We were so relieved to find Hammand Bay Animal Hospital. We are traveling and struggled to find a…read morevet. They are no nonsense, super competent and great with our dogs. Unlike other vets we tried, they didn't try to make us run every test and seems to walk the right line between doing what is right for the dogs health without inflating the bill. The front office is super competent and helpful. They answer the phone and where available to see our pet immediately. They seem to be much more competent than the other vet offices we have been to. Hammond Bay Animal Hospital is top notch.

From the owner: Welcome to Hammond Bay Animal Hospital, your brand new locally owned and operated trusted full…read moreservice veterinary facility in North Nanaimo. At Hammond Bay, we believe every pet deserves exceptional care and compassion. Our dedicated team of experienced veterinarians and skilled staff is here to provide comprehensive medical services for your beloved companions from routine checkups and vaccinations to advanced diagnostics and surgeries, we are committed to ensuring your pet lives a long, happy, and healthy life. With state-of-the-art facilities and a deep passion for animals, we treat every patient as if they were our own.

Dr. Brown was very upfront and to the point which was very much appreciated, she could have had me…read morespend a fortune for surgery that would have been very invasive and negative for my aging dog, instead she explained the situation allowing me to make a very educational decision. She was really good with my dog, who is often timid and can be reactive when approached suddenly. One of the assistants up front was awesome, the person on the phone was not very friendly though. All in all I was pretty happy and would recommend Dr. Brown. Sherry S.

We have been going here for a couple of years now with 2 cats and a dog. We've found Dr.Brown to be…read moreknowledgeable and empathetic, as well as appropriately firm about dietary restrictions for weight and allergy issues. We can usually get in quite quickly when there's an issue and prices are reasonable. Can't ask for more.

As a pedigree cat breeder, it's paramount that I have a great veterinarian that I can work with and…read moretrust. Dr. Erin and the staff have always been compassionate, knowledgeable, and friendly. The hospital services are well-priced, and I never feel financially taken advantage of. Even though we moved out of Nanaimo, I never thought twice about keeping Dr. Erin as my veterinarian. I highly recommend this animal hospital.

If you are looking for a vet in Nanaimo, look no further! I have an old dog and a middle-aged cat…read morethat get care from Dr. Sandy and Dr. Erin. The vets are kind, knowledgeable, caring and do what needs to be done, without recommending or charging for more procedures, medicines, etc. that may not be necessary to maintain a healthy pet. Communication and follow-up is stellar with all questions addressed and answered. The vet techs and front-end people are second to none. If there's a way to make something happen, they will. I am more than happy to recommend this vet clinic and staff to anyone!

They were super friendly & professional. Got us in within a couple of days si our kids could…read more update their chips from National to International so we could cross the boarder. Great people

I was a client for many years. I found a lump on my female. I trusted them with surgery. It's…read morebeen just under a year now. My female suffered for months from the botched surgery. I had to rush her to the emergency vet .Just hours after getting home she was still groggy from first sedation. Her surgery had a bleed she was bleeding out. Took back to vca next day vet said she thought it would stop on its own. I should not have listened. Ended up getting super bug bacteria another surgery which they charged me to fix the botched first surgery vet bills over 500. Plus days off from work stress to my dog. Poor girl fighting for her life. I ended up taking the stitches out myself because they wanted to charge me for more sedation. My female is so afraid of vets now this experience eas a horrible thing to happen. I would never take an animal to them. I ended up reporting to the veterinary associations of b.c..

Recently had to say goodbye to our beloved Yorkshire cross Hamish at Chase River Veterinary…read moreHospital. All staff, particularly Doctor Ian Lawrie, were kind, compassionate and passionate. Very thankful. - Norm Wagenaar

Incredibly friendly vet, excellent overall attitude where the pets come first, not the invoice…read more Brought my dog in on something of an emergency, was seen almost immediately by Dr Ian Lawrie. Extremely surprised to see him immediately sit down on the floor to handle the dog (beagle-ish) - no other vet I've been to ever did that and I've had dogs and cats for decades. He gave the impression he was connecting with her at her level as much as he was examining which, of course, he was doing. He also explained what he diagnosed (possible spine issue) in term I could understand. He didn't bat an eye as the dog was drooling on his pants. My previous vet would have been displeased to have her expensive clothes soiled. Expected a huge bill, as I had come to expect from my previous vet in Ontario. Nope. Certainly not free but shockingly reasonable. Although we are in this South Nanaimo area only temporarily, I see no reason to find a different vet when we move to a Central Nanaimo location.

Terrible. Went in for a lumpectomy on my dog. It was not cancer so that's good. Did surgery it…read morewent bad picked up my dog vet tech said she has a hematoma if you have issues. Go to emergency. It was the size of a baseball .two hours later I end up at emergency vet. Options more surgery or pressure bandage. Go to my vet next day told leave it alone. Three days later stitches open up . Back again more surgery. I thought I would not have to pay for second surgery nope another 2000. Sent home. Called a few days later on antibiotics. Called five days later she has thee drug resistant super bug bacteria

DO NOT BEING REPTILES HERE. They don't know what they're doing, they are not specialists for…read moreexotics. They charge thousands for tests that get shipped off to Victoria for a zoologist to review. Don't waste your time and money. Go to Mahalo vets, Dr. JT is amazing.

Our 8 year old shih tzu / bichon cross developed an ear infection which was really bothering him…read more There was a lot of discharge which was quite smelly. Our regular vet had no openings and after phoning a few locations, we were finally able to get Bailey attended to. The front-end staff were very attentive, asking the necessary questions and our appointment was right on time. After the vet saw Bailey she spent about 10 minutes explaining everything to us - what kind of infection it probably was, which foods to avoid and how to administer the meds prescribed. Quite refreshing to find someone willing to take this kind of time - we didn't feel rushed at all. Checkout was also a breeze. Overall, a great experience:)

In preparation for a minor dental procedure, Petroglyph was told that my cat was diabetic 10+ times…read more(by myself and his primary vet) and they still managed to give me the wrong fasting instructions. They gave me the fasting instructions for a normal healthy cat, and as a result, he was given a full dose of insulin before going under for the procedure. This caused his blood sugar to drop dangerously low. Petroglyph put my cat at unnecessary risk, in spite of my best efforts to mitigate that risk. He had to have a Dexedrin IV drip and be closely monitored for hours to bring his blood sugar back up to a safe level. I will never bring my pets to this place in the future. When I told them I would not bring my cat back to them, the vet who worked on him became quiet and awkward, but not nearly apologetic enough in my opinion. If you have a diabetic pet, DO NOT trust these idiots with their care. If my experience is any indication, nothing good will come of it. I'm just grateful the outcome wasn't worse, as he could have easily died from their incompetence.

Fantastic emergency care. Brought my dog in again after he got into something on our walk…read more Professional service and I felt safe leaving my precious baby there. Best care!

I was recently traveling abroad with a friend whose dog got sick and died while she was away. Her…read moreexperience (over the phone) with Central Island Vet was so upsetting to witness, that I had to write a review. Two things stood out to me: - Shortly after the dog's arrival at the vet, the vet counselled my friend and her husband to put their dog to sleep, without doing any tests or giving her any time to try to stabilize, despite their dog having gotten through a similar episode previously. The vet kept going on about quality of life, as if my friend were trying to keep her dog alive far too long (it had barely been a couple of hours). - The absolute worst part was that after her dog passed, the vet, on the phone, said that they had taken her paw prints after she had died, and my friend could buy them for $10. First of all, this was done without asking my friend or her husband, without their consent. Second of all, in what world is a veterinary clinic so greedy and opportunistic to spring this on someone who's beloved pet has just died?! My friends spent thousands of dollars in a matter of hours at the clinic, and they still want to charge for the paw prints? I've never come across anything so tasteless in my life. How shameful.

After trying several veterinarians in Nanaimo (my new home), I settled on Mahalo. They're just as…read moreexpensive as everywhere else ($25 for a cat nail trim!), which is my only criticism. Their pet care is great, the clinic is clean, and the staff is friendly. I haven't experienced the lack of communication another reviewer complained about. On the contrary, the vet always calls me with follow-up information when needed. I've used two vets so far: Dr. Emily and Dr. Josh. Both very professional, friendly and informative. In a city where I can choose from 10+ clinics within 15 minutes of home, I choose Mahalo.

My experience at Mahalo Veterinary Hospital was extremely disappointing…read more After raising concerns about how my cat's case was handled, I spoke with the clinic owner hoping to have a constructive conversation. Instead, I felt dismissed, interrupted, and spoken to in a rude and unprofessional manner. Rather than addressing my concerns, I was told I had a "false perception" of events, which only added to the stress and anxiety I was already experiencing. As a worried pet owner, I expected compassion, understanding, and respectful communication. Unfortunately, I left feeling unheard, upset, and far less trusting of the clinic than before. Regardless of the medical outcome, clients deserve to be treated with empathy and respect when they voice concerns.