Dr. Decent and his staff at Custer Rd. Veterinary Clinic are the absolute best. They provide competent & compassionate care at a very affordable price - 1/4-1/2 percent below the clinic in the fancy building around the corner. I personally dig the retro 40's vibe of the office. My babies Ch. Williamshire's Azure Blue Bentley (Bedlington Terrier) or Navron's Catherine the Great (Borzoi) never complained - even though they had snooty AKC pedigrees! They were so supportive when the times came to say goodbye. Take it from a Show Dog Daddy you cannot get better elsewhere. read more

We have had Dr Decent as our veterinarian for about 12 years with multiple pets and have been very pleased with him and the staff. He is pleasant to speak with and very thorough with care. We are very fortunate to have Dr Decent as a veterinarian in this community. read more

We love Dr. Decent, he has cared for our animals for years. He's kind, compassionate and has the best office staff. My animals are comfortable around him and his fees are very reasonable. read more

Custer Rd Veterinary Clinic - Veterinarians Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

Best vet ever. He is caring and reasonable priced. Never had a bad experience here.

Great vet I do believe he's knowledgeable knows what he's doing. He's been doing this for many many years He's always taken care of us, but these days is extremely hard to get a hold of the front office. They do not answer phones and it takes him two days to respond if they respond I find myself having to drive by and walk in to talk to him other than that, Dr. Ray is a great vet and I continue to go to him. So I still give a five stars thanks for all your service Dr. Ray over the years and with our new kitties they will be your new patient lol read more

Dr. DeCent is the best vet I've had for any animals over my entire life. He's more knowledgeable about cats than any vet I've met, also. In 2022, he caught a life threatening condition in our elderly Norwegian Forest Cat during a routine visit and saved his life with emergency surgery. We've been taking our cats here since 2008 and won't go anywhere else. read more

Dr. DeCent and Jill are the best. I had to put down my Henry. He was a 15 1/2 year ailing old kitty. I was emotionally broken up and they helped me through it all. Thank you so much. read more

Best people in the business, would trust my animals with no one else. Could not be more grateful for Dr. DeCent or Jill.

My buddy told me that this clinic did wonders for his dog and if something happens to my dog heaven forbid, I will most definitely call Custer. read more

Dr. DeCent is truly wonderful! His staff are very kind and professional. Dr. DeCent is always willing to speak with me regarding any concerns, and he has excellent advice. He is a very good listener and I never felt like he wanted to rush me out of his office. His prices are incredibly competitive. It's truly no wonder he's in such high demand. He doesn't add on unnecessary services or tests, and he doesn't advocate for unnecessary procedures the way that some of the more commercialized vets in the area tend to do. Custer Rd Veterinary clinic has a customer for life! Thank you so much Dr. DeCent and staff! read more

While the doctor is very kind, respectful and professional, his support staff is rude. Not only that but getting through on the phone is very difficult. With the number of veterinary clinics available in the area, I'd suggest finding one easier to contact and with a friendlier office staff. read more

Great vet! I have been taking my pets to Dr. Decent for many many years and I won't use any other vet. Great prices also.

I just recommended Custer Rd Vet to a friend. Then I read some of the reviews and decided to post my own... Absolutely the best vet. It's a very busy place (because they are that good) so don't get your knickers in a twist if you have to be placed on hold for a minute. to the people who wrote rude reviews. so sorry hunny, that you had to be placed on hold... it's because the receptionist is working her tail off. bad service?? heck no. the service is top notch. and to the lady who complained about 'staff' not being able to give her cat medicine when the Dr. was on vacation..... that's because they are not the vet.!! "staff" can't just whip out an RX script and write a prescription to whomever wants it. duh. grr.... You can take your animals here and trust them completely. read more

Dr. Ray is the best. He took care of our cat Minnie who was a diabetic. We brought her in for bloodwork all the time. She is not a diabetic anymore. This is thanks to dr Ray! Your staff is great too. read more

Hands down the best veterinarian I have ever been too. My entire family has dogs. My parents, my sister, and myself. So between the lot of us we have been to plenty of different vets. For a long time we used the Fircrest Veterinary Clinic but when the original owner sold it, the service went from good to poor. We lost three of our four legged family members due to the new vets recommendations (so if anyone has consider Fircrest Vet, I'd advise against it). Dr. DeCent at Custer Road is the first and only vet we have ever stayed with for multiple years. He's a straight shooter and honest to the core. He has never suggested an expensive procedure if he knew there was a simpler or less expensive and less invasive method to heal our pups. It's a small practice and very personable. This is the place where they remember you and your pet names, and you can tell they genuinely care. Last but not least, it's more affordable then most of the vets we have gone too in the past. Dr. DeCent and his team truly offer the best care a pet owner could ask for. My chocolate Labrador Heisman even enjoys his visits here. Ya know it's a good place if your dog likes it. I'd recommend Custer Road Veterinary Clinic to anyone who is looking for a new place to bring their furbabies. read more

Absolutely awesome vet and clinic. They are prompt, compassionate and knowledgeable. We love Dr. Decent, he is incredible with our animals. He actually spends time with them and we can tell he genuinely cares about what's best for them and our family. That's reflected in the reasonable pricing of this clinic. I see some negative reviews for front desk workers- I can say whatever issues people had in the past must have resolved since we have been coming. Everyone we have encountered at this clinic is so nice and so responsive . read more

this office is awesome, Dr Ray save my boys life and allowed him a long and productive life as a Diabetic Alert Dog for his mother. We cannot recommend Custer Road Vet enough and are now bring our newest to him. This is by far one of the best businesses I have worked with in years, they set the bar high and exceed it every single time. I will forever be greatful to all at Custer Rd Veterinary. Thank You so much. read more

Most amazing vet and staff in Tacoma! Total honesty and fair in prices. Only vet I will ever trust with my animals! Thank you!

My pup Ranger was having bum irritation and they got me in ASAP! Everyone I encountered was very friendly and helpful. Would recommend! :)

Dr.Ray is the best priced veterinary around the Tacoma area! He has taken such great care of all my animals throughout the years. This is Boston after his surgery for a broken femur. He healed wonderfully! Thank you Dr.Ray!! read more

Custer Rd Veterinary Clinic - Veterinarians Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

Can't say enough good things about Dr Decent and the staff at Custer Rd Veterinary Clinic. Kind, compassionate and unpretentious are a few of the adjectives I would choose. Thank god for a vet clinic that doesn't feel like you're walking into the Mayo Clinic. We hated losing our Chicago vet of 20+ years when we moved here so we are really grateful to have found Custer Rd. read more

Dr. DeCent is very gentle with our cats and he is able to put them at ease in a way that surprises me every time. He clearly loves animals and is straightforward about what he thinks might be going on and options for treatment. We've been seeing him for about 10 years and will continue to do so even though we're moving farther away. read more

Dr DeCent is the BEST!! Caring, compassionate, knowledgeable!! He has taken care of our yorkie for 15 years now. Recently when Duke was sick, he knew exactly what to do and now Duke is 'living life', happy and well. We would highly recommend Custer Vet!! You will be very pleased! read more

I love this vet, Ray - my best friend's family has been bringing their pets in for years and we were excited to get to establish care with our sweet elderly dog we recently adopted. And while Ray is very kind and has a great approach and the price is right and Ray is not interested in ripping you off - i love all this stuff about this vet. HOWEVER, the front desk customer service is HORRIBLE and I agree with others that they are rude and disrespectful. This place would be perfect if the folks up front could treat people calling in with some compassion, kindness, and patience. Don't stop being great, Ray, but please train your front desk staff with basic customer service skills and/or get some new folks in. They really ruin the otherwise perfectly great experience. read more

If I could give negative stars, I would. In November of 2011, our dog had a stroke at 6:00 AM. We had our beloved dog, Buzz, for about 12 years, and he had been going here since then. Once we got our American Eskimo 11 years ago, he went there also, so we are no strangers to this place. We had gone to the vet office 30 minutes before they opened, that's fine, we waited. We went in to talk to the receptionist about our situation and let her know we needed Buzz to be put down ASAP (he was CLEARLY suffering, he couldn't gain a sense of balance) The receptionist who knew us and Buzz and Decent knew him very well too had the audacity to tell us we would have to wait until all the morning appointments were worked through before Buzz could be out to rest. It would've taken two seconds to euthanize Buzz, and leave us in the room to grieve. And you know what, if she had told someone why the vet was running a little behind, I think they'd understand it. This definitely hurt their reputation more than running a few minutes behind. I wouldn't go back there ever, and I mean that. Our second option was to leave the dog there to be put down. If you've ever had to put a pet down, you'd know this isn't and option. I just couldn't believe my experience there. I recommend Chambers Creek Veterinary, they treated us fantastically. read more

A great veterinarian and friendly staff! We are moving 40 minutes away, but I will continue to come here.

Get front desk staff that actaully enjoy there job and know how to treat costumers. Crazy how you can have such nice vets but your ladies at the fron desk ate just straight rude and seem like they just don't enjoy their job even the littlest. I've been taking my pets here for years and apparently they don't see me as an "established patent" even though they have both my dogs records on file ?? Also if during the covid your not allowing owners to go in with their pet that is somthing you should mention upon me making an appointment. Also just shady that you guys wanted to be rude about a deposit before even brining my pet in ? Just because you guys have cancelations doesn't mean it should affect all other costumers. After all you are a place of business and need to act like one. read more

This is easily the nicest vet I've been too. The Dr is so nice and very real with you. Isn't there to get your money he's there to do what's best for your pet. Will not want to go anywhere else. read more

Dr. Bob is amazing. I'm going to pull out my ukulele and sing you a song about his epicness. Seriously; my family has been using Dr. Bob for probably about as long as he's been at this location... maybe longer. He's a no nonsense vet who truly loves animals and remembers them and their owners. He's helped us with injured dogs, sick cats and dogs and even been there for us with elderly pets needing to be eased from this life. I can't say enough about how professional he is and how much he really cares about his clients. He doesn't charge outrageous fees like some vets and understands that sometimes vet bills pile up and are more than people expect... his office will work with you; your pet is their first priority. When I'm able to have a dog again I will happily make the drive to Lakewood to use Dr. Bob for everything save emergencies. I'm a huge fan! read more

I have been going to this vet for three years and I love the Dr. Ray. However, I'm extremely frustrated. Nearly two months ago, I had my dog in to remove a growth and ordered a biopsy on it. The procedure went well, I was peeved that the woman at the front desk was not wearing a mask, and he didn't receive pain medication or a cone as he needed (and is usually customary for surgery) so I had to take my in pain dog to pick those things up, but that wasn't the worst of it. A week later I missed a call from Dr. Ray, who left no message. I called back immediately and a desk attendant answered my call, letting me know that my biopsy results were in and I would have to wait for the vet to be available again to call me with the info, but she'd let him know that I called. That was fine, but it's been weeks since then. I have called 3 or 4 times since then and been told the same thing- with no call back. Every time I call, the desk attendant seems annoyed with ME that I'm calling again, as if I have another option after spending $300 for a biopsy result that they will not give me. They have been treating me like I am inconveniencing them, as if it is not /their/ responsibility to get me the test results I already paid for. I'm debating whether or not I should even bring my dog back here, which is a shame because I really did like the vet. read more

Called when they opened Wednesday left a message. No one called back. so the next day I called again and got put on hold forever. had to go back to work so I hung up. Still havent got a return call. I will keep my money and take him elsewhere. If just trying to get an appointment is this hard, then I wont entrust my dog to them! read more

Very unhappy with this place but that's what I get for trying to go with a good price... let's just start with the customer service..... don't think your going to get someone on the phone the first time you call... you have to call few times and I recommend leaving a voice message. Then I finally get a live person and she was so rude!!!!!! Like if your having a bad day don't take it out on me.... then I finally get an appointment and I know I'm not a vet but I tried to tell them what I thought it was and then they throw in some big fancy words I had to freaking google just to figure out what the hell the man was even talking about not to mention he looked like some random man off the street, like can you at least put a damn name tag on?!? So he tells me what he thinks it is but that he's not going to run tests he's just going to give him 2 shots and sent us in our way..... 2 weeks later my poor kitty is worse so I gave them a few calls to get a call back a day later saying they can't do anything more and that we should look into someplace else!!!! But wait it gets better!!!!! This is what I would like to call "the icing on the cake" so I'm taking him to a hospital today and I was wanting a copy of the documents that sadly I lost on my part and needed another copy to be told he only had one shot!!!!!!! So with that being said let's hope if he gets injected with whatever is was that they gave him that I guess they "didn't" give him, when me and my wife both saw and talked with him about two separate shots with two separate types of medications!!!! But again this is what we get for not remember the names of whatever they put in my poor kitty so I guess with that being said if you take your animal there you best be paying attention!!!!! read more

Great local place. Cheap flea meds. Love it. The vet is a great guy and reception is sweet. read more

Dr Ray is totally awesome has save my mini daushounds life on two separate occasions best vet in Tacoma

Been seeing Dr DeCent with my 10 year old Doberman for about 8 years now. He is a pro, down to earth, and treats you like a long time neighbor. He is great at handling pets and is honest with his evaluations and recommendations. I've been to other vets that hit you with hidden fees or unnecessary tests that can cost hundreds or more to profit off your visit. Thank you for being ethical, knowledgeable, and caring! read more

I don't understand the bad reviews. I've had nothing but good experiences for five years. Also my dog is a medically needy one. He's had two surgeries there and has been treated very well. read more

Dr. DeCent and is staff are so kind and easy to work with. I had a dog who was refusing to eat, I was panicked. Dr. Decent checked him out, then after I but him on the floor, Dr. DeCent got on the floor and offered him a treat. He woofed that down and started eating when I got home. What stood out was Dr. DeCent getting on the floor. How many vets would do that. I also love that he talks to each of my animals as he is treating them. That was one of the things I love about Dr. DeCent. His staff are so kind. I remember providing the staff with the names of my dogs and cats and when it came to my cat the staff asked if my cat spelled her name with 1 g or 2, I loved that extra touch. There are so many great things I could say about the clinic. I won't take my animals anywhere else. Custer Road is the best and the staff are second to none. read more

This clinic is amazing. My dog fell down the steep stairs at our apartment and ended up with a compound fracture in his upper rear leg, the break was so bad the the bones popped out of his leg in 2 places, he was only 10 months old... The Animal Emergency Clinic on Durango St. in Tacoma wanted $4,000 for the surgery + $250/day to board him for a few days because of the open wound. The vet was curt and rude and told us we could either sign him over to them or just put him down since we couldn't afford it. As I sobbed in the lobby and we called family to ask for a loan, the secretary felt bad for us and gave us a couple other vets to call. The vet then threatened to keep him because I wanted to remove an open wounded animal from their care and I demanded my dog back (he was not bleeding, stable, and fine to take home for the time being). The emergency clinic is awful. We called Custer Road and they said to bring him in that evening (it was about 2:30, appt. was set for 5:00) Dr. Ray looked at him, checked the x-rays from the emergency clinic and got "the book" where he showed us the example of the break and all of the repair/surgical options and helped us choose the best one for our dog's best chance at healing. He did the surgery for $1,000 ($3,000 LESS than the emergency clinic and one other vet we called) AND we got the military discount. And, we discovered our dog is EXTREMELY resilient to doggie downers and managed to get out of his cone while I was grocery shopping and ripped the bar that held his bone in place out of his leg. I called them in panic and they stayed well past closing to wait for me to get there (aboit 20min after closing) check the bone, clean it up, bandage him and they didn't charge me a penny for that! Also, the 3 check ups after surgery were at no cost and when it seemed like the injury may not heal right due to my dog messing with it, he offered to repair it in another way for only the cost of the anesthetic. This clinic is AMAZING. Dr. Ray is a wonderful person, his vet techs are fantastic. Oh and bonus? They only charged $20 a day to board our dog the 2 days before surgery and the 3 days after to monitor him closely. We continue to use them as our vet and I never want to take my pets anywhere else. You could not find a more caring, compassionate vet who honestly puts the pets before the money. read more

I have waiting days for the vet to call me back concerning my dogs pain medication. She is now out of her meds and hurting. I will NOT be returning to Custer Road Veterinary Clinic. I understand that a business can be busy but this is ridiculous. So thank you for showing me how you DON"T care about my dog. read more

Beware! !! This place is too busy to properly take care of your pets. If you love and care about your pets like most people do don't waste your time trying to save a few bucks here. pay the extra money and go somewhere where they're going to take care of your pet properly read more