr. Watanabe called me and asked me if I could get my old vet to fax him the results of the tests they'd done on him. I thought it was odd that they hadn't sent that with his original records. I called the old vet and they said they'd send anything else they found. Turned out, they didn't send anything else. When I came to pick up Chachi, Dr. Watanabe sat down with me and showed me his records from the old vet. They had written down that they'd done various tests on him that didn't make sense, and none of them had any results. They wrote that they'd vaccinated him, when I specifically asked not to vaccinate him. WTF?? I had given Dr. Watanabe permission to do whatever needed to be done. $1,050.75 later, I didn't feel for one second that he'd done anything that didn't need to be done-- he was working with a blank slate, and had absolutely zero information on my cat. He explained why he did everything he did, and I felt fine about it. If I'm feeling fine about parting with $1,050.75, then you know that it's all good. Dr. Watanabe called me as soon as Chachi's results were in (he's 100% healthy, hooray!!!) and told me things he'd like me to watch out for. He never once made me feel rushed, and hell, when was the last time your vet called you personally-- twice!-- without you calling first 5,000 times? My only complaint about this clinic is that they take cash or check only. Although, since I no longer use credit cards, this really isn't much of an issue for me, and I'm never spending money I don't have. And they will let you pay in installments if you need to. So that's good. Consultations/checkups without tests are only $40, which is very cheap compared to the other vets I've been to. Anyway, I've finally found a caring, honest, and truly awesome vet. It's nice to know I can stop at 8. read more

We've been to many Vet. in the past, and I can say no one came closed to Dr. Watanabe' care and attention for our dogs. He does not treat them like a patient. He treats our dogs like members of his family. Dr. Watanabe understands that not only there are "Four Legged", but also "Two Legged" that need TLC when walking into his office. The patience and care that he shows for our dogs are above and beyond any of expectation that we have. He takes the time to explaining everything in detail, and the treatments he recommends are always in the best interest of our dogs. Sure, in term of price, he is not the cheapest, but he is the best! When one of your family member is ill, do you look for the cheapest or the best? He is worth it and more! You don't have to believe me, just make an appointment for consultation, take your dog or cat on a routine exam. Check out his office, the many picture of his family members on the wall, and his interaction with them. You will be convinced that he is the BEST! read more

The best testimony I can give this place is the one I've seen with my own eyes. I've owned 6 dogs over my lifetime. I've been to a bunch of different vets and vet offices during that time. One thing that is constant throughout all those other offices, and is funny, (and if you've owned pets I'm sure you've seen this before) is that so many dogs have "put on the brakes" and literally have to be dragged into a vet's office. Most animals hate the vet and don't want to go in. The exact reverse is true at San Marino Vet Clinic, with Dr. Watanabe. My dog actually jumps off the car and runs to the door because she can't wait to see him! She's not the only dog that does that. I've seen countless other dogs in the waiting room wag their tails anxiously waiting to see the Doctor. Imagine that, a vet that your pet actually WANTS to see?!?! The staff is helpful, professional, friendly, and my dog loves them too! Dr. Watanabe has saved my Golden Retriever's life by removing a tumorous spleen from her, when two other vets said surgery wasn't needed. He's also repaired a torn ACL in her hind leg and now she walks better than ever! My dog is getting older and she is developing arthritis, like most old dogs do. Dr. Watanabe has put her on a special regimen of shots and meds, and I'm happy to say she walks around and plays like a pup, even though she's 11. Doctor Watanabe has told me on several occasions that while a lot of other vets are diagnostic vets (I.E, they just tell you what's wrong, and will only treat symptoms) but he is a therapeutic vet (I.E, he'll tell you what's wrong and will attempt to correct the actual problem). Even though Dr. Watanabe is my primary vet, there have been times when he has been on vacation that I have also seen Dr. Sakamoto. He has a very gentle demeanor and has an excellent way with animals. My dog loves him as well. Other reviews have mentioned price. If you love your pet like family, money should be the last thing you think about, in my opinion. Regardless, Dr. Watanabe is very fair and the costs are comparable to most other vets I've seen. His only concern is for your pet and its health, and cost is secondary. There can be a wait sometime, but that is because they limit the number of patients they accept into their care. This is because Dr. Watanabe wants to give every patient his complete and undivided attention to you and your pet, which always happens 100% of the time. If there is one downside, it's that their office isn't open on weekends, but that's a small inconvenience, and the other positives outweigh that small negative. I consider myself lucky to have Dr. Watanabe as my vet. He's simply the best, and I wholeheartedly endorse and recommend his practice. read more