HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I have used this location for a few years already, and can't express how happy I am with Dr. Ancu. Every time I've gone in for an exam for any pet, Dr. Ancu has always been thorough and honest, and above all... seems to genuinely love animals. He always compliments my pets in a true pet lover way - whether it's my chinchilla being handsome and SUPER friendly, or my cat having the silkiest coat. I just yesterday took in Mocha, my new cat, for her shots, dewormer, general exam, and nail trimming. They were great, and Mocha didn't seem at all traumatized. The young ladies at the front desk were friendly, attentive, talkative, and professional. I can't imagine this place having rude or inattentive staff. I literally come back here BECAUSE of the awesome service and honest vet. I also got a call from Dr. Ancu himself indicating no concerns and seeing an overall healthy kitty. Instead of trying to sell me a ton of services or pushing me toward a ton of precautionary measures, he was honest, caring, patient, and straightforward. I took in my chinchilla, Pikachu, a few years ago. Dr. Ancu saved his life, and I mean it. All for $120! Exotic pet exam was only $50 (at the time, which was a few years ago), and the remaining $70 was for the antibiotic. Who can complain about THAT? To save my fluffball's life? Have we all forgotten the price of human health care? To those complaining about prices - give me a break! I was in complete distress when my poor chinchilla was sick. At the time, he was about 2 years old, and I was so worried that he wasn't going to make it. I had to hydrate and somehow barely fed him by force, and the poor thing was miserable. He was having seizures and would cuddle up in our arms. Anyone who has experience with chinchillas knows they aren't ones to cuddle. AT ALL. They're just way too hyper. First thing Monday morning, we took him in. Dr. Ancu saw him immediately. He called me himself and mentioned they have issues with their teeth, as they constantly grow causing depression if they feel discomfort when eating/playing. In some cases they need filing... which has to be under anesthesia. He told me he would be concerned putting him to sleep, as these animals are so sensitive that they have a 50/50 chance of surviving anesthesia. He told me the physical exam checked out, and he didn't seem to have broken cartilage or any lumps indicating an injury. He told me the only other thing he imagined it could be was an internal infection, and recommended I put him on an antibiotic. He suggested that if that made no difference, only then would he recommended anesthesia for a tooth inspection and possible filing. Thankfully that was never needed. Within two days on his prescribed antibiotic he was back at 50%, and within a week he was FULLY RECOVERED! I can't thank him enough. read more

Big Tujunga Veterinary Hospital - One happy and healthy chinchilla who is still here with us thanks to Dr. Ancu. He saved his life 2 years ago! - Veterinarians Near Me - Tujunga, California

See all

Excellent service and customer/pet care! Called to take in my dog for a rabies vaccine and nail trim and they were able to take me in the same day. I had been trying to get in elsewhere for a couple of days and was unsuccessful so I'm very appreciative that they were able to take me in right away as the vaccine and nail trim were becoming overdue. They were clear and helpful every step of the way and they listened to my concerns. Anna took care of my little doggy and was so sweet and gentle with him. We will be coming here from now on! Happy customer. read more

I came home to find my tiny 4-legged best friend shaking and in pain with a severely swollen tummy. She had partied too hard the day before by getting into something she wasn't supposed to. I immediately called her longtime vet's office where we had been loyal customers for the entire life of my 10-year-old tiny Viking friend. I explained how worried I was and this seemed like it was quite urgent she be seen. I was cut off mid concern with a ...."no appointment until Thursday" response. Seeing that this was Tuesday my Sasha "FIERCE" could be dead by Thursday. I quickly googled vets in the area and called Big Tujunga. The lady on the phone was very apologetic and kind by saying "we are so busy so you will have to wait but can you be here in 15 minutes?" Can I? Well OF COURSE I can! They could not have been nicer or more caring to me and my chi-warrior! Dr. Edward, (I want to call him Dr AWESOME) was extremely kind and thorough in his care of us both. I'm happy to say with the care and kindness of the entire staff my tiny mighty is 100 percent better at this time. We will continue her care now and throughout her life as well as her big sister "Big Jen" when needed. Thank you all at Big Tujunga for everything! Now if I can just keep Sasha off the nighttime binge drinking we will be ok! read more

Big Tujunga Veterinary Hospital - Sasha "FIERCE!" Roberson-Helton - Veterinarians Near Me - Tujunga, California

I started going to Dr. Ancu many many years ago when his father ran the practice. This place has been around a long time . I've never had any problems but my only issue is the fact that he doesn't really take appointments and a place can get packed I don't feel that his prices are too high . I happen to live in Sunland which is much closer to The clinic near oro vista foothill Pet medical center read more

See all

Worst Experience, STAY AWAY! Boarding: I took my dog here for boarding Twice and would never take him back! They would not let me see where my dog would stay/sleep. Since my dogs one year old and going through training, I would ask after each stay, how he did, both times I got "He was great". I then get a call one month later out of the blue saying you can't bring your dog here because he's nipping at the workers! Ive never had any issue with people handling our puppy! I have a groomer come pick up our dog, go through grooming, and dropped off with no issues! Vet Visit: This was by far the worst. Its like they are terrified to handle dogs. I had to help them administer the shots. Another time our dog had a tick, they didn't want to touch him because he looked "intimidating" (even though he's friendly and sweet) I understood their concern and cooperated, so they brought a muzzle that was too small and told me to put it on. I looked at the muzzle, looked at my dog, knew it wouldn't fit, and said you have to get it on. After trying, it obviously wouldn't work the Dr. (some angry lady) said we need to sedate him!!!! for a tick!!!! I told the "Dr" to get out of the room, removed the tick myself and left. If I had such a bad experience with this place, I can only image what our dog went through! The young girl working the the front desk and the nurse Blanca were really great and friendly. Cant say the same about anyone else. I would strongly suggest finding another Vet/Boarding facility. Id rather spend a little more and make sure my puppy is in good hands. read more

I should of known better after the first was infection which stayed coming back and felt like it wasn't treated until after the 3rd or 4th one! Also the check ups after which cost an arm and a leg with everything. I feel they overcharge or that Ancuu over charges and wants to take more money, whatever the case back then I regret, but this last time taking my dog there I don't want to say everything else. Just don't recommend this place to anyone and their dogs/pets and the old white hag at the front desk is so rude as I read in one of the reviews she is a witch, the "Drs" are money hungry go find yourself a more trusting vet that have more reasonable prices or atleast get what you pay for. Never again. I'm upset because I hope I not wrong but Dr Ancuu is always nice or maybe he knows exactly what he's doing but either way I am not satisfied taking my dog there. read more

I needed to find an appointment before Monday in order to update my dog's rabies vaccination and keep license current. I called around 9 and they were able to give me an appointment for 11:30. My husband arrived a few minutes before and I was surprised when he was home about 20 minutes later. Great experience from beginning to end! No nonsense and great prices. Will continue to bring my other dogs here from now on! Rabies certificate already scanned and emailed. Thanks for helping me check this off my to do list today!!! read more

Outrageous Prices, and poor record keeping. I adopted a cat from the pound on Sunday. He had an upper respiratory infection, which was obvious, and the vet at the pound judged him to be too unhealthy to go under anesthesia to be neutered, so they sent him home with me. My regular vet, Community Veterinary Center, is wonderful, but did not have a vet in the office on Monday (due to illness). So, I agreed to have my boyfriend take the sick cat to a different vet- it was clear he needed immediate treatment. We had a voucher from the pound for a free vet exam, and this was one of the participating vets. They examined the cat, gave him subcutaneous fluids, an antibiotic injection, and oral antibiotics for us to give him at home- as well as a fecal sample kit. $141.00 The receipt I had indicated that the oral antibiotics and the antibiotic injection were each $33- 35 each. There were no other notes, just the big $141.00 bill. My usual vet charges $14 for subcutaneous saline. $70 is Highway Robbery!!!!! I had to call them to find out what the other $70 in charges was for. I'm very unhappy with their outrageous prices, and poor records. I keep my vet records, and having a poorly notated receipt that does not indicate all the treatments done is not satisfactory to me. I expect better. I expect way, way better for 5x the normal price of saline injection. That was some F-ing expensive salt water! I did complete the fecal sample, and turned it in- to the tune of another $43. Luckily, my new cat did not have any intestinal parasites. I will NEVER take any animal to this vet- especially after reading the other reviews about the vet being lazy and/or misdiagnosing. read more

I moved to the area not that long ago and was looking for a place to take my dog and cat. Although they are very nice at the front desk and it seemed like the Doctors were very knowledgeable, the more I have had to go to them, the less I think of their service. The first time I went was because my kitty was having ear issues that a previous vet could not solve. I had to spend a normal amount of money for a visit, exam, and for some steroids. But I was told that they really couldn't see the cause of it and if I wanted to truly solve the problem, I would have to have her undergo anesthesia so they could really clean it out and get to the route of the problem. The first round of meds seemed to cure the problem, and they were really nice to offer two free follow-ups after the appointment. However, a couple of months later the problem came back and I was in the same predicament. I decided to have them put her under for the minor surgery, but only after agreeing to give her a blood panel to make sure she wasn't going to have any issues with the anesthesia. I would have felt horrible if my kitty passed away because I didn't want to spend the extra $100 for a blood test. So after the minor surgery, I was told that they still didn't know the cause, it may be just allergies, but they suggested an even more invasive (and expensive procedure) to get to the route of the problem. At this point I was already out about $500 dealing with an ear infection, when I've heard cats don't really get ear infections...so I decided to go with another round of steroids, meds, and two free follow ups. I'd like to mention that one of the follow-ups the other Dr. (not Dr. Ancu) let me know that my cat had a heart murmur, which I've never been told before, and that I should have her undergo a procedure to determine the route cause (about a $300-$400 procedure). Needless to say, the problem has come back yet again. So I called Big Tujunga to ask for a referral to a specialist. They gave me the names of two other vets and after doing some of my own research on the internet, not only did those two other vets have bad reviews, but they're not even specialists. I found out that I need to go to a veterinary dermatologist that deals with allergies not only relating to the skin, but the ears as well. One would think a vet would know better. Anyway, I will not be returning to Big Tujunga for routine check-ups. I forgot to mention that every time I've brought my animals there they ask if I'd like to give them their vaccinations, and being a big believer that we are made to over vaccinate our animals, I never comply. By denying these vaccinations, I made me feel badly, like I'm a bad pet owner or something. read more

While our interactions with most of the staff were perfectly fine (though I agree with some of the other comments about shoddy record keeping), I found Dr. Ancu to be a bit patronizing and hasty with his diagnoses and treatment recommendations. During one visit for a recurring intestinal problem with our aging beagle, he made very strange and expensive recommendations; it became clear he hadn't even glanced at our dog's chart or remembered any of his previous interactions with our little guy. Losing track of interactions with a long list of patients in a busy vet hospital is understandable. But please take the time to read the chart...or at least listen to us when we tell you about our dog's health history before recommending expensive treatments. He did neither. We ended up going elsewhere and were very happy with the care we received at our new vet hospital. read more

My small dog got into a bag of cheese, and ended up pretty sick the next day. My fault for leaving it on the dining room table where he often manages to climb up. He was not being himself. He wouldn't eat, didn't want to go outside, and wouldn't even get off of his bed. VERYunlike him! I knew something was wrong. Even though he was not vomiting and had no diarrhea, I knew my small fry was sick. Anyway, my usual vet has been super busy, and when I took him there, they briefly looked at him and suggested I give him some over the counter stomach medicine. I took their advice and did that, but not an hour later, he screamed when I picked him up, so I realized he needed more care. My usual vet had kind of rolled their eyes like I was being a worry wart (Which I often am, actually) so, I actually felt too embarrassed to go back a second time that day, plus it was late in the afternoon and they do not offer overnight care. So, remembering I'd been to Dr Ancu once several years ago, I gave them a try and they were kind enough to allow me to bring in my dog within the hour. Upon evaluation, Dr Ancu found that my dog was having significant abdominal pain, and suggested we do x rays to rule out an intestinal obstruction, and tests to rule out pancreatitis-which can be a real risk when a dog gets into a large amount of fatty food. Of course I agreed, and they kept my little guy overnight on IV fluids and meds, and did all the necessary tests and medications. They ended up having to give him an enema because he was so full of undigested food, and was unable to have a bowel movement on his own. The good news: No pancreatitis or blockage. His white blood cells were elevated, so they gave him antibiotics, and also sent him home with a bottle of them. He is feeling 100% better now, and is back to his usual self. The bill was about $1,200 but that was still cheaper than it would have been had I paid for all the exams and tests at a regular vet, then ended up having to use an ER vet for his overnight care. I know from experience that the ER vet's overnight care, plus their own medications and tests which they always insist on doing even if you already have..would have run me about $3,500. So, thank you Dr Ancu and staff for seeing us so quickly, and taking good care of my little boy! The pracice is not frilly and fancy, but the next day when I returned to pick him up, they took me into the back where they are expanding and remodeling, so I think they are in the process of making things more spiffy. read more

I have taken all of my pets there over the years and Dr. Ancu and the staff were very professional every time.

A lot of people talk crap about this place and I find it unfounded. I've been taking my dogs here for many, many years and have never had any issues. I've also taken them elsewhere only to have it be even more expensive. Don't listen to the naysayers, check it out for yourself. Great doctors and really friendly staff. Yelp can be pretty stupid and not let positive reviews go through on this place, so I hope this does. DO NOT only liosten to the nagative nancies here on Yelp. Do some research yourself. Go there yourself. read more

Been going to Big Tujunga Vet for over 20 years. Dr. Ancu has given me extra years with my last 2 dogs with his accurate and compassionate treatment. Now have him taking care of my new puppy. Couldn't be happier. read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about Dr. Ancu and his amazing staff. A little over a month ago we noticed our Loving Pup (11yr old Australian Cattle Dog, Stone) was not quite herself, she quickly became distressed. We called the Vet we had taken her to previously and they told us over the phone that "they were at capacity." We called a few other Vets hoping we could get her examined, with no luck. When we called Big Tujunga, they were the first to ask, what was going on with our pup. They were also very busy, but said they would gladly see her. They were sensitive and willing to help, unlike all the other Vets that didn't even stop to ask what the call was about. Unfortunately our pup was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and they helped us through a very painful journey of making her comfortable in her final days. About a week after her death we received a sympathy card in the mail from Dr. Ancu's office, it really warmed our hearts. They don't just stop at treating your pets, but have amazing compassion for the families. We highly recommend Big Tujunga for their dedication and compassion. Thank You! read more

If you want your dog to be drugged every time they get a bath or have their nails trimmed then this is the place to go.... not for me though thanks... will definitely be finding another place to take them. read more

Great staff and wonderful vet. My 12 year old beagle needed surgery to remove a growth from his lip. I interviewed 4 doctors before finding this one. He did a great job and the total bill for the surgery was reasonable. I also found that they have better prices on vaccinations than so-called "low-cost vaccination" clinics, and you don't need to pay for an exam or make an appointment. I found a dog on the street and the staff was helpful in checking the dog for a chip for no charge. All in all, they are tops in my book. read more

We had to put our dachshund Jax down today, and I can't believe the sorrow I felt, even knowing that it was best for him. His back gave out on him and the pain pills no longer worked. After a few false starts, I finally got him to the vet, and that was a disaster. I went to Big Tujunga Animal Clinic expecting to see Dr. Ancu. Unfortunately he was not there and a Dr. Perry was. I specifically stated that "I wanted to be with Jax through his last moments." Jax tried to wag his tail, licked my arm and looked at me with those big brown eyes of his, and showed me his love. I tried to be strong for him, after all, I was the "pack leader." Life had dealt him a bad hand of cards with knee dysplasia and phenomena , yet he always was so happy to see me, run/waddling across the floor on his stubby legs, trying to climb my legs like regular dog, but limited by his short dachshund legs. But still all that a dog could be to me and his owner. Jax could smile and his eyes would light up when he saw you looking back at him, with his squat little tail wagging away. Lying there in my arms, his I could feel his tail try to wag, showing his love for me. The nurse came out to me in the waiting room, saying that she would put in an intraveinous port and that the doctor would come give him the lethal shot. I couldn't sit, I just stood waiting for my friend who in a matter of minutes, would be gone for ever, and I waited. And waited, and waited, for over 20 minutes. Until I finally knocked on the door and asked what was going on. 20 minutes away from my friend, who in a few minutes would be gone forever. They gave me the excuse that they couldn't find the vein. What happened? Did I accidently wander into an auto mechanics shop? I told the doctor that if I didn't have Jax in my arms in the next 5 minutes, I was going to take him home. And why couldn't they just give him a lethal injection? The doctor finally brought him out and I wrapped him in a blanket, his brown eyes looking at me, wondering what was happening. I held him and I loved him, and I told him that all his was pain would soon be gone. His little tongue licked me again, and he received his shot. And I tell you, he looked at me with that little doggy smile on his face. He relaxed, he slept, and he passed on. And I let him go. -- in Tujunga, CA. read more

I've been bringing my many dogs and cats here for a very long time. I obviously trust Dr. Ancu otherwise I would not keep returning year after year. He's helped our family say goodbye to our dear best friends at home. He is caring and kind. Can't say enough good about this entire office. They've seen us through many years of taking care of our pets health. Thanks Dr. Ancu and Linda read more

Very sad about the experience I had with this office. Because of covid I had to drop my dog off at curb. The doctor called me and was very informative. I was pleased with this interaction but then it went downhill from there. It took them 7 hours to get me a bid meanwhile they had my dog, and then charged 1200 more than the old vet. I decided to get a 3rd opinion. What upset me was my dog had no fleas before he visit. Within 48 hours she was infested. The only place she had been was at their office. She was also extremely dehydrated when she got home. They didnt even talk to me about cost per service. Super overpriced and it must not be clean. I wont be back read more

Extremely friendly and knowledgable staff!!! They always go out of their way to help especially Marine!! Dr. Ancu is wonderful!! He has good bedside manners and makes sure that he explains everything thoroughly!!!! read more

I'm glad I didn't just go by Yelp reviews, or I'd have chosen a different vet. Luckily a trusted hardcore pet advocate friend consulted her vet to get a recommendation in Tujunga for me and my new puppy: Dr. Ancu was the choice! And my new pup and I couldn't be happier -- he was treated like a little king from the moment we arrived, and his first exam was thorough yet gentle. Dr. Ancu was as concerned for his emotional well-being as his physical: his next round of vaccines was put off for a few days as he is still settling into our home. I could not be happier with the care my little guy received! I've been meaning to join up here to review things, and this great experience finally motivated me to become a Yelper. read more

This place is way overpriced. As an example, I spent over $400 on pet that had a traumatic accident, the $400 were for a mild sedative, bandages, the office visit, and antibiotics. They further quoted me $700 for an amputation that they only recommended after they had already charged me the $400. I went to another local vet and I was able to perform the surgery for only $170 and both my pet and wallet are happier for it. There are better choices out there if you are looking for good vets that are also reasonably priced. read more

My dog developed some swelling under her eye. Took her in to BTVH to be examined. She needed a tooth extracted. I was so happy they were able to get her in right away, all other places there was a wait, in my area. The staff was amazing and my dog is doing great. Highly recommend BTVH :) read more

I don't think I'll be back here. I was expecting a vet to be a little more caring and genuine but don't think Dr. Ancu really had the animals best interest. I think he was more concerned about his wallet$$ The whole time I felt like he was trying to rack up my bill and sell pointless treatments and procedures instead of telling me what was ACTUALLY wrong with my dog. I feel like he is more of a businessman vs. a caring vet. Just my opinion :) read more

My family has been coming here for years. YEARS. Unfortunately for a lot of these negative reviews from what I read, it seems like pretty minor stuff you've blown into a huge issue, or issues you created and just want to blame on someone else. But your opinion does count. Anyway, Dr. Ancu is really quite amazing. I won't go into specifics but overall my family has taken a grand total of six (maybe seven) cats and dogs to him. I don't know anything about this other doctor they've brought into the practice, so this review is purely of the staff and Dr. Ancu. I've never once had reason to complain (other than he is 35 minutes from my house) about anything. He's a professional, competent, understanding and compassionate veterinarian. My strongest review would be that we drove 35 minutes to go to Big Tujunga for EVERYTHING when there were three or four other vets within 5 minutes. read more

I have tried many vets in the LA area and this is the best one I'v found. They are personable, friendly, clean, reasonably priced and love animals!! My furry babies are well taken care of every time. They also offer grooming!! Doctor Ancu and his staff are wonderful!! read more

We brought our cat in with an abscessed wound and the staff and care were terrific. Dr Perry was the fill in vet and he explained everything he did throughout the exam, about the surgery and follow up care. The support staff was efficient, on time and the price was very fair. My first yelp review! read more

Took my dog to get eye surgery they did alright of a job kind of wish I didn't take him and pay the extra money to get it done in a States just because it's too far but if you live in Mexico I see why not. read more

Been taking pets to this clinic for years now, but it lately it seems like its all about money. They will call you and keep in touch with you when its regarding bringing your pet in for exams and tests but once those tests are done and you're waiting for results or to get some further information....good luck. One thing I have a problem with is when i'm told to call in on a certain day to see if results are in...then I call and they say the DR will call you later to discuss results because only the dr reads and goes over the results.....sooo...why doesn't he just call when they're in..? What's the point of me calling? I think it's time to find a new vet. Prices are expensive also. read more

Yesterday it came time for our Lab, Buddy, to be sent on his journey over the Rainbow Bridge. My husband made an appointment with Dr. Ancu at Big Tujunga Vet Hospital to help us with this difficult decision. We started going to Dr. Ancu about 13 years ago after we had moved to the area and rescued Buddy. Back then the doctor seemed more caring of the animals. That soon changed to just wanting the money. Over the years we found another Vet who was a God send but farther away so we only went to Ancu only for shots and when absolutely necessary. All he seemed to care about was raising his prices and piling on the unnecessary tests. Unfortunately for him we know more than a little about medicine, disease process and pharmacology (thanks in large part to the other vet that took the time to help educate us). Many of the things he wanted to do were just ridiculous. We assumed that he could handle this task. We were wrong. After arriving at his appointed time he had to wait with our Buddy on his lap for the staff to get around to finally moving them into an exam room. Then the wait continued. Please remember that for a pet owner that this is the most difficult decision one has to make for their loved one. We had made the decision that as long as Buddy's pain was manageable we would keep him comfortable and happy as long as we could. But the time had come when his quality of life had come to an end. There was no reason to be guilted into running further tests and doing procedures that would only rack up costs as Buddy was filled with tumors, wouldn't eat and had lost most of his muscle mass. This did not stop Ancu from trying to squeeze more money out of us. He finally gave Buddy the tranquilizer to "relax" him and said he would be back in 10 minutes. He did not so much as touch the dog to guess weight. After the shot he left the room saying he' be back in 10 minutes leaving us alone. The dose was too strong and he went into seizures. Buddy had no history of seizures and was actually very relaxed just from being held. Tranquilizer overdoses will cause seizures. The tranquilizer is also the cheaper of the drugs used in euthanasia. I'm sure he doesn't realize I know this. After more than 20 minutes Ancu returned to administer the final cocktail. By this time Buddy was almost gone due to the overdose. When Ancu gave Buddy the cocktail and pronounced that his heart had stopped, Buddy started snorting like he couldn't breathe. Not just the sigh that they normally make before drifting off. After it was finally over my husband was approached again in the attempt to guilt him into paying an insane price to have Buddy's ashes retuned. No thank you. $250 for 2 injections was quite enough! He is in our minds and our hearts. Bear in mind this is not the first bad experience at Big Tujunga. As an old dog he needed special care in grooming. We'd taken him in a few months previously for a simple bath. He came back knotted, sore and generally looking worse than when he went in. The treatment of the reception staff and assistants was rude, condescending and abusive. At the time we cut Ancu some slack due to his not being on premises at the time. We should have known better. The body follows where the head leads and this head has delusions of his own importance and superiority. The staff follows his example. Please research this Vet for your family pet's sake before just going to some one that is conveniently located. There are many of them in the Sunland, Tujunga , LaCrescenta, Glendale area. Dr. Ancu is more concerned with making money than caring for your pet. His understanding of medicine is a joke compared to our preferred vet. In closing keep in mind that if a Vet cannot efficiently and caringly end a life what makes you think than he can save a life. We will never be back. read more

*UPDATE TO THE BUSINESS COMMENT FROM JENNIFER* I appreciate your apology, but if the care is this bad when the doctor is NOT there then maybe you should close business until he is available. My (Chihuahua mix) little guy got bit on his back leg/hip by another dog and had two pretty bad puncture wounds. I wasn't sure if I needed to see the Vet or not until I cleaned him up and administered first aid. I decided to take him the next morning (Monday in Mar. 2011) to this vet since my NOW first choice Vet is closed on Mondays. (Holiday Humane) Dr. Ancu is the "regular" doctor which I had no idea until after I left. The vet I had was Dr. Habib. I called to double check the names of the vets before writing this review (today) and the receptionist said "our regular doctor is Dr. Ancu who is not in this week but we have our other doctor Habib here" So I assume that Dr. Ancu is rarely there at all. I paid $40 for the initial exam. The staff was nice, the facility was clean and comfortable, and I didn't wait long. The vet assistant first looked at my pup, She was very gentle with him and sympathetic. Then Dr. Habib came in to do her own examination. She first looked at his teeth and gums, let me know about some build up and that dogs need regular professional teeth cleanings and that (surprise!) they actually offer them there if I was interested. No, doctor, sorry I'm really interested in what you think about the TWO HOLES in my dogs leg! Also, my dog, has very clean teeth. I brush them myself and rarely see dogs who have teeth cleaner than my dog, thank you very much. she looked at his wounds and said, you did a really great job cleaning the wounds at home (yes, I certainly did) and that she was concerned most about the wound under his leg since it was more like a slice puncture rather than the other one which was an actual hole type wound. Because you couldn't tell if anything was lodged into the wound and in case of infection she wanted to be sure so she took him into another room to flush out the wounds. I stayed in the room, which was okay, but I would've rather been there with my pup. She came back in 5 min later (my dog was still in the other room however) and said "Nothings lodged in his wounds, that's good, and to PREVENT infection I want to give him a "good strong" antibiotic shot, antibiotic pills at home for 14 days and pain pills." She asked one of the other nurses? to come in and explain the breakdown of the bill and left. Basically, it was gonna cost about $225 for the above, not including the $40 I already paid for the exam. I started asking questions of course and Dr. Habib cut in from another room commenting to the nurse lady that actually she didn't charge/add on the cost of flushing out the wounds. To which the nurse lady said to me, okay so that's the bill plus add a little more for the flushing. Wait, I'm sorry, didn't the doctor just say she DIDN'T charge me for that? And what the heck is "a little more"? And flushing out a wound to assess it isn't part of the initial examination? I didn't have my purse with me, just my cash wallet since I left in a hurry and told the nurse okay, I can't pay that all right now because I don't have enough cash on me and asked what was more important the antibiotics at home or the shot? I didn't get a straight answer and the MOMENT I started saying I didn't have enough, the nurse lady said okay and walked away and the vet assistant came in with my whimpering dog, layed him back in his bed and said with a sigh "he's in pain, he really needs medication" and just walked away. So here I am crying and looking around like, okay is that it? And yeah, that was it. They didn't care. They didn't care to say okay, we can bill you? You can just pay for the shot or whatever would be the most important at that moment?! I just left because I was so upset and overwhelmed. Once I got home, I did some research and found out the antibiotic she wanted to give him was BAYTRIL. Most expensive and very strong antibiotic that shouldn't be a first choice unless infection is already present. (google it). I called them asking for a less expensive alternative and they gave me a lecture. I finally said please fax me over the prescription and give me just excellent took them two days to fax it to me so I could fill it at CVS for $15. (yes, you can fill vet scripts at CVS if the meds are the same as human meds) After three days since the incident and no antibiotic started it was pointless to give it now since infection would have already set in. I kept it very clean and doctored him for a week and he fully recovered no infection or other issues whatsoever. Not to say antibiotics aren't important!! It just had already been over 3 days and the wounds were already closing. My advice, do your research and know your rights. Taking your pet to see a doctor is just like going to see your own doctor. read more

Called yesterday and asked if doctor was experienced with reptiles. The receptionist was extremely helpful and friendly and said yes. We drove there immediately as my daughter's cameleon was dehydrated, tachycardic, with shallow respiration and lethargic. We expected this be a hospital where they would treat accordingly. They had us wait our turn as there were other non urgent clients in the lobby. My daughter waited in the car so the sunlight would keep Cosmo warm as they do not have a heat lamp. After 45 minutes I went and sat in the car with my daughter and watch the cameleon die. I went in and told them "He passed". They asked me to bring it in to verify. My daughter came in and handed over her pet in tears. After another five minutes doctor walked in. He was professional and courteous. He confirmed Cosmo had passed and asked if we wanted an autopsy to rule out cause of death. We declined. He asked if they should disposed of his remains but we chose to take him. They were having a special for dentistry and I scheduled an appt for my Teacup Yorkie. Then I was asked to pay $48 for emergency visit. I paid as my concern was to get to the car where my daughter was sobbing holding her dead pet. I would have gladly paid ten times that if they would have had a sense of urgency and had given my girl's pet fluids. But to tell us he was dead and charge us an ER visit for listening for a heart beat, when you have a girl clearly emotionally drained, tells me about the heart of this hospital as a whole. My opinion today, it's there for the money, with no real Hospital or emergency qualities. No heat lamp when you care for reptiles? Had this been handled as a true medical emergency he would have gained five new clients as I have 2 dogs and 3 rescues. I will cancel today's visit for my Yorkie as I don't feel comfortable with a hospital such as this. The one star is being generous. read more

Big Tujunga Veterinary Hospital - Cosmo after he passed. - Veterinarians Near Me - Tujunga, California

Avoid at all cost!!! Dr. Ancu doesn't care to get to the root of the problem. He just wants to medicate the symptoms and charge OUTRAGEOUS amount of money for just about anything! The office smells so much like urine that you wonder if they ever clean their facility. There is no point in making appointments because they will take all the walk ins before you. I have never waited less than an hour beyong my appointment. This was my third visit and I will never ever go back. read more

I actually saw down below that he ear crops? Disgusting. That's all you need to know about the ethics of this vet. When I left the field of veterinary nursing 11 years ago almost no vets were doing this procedure anymore due to the fact that it is painful and completely unnecessary. Most vets simply tell owners the dog is not there to look cool or mean- they are your companion. This vet will do anything for money- including unnecessary surgeries like ear cropping. read more

They have been nothing but compassionate and professional at every turn.Only good things to say Excellent care from Dr.Edward Ancu,DVM and the staff @ the Big Tujunga Veterinary Hospital Center Foothill. Our 4-years-old bagzi read more

This is the worst place ever. I had to bring my dog here to board because I was going away for Memorial Day weekend and my dog came back all sad and down. I'm not sure what they exactly did but I honestly feel like they hit her or something because she has never acted like this before. My dog is the friendliest dog ever and for her to come back like this really hurt me. I hope no one boards their dogs here. It's the saddest thing to see her like this. read more

It has actually been a few years since I took my dog to see Dr. Ancu. I am writing now becuase the experience there was so bad I would not see another vet again unless it was absolutely necessary. Now that I have seen another one I realized how bad my experience there actually was. I will just say that my Toy dog was diagnosed with something that the Dr. told me she would need a $600 surgery to correct and if she did not have this surgery she would likely die. I was unable to afford this at the time and as soon as this became clear to the staff I was treated horribly and I left sobbing and feeling so ahamed you cannot even imagine. As it turned out I was able to treat my dog at home with a bit of neosporin and a trip to the groomers to have her anal glands cleaned and a week later she was completely fine!!!!!! Needless to say I was infuriated!!!!! That was two years ago and just recently she came down with a comletely unrelated illness that was treated by another vet (Szanto Veterinary Center -- Sherman Oaks - worth the drive) who was extremly compassionate with me and really tried to mitigate my expenses as much as possible while trying to do what was best for my baby. She is doing great now! But I had to write this review now because my experience with Big Tujunga Veterinary Hospital almost put my dog at risk because I did not want to experience the dread of going to another horrible veterinarian. read more

Dr.Ancu did an amazing job when my dog had a tumor in her mouth. He said it was better to remove it before testing it because opening it to test can promote further growth. Sure enough after it was a removed we got the results back that it had been a cancerous tumor and removing it saved my dog. I am so greatful for his insight and honesty. The surgery was a resonable price compaired to others and they did a great job assisting in her recovery. Couldn't have asked for better. read more

I took my dog here once. My dog had a lump on her nose and I was worried. The vet told me not to worry and that it was just an infection. Well yesterday I found out, after a 6 hour surgery, that it wasn't "just an infection" it was a tumor. So I'd like to thank these vets for doing absolutely nothing for my dog and thank them for not doing their job at all. Please take your pets to a vet who actually cares about them. read more