San Diego Bay Animal Hospital

Reviews 5

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Cheri B

When it was discovered that my Malinois, Jax was going to need a TPLO done on his right knee I really didnt know where to turn. My vet gave me a list of vets who preformed this surgery but there were only 3 names on it. 2 of them were too far away and the other one, Pet Emergency and Specialty Center in La Mesa wanted $225 just for the consultation so I hit the Internet. The first vet I found was San Diego Bay Animal Hospital. Their website was well designed and informative and their customer comments were great so I gave them a call. After I told the receptionist what that I was looking for a surgeon to preform a TPLO she told me that the doctor would call me back within 30 minutes, which he did. I told him what my vet and the radiologist had said about Jaxs x-rays and their belief that he needed the TPLO surgery. Dr. Ferenstein told me that he would review the scans to make sure he agreed with their assessment and would have the receptionist call me back to schedule a consultation. The receptionist called me back within 10 minutes and scheduled me to come in the following week. BTW, the cost of the consult was 1/2 their normal office visit charge of $48 so it only cost me $24. On March 3, I met with Dr. Ferenstein who agreed with my vet that Jax would need the surgery. He went over all the steps and the costs. The TPLO package that includes the pre-op tests, surgery, medications and the followup x-rays was $3,142.96. They do require a $500 downpayment when surgery is scheduled. At the time my husband and I had 2 pre-paid not refundable vacations scheduled thru the end of March so I asked the doctor if it would cause Jax any further damage if we waited. He let me know that I wasnt a terrible person for wanting to wait a bit and he was booked up thru the 3rd week in March anyway:-). So we scheduled Jaxs surgery for 3/29. He stayed overnight and I was able to pick him up the following day. Jax was sent home with sedatives, antibiotics and anti inflammatory meds. The sedatives were a god send. Its critical that the dogs do not run, play, jump etc and Mals are very high energy dogs:-) Jax had his staples removed in April 13 and was doing great. He had his first of two follow-up x-rays yesterday and everything is healing up on schedule:-). Yay! The staff is always friendly (except one who ignored me for 15 minutes when I was dropping off a urine sample but maybe she was having a bad day) and the office, exam rooms and bathroom are always clean and smell nice. Anyway, I would HIGHLY and without any reservation recommend San Diego Bay Animal Hospital for all your pets needs, its what I plan to do.

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Donna H

We have relocated to San Diego very recently. One of the top priorities was to find a veterinarian practice that we would be comfortable caring for our dog. I had phoned several vet offices in my area inquiring about specific care that my dog requires. Some could not provide the service and recommended practices that might. Others were just rude and/or their reviews were horrible. I did my due diligence and decided to expand the distance to travel for an office, ended up only being 6 miles! This is when I found San Diego Bay Animal Hospital. I called on a Friday afternoon, inquired about their services, and found they could meet my dogs specific needs. I do have to mention that he only needs a specific medication maintenance, Im sure any vet could order but none offered that option. Nonetheless, they had everything we needed in stock. I asked a few more questions and requested an appointment. Much to my surprise, the receptionist said "how is Sunday at 10?". Wow, I thought, so soon, thinking I would be lucky to get an appointment the following week. We went to the appointment and couldnt be happier. The office was VERY clean, staff were polite, welcoming, and knowledgeable. The vet, Karen, was also extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and we were both impressed by the fact that in everything we discussed, cost was always considered. No pushing unnecessary items/vaccinations/tests. Fees were comparable or less than my other inquiries/experience. Also, seven days later, we received a call from the office inquiring how my dog was doing after his visit. NICE CARING TOUCH!!!! You dont get that anymore not even from your own physician. Overall we couldnt have made a better choice, and HIGHLY RECOMMEND San Diego Bay Animal Hospital!

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Raima McDaniel

I havent written a review in a long time because its really not my thing, but my dog is like my child, so when I met vets who care about him almost as much as I do, I just had to share. Im so happy to have found this amazing place with such caring people. I have known Dr. Ferenstein and Dr. VanMaele for awhile now, and they have created such a wonderful place to bring your animals. Its comforting knowing that they are open 7 days a week and I dont have to take my pup to a 24 hr clinic during the weekend. Ive called with questions (yes, Im that kind of dog mom) as late as 8 pm and they have picked up to answer. You can tell the entire staff is so compassionate about animals by the way they greet you, and just by watching them interact in the huge waiting room. It is by far the cleanest vet office Ive seen. They have never pressured me into doing any unneeded medical procedures and always take time to listen to my many many questions :) Ive also heard some incredible stories from friends, about how they were able to figure out exactly what was wrong with their pets when no other vets could figure it out. They really take time to explain things in a way you can understand. We send all our friends and family here and always hear back how much they love them. 5 star for Service, awesome availability and LOVE for animals.

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Susan Pichini

I m really glad that I found SDBAH. The staff is very engaged in helping animals and its obvious that they care. Theyre open on Sundays, which is great. Very responsive to emails. If I had found SD Bay Animal Hospital sooner, my beloved dog might still be alive as a previous vet didnt check her out at all, didnt seem concerned she wasnt eating much (shes older), wanted to do blood work, never checked her gums, allegedly found one flea and prescribed flea meds! Two weeks later she was in trouble, on a Sunday morning and I Googled and found SDBAH (near me). Their staff was incredible, especially Holly, who knew right away what was wrong. The vet on duty was very caring and explained everything and that day I said good-bye to Shelby! Heartbroken, I did adopt another dog (Shepherd mix) a short while later and now she goes there. Then I fostered a kill-list Chow (like Shelby) from LA area, and now I have adopted her. Shes goes here too! I just cant say enough good things about this vet hospital!

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Kathi S

Our family just wanted to thank Dr. Van Maele and her wonderful staff for helping us make one of the hardest decisions a pet owner has to make. We had to send our dog Molly Girl to heaven yesterday. Dr. Van Maele and staff were so compassionate and caring and explained everything that would be happening to prepare us for our final good byes. They made our girl comfortable in their own dog bed and blanket and gave us the time needed to spend with her. Dr. Van Maele has such a gift for making this unthinkable ordeal into something so peaceful. I cannot thank her and her staff enough for the care she gave our Molly and us during this hard time. She made me feel so at ease as she left the room with our girl and told us that she would take good care of her as she took her to her final resting place. Molly will forever be in our hearts!

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