VCA Ocean Beach Animal Hospital

Recently I was in the VCA OBAH to have my 21 year old ailing cat administered ear medicine for a recurring ear issue she's had for roughly 7 years. After sitting in the waiting room for 20 minutes, or so, an employee came out to ask me if I wanted to give my cat a rabies vaccination booster. My cat, who is going to be put to sleep tomorrow by the way, was already at death's door, is an indoor-only cat, and we have no other animals--period. So, not wanting to upset my poor cat in anyway, I declined the vaccination booster. This person tried to convince me by stating that my cat couldn't be seen again at the clinic until she was vaccinated. I said that she likely wouldn't live to see another visit and that if it came to it, I would make the choice as necessary later. She said she'd let the doctor know and left. I was satisfied. Everything seemed in order. That was until she came back and said my cat is done, and with a smirk, told me that she gave the rabies vaccination anyway. I was blown away. I literally couldn't believe it. I asked, "how could you do something like that?" "Really?!?--is this a joke?" She said that they called my wife and got her permission. At that point I was even more blown away. Did this place I've been going to for over 30 years actually Mom and Pop me like that? They deceived my wife as she assumed I had dropped the cat off and was unreachable. I left fuming and flabbergasted. As I was buckling up in the car, one of the kind employees came out to the car and said that the other employee should have never talked to me the rude way she did, nor should they have ever done that to my cat, especially after I stood up and looked this lady in the eye and said "no, I don't want you to vaccinate my [soon to be dying] cat." It's been over two weeks and I still can't believe it. I didn't want to write this review, but I think people should know about this. Be on guard about your animal. Someone later suggested to me that they might have accidentally given it and called my wife as a CYA move so they would have a get-out-of-a-lawsuit free card. I'll have another pet someday and I would have loved to continue coming here. They've been good to us and my cat over the years, and pets I had before. But this is like having a best friend who robs you blind one day, or worse. You're not exactly ever getting back to how it was before. Just still unbelievable....

posted: 08/07/2023

The staff and vets at Ocean Beach Animal Hospital are all kind and caring people. I’ve been taking my dog there since I adopted her, around 11 years ago. Their interest for my dog’s well being is always their main concern. They go over medication and after-care instructions with me when necessary. They are always polite and professional. I think they are the best!

posted: 07/19/2023

Modestly kind, modestly compassionate, but deeply dishonest about the cost of services. We shopped around for a spay and found them to be the cheapest at something like $450. Then they added a consult fee to meet the dog, and a TON of other costs. After we were $180 into it and brought her in, we were faced with another $700 bill, and we were not pleased. They reduced the bill by $90, but it still wound up being about $850 for a $450 spay. That isn't how you treat your customers. The shockingly terrible scars we can forgive, since every surgeon is new sometimes. But luring us in with artificially low prices while charging to the moon and back is an unforgivable practice. I get they must have kids in college and tuition and rent are expensive, but we're all paying that stuff. That's why we were shopping by price, and they must have seen rubes like us coming a mile away. The non-one-stars are for the support staff, who seemed genuinely interested in the welfare of our pupper, rather than just the money. UPDATE: We were asked by Patty to write them directly with our concern. We did. Our concerns were not addressed. They threw fuel on the fire instead. I'd drop it to one star, but as I said, the support staff were simply wonderful. If cost was no object, this might be a decent place to take your beloved pets, but the management's practices and behavior are sufficiently concerning to me that we have already found another provider.

posted: 05/18/2023

Really nice people work here i would not recommend trying to eat the animals they don't seem to like that

posted: 05/28/2023

I found a wild duck on a backroad in Woodland, that looked obviously hurt- bloody wing, wouldn't fly at all, waddled-half dragged himself across the road... I made my fiance wrap the little injured guy inside his jacket and bring him home. After transporting him up here inside my small pet carrier, they told me that the duck was actually a goose! Showed great signs of being able to be released back to the wild and would contact me within the next day or so if they had positive news about his recovery to allow me to release him back to the wild from where I found him! I thought that was pretty cool. The staff even washed out my pet carrier for me! I'll update about his recovery/release soon!

posted: 11/19/2019