Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital - Daphne Carlson

Bringing our beloved 3yo dachshund to Berkeley Dog & Cat after he was sideswiped by a car is the biggest regret of our lives. He had no external signs of injury and was initially stable but was denied the chance of life due to the inadequate care he received. He had significant internal bleeding that was evident from his blood tests but the “full-service” hospital could not perform a CT scan as we were told they had no one to operate it, they had no surgical capability (not even for a simple chest tube), and were staffed primarily by relief vets with no continuity of care. They do not keep blood yet did not recommend transferring him to a facility that did and instead he was left to bleed out until he eventually had a cardiac arrest.

Despite the merely palliative care he was given, we were charged $13,214 over two days and my wife (in floods of tears at 1am) was asked to pay additional charges just minutes after holding his dead body and later that morning when she picked him up to take him for an autopsy. There were no signs of any medical leadership and the medical director they had listed on their website was taken off after we filed a complaint.

We later learned that this once respected practice was quietly sold to private equity (PetVet Care Centers, who are owned by KKR) in 2017 and if you read the reviews on Indeed/Glassdoor/Reddit you will see how employees feel about the management and workplace environment they foster both at this location and nationally. We don't see how emergency care can be safe under these circumstances. Despite bringing up our concerns we have been completely stonewalled. Please do the research we wish we had done and know your other options locally, especially for emergency situations.

Berkeley Dog and Cat is the place to go for emergency or critical care for your cat. I have been a client for over 15 yrs and they have helped me with critical care for several cats. Their vets do not "up sale" you but honestly explain your options with the cost. They do not pressure you for a decision; I found Dr. Minturn particularly helpful. He recommended caution and patience with some medication before making a final life decision. My cat Leon recovered and is alive and healthy today because of his recommendations! I highly recommend them.

Our dog had scratched her head bloody trying to deal with a hotspot. She was resistant to our attempts to treat it at home, and the wound was getting badly infected. We were lucky enough to get an early (Sunday) morning walk in appointment at Berkeley Dog and Cat, and we're really impressed with how they treated our large (92 lb), powerful, skittish, difficult to sedate and frightened dog. Everything and everybody there was great: the urgent care vet, the front desk staff, the vet techs. It's now 5 days later, and our dog is doing well again, thanks to Berkeley Dog and Cat

I was so lucky! I had a cat in need of being seen pronto. It was luck in that I called in just in time to catch a cancellation. But it wasn't just luck that got me in to see Dr. Minturn. What a nice, reasonable, compassionate doctor! And all the staff that I encountered were super sweet. I am so thankful (and lucky) that I live close to Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital!

I went here last spring when my rescue dog appeared poisoned. They took her in immediately as they are both a regular vet and an emergency vet. They induced vomiting which I felt was the right way to go. They kept her for hours to watch her and make sure she was okay.

When I got her back she was doing better and the rest was non eventful. They were extremely compassionate and kind and understanding to me. These guys have been around forever. It has a real atmosphere of love there. I read the history of the place and felt it was right for me as I just moved.

Also I didn’t get ripped off. The fee was completely reasonable and I was grateful as vets can charge an arm and a leg and they know most of us will pay for our beloved pets. I am happy to call then my new vet as I just moved.

I took my 17yo dog here for some mobility troubles. Dr. Sirkis saw us and freaked me out so much that I didn't even feel comfortable letting her vaccinate my dog. She couldn't access the details of my precious dinosaurs extensive medical records. She couldn't tell me when the last time my dog was vaccinated, or why we had an open prescription for gabapentin.

She prescribed gabapentin for nerve pain which made my dog completely immobile and worsened her incontinence. We stopped the gabapentin and read online there is no evidence to support gabapentin for nerve pain in dogs. At least we got a referral to a specialist? Possibly? Hard to say since I basically ran out of there with my dog in her stroller. She was only on the gabapentin for 2 days.

I forgot the worst part. A gentleman came in while there was a rush to see his dying cat and expressed that they were not receiving the care they need. The person in training at the front desk smirked behind his back. The same trainee at the front desk also couldn't tell me when my dog was last vaccinated while looking at my dog's file.

Our dog had an ear infection. We brought him here because it looked pretty bad and the said they had availability. The get one star for providing a refund. Frustrating to have no actual communication of care for the duration of care. The staff is completely indifferent to the experience of reality this provides to owners. I honestly think they hide behind the lack of communication to cover up a mixture of miss management and staffing issues. I have compassion and I am deeply saddened by the experience. My dog stayed there for over 14 hours and did not see a vet.

After 9 years of taking my dog to Berkeley Dog and Cat I have decided to stop. During these 9 years we visited frequently as my pup is mischievous and somewhat accident prone. In the early years of visiting Berkeley D&C staff was great. We saw many wonderful vets and vet techs, staff was friendly and they were on top of things. Since COVID things have taken a turn.

I know everything and everyone has been challenged by COVID but what I have seen is a very big shift. The staff is almost completely new, appointments are booked for weeks and the only option is to come in for urgent care. This means a $160 dollar exam fee. Yesterday, I took my dog in to get her checked as she was limping on account of her arthritis.

On the phone, I was told there'd be a two hour wait. Upon arrival we checked in and I was told it'd be 3 hours. Ok, that's fine. I had been told I would check my pup in with the vet tech and this would be a drop off appointment. After check in I waited 45 minutes before a tech returned to pick up my pup. I left and checked back in 4 hours later.

I was told that my dog hadn't been seen, that there were 4 dogs ahead of mine and that's it's going to be a couple more hours. 4 hours later. I call back and I'm told my dog hasn't been seen yet and that it's going to be a couple hours more. At this point it's 6:30 pm, I had dropped off my girl before 10 am, so I told the receptionist to please refund my exam fee and that I'd be picking up my dog now. When I arrived for pick up my receipt was ready with my refund but it still took 20 minutes to get my dog back.

I was a transfer from the recently abruptly shuttered Montclair Vet Hospital. I was looking to establish long term care for my 70 lb shepherd mix, and I sent in her records history beforehand. They had cute pictures in the lobby, and it was a clean space. Front desk staff was super busy but polite and sweet to my pup. The vet tech that took us into the treatment area was very nice, thorough in asking intake questions and informative.

Outside of the standard initial pet visit exam I was looking for pretty basic stuff. Checking her nails, feedback on her weight, confirming implications of adding fish oil to her diet, and a renewed prescription for flea/tick meds. He wrote all that down. We were assigned to Dr. Sirkis for the rest. She initially seemed great. She recommended a DHP vax, which I thought we had already been given.

She then rolled her eyes when I asked to confirm her vax history in her records. That pretty much ruined the tone for me for the rest of the visit. She really just didn't seem all that interested in learning her history or establishing a new patient relationship. And there has been no follow up to check for post vax soreness or complications.

I mentioned I would like a different dr for our next visit when I was checking out. They simply recommended to ask for that when I returned, with no inquiry as to why. I recognize vet offices are over loaded and over worked these days. It must be exhausting. I'll just have to keep looking for an office that's more invested in something beyond just getting patients in/out.

The vets and techs here are caring, kind and professional. They are courteous, they really listen to everything we have to say and give great explanations for everything. They genuinely care about our pets. The only problem here is a very nasty, rude front desk person who was not going to let my husband and I both go in with our two cats. She said only one of us could go in.

She insisted on seeing proof not just of 2 vaccinations but boosters as well. When the tech came to get us she told us that we were both welcome to come back even though I didn't have evidence of my boosters with me. I checked with another tech about the so-called policy and was told that was not the policy. Another person at the front desk helped us check out and she was very pleasant and helpful so I guess it was just that one person. She was truly unpleasant.

I cannot say enough good about the folks that work at the Berkeley Dog and Cat hospital. I have never met kinder more dedicated workers. From the receptionist to the vet tech and doctor we could have not felt more cared for. Our cat Gigi is an outdoor indoor girl. We tried solo indoor but she would not have it after the first year. Recently she was bitten by one of her meals.

Most likely a vole. She swelled and cried a lot when touching the swollen area. We called on a Sunday and they took her right in, 12 noon. There were two very serious cases before us that were lengthy so we picked her up at 7:30 pm. How can one rush healthcare? No rush with us. Gigi was lanced and drained after shaved; we got attentive information, care, medication and assurances. Berkeley Dog and Cat Hospital is thorough, run well, clean and very hospitable. So happy they could see us at the weekend! Please

The vet I saw was attentive, very gentle and reassuring to me and my very nervous cat. Her recommendations were clear and she listened and responded to all I had to say. I was able to go with my cat when she was examined. I will continue with Berkeley Dog and Cat Hospital for as long as I have animals.

I have a very anxious and fearful dog who's had terrible experiences at the vet. We had to bring her in for an emergency over the weekend, and the staff was nothing short of wonderful. They were so patient with my dog, giving her time to feel comfortable and making a stressful experience much more manageable for her.

If your cat needs prescriptions regularly, good friggin' luck with these people. They would rather lie and give you the run around for a week than write a prescription--correctly, so that you don't then waste even more time fixing it-- for CVS. I guess they want you to use their in-house expensive pharmacy? But the ordering system there also just doesn't work, which was our impetus to get meds at a real pharmacy instead.

My cat is a hale old thing and didn't get DKA from this ridiculous week-long delay of BDCH for his insulin, of which they *said* they'd : called in the Rx (didn't) called to clarify the vial (didn't) hadn't received a call from CVS to confirm (they had, CVS kindly took the time from administering Covid vaccines only to get put on voice message hold for their effort) or that they were going to call CVS back immediately (not until I hounded them AGAIN to do what they're supposed to do, if they're in the business of prescribing medicine!).

What did it all serve to run things so, so incompetently? If they wanted us all to use their expensive pharmacy, then they should just make it mandatory, and probably work on making it functional. Instead of pussyfooting around and making it literally impossible to get medicine they recommended. Vets that prevent you from acquiring the necessary medicine for your pet?

You can't do anything in a world like that! Stars are for the one good desk person I dealt with, and the surgical competency of the vets. They're great, but whoever the heck is running this place and its pharmacy clearly worships at the altar of Chaos.

Sadly they no longer see rabbits but when they were an emergency room and they did they saved my guys life. The vet had said he was fine but he went downhill fast. The vet there was AMAZING and she gave me information to help him that has kept him alive 8 months later. She really knew her stuff. They are also ALWAYS really nice on the phone and caring. They get how stressful this is. Great place! Now they are outpatient only but I would still go there if they saw rabbits!

These folks are the best! They were terrific yesterday with my dog who is pretty afraid of the vet, and managed to get all the things done. I can't recommend them highly enough. Super knowledgeable and gave me estimates in advance for the cost of each item for our visit.

Our little 10 yr 10 lb terrier mix is a super active dude, the man of the house who loves to chase squirrels, rats, moles, and had on occasion succeeded in his hunts on all of these. He can hike miles on end, except when it's too hot. Well, the age and arthritis has been setting in and he over did some of his acrobatic maneuvers, and ended up of serious pain.

Poor guy could not even lay down comfortably and spent the night panting in pain. We called Sage Emergency at 2am and they determined he was "stable" and we should take him his regular vet-which is closed on weekends. We stayed up with him trying to comfort him, gave him CBDs, nothing worked. So we opted to take him to Berkeley Dog and Cat Urgent Care the next morning and Dr. Pearlstein was AMAZING!

She was able to assess our guy, rule out the pain from existing kidney issues, and determined he basically tweaked his back in a couple areas. No need for expensive X-rays. She was able to provide him with manual manipulation, cold laser therapy, a few meds there and to take home, some hydration for his chronic kidney issues, made many suggestions for non-pharmological interventions that will aide in his healing.

He came back home that same day, walking and wagging, and back to himself. The only challenge was to try to keep him from continuing his regular routine of acrobatics. This is an amazing experience, every thing was explained, options were offered simply, cost $400, did not break the bank and was about half the cost of what we would have paid at Sage for emergency care. We will always go here if we can.

This is my first review and possibly my last one about this place: Have you been waiting for 30 minutes just to be checked in? Have you been sitting in an empty lounge, waiting hopelessly for a vet to come? Have you seen an animal hospital with 4 front-desks, none of which wished to help you or even greet you? (Even other customers greeted me and my cat nicely) Have you seen 4 front-desks being on the phones for 30 minutes, knowing a customer is sitting right in front of them?

Have you seen an animal hospital who chose to serve other customers that came after you, having appointments later than you, just because you look like a student or maybe Asian? Have you seen an animal hospital whom you already checked in, waited for half an hour, and some vet came to tell you that you have never checked in and you should leave? I'm thankful my cat is not having a big illness today.

And it's thankful I will be moving to another vet next time. Unless you are Berkeley student whose only vet choice is here, I would recommend any other vet. P.S. I have been visiting this place a few times. Last time I was here for a routine exam. The vet here didn't even find my cat's teeth problem until I told her after she examined my cat. I though today would be different but I guess not.

My dog partially tore her dew claw on a Sunday and needed urgent help to fix her very painful/ nail and paw. I'm newly living back in the area and several friends recommended Berkeley Dog and Cat to me. They were able to fit her in the same day, remove her damaged nail, and she came home within two hours of being assessed. They wrapped her foot up nicely and she got sent home with antibiotics, pain meds, and a soft cone.

The vet called me to give me a personal update on my pup and answer questions and the vet tech clearly went over all care instructions, plus they gave me a written copy as well. The pricing was very reasonable for an urgent care visit. I was super happy they could help my pup and their attention to detail was very much appreciated! Thanks Berkeley Dog and Cat!

I needed to take my cat into the emergency or urgent care this morning. I saw this animal hospital was close to my place and opened. I called the line and the receptionist asked if it was an emergency or to hold. I replied yes, and she still put me on hold. I waited for five minutes, then hung up and called back. I called back three times she was immediately put on hold.

On the fourth call she picked up and she said would put me on hold (sounded irritated) and I made it explicitly clear I had an emergency. I described what happened and she told me there would be no doctor available until noon (this was 730 am), despite the voice recording saying earlier that urgent services were available starting at 7 am. I am new to the area, dealing with a sick cat, and was overwhelmed trying to find someone who would look at him in a timely manner. I do not recommend wasting your time.

I've been bringing my dogs to Berkeley Dog and Cat for 15 years and they have always had the best vets giving the best service. They have always been available day or night to deal with emergencies. My English Cocker Spaniels have appreciated their treatment by BD&C veterinarians and staff. It has been worth the drive from Alameda.

I've been taking all of my pets here for over 12 years. We always have an excellent experience. Everyone is kind and helpful and is always so excited to see my pets. Even when I've been here for emergency visits everyone is calming and very helpful! Dr. Minturn is who we usually see and he's the best!

I had a very positive experience bring my pupster to BD&C yesterday. Front and back office staff were friendly and professional. I even got to talk directly to the vet, Dr. Lee, and felt like we were in good hands. Did not like that I had to wait over 2 weeks for an appointment-it wasn't an emergency-but that seems to be the norm theses days.

This could have been a 1 star review. I had an appointment to take my cat Arya to the vet yesterday. On the way, the vet's office called me asking me if I was there. I replied that I was still driving and it was early. Finally I arrive and check in and they tell me to wait outside. I wait for a long time and then I walk back in. They tell me that the I missed my spot and we have to reschedule.

Once I ask for clarification, the lady at the reception tells me that they had a misunderstanding but there is nothing they could do. I was so tired and exhausted and the concierge lady was very rude. However, after much fighting, a doctor decided to see my pet. Doctor Kristina Sirius was kind, nice, professional and everything someone can wish for for their pet. I can't stop recommending her!

I love Berkeley Dog & Cat Urgent Care. They were very kind, professional and available to help ASAP when my two dogs ate a bunch of dark chocolate. Turns out it was mostly the big dog, and as he started showing concerning racing heart while being treated and as the first bits of chocolate were getting into his bloodstream, I really think they saved his life.

The vet and the vet tech were so smart and clear and available and really wanted to help. I thank Heaven for them! I have waited 4 hours in the late night outside an emergency vet in the same town in another situation and then just had to go home to sleep, empty-handed. So I really appreciate Berkeley Dog & Cat being available and doing a great job with my sweet dogs.

TLDR: Don't visit unless you have an emergency. Reception will make you cry lol I dislike doing less than stellar reviews for local businesses. Why potentially blemish the online reputation of a business when one could easily give feedback directly? Unfortunately, my most recent experience with BD&C has forced me to be the narc I so despise. Moreover, it wasn't until today that, through dumb luck, I was able to speak with someone who could help me and my pup. Therefore, I'm left to assume that communication lines are clunky at best. Naturally, that forces me to assume that my messages and questions are not being adequately and accurately relayed to relevant peeps. Okay, so my dog has a lot of medical issues.

Over the past year, he has been put through the wringer. My first few visits with this facility were emergencies. Because those visits went relatively well, I decided to continue taking my pup to this facility. I understand that vets and their support staff are going through a lot of crap; stress, disrespect from clients, you name it. It sucks and it's not acceptable.

Because of this, I'm semi-empathetic, but ultimately bewildered by the front desk manager's decision to adopt a combative approach to running things. Yes, I absolutely understand the need to be assertive given the nature of the biz, but their behavior is counterproductive and ornery. This has been my ongoing experience with this specific staff member over the last few months. It's unfortunate. So, if you've found yourself feeling gaslit into oblivion and have resorted to sleuthing online reviews to see if you can figure out why this vet has ghosted you, then, congratulations for getting this far, and if you can, get a second opinion from a different vet.

If you have no real choice but to continue working with these folks, I advice you to be an advocate for your animal. If you have questions, or need to discuss something about your pet's treatment, make sure that you stay on top it. There is absolutely no excuse for you, as a client and patient rep, to be left in the dark for an unreasonable amount of time. That is not how a business is run.

Growing up, my parents brought our pets to Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital. As an adult, I've been a client for almost 10 years. But the service and care have really gone downhill the last couple of years and my last visit was the final straw. I brought my older cat in for a wellness check. I wanted to be sure he was ok and in good health before undertaking a stressful multi-day move.

I was told over the phone (since you cannot go in with your pet) that everything looked great and my cat was in excellent health. I specifically asked the vet about his teeth, since he is a senior. I was told by the vet that his teeth looked fine and there was nothing to worry about at this time, though I "might want to consider a dental next year". Halfway through my 2 day move, I noticed my cat seemed very uncomfortable and his mouth was red.

I opened his mouth and his front fang was gone! It had completely fallen out! Since he had just seen a vet, I assumed he must've bumped himself or hit his face during the move, thus knocking out his tooth. Once I was able to get him to a vet, I was horrified to be told that his teeth were in terrible shape and his fang fell out due to decay. This is not a case of neglect; my cat is my beloved pet and sees the vet regularly.

My new vet immediately called up bloodwork and said he needed a dental "right away" due to the horrible condition of his teeth. I feel awful that my cat has been in pain with decaying teeth and not one of the several vets or techs at Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital who have recently seen him mentioned anything to me. Instead, I was told his teeth were "fine" and I had nothing to worry about for a year.

Now I wonder if they ever even looked inside his mouth. Disappointed does not really begin to cover the way I feel. I'm sad, angry, and feel like my trust in this office was sorely misplaced. Now my cat has a gaping hole in his mouth and needs emergency dental work. He's also lost weight from being unable to eat more than a few mouthfuls at a time. Do yourself a favor and find another vet who cares and takes the time to thoroughly check your pets. Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital ain't it.

My 7 year old male cat, Marcel, had what appeared to be a UTI. I took him in to the Urgent Care Clinic at approximately 1:30pm. I was told they would call me and let me know what was going on with him. They never called. I called them several times during the day but the answer was always the same - there were pets ahead of him and he hadn't been seen yet.

Later in the afternoon I called and they said there was 1 pet ahead of him. I drove over to the clinic thinking I would be picking him up. When I got there they told me there were 3 pets ahead of him, so I went back home. They never called me. I finally went back around 7pm and the doctor came out and told me that Marcel had a blocked urethra and if he wasn't taken immediately to another hospital for emergency surgery, he would die within 24 hours.

He presented me with a bill for $1800 and told me the hospital cost would be about $5000 that had to be paid up front. In addition he told me that his clinic was closing for the night and I had to make a decision right then. I would not be able to access $7000 from my retirement account until after the weekend. The doctor said the hospital would not accept the cat without payment up front.

I was in deep shock, crying, devastated and the doctor told me the best solution was euthanasia. He was impatient and completely devoid of compassion. I didn't feel that I had a choice. I couldn't think straight and they gave me no alternative. I was up against the wall. So I agreed to the euthanasia. I had to make the decision to kill my best friend because I couldn't come up with $7000 cash on a moment's notice. Had they contacted me earlier, there might have been a chance to procure the funds, but they were pushing me and indifferent to the trauma this was causing me.

Do not take your pet to this clinic. They are only in it for the money and don't give a damn about your pet or you. This whole episode broke my heart and traumatized me. Now I am crying every day about the loss of my sweet cat who was my constant daily companion. This place should be shut down. Do not trust them to do what they say. They never called me back once, even to prepare me for this dire news.

I waited all day and then the doctor came out and told me I should kill my cat because I didn't have $7000 cash available in that moment. No one should ever have to go through this with a dearly beloved pet. It was just wrong.

Terrible staff. They'll double your bill after the fact and make up strange excuses. My dog got a vaccine here and they charged $22 for disposal if the needle. They didn't state this prior to the dose being given and all of a sudden my bill was doubled.

Took my Airedale there for several years for regular care and urgent care when possible. I gave 2 stars because Tesla had surgery to remove a tumor and I loved the surgeon. He was from Australia or New Zealand and was awesome. Otherwise I never felt like any of the vets Tesla saw particularly bothered much to really keep track of her. Also I brought her there because I thought it would be great to use a vet where they also provided emergency services because they would know my dog.

Then I found out that there is no priority ever given to patients of the clinic. It's first come/first serve--even if you notify them that you are bringing your dog. So often as Tesla had more problems at the end of her life I had to take her elsewhere. That ended up being a blessing as I finally figured out the best Urgent Care to take her. Pet Emergency Center & Specialty Center of Marin.

Also Tesla was put down at their urgent care. The process was fine and I was allowed to be with her. However unlike every other professional place (even her insurance company) there was no email or card to me acknowleging her death. Confirmed what I had felt about this place all along.

Unless you have an emergency, just don't bother. They may be knowledgeable, they may be great vets, who knows - they have no control of their time, and appointment times mean nothing to them. Got there early for our appointment, waited an hour and a half after the time of the appointment, and throughout that time they could tell me nothing about why were waiting, when we might be seen. just a "we'll call you, we're working as fast as we can".

Several times they claimed I was about to be seen but nothing. I'm sure emergencies happen, I'm sure delays happen, but come on - how about learning to communicate? I finally walked out after an hour and a half. Made an appointment with Alto Tiburon for tomorrow.

Truly a God-awful-run bureaucracy. Wait in your car for 10 minutes on hold on the phone just to tell them you're there. The receptionists don't seem trained or empowered to really help. Wait another 30 minutes for someone to come take your pet. (This is for a *scheduled* appointment drop off.) Next time, I could not pay my bill day-of, and needed them to invoice me (pet insurance complications, plus they had already invoiced me for my previous appointments, I assumed it would be the same for this one).

No dice, they demanded full payment, and refused to give my dog back! I waited in the car on hold, back and forth with people who said the couldn't help me. I couldn't believe they were holding my dog hostage for money I didn't have on hand (but would be paid by insurance that week). I literally had to wait them out, sitting in my car, for over an hour.

What are they gonna do, keep my dog overnight for ransom? Eventually they caved and tried to make me fill out a debt form with my social security number (no way in hell I'm letting that machine get its clumsy jaws on my credit). I left that field blank, filled out the rest, and got the dog back before they noticed. They called 15 min later saying they need my SSN - yeah right!

I got out of there and am never ever going back. Pet insurance paid the bill in full the next day. The following week I got a call from my vet, he had quit his job there, too! Sounds like he was just as tired of them as me. I switched to Ocean Ave Vet Hospital in SF and have had (1) super smooth experience so far.

Complete bullshit that I have to chase after them in order to make a payment that's a billing error on their end.

I am forever indebted to this vet hospital. They were the only emergency vet hospital open on a Sunday evening that would see rabbits. My 1-year-old bun Luna decided to block is gut with carpet, causing gut stasis. I drove all the way from San Jose to Berkeley to bring him here, and it was well worth it. The vets were so kind, honest, and straightforward through the whole process.

They kept us updated through the entire ordeal. They made it clear it was a delicate situation because Luna is such a small rabbit that is may be hard to clear the blockage, but I felt they were doing their best. Fortunately, I got my baby back after a few days. Thank you :'

I've taken various dogs here for about 15 years and have been satisfied with the level of care, but it's been sporadic. I've recently adopted a cat and her two kittens from a foster person. The office staff has been repeatedly told by me and the foster person that they now belong to me and not the foster. After paying for 3 previous cat visits and repeatedly giving the office my info, they finally told me they needed the foster to email the office, or call, telling them the animals belong to me. sigh.

And today, I took the Mama cat in to be spayed at 7:30am. The cost is $792.00(!). I called at 2pm, was told they'd call me around 4pm. I'm now in the parking lot, it's 7pm, no calls and wow. they seem Super disorganized. I mean for the serious amount of money spent for this sweet cat, you'd think they might call me with an update.

I am pretty pleased with my recent experience. My dog Daphne is elderly now and has special needs. She came in presenting a few different symptoms that needed to get diagnosed & treated. With the Covid restrictions in place, we had to wait out in the parking lot and were not able to go in with our dog. This is pretty standard practice with veterinarians right now, so I was not surprised.

The parking lot was a bit chaotic with so many patients, including emergencies. Even so, I felt like the staff were pretty efficient and communicated with us well. I especially appreciated Tito, the vet tech who assisted us. Dr. Freeman, whom I have still not met face to face, did an excellent job of diagnosing Daphne and giving her the right medication.

It is definitely a challenge to convey multiple symptoms going on with your pet when all communication is on a phone, but I think Dr. Freeman went out of his way to listen & ask very good questions. He was easy to work with and I felt like Daphne was in good hands. Daphne is doing so much better since our visit. She is not completely out of the woods, but I have found their staff to be very cooperative in communicating with me about meds, etc.

I asked for Dr. Freeman to call me about one of her conditions and I received a phone call I promptly the next morning. He did a great job of communicating with me about next steps we might take, also keeping my budget in mind. I feel confident that they will give her the best care and that is the most important thing to me.

We love Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital. It's difficult to find a rabbit-savvy vet so we are super fortunate to have Dr. Liu and vet tech Lisa in his team. We started coming here in the middle of COVID & didn't know where to start. It was easy to communicate with the staff, website was a breeze to navigate, instructions for checking-in was clear, and we felt safe with their COVID protocols.

As a new bunny parent, I had so many concerns about Oreo. Dr. Liu addressed all of these and also kept me grounded-making sure we stay on track and prioritized Oreo's needs. He was diagnosed with E. Cuniculi and lost sight in his left eye. After an ophthalmologist referral, numerous diagnostic testings, round of meds, and routine appointments, Oreo is now a healthy happy bunny who finally got his RHDV vaccine. We can't thank the entire Berkeley Dog & Cat staff for taking such great care of Oreo during every visit.

Summary: Good: 1. Dog seems to like them. 2. Dog still alive. Bad: 1. Had to pay for same surgery twice one month apart. 2. Second time they went over estimate. 3. Twice told me they would submit to my insurance and they did not. 4. Complained and was told manager would call- manager did NOT call. 5. They insist I owe them a balance even though I paid- twice. So, my dog got a foxtail in his leg.

It got scary. I took him here. They said he neeed surgery to remove the foxtail. They gave an estimate that had a lowest possible and a highest possible. I agreed. They did the surgery. They did NOT find or remove the foxtail. The bill was near the highest possible end of the estimate. I paid the bill. They submitted to my insurance. I got like $20 from my insurance.

About a month later, it flared up again. Because the foxtail was still there. I took him back in. They told me he needed surgery again. They gave me an estimate with a low end and a high end. They did the surgery. This time, they found the foxtail and removed it. Then they called my husband and told him it had gone over the estimate. I went to pick the dog up.

I saw that it was over the estimate. I complained that they'd gone over. They said yeah well. I said I already paid you to do this surgery. Then I agreed to pay up to x amount. Now you want me to pay more than that? That seems unreasonable. They said you can complain to a manager. I said, super. They said there is no manager here right now. I said, ok can the manager call me?

They said yes. The woman at check out said she would charge me the maximum and I could then work it out when the manager called. I agreed. Then I checked in to make sure they were submitting the claim to my insurance. They said yes. A week later, I had not heard from them. I called to check. The guy said the manager was not there and that he would make sure the claim was submitted and call me back.

He did not. The manager did not. Today, more than a month later, my husband called to check in again. They complained that we have an outstanding balance. The manager still has not called. They still have not submitted the forms. Surgery is dangerous. Recovery time is torture for a big dog who wants to run. Pain killers are awful. It's super yuck of you to make a dog do that twice. It's worse to over charge. I wouldn't have even charged you a second time. I'd just be like, Damn, I'm sorry

They killed my best friend. I took my baby here for several years and the care was exceptional. In June, he went in for a cough. Their phone lines were broken. Everything seemed out of place. The doctor was hurried and rushed. They prescribed a medication that was contraindicated for my dog's condition. They didn't review the medical records.

And it led to his untimely death. I overheard the front desk get a call that went like this. "Wait, we got a e-mail?" "Oh, yeah we got an email" "Oops I haven't been checking that shit." I recently discovered that "Petvet Care Center" a national chain purchased this clinic. And they've had a revolving door of inexperienced, discount pet nurses providing questionable and shoddy care - which directly led to the death of our beloved family dog. Jennifer A. Brown. basically threw Scottie at me when I questioned their practices, workflows, and negligence.

Their medical director called us finally: "This never should have happened, " she said. The clinic never operated like this. We trusted them. And now it all makes sense. This is a dire warning to anyone seeking veterinary treatment. DO NOT TAKE YOUR PETS HERE. I'm filing a complaint with the veterinary board today.

Thanks to Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital and staff for making our trip to the vet less stressful! We're new cat owners. We don't have kids (yet). We're not new to having cats around the house but they've always been pet siblings, not pet kids. This was a new level of responsibility! Naively, we signed up for a wellness plan with a larger pet "hospital", anticipating it would be an easy way to address our kitten's needs (0/10 recommend).

After unclear instructions, inconsistent recommendations, poor communication, and a residual infection of a small incision made on our kitten's abdomen, we lost faith in our previous vet providers and showed up here at about 8 pm on a Friday night. Her wound was open and leaking gray fluid. An online chat with our previous provider had suggested it was surgical glue.

A second opinion with our previous provider recommended we get it seen the next morning, but they didn't make urgent appointments. For a "hospital", they sure had limited hours and appointment availability. so here we were. Within 5 minutes a vet technician came and competently took a case history. Within 15 min our pet was quickly triaged. Within 20 min we were in a room in the back awaiting the vet. Dr. Jarvis (a fellow Aggie, yay!) enters after a brief wait and gave us her thorough evaluation of the situation.

She answered all our questions with care. She gave clear recommendations on what to do afterward. We left our kitty there so they could clean out and repair her wound. By 1 AM I picked her up and brought her home, safe and sound. They even replaced the oversized cone we had been given previously with one that was more appropriate for her size. We got clear written instructions on her care for the following weeks and advice on when and how to contact them.

After a week, another of their vets gave us a call to see how she was doing and make sure everything was as expected. We were pleasantly surprised to get the call! 13 days after her first visit with them, we brought her in for stitch removal. In all, that visit was about 10 minutes. Not having insurance with them, it was a bit of a pricey visit but a lesson learned for us on who to trust for pet care. We wish we had come here first!