Alii Animal Kailua Clinic

This location is the smallest Ali’i Animal I’ve been too, but they’re great. The waiting area outside was a great idea and kept my dog feeling comfortable. They don’t have a waiting room, but they bring your pet right out to your car and the vet will consult with you there too! They’re super nice and care a lot about your pet. Highly recommend.

The vet told me my 4 year old dog needed to have 2 teeth taken out but once she had him under general anesthesia she called and (laughing!!) told me she would have to take out “a lot more”! She said about 10 total but that 2 were “maybes”. I asked if he would still have enough teeth to chew his food and she assured me he would. $4000 later I went to pick him up and she showed me his dental x-rays. First she shows me 2 big teeth that have clearly visible deep cavities going down into his bone, then she tells me those are the two “maybes” that she DIDNT TAKE OUT!! I ask to see the r-rays of the ones she did take out and they ALL LOOK PERFECT!! I can’t see anything wrong on any of the ones she took!! Two weeks later at his check up I point out that he has no upper back teeth and can’t chew his food! She says “We aren’t concerned with that” !!! Wow!! Now my poor 4 yr old pup still has 2 bad teeth and has to go under and deal with all that pain again! I would not recommend this vet to anyone!!

I've worked in the veterinary field since childhood, and have a very critical perspective when I'm evaluating clinics. I'm enjoying my relationship with Alii. The customer service staff are very personable, helpful, and straightforward. When you're on hold, you know why you're on hold, and you feel just as important as the client in front of the reception desk. They sound genuinely happy to be helping you. I haven't seen every veterinarian, but I can review the two I do know. Dr. Pratt is smart, empathetic, and gentle. She has a sincere personal investment in her work, and it shows. She's really good at navigating complicated care situations and expressing her recommendations respectfully. I trust her ethics. She's an excellent doctor. Dr. Pressler has a bubbly, uplifting demeanor, with an unbreakable spine underneath. She validates the human experience, bonds with you and your animal, and expresses that care by telling you what she knows, regardless of wether or not you want to hear it. She's reasonable, brilliant, and her ethics are stellar. She's well suited to her position as the medical director, and I appreciate that I am able to have such a passionate doctor caring for my cats. The Kailua office does not yet have exam rooms - limiting your options for how an exam is conducted. The majority of patients have an easier experience being examined without their parents present. The "back" isn't as windowless and intimidating as you would expect, when your pet is separated from you. It's a bright, sunny room to the side of the front office, and when the door opens, you can see and hear a team of happy people inside. Some animals don't tolerate separation well. Some clients think their animals don't tolerate separation well - when secretly, it is only the human that feels that way. I might be one of those clients. My cats might be fine without me. However, I respectfully communicated that the ideal exam experience for my animals includes me. We examined Mothball (my cat) in the front office together, with the front door locked to prevent accidents. A vet clinic is well within their rights to make the final decision about where, and how, a patient can be safely examined. An agitated animal can hurt people, itself, or escape. Allowing a client to participate in restraint for exams or treatments can constitute risk, and it is the clinic's obligation to prevent that risk. Do no harm, and all that. If the vet says you shouldn't help them poke your pet with a needle, they're right and they should say it. With that in mind, I really appreciate how comfortably I've been able to communicate with staff about this. Being able to negotiate the terms of engagement cooperatively makes me feel safe, I can tell they respect my judgement as much as they respect their own. Judge your veterinarian by the integrity of their communication with you. Alii doesn't make me feel like I can just drop my cat off and have all the work done for me, like a car at a mechanic. They make me feel like we're all on the same team. That's a green flag. The finances earn a star, too. The pricing is exceptionally reasonable, especially the exam. With an exam for less than fifty dollars, you can have a thorough conversation with a veterinarian who cares about the little details of your pet's health. That's a major deal. Don't be shocked if the prices go up in the future! The labwork and medications are well priced too. It seems like slightly less than industry standard for markups - they're not making a huge profit on figuring out whats wrong and fixing it. They must have a lot of happy customers if that's the case. Thanks for reading my little novel. Alii is like the hole in the wall restaurant with the best food. Its a little cramped, but all the occupants are smiling. If you want a fancier experience, or need an exam room setting, Kakaako isn't that far. Their other location is beautiful, but this one is my favourite.

First time visit today. The staff are very friendly and helpful, and we REALLY liked the vet. She was so knowledgeable, caring, and thorough. We are grateful to have her as our vet.

Excellent doctor. Felt very welcomed by staff. Will continue to have all my dogs obtain vet needs here. Da best