You understand the meaning of the phrase "man's best friend." Your pet is loyal, provides companionship, and is there for you through good times and bad. So when your pet is injured or feeling under the weather, you want the best for it-though you'd like not to have to declare bankruptcy to get it. We rate area veterinary practices for both quality and price.

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Bay Area Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.

Sample Subscriber Comments/Reviews About Veterinarians

CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).

As You Can See Below, Some Veterinarians Get High Praise from Their Customers. Some Others Don't. So Choose Carefully.
Here Are a Few Samples of the Thousands of Comments CHECKBOOK Has Collected on Hundreds of Different Veterinarians.

• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: Good and caring staff........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Vet: horrible place, inferior service. I cannot emphasize how scary it was to take my animals..........
• Subscriber from MILLBRAE, CA wrote Another Vet: All our animals have been well cared for by Dr. Conkling.......
• Subscriber from CUPERTINO, CA wrote Another Vet: A caring environment for my cats........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: This place has the advantage of being open 24 hours a day, so in case..........
• Subscriber from LAFAYETTE, CA wrote Another Vet: Dr. Pearson and staff were superior in helping with our aging dog. Incredibly compassionate, helpful..........
• Subscriber from ALAMEDA, CA wrote Another Vet: We have used Alameda Pet Hospital for years. They are generally very helpful, competent, and..........
• Subscriber from SAN RAFAEL, CA wrote Another Vet: These people were courteous, responsive, and gave clear answers. They have a real live answering..........
• Subscriber from EL CERRITO, CA wrote Another Vet: For 16 yrs, my cat received care at Codornices, including competent shepherding through a broken..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Vet: We used this facility for an emergency vet visit. Like a regular ER, our pet..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: great doctors and VERY reasonable.......
• Subscriber from LOS GATOS, CA wrote Another Vet: Ten or so years ago an outstanding partnership of two exceptional vets and a close..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Vet: Good, personally taylored advice and competent vets and staff (my father was a vet in..........
• Subscriber from MILPITAS, CA wrote Another Vet: Six vets, each with different strong points, interests and 'bed'side manners - hard to go..........
• Subscriber from SUNNYVALE, CA wrote Another Vet: I have been a client of Adobe for 20 years and can't fault their expertise..........
• Subscriber from MOS BEACH, CA wrote Another Vet: Very friendly and good with all kinds of pets. Can get crowded and busy but..........
• Subscriber from BELMONT, CA wrote Another Vet: I have dealt with Dr. Bower for many years. He is very thorough, very knowlegeable,..........
• Subscriber from BERKELEY, CA wrote Another Vet: The staff and vets are great, but VCA as an organization seems more interested in..........
• Subscriber from FOSTER CITY, CA wrote Another Vet: Fast, but competent.......
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: We've used three other vets in the past. This is, without reservation, the best, most..........
• Subscriber from SANTA CLARA, CA wrote Another Vet: Dr. Chuang is excellent. She has researched issues re: my dog on her day off..........
• Subscriber from NOVATO, CA wrote Another Vet: There appears to be a new Vet at this clinic. She is very confrontational and..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: Very caring attention by the doctors for the animal and owner. All other personnel were..........
• Subscriber from PALO ALTO, CA wrote Another Vet: I would not take my dogs anywhere else........
• Subscriber from HILLSBOROUGH, CA wrote Another Vet: NICE GUY AND STAFF.......
• Subscriber from CLAYTON, CA wrote Another Vet: All the doctors in this office are absolutely wonderful. I would highly recommend this Animal..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Vet: These are truly wonderful people who care about the animals they treat. They also board..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: This animal hospital cares for my two young cats and cared for the cat I..........
• Subscriber from WALNUT CREEK, CA wrote Another Vet: Dr. Christofferson and staff have been wonderful with our elderly dog........
• Subscriber from BERKELEY, CA wrote Another Vet: Poor diagnostic skills. Horrible people-skills. Dr. Prutton was short with me and did not welcome..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Vet: I've been going to VCA for three years now and had good visits for my..........
• Subscriber from NOVATO, CA wrote Another Vet: This vet advertises himself as a holistic vet. He isn't........
• Subscriber from PALO ALTO, CA wrote Another Vet: We are very happy with the care we receive for our Chihuahua. Dr. Chen is..........
• Subscriber from EL CERRITO, CA wrote Another Vet: Very friendly,competent, and understanding staff.......
• Subscriber from BERKELEY, CA wrote Another Vet: Dr. Johnson has ana incredible way with animals. They trust him and even my feral..........
• Subscriber from SUNNYVALE, CA wrote Another Vet: I was using this vet before moving to the Arroyo Clinic. The chief vet had..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: Dr. Stphanie Saito give expert advice and TIME devoted to explaining our pet's conditions. Further,..........
• Subscriber from ALAMEDA, CA wrote Another Vet: The bulldog experts. Dr. Barney is one great veterinarian! Worth the drive to Fairfield from..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Vet: Excellent Care for our two cats!.......
• Subscriber from WALNUT CREEK, CA wrote Another Vet: A wonderful facility for emergency needs of animals........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: Hard to get an appt. Always keep you waiting. The office staff aren't pleasant -..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: Have used this vet clinic for two dogs, one cockatiel. They have an avian vet..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: May be on the expensive side........
• Subscriber from BENICIA, CA wrote Another Vet: I love this vet, but the wait times both to get an appointment and in..........
• Subscriber from MILLBRAE, CA wrote Another Vet: My comments specifically apply to Dr. McIntyre. I have not used any other vets there........
• Subscriber from MARTINEZ, CA wrote Another Vet: They have been taking care of our pets for 35 years. We have always been..........
• Subscriber from BERKELEY, CA wrote Another Vet: We brought our 16 year-old dog in for a check-up. The vet techs were super..........
• Subscriber from PLEASANTON, CA wrote Another Vet: Excellent veterinary care for my dog........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Vet: Seemed to have forgotten about me with 45 minutes in examining room. I had to..........
• Subscriber from BENICIA, CA wrote Another Vet: Costs have escalated out of control in the last few years........