Belmont Shore Veterinary Hospital

Reviews 6

JA

Janie Kingston

As of this week I am no longer a patient at Belmont Shore Hospital. I took my 8 year old Black lab in for a tech visit to have routine blood work done as a screening for his medication. After a wait the tech came out and said they were waiting for the blood draw to run and he would review it with the doctor and she would go over the results with me. After another extensive weight Dr Frank came out and showed me the lab work and said one of the test was out of the norm but sometimes the readings were inaccurate because of the machine and so they did a lab dip on his urine and all was fine. I curiously asked how they got the urine and she said they did an ultra sound draw and explained that they locate the bladder with an ultra sound and then they place a needle in Blus bladder and take out some urine. I cannot begin to tell you how angry I was that they did this invasive procedure without my knowledge or permission. She said she was just trying to be thorough and they did them all the time. I was livid, they did not even try to get the urine the normal way and when we left Blu urinated copious amounts so I do not think they would have had a problem. It was not as if he was ill and needed immediate results. They restrained my dog with bad hips and stifles and put him through an unnecessary procedure for their convenience. I never did learn for sure if the Dr, or the tech, did the procedure. He totally trusts me to take care of him and do everything in my power to cause him no pain or harm and I failed him by taking him to a Vet that does not have the compassion to determine that this was not the right choice, or at least talk it over with me. I never would have agreed to the procedure. I tried to wait a few days to write this review but my sadness and anger is not diminishing. The office manager called to follow up and has sent me his records so I can find a new vet and stated that they had a meeting as soon as I left and it will not happen again in the future. That does not help Blu. I am just lucky that he is such a loving gentle giant and that he has forgiven me. Two out of the three times I visited the office I had terrible experiences. I gave them another chance since I was assured that Dr Frank was the best and loved animals. I think she also needs to learn to respect them. It will be awhile before I will be able to let any vet take my great friend to the back without me. If I am not allowed to see what they are doing, what are they doing?

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DI

Diana Ball

When my longtime vet moved to Northern California he gave me one name: Dr. Dina Legum. My 15-year old mutt has been lovingly and judiciously treated by Dr. Legum for 3+ years, and I cannot say enough good things about this vet and about the hospital in general. I strongly disagree with the poor reviewer. I trust this staff completely and I always have been treated with respect, patience, and fairness. They do not prescribe things that are not necessary. Just last week I was concerned about my dog and thought we were ready for prescriptive drugs, but Dr. Legum suggested we hold off. She is not about money, she is all about the dog. I love that they have anesthesia-free dental cleaning available. Not one of my dog-owning colleagues has that service at their vets offices. Though there is a VCA literally one mile from my home, I choose to drive 10 miles for the outstanding care I receive at this hospital. But I am a devoted dog owner, and believe that we accept the responsibilities associated with pet care when we take them home. For me, its all about professional care. This hospital excels in every area.

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Doug Cox

Weve been taking our dogs and cats--family members in their own right--here for many, many years, starting with Dr. E and continuing through to todays equally wonderful, competent and caring veterinary professionals. Over the years theyve helped us welcome new pets and keep them happy and healthy, and when the time came when that was no longer possible, they compassionately helped us to say goodbye. I have never had the slightest problem in booking an appointment, having my questions answered or getting much-needed advice. Our pets are treated with great respect and genuine caring. Considering how packed the waiting room tends to be at times, I suspect that an awful lot of local animal lovers and their pets have had the very same experience. Expensive? Sometimes. Worth it? Every time. BSVH is a neighborhood treasure.

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Leif M

I came in to ask about teeth cleaning. They just gave excuses on why I had to come in and have the Dr. examine my dog to tell me the price. Yes the front desk was nice and very professional, but when the girl was about to tell us how much a cleaning was a tech ran over and stopped her and started the same BS. This is the first place that has ever done this bait and switch to grab suckers. We came here just because it was closer than our other place Huntington Beach Veterinary Hospital off of Beach/Utica. They only charged $170. If you can not tell us the price of a basic cleaning (and we are well aware other services may be added to our dogs visit) why would we waste our time and money when you make us feel like we are coming in for a crap shoot?

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bev l

All the staff and every doctor here are great. They are compassionate and knowledgable. When my cat was hit by a car and he had to stay several nights after having surgery to repair his leg, they made arrangements for a vet tech to come in to care for him so that I didnt have to move him to a 24 hour emergency hospital (didnt want to upset the cat and would have cost a lot more for boarding); I did have to pay the vet tech extra, but the $40 for the weekend was so worth it! They always fit me in, even with short notice. I have 4 cats, and I have seen every doctor here. Yes, its expensive, but Im willing to pay for the care and service they provide. Theyre new hours (open evenings and Sat/Sun) are a great convenience.

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UGLYMR J

The people are nice... but the costs are not. Pretty much tried to get me in for an apt every chance they got to add another $120 on to my bill. Even going for booster shots would get pushed into a room and called a check-up. Other than the price gouging this place is great, well no... most of the staff is great, thats about it. I wouldnt recommend and wouldnt go back. Not to mention Dr. Legum doesnt seem like a real animal person. Seems like more of a profession than a passion. Youre petting a dog lady... not hammering a nail into a piece of wood. Its called petting... not pounding. There are far better options in the Long Beach area with just as nice of staff, and a lot friendlier on the wallet.

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