After adding a puppy to our family, I looked to Yelp in order to find a nearby vet with great reviews and I found Santee Pet Hospital. The receptionists are very welcoming and I really love how they refer to our puppy as our kid cause it's true! We love our fur baby so much and treat him as though he is our kid! The prices are great ($45 for two vaccines) and $240 to neuter our pup. Dr. Nihida has been great and ever so patient with all my questions. Dr. Kus did our pups neuter surgery as I had to have it done on either a Tuesday or Thursday and Dr. Nihida isn't out of the office both those days. He was great with us and our pup! I even loved how they called us the day after his surgery to ask how he was doing. You can really tell them care! If you're looking for a great vet and great prices look no further than Santee Pet Hospital! read more

Best vet experience I've ever had with one of my dogs. It was our first visit and they spent an hour with us doing an exam and talking about my puppy's health and recommendations for future treatment. My puppy was very comfortable with everyone. Highly recommend! read more

We took our elderly cat here a few months ago and this family owned and operated veterinary made us feel very comfortable. They are kind, caring, and thoughtful people. I trust them with my cats health issues. I highly recommend them! read more

Do not fall for the sweet family clinic appearance! Our dog had surgery there recently. After a week they removed the stitches and informed us our dog no longer needed to wear a cone. The next day, the stitches were ripped open. We called to get them repaired and they wanted to charge us $600 just for fixing the stitches and also said that they never recommended removing the cone. For a total of $900 to get our dog fixed for something that should've been done in the first place. We ended up going to another local pet hospital and they charged us significantly less, and said they recommended a minimum of 21 days for these stitches to heal. Very disappointed and will never be returning. read more

After reading all the negative reviews, I felt compelled to share my experience. I came to them because they are are a Pet Hospital and I needed a 2nd opinion. The other vet I went to said my cat had 1-2 days to live based on an x-ray and recommended putting her down. I took her to Santee Pet Hospital and they were very thorough and gave me choices. They made sure she was comfortable and lived another 2 weeks. I found them to be very compassionate and really helped my through the process of dealing with my cat being diagnosed with cancer. Everyone there was great and I will definitely be back for any of my other pet's needs and would recommend them to anyone. read more

I've had excellent treatment and care here. The receptionist was kind and efficient and the doctors were caring and thorough. I recommend this family run business. read more

Very friendly family business they took good care of my kitty and even helped me out to the car cause the cat carrier was broken very nice people read more

I love this vet. The doctor's are very thorough and educated. Unfortunately their pricing has made me go to a different vet. I do love this vet and wish I could afford to stay here. read more

How did such a great company fall so hard? Dr Pavel was an amazing vet. He cared about animals, and made a bit of money doing so. The new management is choosing a different path. Just as the negative reviews before me stated, the receptionist, Stella, is just a mean person. (yes, she seems nice at first, until you question anything) and the overcharging is absurd. such a shame for this vet hospital to destroy what Dr Pavel built. read more

I've been taking my animals to Santee Pet Hospital since the '90's. I like their no nonsense approach. I really liked Dr. Pavel Zaicu, and Dr. Varagic is Pavel's grandson. The Varagics are caring and give me options for my pets. And I like supporting local family-run businesses. read more

I would recommend trying other facilities. This place is very antiquated for medical services. They are not very professional in their documentation. They are also not allowing anyone to enter the facility or talk directly to the Vet after a visit. You are to drive up, call and wait for them to collect the animal. They take your loved one, and call you later to pick up. Promptly handing you a bill and instructing that the Vet will follow up with a Phone call later. Any return visits will be charged for, even if you are following up on the same issue. I understand that Covid caused a great deal of change. However, even medical facilities allow 1 person to go in with a loved one at the present date. The continuity of care is greatly in question here. **(I have gone to another facility who allowed the owner in with their pet as long as you have a mask, this gives for a greater understanding to the exam of the pet) Should you have Pet Insurance, they seem to have difficulty with "email" or "scanning" documentation. They do not help advocate for you/your pet when insurance needs 'clarity'. The office manager seems to find it inconvenient that you request for their help. All of these aforementioned items suggest that the prices would be "fair" to even with the market; again I suggest that you do some shopping around. Standard visit is upwards of a few hundred. This is a "family" oriented facility and one of the main reasons that I went to this Vet. If you have read any prior posts on this website they will warn you about the 'office manager'/Mother (STELLA) of the Veterinarian Brother's. I did not heed that original warning, and I regret it immensely. She does try to make up for poor customer service and a terrible attitude with highlighter drawn hearts on your over priced bill. I would implore the Brother's to re-evaluate the 'office manager'. read more

I had a great experience here. Both the front desk and vet were very caring, loving and compassionate to me and my cat. They took their time teaching me so many things to do at home and tips on how to do them best. They gave excellent care to my cat and checked back later to make sure she was improving. I very much appreciate the waiting room procedure utilizing park and call to ensure that there isn't a stressful waiting room full of animals which I believe helped greatly with my skittish cat. I will continue coming here gladly. read more

Santee Pet Hospital is amazing! Never thought I would ever love a Vet, and I love this one!!! I should've written this review right after her appt, but I was preoccupied with a yodeling concerned cat. I love my cat more than anything, and I really couldn't have asked for a better pet. She is the absolute sweetest darling you could ever wish for in a cat. Ragamuffin breed, I will never get another kind of cat, ever! Naturally as a pet parent, you want your furry four legged friend in the best care possible... nobody likes the doctor, not even the furbabies. The location is very easy to get to, straight off Mission Gorge Rd. Private parking lot. I went on a Saturday morning. There was one person checking out her dog, and I only had to wait a few minutes. Got Puffins weighed and taken into a room. She got her full annual exam, and she's a healthy kitty! Slightly overweight, but she's a lap kitty who loves to eat like her momma. This is the part I know Puffy was happy about.... No shots! Yay! Dr. Nishida said the one of the shots typically given is not necessarily required and has on rare occasions caused a tumor at the shot site. No vet has ever told me that! Since Puffy is a house kitty, she didn't need that shot! Hooray! Happy and healthy kitty! Santee Pet hospital was everything I was looking for. Not too far from where I live, reasonably priced, no upselling, and best of all, a down to earth vet that truly cares for your pet! Dr. Nishida is amazing! I'm sure puffy will give her a paws up as well! read more

They scheduled an appointment for me to come in and Informed me that no one is allowed in the building so I would need to wait outside. I arrived on time and called their phone line as they had requested. They did not answer. I knocked on the door. They did not answer. I waved at the receptionist through the window. She waved back but did not answer. Finally I knocked again and she came out saying she's busy and acting very annoyed as if I had bothered her. I told her I was here for my scheduled appointment and she said no one is available to help you. You'll have to wait outside. I told her I have to get back to work and can I drop my dog off. She said no. This place has really awful customer service and I don't know if they just expect people to wait indefinitely but I will personally be finding another pet hospital. read more

I'm not sure why this place has so many negative reviews. It's a small, family owned and run vet clinic. Of course it doesn't have all the bells and whistles as the big chain places. We've been taking our pup here for a while now and we already made appointments to bring our cats. They've been attentive, courteous, thorough and have treated our pup and us like family. If you want to support locally owned family businesses and have your pet treated like family, this is the place to go. I couldn't recommend them more. read more

Owner is arrogant and rude. I called to ask if I could bring my pet in and pick up after work. She seemed uncertain. I said no problem I can come a different day. She said no bring her in. She never once mentioned an additional fee over the phone. I spoke to them 3 times throughout the day to authorize testing. I ended up spending $400 on my pet, she then added a $43 "hospitalization fee." I politely asked her to remove the fee. She said I should have asked before dropping off my pet. If you like being nickel and dimed and NOT valued as an on going customer, this is the place for you. Will need to find a new vet for my 4 pets. read more

I have been taking my Cat Annie here for about a year now. She is a senior and has numerous senior issues. The staff here have always returned my calls and listened to my questions. The doctor has always helped me to understand my furbabys health and her needs. We have always been able to get Annie seen and get her issues resolved. Not sure of all these other reviews, but I do know my experience has been positive with Santee Pet Hospital and I would not entrust Annies care to anyone else... this establishment in my opinion is a plus to our community and East County as a whole. read more

Today I realized that our relationship with our vet office wasn't as good as I thought. I've been loyal to this vet for my 3 dogs for years now and today I accidently missed my first appointment EVER. They called me 45 min after the appt time and I was charged a missed appointment fee of $135 . $135 to not even see the dog or anything. Keep in mind I normally drop them off (even with an appt made) for a regular routine exam and they aren't ready to picked up until hours later anyways so im pretty sure they don't even examine the dogs right away. Was hoping for a free pass this time or something because again, my dogs have been loyal patients and this was our FIRST time missing. Standard exam is $65 approx so to be fair i can understand being charged that much but $135 seemed like a slap in my face. I'm super bummed about this. read more

Took me a couple days to post this. I don't like to have to report poor service but the front desk lady, unsure of her name, was the rudest person I have ever dealt with. My dog was seen there in December for a open cyst on his belly. The vet tried to take some blood samples but failed. He called me to explain and I asked for Him to send home all my options moving forward. My daughter picked up Our dog and was provided antibiotics and an bill only. No recommendations. A few weeks later another sore started bleeding ten times worse. I went to La Mesa ER Pet Hosp. They said they needed surgically removed and follow up with his Vet. I tried to speak to the Vet at Santee Pet Hospital about surgically removing. Front desk said no you need a consult. She thought soonest would be in about 24 hours and she would call Me back in 15 minutes, she never called. I called her an hour later and booked the appt. then thought about it and this vet verbally mentioned it was an option, even though he never put in writing all my options weeks prior, so I called and asked if I could speak to him cause my dog was bleeding allot and it had been about 8 hrs. Since it started. She said okay you no longer have a appt tomorrow and I'll have him call you. Then she took in upon herself to read our file, call Me herself and say the notes say recheck in a few weeks so she won't ask the vet to call me. So I said if an appt is only way to talk to the vet I'll Keep the one for tomorrow, her answer was "it's gone already", it had been 10 minutes. I had to find a more competent vet to get into ASAP and decided to drive to alpine who got my dog in and said he was dying a slow death he had lost so much blood. He had surgery same day and doing alright but this experience with santee pet Hospital left my draw dropped how unprofessional and rude this lady was. read more

Terrible customer service! The front desk Stella, is rude and condescending. The only reason I kept going there is because my dog had been going there since he was a puppy, (now 15) but every time it gets worse and worse. They always try to upsell me when I need a simple non emergency visit. He needed a nail trim and she kept saying he was due for shots l, which he was not since I had just taken him in for that. They don't update their records and I've had to tell her to look closer every time. I finally got upset and told her I was taking him somewhere else and she didn't care to loose a long term customer. read more

NOPE! They weren't completely honest with us and our experience was less than satisfactory. We were there last year with our feral cat for a nail trim, the vet who prescribed the meds is now said to have been a "sub" that day. We were charged for a calming medication ($25) and today they wouldn't refill it...said we have to come in. We used the Rx successfully through the year to do her nail trims at home but today they said it wasn't for that purpose. We subsequently contacted another vet we had seen in the past, not only did they remember our cat, they happily called in an Rx for ($10) to our local pharmacy after we denied the med they offered. How can there be such a difference in business? One is caring and compassionate and the other is in it for the money not the benefit of the pet. Advice: Ask a lot of questions before you even set foot inside the establishment. On second thought, go someplace else. read more

Just got off the phone with them trying to make an appointment for my cat and the receptionist is extremely rude. Wouldn't let me book at appointment for my cat because they assumed that I was just calling around everywhere trying to get her seen as soon as possible. I told them that wasn't the case because no where is accepting new patients. Just moved to this area and will never be taking my pet here. The most unprofessional person I've talked to on the phone in a long time. read more

Thank you, for taking excellent care of my Kitty! It was worth the drive from Alpine to Santee! read more

Santee Pet Hospital - Thank you, for taking excellent care of my Kitty! - Veterinarians Near Me - Santee, California

we live in santee and trusted these people would help us ! well they are crooks and took 1500 of our money and lied and horrible place as they did nothing but take our dogs never even got any support for all this money and we live right around the block not a good place read more

I would not recommend this hospital to anyone. They don't know how to run a business during COVID or handle emergencies. My 10 week old kitten had an emergency and I tried to bring her in, I was standing outside holding her in my arms with blood all over me. I banged on the door and instead of opening the door the man working opened the window and just said " you can't come inside the building" with eyes full of tears I begged him just to take her in and help her, he shut the window and went to get gloves while I stood outside with her while she died. A few minutes passed and by the time he opened the door her little heart had stopped beating. I fully understand the cautions with covid, but as a veterinary clinic how could you not just open the door to grab this poor kitten that was clearly dying. read more

While Dr Mark is a kind, caring vet, the whole atmosphere of the clinic is unwelcoming. Starting with a totally off putting sign on the door "No one allowed inside". We asked the owner about this and she really didn't have a good reason why not, just.."it's too chaotic". She didn't even cite Covid fears as a reason, just "too chaotic". Funny, other than us, there was not one other car in the parking lot. She also said that no one is allowed in the exam room with their pets. Sorry, now that pandemic restrictions are easing up, there is absolutely no reason for this. I understood this precaution at the height of the pandemic, but not now. They also do not take Care Credit. She said "credit card or cash". (Pssst... Care credit is a credit card). They also refuse to use email to send invoices for services rendered which makes it much easier to submit to pet insurance companies for reimbursement. So all in all a pretty unwelcoming and dismal place to seek veterinary services. read more

I almost never write Yelp reviews, but I had such an amazing experience at the Santee Pet Hospital today that I had to share! I am taking care of my parents' 17-year-old shih tzu and she had a seizure while I was walking her which was a terrifying experience. I immediately called the Santee Pet hospital and they were able to make an appointment to see her right away. I got there and the whole staff was so warm and welcoming to me and so great with my dog who is usually nervous around new people. After the vet saw her he called me and gave me a very detailed description of his exam findings and gave me options on how to proceed. I was so thankful for his thoroughness and for the whole staff's excellent customer service during a scary time. I will definitely be going back here in the future, highly recommend! read more

I've been taking my pets to Santee Pet Hospital for over 30 years now but today was the last time. My cat Phoenix got a foxtail in her eye. I got a quote (I thought it was very expensive) for treatment and authorized the procedure. An hour later I get the call that she's done & will be ready to pick up in an hour. The actual total was $86.00 more than the estimate because "the veterinarian removed a foxtail". The vet was pretty certain there was a foxtail in her eye to begin with so why wasn't removing the foxtail part of the estimate?? No good answer for that question. Lots of other stuff about how they squeezed us in and didn't charge extra for that. Then the recheck appointment was going to be another charge. When Dr. Pavel was alive this never would've happened. read more

Today I tried to park in the handicap stall in front of this business. I was greeted by the owner of the business who was already outside with one of her customers. She started out by telling me I can't park there. After informing her I was in fact disabled and showed her my handicap placard, she decided it would be a brilliant idea to stand in front of my vehicle and demand I park across the parking lot in a different spot. I told her many times I have a placard for a reason and the spot was designated for those who needed it. She continued to belittle me and tell me I don't look handicap. Shouting out I should be at work and I am disrespectful for not moving where she tells me to move. She then called the police because I told her I was not moving. During this time one of her (I'm assuming) employees came out and told her I could park there but she didn't listen to him. After about 15 minutes of waiting the sheriffs department show up. They inform her that it is public parking and I in fact can park in the handicap parking spot with my placard that I had clearly displayed. She was argumentative with the deputy but eventually gave up and went inside. No apology was given. After reviewing her yelp page it does not surprise me that she only has 3 starts. I'd stay far away from this business and think twice about bringing my pets there. read more

Santee Pet Hospital - Veterinarians Near Me - Santee, California

The vet himself is super kind and thorough. He's great. However, his mom at the front desk, Stella, is a nightmare. She will argue with you over things that you didn't even say in a demeaning way. Today I returned a call regarding a prescription diet for my cat, and she lectured me for asking for it to begin with, then told me I was rude when I tried to explain to her why I was asking. That whole conversation was not needed...like, just tell the vet I returned his call. That's all you need to do, no attitude required. This is one of many bad interactions I've had with her over the year that I've been going there. I could go on about Stella, but I won't. It's just not worth it. read more

Amazing!! They took us In right away and took great care of our baby. Love the staff, very informative and kind.

Well , I am quite disappointed. I just happened to check out the reviews on Yelp because I moved back to the area after many years and wanted to establish a Vet for my two boys. In years past, Dr. Pavel cared for my cats, rabbits, and dogs. Ultimately, I had to put my 20 yr old kitty to rest. Dr Pavel was like a Grandpa, truly caring about the animals under his care. That has always left a huge impression on me. Wow, after reading these reviews, I am not going to even give them a chance. Apparently these folks do not come close to the caliber of the man that owned this place for many years. You should be ashamed! I am sad that I will not be able to return to the place that had provided many years of compassionate care to my animal family. read more

I got my dog in 2003 and used these guys for years.. All good.. Well, after the Old man passed the place went down hill quick. A new Vet every 5 months, the owners Sons were working on their vets license and the last years of my Dogs life I was charged for re checks and on and on.. It got bad.. The Sons were embarrassed by their Moms tactics.. I said I have never been charged for a re check and she said "well, someone has to pay for their school" and the Sons came out for damage control and tried to clean up her mess. In the last 4 years of going there, every time I was there she had an issue with a customer.. I mean every time! I would show up and she was trying to justify a bill in front of the people in the waiting room.. This place was good when the old man ran it but went to shit when the old woman took over.. Such a shame.... No more.. Time to move one to a professional establishment! read more

Called to ask if they have time to see my dog today, who has a hacking cough. We have been past and current customers of theirs. They said they were fully booked but said she would call me back. She called back and said if I wanted my pet to be seen today, it would be considered an emergency and it would be an extra $230. I asked why it would be considered an emergency if they have the time to see my dog. She said they'll be seeing my dog between appts. If they have time to see my dog between appts., then they have time to see my dog. I feel like they're taking advantage of me by calling this an "emergency." This shouldn't be how current customers are treated. They have lost a customer. read more

The only reason I'm even giving this the 2 stars is because the office staff is so nice. Brought my sick dog and in and the vet barely did an exam and sent us home with out presenting a treatment plan or telling us what was wrong. We took him to another vet for treatment immediately afterwards and they told us within 30 minutes that he had Parvo! How did this vet at Santee miss that? It's a simple test and pretty standard solution to a puppy with his symptoms?!?! Won't be back, no matter how nice the office staff is. He fails vet school 101 in my opinion. I had to pay the office visit fee for nothing, truly. read more

Still waiting for the day I can give this place 0 stars. The front desk lady is seriously the worst person to deal with. She is rude, condescending, and will speak over you any chance she gets. She cared more about yelling at my husband then actually trying to schedule an appointment for my dog. Never going back. read more

Sibling just brought in a young kitten with head trauma. There were NO patients and staff was standing around. They REFUSED to see him and sent her across town to a different vet. Stay away!!!!!!! read more

Do not go to. She charged me a huge amount for a vet and basically said she thoroughly examined and found nothing. 3 weeks later went to another vet and was shown a serious problem that had been existing when the santee vet supposedly examined her. Not sure if she lied about examining her or if she wasn't knowable enough to see it. I saw it easily when shown by other vet. read more

WE LOVE DR. KUS!!! Seriously, he is such an amazing vet. His partner, a female is also very nice. I had an older dog with many problems and Dr. Kus would always make sure I understood everything going on and would give me all of the options with their pros and cons. I was always very impressed with the amount of time he would spend with us and his caring nature. My male was also quite protective and skid dish of men since I rescued him as an elderly dog but Dr. Kus was always very slow and gentle with him so we never head a problem. I also have a puppy who absolutely adored Dr. Kus but she only ever needed shots and the like. I always came in with an appointment and never had to wait more then 15 minutes. Honestly I can not say enough good things about Dr. Kus!! read more

The lady at the front desk (unsure of her name) was by far the rudest person my family and I have ever had to deal with. No follow ups, no kind words and awful attitude. Would not recommend this vet. read more