I have had excellent experiences with my two cats. One got hit by a car and we were mailed a very…read morenice card! Very thoughtful. Our first cat that got hit, had a bad bite that was treated and he healed nicely. Our new kitty Raven has been getting kitten care and she is doing great! Good vet care costs money and Aptos Creek side gives quality care and they know what they are doing. Also fast and convenient service with dog and cat separate entrances. Thank you

Poor communication overshadowed otherwise good veterinary care…read more The veterinarians at Aptos Creek Vet seem knowledgeable and kind. Unfortunately, our experience with the office staff was so frustrating that we won't be returning. About a month ago, we brought our cat in for an exam and bloodwork and spent over $500 to diagnose a thyroid issue. He was prescribed medication, which has worked very well. He has gained weight and seems happier. When we went to refill the prescription, the refill was rejected. When we called to ask why, we were told our cat needed to come in for additional bloodwork costing another approximately $250 before the medication could be refilled. That in itself wasn't the issue. What we asked, repeatedly in different ways, was: * Is this additional bloodwork a one-time follow-up? * How often will this testing be required going forward? * What should we expect the annual cost to be for managing this condition? We could not get a clear or direct answer to these very basic questions. Instead, staff repeatedly said "the vet requires it," without explaining the longer-term plan or costs. When we asked for clarification, we were told we must not have been listening during the original visit. As the conversation went on, it became more frustrating because no one would simply explain the monitoring schedule or expected annual cost, which is necessary to make informed decisions about long-term care. Even when the office manager got involved, the questions were still not answered directly. The situation escalated unnecessarily, and we were made to feel at fault for being frustrated after repeatedly asking for straightforward information. I really don't think we were the a$$holes here. If you value clear communication and basic transparency around ongoing care and costs, I'd recommend looking elsewhere.

We lived in LA for the first 10 years of our dog Tater's life, and veterinary care was always…read morestressful. It could take three weeks just to get on the schedule, which wasn't acceptable care. Moving to the Aptos-Capitola Veterinary Hospital has been a breath of fresh air. They can see Tater the same day or next day if needed. Unfortunately, our dog has been in a lot recently, which has really shown us how wonderful the entire tech and office staff is. I want to give an additional callout to Zach, who is a technician there, and Georgia at the front desk. I also cannot praise Dr. Hage enough. I can tell she genuinely cares for our dog and always advises us on the best course of action. She is compassionate, easy to communicate with, and we trust her completely. They never try to upsell us, Tater's health clearly comes before a bottom line. We are thrilled to have found a place we trust for the rest of his life.

This was the most horrible veterinary experience I have ever had. I have a 10-year-old indoor cat…read morewho had never really been sick before. After switching his food, he developed what appeared to be a food allergy and became very sick. Before bringing him to Aptos-Capitola Veterinary Clinic, I specifically called and told them he did NOT have a rabies vaccine and asked, "Can you still see him?" They said YES, no problem. We went in, they treated him, recommended different food, and we left happy. Fast-forward about three months. My cat was still having problems and had been vomiting for months. I had recently spent approximately $5,000 at an emergency veterinary hospital in Monterey trying to figure out what was wrong, and we still didn't have the answers we needed. I brought him back to Aptos-Capitola hoping for help. The veterinarian who met with me was extremely cold from the start. I reminded him that my cat had been through a lot and explained the months of vomiting and emergency visits. He didn't seem to care about my story. He began palpating my cat's abdomen with what seemed to me like an excessive amount of pressure, and my cat began VIOLENTLY SHAKING. I was shocked. My cat had been examined multiple times at the emergency hospital and had NEVER reacted like this during an examination. Throughout the exam, the veterinarian repeatedly brought up that my cat wasn't vaccinated for rabies. I explained that he is an indoor cat and that I was refusing the rabies vaccine. Instead of focusing on why my cat was sick, the conversation became increasingly aggressive. In my experience, his tone was rough, he raised his voice, and he continued insisting on the rabies vaccination before thoroughly examining my cat. Meanwhile, my cat continued shaking. I finally said, "I am refusing the rabies vaccine. I am here because my cat is SICK. I have been here before without this being a problem. Why is this suddenly a problem today?" The situation became so upsetting that I left the clinic CRYING with my sick, shaking cat. I actually wasn't planning to write a negative review. Then recently, I received an extremely long letter from the clinic informing me that my family and I were no longer welcome because of this situation. I found the letter threatening and upsetting. Even more concerning, the letter referenced California law regarding rabies vaccination. That is what prompted me to contact my attorney and research the law. What I learned raised serious questions about what I had been told. California does not have a statewide law requiring cats to be vaccinated against rabies. Local jurisdictions can have their own requirements, but I have been unable to identify a California law that simply prohibits a veterinarian from examining an indoor cat because it isn't vaccinated. If this clinic has its own vaccination policy, SAY THAT. A clinic policy and California law are NOT the same thing. If you tell a client something is required "by California law," you should be able to identify the law. I have had animals for decades. Years ago, when I had a working farm, I worked with the veterinary program at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where veterinary students worked with and studied my animals. I have also spent many years researching vaccines before making my own decisions. People are entitled to disagree with those decisions. What I will NOT accept is being pressured and spoken to aggressively while my sick animal is visibly shaking, especially after this same clinic previously agreed to treat him knowing his vaccination status. My cat needed help. Instead, I left crying with a sick, shaking animal and later received a letter telling my entire family we were no longer welcome. I will NEVER forget this experience, and I absolutely cannot recommend this clinic.

We drive all the way from Sacramento for all of our dog's primary care needs. Malone is just in…read morelove with Dr. Sullivan and all the wonderful techs at Del Mar. Dr. Sullivan won our anxious boy over immediately with her soft and obviously caring nature. She alone is well worth the 3 hour drive, so if you're local, LUCKY YOU!! Nothing but fabulous things to say about all interactions whether by phone or in person with everyone we've spoken to, and again, could not ask for a better DVM than Dr. Sullivan. Malone loves Del Mar and so do we!

wow this place has really gone downhill. I have been coming for 4 years but original doctors have…read moreleft, and newer staff is so rude. Marjorie must not like working there or answering phones. EVERY TIME I've ever called and left a message, I get a call directly back. She called my emergency contact first this last time and my contact was confused if it was a routine call, and Marjorie acted like my contact was incompetent and when she called me back she said I need to update my contact information? She just called the emergency contact first instead of me but she was so rude about it. Mind you, she called at 7:50 for an 8am same day appointment. They just want to run tests without actually giving treatment. Incredibly expensive and no actual direct help. Dr. Brooks also always seems annoyed when you're asking questions. She always seems rushed and like she has something better to do. They don't keep good records on the actual patient file. My cat got diagnosed with mild cerebellum dysplasia and every time I take him in, the nurses make a comment about "how funny looking he is" and asks me what's wrong. They always asked about his last vaccines. Respectfully, do you folks not look at a patients chart before taking them in? I kindly called to have them send the vaccine records to the new vet since the office said they didn't have them, and Marjorie went "check with receptionists I sent them". Again. So rude and am not sure what for. All that coupled with Marjorie being rude was enough to make me not go back. Took my cat elsewhere and immediately got care and medicine. Paula the nurse was the only reason I kept going. She was incredibly kind and caring. Can't say the same for the rest of them. Save your money and go elsewhere where the staff actually cares about animals and not running up the invoice.

For everyone on here, leaving reviews of one stars because you had to wait two hours for an animal…read morethat was not seriously hurt....y'all need to check yourselves. This is an emergency room. When was the last time you went to a human emergency room and didn't have to wait more than two hours? The only cases that don't have to wait two hours come by ambulance. This place is utterly amazing. The staff is super professional. They take care of everybody wonderfully and yes, just like all medical whether animal or human, they are desperately understaffed. Let's give a big shout out to these amazing caring professionals Dr. Macy Dr. Akol, Dr. nicki Dr. Lahue, Dr. Kalff Dr Pressel all the doctors I forgot and the best nurses in the entire world. I've been coming here for over 30 years and only receive the best, most attentive, kindest and gracious of care. Folks need to understand how long things take and what the word triage means. I am disgusted reading one star reviews from people with no concept of how much time good thorough animal care takes and how much things cost. An estimate is an estimate they have only ever charged me for what was needed. They are utter professionals, a very highly regarded facility and quite frankly all you people that are sending in one star reviews don't deserve their service or care. Leon loves Pacific & Santa Cruz Vet so much!!!!

Let me start by saying I have the utmost respect for vets and their staff. Vet care is a tough…read moreprofession. I am a seasoned dog owner who has spent many hours and has had many visits to the ER over the years. However this last visit was brutal. We arrived at 830 am and didn't get fully seen and discharged for 12 hours ! 12 hours is insane to make someone with a sick animal wait. At least be up front on check in and say. You are likely looking at 5-6 hour wait. At least that way you can make a call and decide to not put your already sick animal through more stress. I get how triage works. Most pressing cases are seen first. But to have us come back into the exam room several times just to sit and wait for at least an hour or more each time is wild. The tech calls me and ask me if I've left and I say no I'm right outside and by the time I've come in they have forgotten about us and stick us in an exam room only to sit and wait another chunk of time. The vet was lovely and she helped diagnose my dog and set up a treatment plan. That was the only plus.

We had a pleasure of meeting Dr. Martinez For the first time today. what a caring, compassionate…read moreAnd coupled with outstanding clinical expertise.. Granted, our dog was in for what could've been a simple ear infection but turned out to be a grooming issue. Many thanks to Dr. Martinez and.Alandra At the front desk for taking such good care of our older pooch. We look forward to having her as our permanent vet moving forward.

1 Star -- Traumatic experience, lack of post-operative care and compassion…read more I am sharing this because I truly wish I had read the warnings before trusting this clinic with my dog. On February 10, my senior dog underwent an eye enucleation performed by Dr. Evans at Soquel Animal Hospital. After having his eye surgically removed -- a major procedure -- he was sent home without antibiotics and without any pain medication. Within a few days, his surgical site became infected and began leaking. I called the hospital Monday because it was clear something was wrong. I was told Dr. Evans was on duty, but that he "did not have adequate time" to see my dog, and we were advised to go to an emergency hospital instead. What followed was heartbreaking. My dog required emergency care, additional medications, and ultimately a second corrective surgery with a specialist to repair complications from the first procedure. This meant more anesthesia, more suffering for him, and thousands of dollars in additional expense that could likely have been avoided with appropriate post-operative care and follow-up. Watching your animal suffer after you trusted a professional to help them is devastating. What has stayed with me most is the lack of humanity and accountability. Sending an animal home after major surgery without infection prevention or pain control is unacceptable. Refusing to evaluate a post-operative patient with complications is even worse. After this experience, I went back and read other reviews and found concerning patterns. I deeply regret not doing that beforehand. Please advocate strongly for your pets. Ask exactly what medications are being given, what should be sent home, and what happens if complications occur. I would never want another family to go through what we did.

Highly recommend taking your beloved animals here for care. We traveled from LA to bring our Boston…read moreterrier home with our family when she was sick. The vets in LA told us she had cancer and should be put down immediately. We decided to get a second opinion while in town in Santa Cruz and Dr. Shannon Drexler showed us so much kindness and compassion. She understood that we were not ready to let for of our girl just yet and comforted us in that decision. She let us know that we would know when the time was right, and it was more important to keep our Roxy girl comfy and happy for now. We got 2 and a half more months of love with our girl thanks to Dr. Shannon and we couldn't be more grateful. If you're looking for compassionate care, this is it ‍

We've been going here for 5 years. They are excellent! My dog caught kennel cough (from a…read moreboarding place) and they squeezed us in the next day for an appointment. Jen, the technician, took my dog's vitals out in my car. Then walked us into a private clean room for Dr Topper to examine him. She prescribed meds and he is much better. Very impressed Jen called this morning to check up to see if my doggie was improving. Thank you!

This practice is really special. The highly qualified staff is both professional and friendly,…read moreloving on our husky over several visits. We feel so strongly that we make the trip from the Central Valley for each appointment and follow-up. We really feel as if we've afforded Jax the very best care (both office visits, surgical, and follow-up). As an aside, their clinic is extremely well appointed. That is, the visit notes/instructions are delivered by email (promptly) and appointment reminders by text message. Thank you!

One of the nicest and kindest staff I have ever encountered. The puppy had an appointment for her…read morevet but her eyes continued to get progressively more gunky and red. I was advised to come here versus waiting another 24 hours. I was able to get an appointment and I was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome. I received the new client form within seconds of getting off the phone. There an option to have it emailed or sent to your phone. When we arrived the front office staff sat down on the floor, gave treats and lots of love. Everything was done with such care and gently to not freak out my dog. Thorough evaluation was done and I received easy instructions, a follow up appointment and medication. I cannot thank the team enough! I highly recommend coming here.

Dr. Ravina was a complete blessing as we laid our sweet kitty to rest in the comfort of our home…read more She has such a lovely, calming and compassionate demeanor that makes you feel at ease during a sad time. I fully recommend her to anyone having to navigate this difficult time. Thank you Dr. Ravina.

My precious dog's final moments went as perfectly as they possibly could. Dr. Ravina was patient,…read morekind, gentle, and understanding. She handled every step of this process with care, and I could not be more thankful for such a peaceful and seamless experience saying goodbye to my baby. Thank you, doctor.

I recently brought my dog Mickey to Harbor Veterinary Hospital to see Dr. Wells and her wonderful…read moreteam. Every visit reaffirms how fortunate we are to have such compassionate, knowledgeable care right here in Santa Cruz. Dr. Wells communicates with warmth and genuine concern it feels like talking to a trusted family member who's fully invested in your pet's well-being. The front office staff were pleasant and direct, even taking the time to show me how to give Mickey his medication and sharing helpful troubleshooting tips. I left feeling grateful and at ease. In today's world, where quality service and fair pricing are hard to come by, Harbor Vet consistently exceeds expectations. I've been a loyal client for eight years and wholeheartedly recommend them to any pet owner looking for exceptional care.

I highly recommend Harbor Vet Hospital! The vet on duty was knowledgeable, patient and took her…read moretime with our kitten Grayson. Grayson had a rough start to life experiencing seizures and a lot of brain damage because of the seizures. He has since made a full recovery and the vet at Harbor Vet Hospital gave him a full clean bill of health and cleared him for surgery to get neutered! She said that if we hadn't told her all his issues early on in life, she would have guessed he was a very normal little kitten and those words meant the world to us!!! Thank you Harbor Veterinary Hospital!!!

Dr. Vega saved my dog's life. She had a rare form of aggressive mouth cancer and had to have…read moreseveral lower teeth pulled and a gum and jaw reconstruction surgery. Not only did the office get me in the same day during a holiday week, but my dog was cancer-free by the second visit. The first determined the cancer through a CT imaging scan and removal of the tumor, and loose and broken teeth. Within two weeks, cancer-free and thriving! My dog licked me as a thank you, and she allowed Dr. Vega to rub her belly, which she usually growls at us when we do it at home. My vet near my house was amazed at Dr Vegas' work, as this requires a highly skilled surgeon, most of whom you won't find or see unless you get a referral and wait a long time. Dr. Vega not only explained everything thoroughly, but his genuine honesty and the integrity he carried made me not question anything. Both surgeries, my dog was regular and happy the next day after the anesthesia wore off, which was a week apart from each other. I cannot express how thankful we are to have met Dr. Vega and to have the honor of being his patient. We drove from San Jose, and the area is charming, with a very caring and lovely staff. This was a very stressful time as I had just had a hip replacement, so finding a tumor in my dog's mouth was the last thing I needed. I'm an avid dog teeth brusher, and never thought in my wildest dreams my dog would get cancer in the mouth of all places. It shows how important it is to check your dog's teeth regularly.

Dr Vega and his team was amazing in treating my beloved cat Bailey. I met them only twice, once for…read morea consult and the other for a CT scan and possibly teeth extraction. Come to find that Bailey had aggressive cancer that shocked me when I saw the CT Scan. Dr Vega did some magic to him and he was ok for a couple of days. Sent me home with soft food too. Unfortunately Bailey's condition was too far gone and he crossed the rainbow bridge only 4 days later. Dr Vega called me the day that I was going to put Bailey down and he was so kind. A few days later, I received a card from him and his team. The effort and heart put into my cat that they've only seen twice was emotional and special.