Dr. Chu and the staff at PETS Hospital took incredible care of my senior dog after having a grand…read moremal seizure. I am so grateful not only for the prompt treatment and testing that my dog received, but particularly for Dr. Chu's empathy and patience while discussing his care. She answered every question we had and gave a thorough explanation of his results, and I felt safe with my baby in her hands.

I'm leaving this review because I hope my experience can spare other pet owners unnecessary time,…read moremoney, and stress. After my dog ingested a cord, she developed indigestion followed by significant discomfort when swallowing. To avoid the overcrowding at my local emergency veterinary hospital, I drove her to PETS, hoping she would receive timely, quality care. Unfortunately, my experience at PETS was one I wish I could have avoided. From poor time management and communication to feeling as though maximizing revenue was prioritized over appropriate patient care, the entire visit left me with very little confidence in the team. I understand that veterinarians are obligated to discuss all available treatment options. However, I also believe an experienced and ethical physician should use clinical judgment to recommend what is medically necessary rather than presenting every possible intervention when the ultimate conclusion remains the same. Had I not had a medical background, I believe my visit could have easily exceeded $2,000. I also felt pressured through fear-based conversations. Rather than using her experience to provide reassurance and guidance, Dr. Chu repeatedly emphasized worst-case scenarios and strongly encouraged hospitalization overnight. As the evening progressed and I witnessed repeated delays and poor follow-through, I lost trust in her recommendations and in the team's ability to care for my dog. I arrived around 5:00 p.m. I gave verbal authorization for subcutaneous fluids and chest X-rays early in the visit. However, the X-rays were not performed until nearly 7:00 p.m., and the fluids were not administered until I was preparing to leave around 1:00 a.m.--approximately eight hours after I arrived. Waiting more than five hours for treatment that had already been authorized was unacceptable. The experience left me with more questions than answers. After speaking with my primary veterinarian, I realized much of the uncertainty I experienced appeared to stem from a lack of confidence and clinical judgment rather than the complexity of my dog's condition. This experience added unnecessary stress during an already emotional situation. Thankfully, my nursing background helped me ask the right questions, advocate for my dog, and avoid additional expenses that I did not feel were justified. I hope this review helps other pet owners make an informed decision. No one should have to question whether their pet is receiving timely, appropriate, and trustworthy care during an emergency.

I just had a "WOW" experience at URGENT VETERINARY CARE Santa Barbara! My dog became non-weight…read morebearing lame on a back leg last night after running around the yard-I assumed he injured his ACL. However in the morning I noticed he had several "foxtails" embedded in his pajamas (hairless dog - wears clothes on cool days) then I noticed the swelling between back toes and knew he had a foxtail. I called my friends at St. Frances Animal Hosp but they were swamped with only one vet and closing soon... but they told me about UVC - I drove over and within an hour we were done! My pup as recovering from sedative, foxtail in a test tube to share as a warning to friends and neighbors and a GREAT experience with highly skilled staff and professional, friendly, experienced and well trained veterinarian. What a welcome practice added to SB! Walk-in Urgent Care Vet for non-critical emergency care at its best! KR, (DVlong time SB resident.

So annoyed at that Urgent Veterinary Care technician and management team. I have a feral cat who…read morehad a bloody external ear wound with alopecia. Without running any tests the vet came back and said it might be cancer. I acknowledged that may be the case but thought it was alarmist and premature to say that. The technician came back after cleaning the ear up to say they at this point they do agree it's a wound with possible infection, not cancer. Although they wanted to meet with me to go over the treatment and meds before I left, they forgot to put an antibiotic medicine dispenser in my bag, and three separate times I had to remind them to go back and give my (feral) cat his first dose of antibiotics, and flea meds, and remind them again to check for worms. They also forgot to give me topical antiseptic pads so I can clean the wound. I think they are training young interns who have no idea what they are doing.

My poor Linkin got knocked down with double ear infections w blood and puss coming from one ear…read more Linkin had been itching since the start of the warm weather. The three most common culprits are fleas, food or environmental allergies. I had knocked out the food and flea as reasons for his unhappiness by ensuring he's on a limited diet and giving him a flea product. He'd been sneezing w red watery eyes so seasonal allergies made most sense. Went to my regular vet on Thursday to get some relief and I'll just say that I was told something that I'd never heard of before and left it at that. Friday night, 11pm, like clockwork My guy is crying with his head cocked and his normally rigid ears floppy w blood and puss. We made our way to Central Coast Pet Hospital and Emergency. Thankfully there were no hurting animals this night as Linkin was given a room almost immediately. The nurse was only able to examine Linkin from a distance as he at all times will make sure there is a buffer of protection around Me and the world at all times. The nurse gave an estimate for care before the vet started. We muzzle and tranquilize to start the exam. Now this is what I loved about this experience. The vet talked to me w an easy tone, like we were two friends talking about our dogs. I shared my concerns and she validated what I was observing and complimented my care of Linkin. She treated the infection, skin irritation and his liquid filled ears in quick order. The nurse with bill in hand walked in with a detailed explanation along with amazing after care instructions. I was ok with the cost because it came in a little less than the estimation and quite honestly other than the emergency charge, my vet would have charged the same. I'm looking into pet insurance this week! All in all-we came home better than how we left but more importantly we were treated w kindness and understanding which is much appreciated. Overall Grade: A+

I visited Central Coast Pet Hospital and Emergency on June 29, 2025, due to concerns about possible…read moreurinary retention in my cat. A very brief ultrasound was performed, which the staff said might show stones in the kidneys, but no further diagnostics were conducted to confirm an actual blockage. Despite the lack of a thorough evaluation, they immediately proposed a single, costly course of action--catheterization and hospitalization--quoted between $3,000 and $5,800. No less invasive options were discussed, and I was quickly handed financing brochures. The recommendation felt more like a guess than a medically grounded plan, and the overall approach came across as transactional rather than genuinely concerned with my pet's wellbeing. When I hesitated to consent, I was told, "If your cat doesn't have this procedure done, he will die," in a tone that felt more pressuring than informative. The entire interaction felt off--rushed, transactional, and lacking in genuine concern. I ultimately chose to leave and seek another opinion. After declining treatment, I was not allowed to see my cat until I paid my balance--only then was he returned to me. I sought a second opinion from another veterinarian within the next two hours. That vet conducted a thorough exam, confirmed there were no signs of blockage, and advised giving it more time. My cat was playful, eating normally, and showed no signs of distress--completely inconsistent with the diagnosis made by Lizzie Adam, the "veterinarian" at Central Coast Pet Hospital and Emergency. He urinated at home the following day without issue, confirming that the invasive ($3,000-$5,800) intervention was unnecessary. Worse, the medical summary from Central Coast included a claim that I declined treatments (pain meds and bladder expression) that were never offered to me. This kind of inaccurate documentation raises serious ethical concerns. I would not recommend Central Coast Pet Hospital and Emergency. In my experience, their priority did not seem to be the wellbeing of the animal, but rather the financial upsell. I encourage others to read the other negative reviews--many of which echo similar concerns. Veterinary care should be collaborative, honest, and compassionate. Sadly, that was not what I encountered here. Thank you for telling me my cat was "going to die!" He's alive and well--no thanks to your group.

After our experience elsewhere, finding Dr. Whitney and the Internal Medicine team was an…read moreincredible relief. From the moment Hazel was seen, they were thorough, compassionate, and genuinely committed to finding answers. Every recommendation and diagnostic step was explained clearly, and they wasted no time moving forward with the tests and procedures needed to determine what was causing her symptoms. What impressed me most wasn't just their medical knowledge, but the level of care they showed both Hazel and me. When her symptoms worsened and I brought her back to the ER, the team treated her with urgency, kindness, and compassion. They reassured me throughout the process and made me feel like I wasn't facing this alone. Dr. Whitney has been exceptional. She has patiently answered every question I've had, communicated honestly, referred us to the appropriate specialists when needed, and has checked in repeatedly to see how Hazel is doing. That kind of follow-up and genuine concern is something every pet owner hopes for when their dog is sick. I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Whitney and the entire Internal Medicine team for their dedication, professionalism, and compassion. They have made an incredibly stressful situation much more manageable, and I wouldn't hesitate to trust them with Hazel's care again. Thank you for treating her as if she were your own.

Nobody walks in at AVS lighthearted and with a smile on their face ! NOBODY!…read moreYou go to AVS, because your beloved pet is sick and your regular vet cannot do anything about it. It's usually a last resort situation and often time an emergency. So most people walking through the door (including myself) are usually extremely stressed out, sad and pretty much defeated. Not to mention the fact that we know it will potentially cost us A LOT of money ! So why is the staff, especially the people at the front desk so unfriendly, cold, apathetic and shows zero empathy to us desperate pet parents ? This is a mystery. AVS is in it for the money, and that's fair. But for gods sake, please try a little harder ! Gentleness, kindness and compassion usually go a long way. And also, learn to smile ! Be human, with us humans ! We are not robots, nor are you. I get it, you're running a hospital, not a restaurant. Nonetheless, you're still serving your community, at its most vulnerable time, regardless of the fact that you like it or not ! I will certainly be back if I have to, but in the meantime I really hope you commit to teaching higher standards to your staff. You can do a lot better. Also, imposing a $500 add on "after hours fee" for services performed after 5pm sounds unreasonable. Especially for a facility that's open 24/7. After Hours starts after 10pm, maybe 8pm, but definitely not after 5pm. And if they can't charge you the After Hours fee, because your pet is released before 5pm, they'll charge you the $210 add on priority fee. Anyway, you lose ! But AVS has a monopoly situation in Santa Barbara, so I guess they make the rules...

If care and attention to your pet is your primary concern, this is the best staff I have ever…read moreencountered. After a full day of tests and evaluations, our dog's issues were explained as completely as possible by a very caring Dr. Strieby. She called me with more information gained by a radiologist report later in the evening. She even returned my request for more information by calling me the following day. The hospital through Dr. Enberg called to see how our dog was doing two days after the emergency visit with more lab results. The follow through was above and beyond. No doubt. If another emergency occurs, I will go to VMSG.

Came in with a small emergency and was well taken care of. My puppy received a high level care and…read moreI was able to take her home with the medicine she needed to get better. I also saw how they handled a couple of tough situations that night with compassion and kindness.

We've gone to Oaks Urgent Vet twice now and both times had nothing but good things to say about our…read moreexperience. The space is very clean and comfortable, with calming sounds and enough space in the rooms. The staff is very professional and compassionate and responsive. The first time we went we saw Dr. Kohltfarber. He was very kind and explained what was going on in clear language, and answered all of our questions about how to care for our dog after leaving. The most recent time we went we saw Dr. Ferdowsian. She had to share some scary news with us but was so professional and down to earth that, even though I did feel a bit panicked, I was able to ask all of the questions I needed to and I left feeling hopeful about our dog's plan of care. She also contacted us after our visit to check in and was very compassionate and attentive with all of our concerns. Because of her quick findings at our most recent visit, we were able to get our dog scheduled for surgery at a specialty center that same week to have the issue resolved. Now our dog's quality of life is back to normal, and we couldn't be happier. They are also very clear about costs, including explaining all of our options for diagnostics and treatment. We felt their costs were fair too. We never felt confused or lost, even when we brought our dog in for a more complex problem. If your pet has an emergency I would absolutely recommend them.

No one wants to go to a veterinary urgent care…read more Overall, we had a good experience here. Our boy Atticus was having problems urinating. The staff at Oaks Veterinary were very kind to us and sat us in a semiprivate room up front while Dr. Jimenez did some tests on our kitten (he's 12, but he'll always be our kitten). The diagnosis was Feline Idiopathic Cystitis and we were sent home with a variety of medicines, some cans of prescription urinary care food, and orders to follow up with our primary vet in about a week for more tests. Everything was pretty pricey at $1700, so I appreciated that they gave us the cans of food for free (which our primary vet didn't do when we eventually followed up). They also sent the records over to our primary vet, which I appreciated. I had to follow up with the office staff about getting copies of the records for myself and, when I reached out with concern about how long it should be taking Atticus to recover, it took about 5 days to get back to me. Those are the only reasons it's not 5 stars. Lots of parking and food places nearby if you need to wait.

Dr. Simpson was amazing. She was friendly, informative, patient, knowledgeable, and helpful…read more She took her time in explaining what my dog needed for his procedure and how the procedure works. She also explained that during the procedure there is a possibility he might need surgery depending on if there is any damage to the area. She even drew out a picture to help us understand better. Dr. Simpson has great bed side manners, is empathetic, is passionate about her job, and guinuenly cares for animals and their well being. The receptionist provided great customer service. She was nice, helpful, and informative. Thank you for providing great care for my dog.

Dr Higgins (DVM Neurologist) is absolutely the BEST! I trust him with my ADA registered Service…read more(medical) Seizure Alert Dog's LIFE! Sid started alerting me to seizures when he was about 10 months old. He's 100% accurate and has saved my life by 'alerting' me while I've been driving on the freeway a few times, as well as many other situations. He's also been through extensive behavior training. AND...he happens to be a French Bulldog with all of the health issues associated with the breed. Dr Higgins diagnosed him with mild IVDD, and has been so incredibly thorough and compassionate (especially since Sid HATES being at the Vet). I really believe that he loves and cares about the animals he treats, and cares about their humans as well!

They did an excellent job taking care of my pet who needs to be hospitalized after falling off a…read moretable and hitting his head on the asphalt in a freak accident. He has brain cancer already and had a seizure right when the event happened. It was horrifying. Had he been taken to VCA veterinary hospital one night stay would cost me $5K which is highly unfortunate because many pet owners assume this is the cost everywhere and end up euthanizing. I find that highly unethical on behalf of vet hospitals who are supposed to help owners save their pets lives, not sacrifice them because of insane costs. Horizon had limited doctors on staff and my primary vet asked them to take my pet in and I paid $1100 for one nights stay and they took excellent care of him! I couldn't be more appreciative of this hospital and their team. Thank you so much. You're life savers not just for pets, but also their owners!

I waited 3 hours. They said they didn't want to examine my cat because he hissed at them. Then they…read morecharged me $175. There was a woman in before me whose cat ate her drugs. They fixed him up and gave her a discount when she started shouting. I guess I should have made a scene. Edited to add If you are concerned about patients maybe don't have cats and dogs in the same waiting room. And if you allowed owners to go back with their animals when they are examined they can soothe them. My cat was terrified after sitting in a waiting room with dogs for nearly 3 hours. He's never been around dogs before. And I could have calmed him or picked him up if the vet was too afraid. Yes you did offer to sedate him at a very high cost to me so he could be examined. He has never needed to be sedated at the vet before to be examined.

Me gusta mucho esta clínica , porque las chicas hablan español y son muy amables. Y los doctores…read moretambién muy amables atentos. Lo recomiendo. I really like this clinic because the staff speak Spanish and are very friendly. The doctors are also very kind and attentive. I recommend it.

A very caring staff doctors are amazing…read more they care for your pet like it's their own. They do understand that all pets have different needs.

The staff at this animal hospital showed my dog and my family so much kindness and compassion…read moreduring one of the hardest days of our lives. We had to make the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye to our beloved dog, and they treated her with such dignity, love, and respect. Everyone was patient, caring, and took the time to explain everything to us without making us feel rushed. They comforted us throughout the entire process and made an incredibly painful experience a little easier to bear. I will always be grateful for the empathy, professionalism, and genuine care they showed my dog and our family. Thank you for helping us say goodbye with peace and compassion. I highly recommend this hospital to anyone looking for a veterinary team that truly cares.

Unbelievably great service. From our first phone call, of course on a holiday weekend, to meeting…read morethe front staff, and the talented vet techs. EVERYONE was kind, soothing and eager to help. My 11 year old Chihuahua-terrier mix dislocated her hip, she was crying in pain, we were beside ourselves, unable to help her. My husband called around who was open on a holiday weekend, and we found Atascadero Pet Hospital. They immediately invited us in to their beautiful facility and put my baby under anesthesia and put her hip back in place. We took her home in a hip sling, and she did wonderfully. We only had to give her the pain medicine that they sent us home with the first and second night. Today was our follow up and the hip sling is off and now we all have to do is pray that keeping her contained for a few more weeks with careful handling, her hip will heal and not need further surgery. I just can't express how much gratitude I have to these kind people and how wonderfully they treated us. I especially want a shout out to a young man, I think his name is Juan, young man, very handsome and just so in tuned to everything we needed to hear and how to take care of her once we got her home. He went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and assured us that we could call anytime of day or night if something happened that wasn't right or if my pet was in pain. I can't tell you how much this meant to us. Monkey is healing. We are so relieved to know that there are experts out there that will help us and be kind to our animals. Of course, the surgeon and the vets were amazing as well, so thank you to them and thank you for the time that they also spent with us explaining our options. And I just want to add, that those inaccurate reviews of this wonderful facility are likely hyperbole. Being a healthcare provider myself, for humans, I know, you can't make everybody happy. And you can't make miracles happen every time. There are many variables to consider when making a recommendation about options for health, and quality of life. It may not be an easy fix, and it may not be the best for the pet. And sometimes that's hard to hear. And, quite frankly, healthcare even if it's for a pet, is quite expensive. It's part of being a pet owner (or human). I was actually quite amazed that my dog had full-on anesthesia and her hip put back in place and a sling placed for such a reasonable amount. It was even less than they had quoted us and, they didn't ask to do a bunch of bloodwork and everything else ahead of time. They just took her to surgery and put her hip back in. Amazing! I stand behind what I said, these people are very mindful and compassionate in the work they do.