Everyone that I dealt with at Eye Care for Animals are nothing if not professional and courteous. In March, my dog's eye had an ulcer. Over a month of dr's visits at my dog's regular doctor and meds came out to $700, but that was ok because my dog was cured and out of discomfort. The same week that my dog's eye was cured and the cone of shame was removed, the same issue happened all over again. I went to the emergency pet clinic, and the dr there was worried that the ulcer may be worse than the one before, so she consulted with Dr Hoffman of Eye Care of Animals (who was on call that weekend) via phone and email. Between the emergency pet clinic and Eye Care for Animals, so far it's $500 (we are still having it treated), half of which was meds. Since I've gone through essentially the same thing twice, I think I can safely say that Eye Care for Animals is NOT overpriced. Further, Dr. Allison Hoffman suggested that I make the follow up less frequent than my regular doctor did because it takes time for the eye to heal. Dr Hoffman also could have charged for weekend emergency fees by having me see her on a weekend that she was on call, but she didn't. My emergency dr and Dr Hoffman were able to converse on the phone, and looked at my dog's eye by pictures sent via email. Dr. Hoffman decided that it could wait until Monday or Tuesday, and the people at Eye Care for Animals worked me in without very much of a wait (about 30 minutes, at most). My emergency doctor had warned that seeing a specialist would cost a lot, but it wasn't that much. For the level of expertise, the tools, the peace of mind, I think it really wasn't that much. Dr Hoffman was very professional, courteous, of course, but so was Bettina, the nurse! She exudes a cool confidence and kindness of a real professional. She treated my dog gently but firmly. I accidentally stepped on someone else's dog poo, and Bettina quickly helped me clean it up! Talk about going above and beyond. Since I was there super early so that they could work me in, I saw all the workers come in with their own pets, so you know they care! Anyhow, Eye Care for Animals is absolutely the clean, courteous, caring and professional eye care clinic you want to have your pet's eye problems looked at. read more

Absolutely wonderful treatment, from beginning to end. Our dog, Bams, had an incident with his eye that was previously treated by two other veterinarians. The issue started with a corneal abrasion, and was somewhat resolved over the course of three months. . .after that point, however, the eye began to resort back to its original state of swelling/excessive tearing, and we were referred to Dr. Hoffman of Eyecare for Animals. From the moment we called to make an appointment, the desk staff was very courteous, attentive & patient. They took our name, thorough information, and proceeded to call the previous veterinarians, setting us up for an appointment. Bams was diagnosed with Ecoptic Cilium and needed a serious surgery to remove part of his eyelid. The surgery went well, and they fitted him with a transparent, soft eCollar that he did not mind as much as the typical hard plastic, opaque ones from the other vets. Dr. Hoffman called us personally & directly the morning following the procedure, offering her care & kind words. . .and follow-up advice. We were also followed up on by a technician the next day, who actually wanted us to send close-up pictures to her via email so she could review the healing. By the time we had our in-person follow-up the next week, he was clearly healing and the staff remained concerned & attentive. Needless to say, Bams was out of the collar and 99% healed within two weeks, and is now fully functional and happy. Perhaps most importantly - and beyond the scope of work required from a doctor - our insurance claim was denied by ASPCA Pet Insurance due to the diagnosis, which ASPCA considered 'hereditary & congenital.' I called Eye Care for Animals to explain the situation, and Dr. Hoffman personally wrote a letter to ASPCA stating that this condition is not only congenital, but since Bams was a mixed breed - that is a false assertion. I really appreciate everything about EyeCare for Animals, and Dr. Hoffman & her staff. Very excellent, and hopefully you never have to see a pet ophthalmologist, but if you do - see Dr. Hoffman. read more

I will first if all admit that this place is expensive; however, remember you are paying for a *specialization* that some other vets just do not handle. You want good care? Then you simply have to pay for it. Dr. Allison Hoffman and her staff are highly professional, friendly, compassionate, and know what they are doing! My cat, who rarely goes outside, damaged his eye while roaming around in our garden. His eye was hemorraging underneath the cornea. Our regular vet was closed so we went to the emergency clinic. After examination, the ER vet said it looked as if he had a puncture wound and a foreign object in his eye and we should take him to Eye Care for Animals. After reading some of the yelp reviews, I was highly worried about expense as I simply don't have a budget to spend $5000 on a cat. Sounds harsh, but it's the reality. So I decided to get a second opinion from my regular vet to see how bad it really was, and to see if it could be treated without surgery. And my regular vet doesn't specialize in that complicated of eyecare issues. After some serious consultation, I did decide to take our cat to Eye Care. It was the right decision. Dr. Hoffman verified that there was no piece of thorn in his eye, but it had punctured the eye deep enough that fluid from his inner eye was leaking out and was causing his retina to detach. It was a relatively "simple" surgery. But after a couple weeks of the cone of shame and eye drops, it is healing excellently! His retina is normal again ( she didn't have to touch it; just closing the puncture wound allowed the fluid to build back up in the eye that the natural pressure returned the eye to normal). So, Dr. Hoffman knows what she's doing: she is super-sharp, is compassionate to the pets and their owners. Her staff is very kind and thorough. It is a very clean, state of the art facility. Remember you are not just paying for the doctor, your are helping paying for staff, very specialized equipment, utilities, cleanliness of facility, etc. It annoys me when someone tries to decide how much a person, especially a specialist, or a busines "should" be making. I think they tend to forget all the overhead involved. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was just a heads up for the expense. But in retrospect I'm glad I had the procedure done, and actually it wasn't near the $5000 I was worried it was going to be.Thank you, Dr. Hoffman and your wonderful staff! read more

Simply the best doctors and staff ever. They take exceptional care in your pets. I have a Shar pei/English bulldog, named Bogart, who needed extensive eye tacking and surgery for his entropion (eyelashes grow inward). Dr. Konrad and Dr. Hoffman were AMAZING! So helpful, knowledgeable and the results were better than I could have ever hoped for. The team and nurses, Nick and Bettina, were super nice and always there to answer any questions. I will recommend this place only, to fellow animal lovers who need eye care for their pets. I always felt confident and had no worry leaving my lil pup with this extraordinary team. read more

My wife and I acquired the most incredible little red miniature pincher (Lucky) in the spring of the year 2000 from a Friend of mine. We take fantastic care of him; wheat-grass juice every day, us to, raw organic carrots in his organic kibbles, joint formula, a monthly non anestetic teeth cleaning, and more love than any animal could ever have. Yes, we would do anything for our baby. That's why we didn't even blink when they charged almost 3k in total for an indolent cornea eye ulcer, which is common in dogs this age. But other than this he is still in excellent health. And I'm not writing to complain about the money. I'm writing to complain that I was treated in the most evil wicked manner by the receptionist from HELL, and by the doctor, unless the receptionist just never told the Dr. to call me back. After spending that kind of money at an establishment, you would think that you should be treated with some respect? I never complained about the proceedure Dr Hoffman performed, even though I was worried that his eye would never heal, because it had been an additional month longer due to complications which also incurred greater expenses. I'm not blaming anyone but I did some research. I found that there is documentation about holistic cures which are 100% effective for the treatment of eye disease. E.g. In many cases Wheat grass ingestion as well eye wash was documented to 100% cure a condition of parasites in the eyes, when the traditional treatment which Dr Hoffman would have used, (Chlorine spray and antibiotic ointments), were totally failing. In fact, if they stayed with the antibiotics the dog would have surely went blind. These CHARLATANS don't want to tell you about natural remedies that in some cases are not only 1000 times safer and more effective, but also only costs PENNIES a day!!! One day, several weeks after the original surgery I went into the office to speak with Dr. Hoffman about using wheat grass and aloe Vera as ointments and eye washes. I even brought in an ounce of wheat grass juice to show the Dr. The receptionist probably lied to me and told me the Dr. wasn't there. When I started explaining to people in the waiting room about the benefits of wheat grass juice for their pets, they seemed very interested. But just because the clinic can't make a profit on it, the receptionist actually threw me out, but that's not the half of it. I couldn't believe it, because only minutes before I had presented an original signed lithograph print "18 X "24 of cheetahs that I created, (see picture in my profile). I told the receptionist to have Dr Hoffman call me back to discuss wheat grass for the dogs eye. I never received a call back! Not even a thank for the poster. Did the receptionist never give my poster or tell the Dr that I wanted to speak with her? So the following week my wife told me to meet her at the office at 4 PM. Due to my schedule, I was running late. I was coming on the bus from Montclair. Also, unfortunately, I was on a crutch which becomes difficult to traverse from designated bus stops. I got there more than an hour late, and on top of all this my phone had broke only a few hours before while on the bus so I couldn't answer to confirm that I was coming. When I got there the place was deserted. No phone booths in sight up and down the street. I knew I had been late and rushed in the hot sun as fast as I could. I'm 55, and the heat combined with my age started to take it's toll. I was hoping to immediately get a drink of water when I got to the clinic, and was feeling seriously dehydrated. All of a sudden I noticed one car in the parking lot, and someone was in the car using the phone. It was her the Philapeno or what ever she is, "Receptionist From Hell". I approached her and told her to call my wife to tell her I was late because my phone had broken. She acted rude and played stupid, saying that threes no one here. I said I know, my wife told me to meet her there at 4PM, so please call her for me. She refused. I couldn't believe how RUDE and INCONSIDERATE she was after we have spent big money at her enterprise on top of being true animal lovers. I am a vegan, a true animal lover, but as far as loving animals this lady looks like she loves to eat a heard of them! I got so upset I cursed her out, while looking directly in front of her, but as I did she reved her engine, thus assaulting me, and I stepped out of the way. She drove away litterally giggling like a fat littIe girl. I'm forwarding this report to the Pasadena police! I want her fired, expect a full apology, and I want my poster back. I have never been so humiliated!!! Call the clinic and tell em your interested in wheat grass, aloe, and other natural remedies for your dogs eyes, and tell em you heard it from me: Neil M Pine. THESE PEOPLE HAVE GONE TOO FAR. Popular opinion should put them in check. People just have to wake up and realize that the wool is being pulled over their eyes! read more

Dr. Hoffman is very intelligent. Betina is also a sweet sweet individual! My four legged baby had an eye issue for years. We spent a good amount of money going to few different doctors here and there. We also spent a good chunk of $$$$ on medications, and testing she apparently didn't need. Not to mention that her case was worsening. Each doctor we had gone to had different opinion on what she may have. Different opinions-----Different medications-----Worsening of her case. She had severe eye discharge from both her eyes. She would always squint from pain, and pawing her eyes. After being seen by different doctors, some said she had allergies while others said she had dry eyes. Either way, the medication from either opinions, had made her discharge from cloudy white, to green in color. We almost given up hope until we found Dr. Hoffman on yelp. We decided to give my baby's case one last shot. After Dr. Hoffman examined her, she effortlessly knew what was wrong with my dog, and prescribed the correct medication. She stated that she does in fact have dry eyes but had given her the correctly accurate medications in which she will be using from now on (not a big deal if she's not suffering from pain anymore). My dog's eyes are not bothering her any longer since we had found Dr. Hoffman. We, the family, along with our baby, are thankful to the extreme care, and attention for details given to us, and my dog. Thank you so much!! read more

Dr. Hoffman was wonderful to our cocker spaniel. She had uveitis and the doctor prescribed some medication and steroids to make sure we get her eyes back up to strength. Once in the clear, she billed our dog healthy, and off she went. We've done yearly checkups with them, and they've been nothing but great. Our Cocker's eyes have been healthy since! The only drawback is they are bit on the pricey side and its obviously for good reason since they specialize in your animals eyes. read more

First let me say, the prices aren't cheap at this place, so be prepared. And it's why I'm torn between 3 stars vs 4. But Dr. Konrade is very sweet and gentle, and more importantly, honest. Plus the techs and front desk staff are super nice and friendly. My dog has been having some major eye issues, including an emergency surgery last Saturday to remove one of his eyeballs. I was an emotional wreck, but everyone was very calming, especially Jason and Kaylee (I hope that's her name), two of the techs. Jason even called a few days later to check on us. They're definitely worth checking out, but apply for Care Credit (very simple online process) before you go. Take some of the sting out :-) read more

I had a really great experience here with my cat recently. It was our first time in, so I made sure to arrive early to fill out paper work. There's a large lot, so parking was no problem. The front staff was friendly at check in and check out. I wasn't kept waiting long before being taken to the exam room. Betina, the technician, was SO nice and SO sweet and handled my cat gently. She listened to everything I had to say about his problems. Dr. Hoffman is great! She spent plenty of time with us, she also listened to all i had to say, she explained things thoroughly, and even came out to the lobby to check him again before we left. I would definitely recommend you bring your pets here for their eye troubles. Your pet will be getting superior care. read more

I called this place yesterday, as my vet was booked up for the weekend and my cat's eye was swollen, and the receptionist told me to come in at 2:30. She said that she could fit me in because the afternoon was mostly check backs that were short. I came in and waited in the waiting room for TWO HOURS. Finally I was seen, first by a lovely nurse, and then the doctor - who was in the room for about 4 minutes tops. She gave me drops (that actually made my cat's eye worse), and then told me that my cat had a fever, but wouldn't give her anything for that. She said I should see my own vet-which is what I WOULD have done in the first place if he wasn't totally booked up for the weekend. How do you send an 18 year old cat with a fever home with nothing to help her?? Two plus hours and two plus hundred dollars later, I left feeling furious. After I left, I called my own vet- the fantastic Dr. Vanderhoof - and miraculously there was a cancellation for this morning. He said that this was more of a bacterial infection, which is why my cat's eye had gotten so much worse overnight. I feel so much better seeing him and would never go back to Eye Care for Animals again. The only person that was great was the nurse (short salt and pepper hair) that came in before the doctor, and she is the only reason why I didn't give this place one star. read more

Dr. Hoffman and her team (technicians and reception!) are phenomenal! Last year, my little 6# miniature pinscher ended up with detached retinas in both eyes, and needed specialized treatment for a month leading up to surgery, and subsequently in the months following surgery. When my local vet (in San Diego) contacted Dr. Hoffman about my dog, her team immediately jumped into action. Within 30 minutes, I was on the phone with her staff, and then she called me within an hour to discuss eye medications. I drove up two days later (which is not easy - traffic from San Diego to Pasadena is insane!) for an evaluation and initial treatments. Dr. Hoffman was honest in her assessment: it was not a given that my dog's sight could be restored, however she explained that if the eyes responded to initial treatments (had to clear the blood from the eyes), the preliminary indications were that the retinas appeared functional and re-attachment could work. Over the next month, Dr. Hoffman and her team continued to evaluate the situation and revise treatments accordingly. Finally, after what felt like the longest month for me, Dr. Hoffman determined that the eyes had cleared enough to allow surgery. She again explained the options at this stage, and we decided to proceed with surgery that afternoon. The surgery took longer than I expected, and they hit a couple of hiccups (they described the retinas as looking like crumpled pieces of paper!!), but Dr. Hoffman's team was fiercely committed, working well past the workday, to reaching the desired outcome: vision! I checked into a local hotel for the night (Westin - they were totally dog-friendly and helped me with all my doggie gear, luggage and of course my dog), as we had an early post-op appointment in the morning. The next morning, after being completely blind for a month, my dog seemed to move differently in the hotel: for the first time, she wanted to walk around, albeit slowly, seeming to see major obstacles! I was skeptical and convinced myself that I was imagining it, but sure enough, when Dr. Hoffman did the exam, my dog had initial reaction to eye stimulus! In the coming weeks and months, we would make the drive north to see Dr. Hoffman. Under her exceptionally competent care, my dog's vision was completely restored! Today, more than a year after the surgery, my dog still has her vision and is able to enjoy a normal active life (yes, despite being a small dog, she loves long hikes and our local dog park at the beach). Her only lingering impact is that she can't see as well in the dark, but that's not impacted her life much at all. Dr. Hoffman is one of only *three* vets in the US that does retinal reattachment surgery, and my dog is SO unbelievably lucky that she was so close (in So Cal!) and was able to provide highly specialized care for my dog. I appreciate the frank counsel that Dr. Hoffman and her team provided, and their dedication to my dog as we went down this path was remarkable. Since this experience, despite having a couple of local vet opth options, I will continue to make the long drive north for specialized eye care for all my pets. I am fortunate to have an amazing general vet locally (Governor Animal Clinic), and now an amazing vet opth. read more

I had been taking my one-eyed pug to this office for several years. Two weeks ago Percy's remaining eye popped out of the socket on Friday evening, March 6. I took Percy to TrueCare for Pets in Studio City since Eye Care was closed at that hour. They were able to pop the eye back in and stitch the lid closed. We were given several medications to treat his eye, which we did without fail. It was suggested to us that since Eye Care had a history with Percy they would be a good place to go to get the stitches removed in two weeks. Eye Care said they couldn't see him until Monday, March 23. On Friday the 20th we took Percy back to TrueCare where they removed the stitches and discovered an ulcer and an infection. This information was forwarded to Eye Care although I suspect they didn't look at it. On Saturday we received a call from Eye Care informing us that our appointment had been cancelled--not serious enough to warrant an appointment that time, and they suggested we check back in a month to see if they would see him then. Eye Care, like every other vet office in the country, had in place a policy where clinic staff greeted patients at the door and took the animal back to the exam rooms, which is well within CDC guidelines on social distancing. What's really hilarious, on Friday I received an email from them proudly announcing that they were open for business and there for their patients. On that page there was even had a link to the CDC guidelines they chose to ignore. Fortunately, we were able to get Percy into another veterinary ophthalmologist Monday morning. Given his symptoms, she saw him within two hours of our call. read more

Very attentive, knowledgeable, and sincerely care for your pet. My girl , a 4-5year old Bijon rescue (was used for breeding then abandoned) has retinal atrophy, retinal degeneration, and beginning of cataract in both eyes, as well as a deviated tear duct! Brought her in a few weeks back and she was diagnosed, flushed her tear duct, and was sent home with drops ... back today and she's doing great ... won't need to come back for a year and the my will send reminder card. My first visit ran to about $390.. I thought it was fair given their expertise, equipment , all the various tests done, flushing, and meds. Today was about $180 measured her eye pressure, used this fancy head piece in the dark to get a real good look at her retina and dr. took her time to explain and show me what she was talking about.. for such intense and unique speciality .. I thought it was fair.... I want my girl to get the best treatment and for the staff to worry about her just like I do... and they do!!!!! read more

Eye Care for Animals - Pasadena - super fancy head gear to get a good look in their eyes.. doc puts on her head .. turns off the lights & looks in eye - Veterinarians Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I adopted a sphynx that came to me with a corneal ulcer. When treatment at my regular vet did not work, I was referred to Eye Care for Animals. I am so thankful they were able to get my kitty in right away. They were able to determine that the eye had no vision from a previous injury, and given the advanced state of the ulcer, recommended removing the eye. They were able to complete the surgery that day. My boy was so much happier after the surgery, and it healed very well, no complications or concerns. Thank you! read more

We had a wonderful experience here this morning with Dr Konrade and Kayla. Our bully baby has a corneal ulcer, and the staff (even the front desk gentleman) were so sweet and welcoming. Dr Konrade was very thorough in her exam, drew out an illustration of his condition and wrote down all the treatment plans and prices so that we could fully understand what's happening. I really like that they write out everything on their white board so we can organize our thoughts well. She also respected our wishes and didn't push us to do anything we weren't comfortable with. Kayla, her tech, was very knowledgeable and gentle with our dog, Shaw. You can tell he felt very comfortable as he did not put up any fight during the exams. He has only done that others vets when they're too rough or impatient. Both the doctor and tech answered all our questions, and never made us feel rushed. We'll have to see how he heals but I'm already impressed with their service. Thanks, everyone! read more

Wonderful staff! They are very knowledgeable and making an appointment was easy. Those that complain about the price, you get what you pay for, the doctors have gone through regulus amount of training and specialize in eyes so therefore you need to pay more than a regular vet. I loved how sweet the doctor was and understood my fears and listened! read more

Upon seeking eye care for our dog from another vet, I found out that Eye Care for Animals is charging significantly more for the medications required for our pet. Fifty dollars more actually -- for a tiny bottle of eye drops. I about fell over when the new vet charged $48 less for the exact product. Initially Dr Hoffman was very nice but as the appointments went on, she seemed more aloof and much less communicative. Guess medical care is subjective. read more

Terrible Servise. The doctor literally talked to me like a baby and only saw me and my dog for all of about 2-3 min when he had a very seriously eye issue. Then I was over charged and still ended up having to go to the er for my dog and he lost the eye. Don't go here unless you want to waste your money! read more

A little more empathy and compassion from the Doctors would have gone a long way. Disheartened by my experience and will be using my dog's regular Vet for his surgery. The techs were always wonderful and I commend them, but I could not be more disappointed otherwise. read more

Worst place ever. Lied to me about cataracts being painful. Sold me 8k surgery that made dog worse. Now I completely understand risks of surgery but to sell me the surgery based on my dog being in pain ( turns out she wasn't, had 2nd and 3rd vets opinion) . My dog was doing Competitive obedience the week before surgery but I could tell her sight was a struggle. They after surgery could hardly get around and they tried to convince me she was BETTER ,what an absolute disgrace. read more

This place is money hungry and doesn't care about your pet in the slightest. AND THEY DO SURGERY WITHOUT EVER SPEAKING TO THE OWNER. I was sent here as an emergency from my primary vet. After agreeing for them to sedate and look at my dogs eye(at my previous vet it was $250) they wanted $1300!! For the same procedure. I agreed as he needed to be seen. I told them I would be in an exam in the next hour in case they needed to call after his procedure is done. Sure enough I get out of my exam to have a million missed calls from them and to find out HE IS IN SURGERY. I was never informed he would need surgery, given an amount, or gave consent. Once he was out of surgery they hit me with a $4,000 bill to do a cherry eye removal. That is high way robbery and frankly was never consented to. After arguing with them for hours on end, I was able to let them know I will not be paying for it.. I would've never consented to a surgery that much I would've taken my dog to his original vet. They tell me the vet and office manager will call me the next day. That was never done. I call them to schedule his one week appointment follow up to give them another chance. Sure enough I get there right at 9 am to my appointment and they are saying it was for the following week. Why would his 1 week follow up be scheduled for 2 weeks later? I know for a fact his appointment was on the day I arrived. They try and say I can wait 2 hours in my car if I'd like to "squeeze him in" & I owe a balance as well! Ha!! I drove 1.5 hours for him to be seen to be turned away. The BBB and an attorney have been contacted due to the absolute negligence and illegal surgery they operated on my dog only to not see him a week later for his recheck. read more

3 months ago my dog had the entropian surgery in this hospital, and so what happened is when they did the surgery they put a lense on his eye and it's already coming the third month they forgot to take off the contact lense! My dog is a cane corso Italian mastiff, it was very hard for us to buy him and bring him from Washington DC to Los Angeles! And Can you believe that? I was shocked, my poor dog was crying every day, he is 1 year old, and I love him more than any word can describe it! It's already 2 weeks I'm crying and I'm pregnant and all because of that doctor, It's all their fault the stress that's my family is going through! I'm waiting for my dog to get well if no I sware I'm gonna complain and sue everyone! I don't want to say the doctor's name yet I will still wait for my dog to get well! read more

Dr. Hoffman and her staff have been caring for my dog Shane for 9 years this August and I cannot speak highly enough of them. Poor Shane has had quite a run with glaucoma, and he can still see and has an excellent quality of life thanks to the doctors and staff at Eye Care for Animals. Dr. Hoffman has been his eye vet from day one and she is the best! She takes the time to explain medical conditions and procedural options to you so that you can understand exactly what's going on, and I trust her completely. As for the specific remarks below about Jenny, I obviously can't speak to your personal experience but as a long time patient I've come to know the front office staff very well and I have never had a problem with ANYONE in the office and certainly not Jenny. The office staff and vet techs are educated, kind and compassionate people who actually take the time to get to know you and your pet. Is this the least expensive vet in town? Nope. But, you know what - that's not why we go there. If you have a beloved pet with eye problems and you don't want to mess around - this is where you go. read more

The short version: Avoid Eye Care for Animals. My experience is that they are in the business of selling hope, whether or not your pet will actually benefit from their costly surgeries. They make billing errors and prescription mistakes at the cost of your pet's comfort and your pocketbook. I'm not the first who experienced these issues and won't be the last. Take your business and your pets elsewhere. The long version: Our dog is permanently blind in her left eye due to a genetic birth defect, yet gets along well and has a good quality of life. She has developed a cataract on her blind eye, but because she is not in any discomfort, removing the cataract would only be cosmetic. However, her eye was injured while at daycare. My husband and I noticed when picking her up that it was inflamed and that blood was pooling in the sclera and iris. We took her to our local clinic where our veterinarian prescribed eye drops to heal the inflammation and bleeding. However, a week later her eye was the same, so I called the vet for guidance. She recommended visiting a veterinary ophthalmologist as soon as possible, and referred Dr. Chang or Dr. Marchione on the Westside. As an alternative, she mentioned an ophthalmology clinic in Pasadena called Eye Care for Animals. Unable to book an appointment with her first recommendations, I was able to secure a spot at the Eye Care for Animals clinic with Dr. Hoffman. While booking the appointment, I explained that our dog's blind eye was inflamed and bleeding from an injury despite treatment. The gentleman on the phone assured me he would call our vet's office and have the medical records transferred. I was impressed by his professionalism, friendliness, their flexibility to see our dog on such short notice, and that they would request the paperwork transfer themselves. While they were off to a good start, it was not to last. The next day my husband checked our dog in at the clinic, and said the visit was to check her injured, bleeding eye. This was explained to the attending nurse, and written down by my husband on the chart provided. Our dog went through a series of tests, my husband noting the process was procedural and automatic, with no acknowledgement as to the reason for the appointment and no explanation as to what the tests were (we researched afterwards). The tests included a fluorescein stain for $50 and a tonometry for $59, on top of an "eye specialist exam" at a hefty $113. When Dr. Hoffman came into the examination room, my husband noted that before she examined our dog or read the chart, she stated with confidence that our dog was a "prime candidate" for cataract surgery with an "80% chance of regaining full vision." After she examined our dog's eye, she reaffirmed the 80% odds of restored vision after surgery. She made no mention of the bleeding or injury until my husband inquired about it. The doctor said she was unaware of this information, despite the chart comments, the transferred records, and examining our dog's inflamed, bleeding eye. My husband mentioned cataract surgery being unnecessary as our dog's eye wasn't fully formed. Dr. Hoffman pressed her point, and said that at most we could pay an additional $800 to see if her retina was attached. If it was, we could proceed with the rest of the surgery, which would be $5000 to $6000. My husband was then given an in-house credit card application. He was discharged with two eye drops at $48 and $50 each, and walked out paying $320. We were also prescribed a third eye drop, which we got at a pharmacy. That ended up costing over $150. In all, our first visit was a whopping $470! After my husband's account, I had a feeling we were being taken for a ride. As if to confirm this, I noticed on the paperwork a prescription for Diclofenac, yet we had been given a bottle of Flurbiprofen in a canister labeled "Diclofenac." I called the clinic and a nurse admitted they made an error, giving us the Flurbiprofen and charging us for Diclofenac. He told me to come back so I could "purchase a bottle of Diclofenac." I declined this suggestion, instead wanting to know the price difference between the drugs. At first evasive, he admitted the Flurbiprofen was "about $20 cheaper." I told him that I wanted a refund of the overcharge, but he said he would give us clinic credit. I insisted on a refund as we would not be returning. He then proceeded with the refund, which turned out to be $24 -- half the original charge. (Dr. Hoffman later told my vet that she gives Flurbiprofen as a backup when she runs out of Diclofenac and that it's the same thing, yet one is twice as much.) Our experience was frustrating and costly, and our original issue never resolved. They overcharged us and tried to sell us on a procedure that is expensive and even unnecessary. This clinic is more focused on pushing a one-size-fits-all plan on every patient who walks in the door. You'll still be a loving pet owner even if you forgo this money trap. read more

I can't even describe how much appreciation I have for the staff and Dr. Konrad. This was probably one of the most stressful experiences, when my little guy punctured his right eye. My regular vet was out of town so we saw his counterpart who basically put so much fear in me... but that's another review for another Doctors office. When I first called I spoke with Jason, he was awesome, told me to come in during the staffs lunch hour and they would squeeze me in. Kristie who runs the front was so sweet, has to be the most sincere and warm person. She seemed to know everyone as they came in. Over the course of two months I've met so many of the supporting staff, who were truly wonderful. Dr. Konrad was so sweet with my poor boy. If only more people could be so genuine and effective in their roles, the world would be a special place. read more

$150 *base* charge per visit! If you get out of there with a bill less than $300-$400 each and every time, consider yourself lucky! There is no doubt this is a very nice establishment and that Dr. Hoffman is extremely skilled. However, for the 4 or 5 times I've taken my dog, here's the procedure for a recheck, first visits cost more: 1. Everybody greets you effusively, especially if you've been there before. Get coffee or one of many herbal teas on offer for free. 2. Wait a while, even if you have an appointment and are on time. 3. Tech comes out, greets you enthusiastically, knows when your last visit was [probably looking it up from your records, one reason you've been waiting]. Knows your pet's name as well, may know some personal anecdote from your last visit. 4. Tech asks to get pet on scale by wall, takes pet's weight. 5. You and your pet are led into a room to wait a bit longer. Often, it's like an icebox in there, great for those hot summer days! 6. Tech comes back, makes small talk, puts dilating drops into your pet's eyes {$33.] checks eye pressures with tonimeter [takes all of 30 seconds if he/she is real slow] for glaucoma symptoms, costs $45. each and every time you come in but you don't know that yet. 7. Tech goes out again. You wait. 8. Doctor Hoffman comes in [may be accompanied by another eye specialist in training], uses various nifty devices that emit various pretty colored lights to look into your pets eyes, often in the dark [$73 or more for a re-visit, more for first time]. You become dazzled by technology. 9. Dr. Hoffman makes her diagnosis in a few minutes or less unless you think of good questions fast or have prepared a list [good idea!] of everything you are concerned about. She leaves. She is polite, not brusque, but obviously has a lot to do. Be prepared! 10. Tech returns with an estimate sheet of what today's visit is going to cost you for services and medications dispensed at Eye Care for Animals. You have to OK it. It will be more than you anticipated, usually in the range of $300-$400, but may be much, much more if surgery is required. Dr. Hoffman never talks price. That is done by the intermediaries. They wanted $2500 to remove a dark discoloration coming in from the outer edge of the iris of one pet's eye, saying it could be cancer. Which it could have been. But it wasn't, it didn't spread and the dog lived another five years before passing away from old age. It's evidently not an uncommon condition among older dogs. 11. You're taken back to the waiting area with your pet, where... you wait. Or take your pet for a walk outside [landscaped areas, there is a dispenser of black plastic bags and a collection "can" for your use, east of the front door]. 12. You return, Office Manager says, something like, "We can check you out while you wait if you like..." This is your cue to pay up. If you don't have the cash, check or credit card on you, you should have notified them before the visit started. She also will ask if you want to schedule your follow-up appointment 13. After paying, you sit and wait a bit longer. 14. Tech comes out with a few medications and an instruction sheet on when and how to administer them. These are retail pharmacy prices and must be a big money-maker for the practice, because, of course, they buy in bulk. Eye Care for Animals is a nation-wide franchise. 15. You leave and may be required to pay more for additional medications at a pharmacy. These are not covered under your insurance, assuming you have it, so be prepared for that, too. ~~~ Check with local pharmacies, but also go online to check out "[name of medication] canada" [no quotes] to see if it's available for less as a brand name or as a generic online. Some Canadian pharmacies have great prices, others advertising on the web are scams. Google "[online pharmacy name] problem OR complaint OR scam" [without quotes, note CAPS] to find out. Asking Google to search Usenet discussion groups is also helpful [under "more" at the top of the Google search page]. I have no complaint with Dr. Hoffman's competence or manner, the friendliness of the staff, the very clean and nice-smelling offices [they built the whole building] or the way I or my pets are treated. That's all A-OK! Dr. Hoffman has sometimes helped with a problem the first time, sometimes it took return visits and more $$$ to get it resolved. Dr. Hoffman went through the same training as a surgeon for humans and she's a retinal specialist, highly qualified. I think the difference is, she must make more than my own eye doctor [opthalmologist] makes, because Dr. Hoffman sees 15-30 pets each day on average and can see more, and taking an average price of, say $300 per, she's making $4500 - $9000 per day for the practice. My best advice: Check with your own vet about eye problems first, but if he/she can't help and refers you to Eye Care for Animals, be prepared for the cost. read more

Be prepared to take out a bank loan before you take your pet here! Over $300 for a 7 minute "exam" and medications that the dog didn't need. My dog had suffered an eye injury and the regular vet referred me to an eye specialist for a better exam. My 18 pound dog squirmed after the eye vet tried to put some eye drops in to do the eye exam. The vet then abruptly ended the exam, stating that the dog was "not cooperating" and advised me to make another appointment for the following week when the dog was in "less pain". With a foot halfway out the door, the vet said to give the dog some medications to take care of any inflammation or infection that might be affecting the eye, even though the vet never completed the eye exam. When I went up to pay the bill, the pushy clerk told me I had better make up my mind about scheduling the follow-up appointment because they were extremely busy. They then charged me over $75 for 2 medications, without even discussing the option of having the prescriptions filled elsewhere. When I tried to refuse the medications, the clerk got bent out of shape, stating that the tech had already prepared the meds for the dog. I really got the feeling that since my dog apparently didn't need a high-cost surgery, they were anxious to take what money they could squeeze out of me and shove me out the door. Yes, I brought my dog in voluntarily and am willing to pay for services rendered. However, unlike other animal hospitals I have been to, Eye Care for Animals does not seem to make any effort to give owners treatment options to help reduce the costs of care. BTW the dog is fine, without the eye medications and the follow-up appointment :) read more

I took my cat here because she had cherry eye and while I was prepared to pay more than a normal vet visit since this is a specialty clinic, I wasn't prepared for $150 just for the visit!! However, the vet was VERY thorough in her examination and they did a lot more in-depth tests on my cat than a normal clinic would because they have the high-tech equipment available. The result was that my cat would have to have eye surgery so I was handed an estimate for $1500!! It was itemized and I took the time to go through the list of things they were charging me for, and some of the more outrageous costs included use of the pulse oximeter (a simple clip-on device that monitors pulse and oxygen... not even anything to clean or throw away on that machine!), use of the operating room, electricity, pretty much itemized right down to a Q-tip! INSANE!! I figure they are still a new clinic and they are still trying to pay off their fancy equipment and are charging for EVERYTHING possible. In the end I took my cat to a regular veterinarian (Affordable Animal Clinic in Torrance) and was charged only $150 for the surgery. So in the end, you definitely get price gouged as far as surgery goes. And while the office visit is also an exorbitant fee, I can see why it costs more. You get better testing and more conclusions with their equipment and methods. So if you want to find out what is wrong with your pet, I'd recommend going here for the diagnosis, but search elsewhere for the treatment. read more

Ian M. said he paid through the nose. And Brian J. said: Crazy expensive. They're both right.Here's the story: About 2 years ago, our then 9-year old mutt, Zippy, began showing signs of cataracts. Her eyes were looking cloudy, then she started occasionally missing doorways and gates, and bumping into things. We live nearby, so made an appointment with Eye Care for Animals. Lovely place, everyone very nice, and good coffee. But as somebody earlier posted - first we were seen by a technician, then a resident, somebody else in between, finally Dr. Hoffman. Diagnosis - definitely cataracts, should do surgery ASAP, if not, dog can develop glaucoma, have lots of pain, go blind, The dreaded cycle of blindless, all illustrated by Dr. H. on the whiteboard in the room, showing us exactly what the surgery entails. How much, we ask? Oh, the doctor doesn't discuss costs. Wait a few minutes, office person comes in with a detailed estimate - approximately $7000 for both eyes. We gasp, go home, look up Board Certified Veterinary Ophthalmologists, find there are others in Southern California. We decide on similarly named Animal Eye Clinic, Drs. Jeannette da Silva Curiel and Brian Marchione, both BSVOs. Their clinic is in Camarillo, but they have a satellite clinic in Woodland Hills once a week. We went, were seen by Dr. da Silva Curiel, who immediately put us at ease. Yes, she said, Zippy is developing cataracts, but they're not very extensive, no need to rush, let's just watch what happens. And if the surgery is needed, estimate is about $4000. Not cheap, but worth the drive from Pasadena. Two years and two visits later, the cataracts had progressed, and we had the surgery in January, 2013. Dr. Marchione has taken over our case and did the surgery. He's extremely competent, kind, understanding, and did a wonderful job - and as predicted, the cost was a bit more than half of what we'd have paid at Eye Care for Animals. As I said, worth the drive from Pasadena. read more

BEWARE of this place. Dr. Hoffman misdiagnosed my cats illness. Charged me for the same thing that a vet who had just referred me to Dr. Hoffman had just done for much less. Blood sucking money hungry vulture. It looked very grim for my cat from what Dr.Hoffman had diagnosed. 2 medications were prescribed for my cat that made things worse. Good thing I got another opinion and my cat is doing just fine now with no thanks to this place. Greed & incompetence. My cat had a common illness that Dr.Hoffman over looked. read more

My old dog was having trouble with his eye pressure so our vet sent us here. The entire staff is very nice. I mistakenly came at the wrong time at one of my visits and they still managed to fit me in. read more

This place misdiagnosed one of my dogs. Then, I took my other dog there for possible cataract surgery, and found the place to be over priced, not willing to accommodate emergencies & Dr. Hoffman has a terrible bedside manner - very matter of factly telling me that she has dogs die all the time during cataract surgery, but she's fine with it because she's statistically losing less than the national average. I realize it happens, but I'm not allowing someone to do surgery on my dog who wouldn't even feel remorse if something bad happened to him. When I asked her specifics about post surgery & what to do if there's an issue after hours, she also told me she became an eye doctor because there are no eye emergencies, so i could just call the next day. Do yourself a favor & see Dr. Chang in West LA who is one of the best eye surgeons in the country. He not only restored my dog's vision with cataract surgery, he did so in a kind & professional way. Oh, and he was thousands of dollars cheaper! And, his hospital is 24 hours. My dog had a post surgery complication in the middle of the night on a weekend (he had some bleeding post surgery) that was properly handled as the urgent situation that it was. So much for Ms. Hoffman saying there are no after hours emergencies. read more

My dog STILL has a foxtail in his tear duct after very expensive surgery!!! I don't know why I paid over $2000.00 and he still has discharge in his eye. Dr. Hoffman didn't explain what she did for my dog's surgery. She just told us that he still has a foxtail in his tear duct in his first followup after the surgery. She told us that the foxtail will be absorbed and it won't cause a problem. But I don't think so. She still charged us over $300.00 for easy checkup and 2 eye drops. I want my money back!! read more

Let me say this first. Our doctor Allison Hoffman is a good doctor, she tells me the facts, she shows that she genuinly care for the animals she's treating, her technician (an Asian lady) is also very professional and caring and we like them. Dr. Hoffman also performed laser surgery on my dog and it turned out well. So, it's not the quality of treatments that's making me give them 3 stars. For one thing, this place is indeed expensive. Every time you see the bill makes you wonder with guilt, if your pet is worth all this (even though, obviously, she is). But the issue that really ticked me off was that after Dr. Hoffman gave my dog the surgery, she prescribed her some eye drops. We took it home, used the eye drops on her as instructed until it ran out, then we went on 1800petmeds.com to get some more of the same drugs according to the label on the eye drops. When 1800petmeds called the dr. to verify the prescription, she told 1800petmeds that that's not the correct prescription. Curiously, I called Dr. Hoffman and asked her what was wrong. The lady on the phone (not Dr. Hoffman) said we got the wrong drugs from 1800petmeds. I told her I have the eye drop empty bottle in my hands right now, and I spelled out the drug to her, she said "that's not what we gave you". Well, eventually they admitted giving us the wrong drugs which we've been using for the past 2 months and gave us a replacement bottle of the correct drug for free as an apology, even though that specific bottle of eye drops only costs $5.99. Imagine how pissed you'd be. I honestly think our next visit should be free but at this point, comparing the prices and this incident, I'm seriously considering looking for someone else. Anyway, that's what happened to me, but they do have good doctors as far as I can tell. Just make sure you check your prescription twice before you leave. read more

Out of the blue our puppy developed a cataract and went blind in her eye in a matter of days. It was determined to be genetic due to her age (under two) and no trauma having occurred. Needless to say, the entire situation was scary. I called Eyecare For Animals in Pasadena after my vet recommended them because the doctor in Camarillo was fully booked for weeks and I'm glad he did. While I do understand the comments regarding the cost being high, if you take into consideration the highly trained staff and sate of the art equipment it actually is reasonable and I would venture to say acceptable. I wouldn't have wanted anyone with lesser abilities operating on my dogs eye, she is too valuable and special to us. Details: * First visit (me in tears) the Tech and Assoc. Dr. were nothing short of spectacular and kind. They thoroughly examined both eyes, broke down the situation with visual drawings and answered all of our questions. Dr. Hoffman then did a more through exam and answered questions. * Day of surgery, they took her vitals, explained what would be happening that day and went into more detail of what to expect in the weeks after surgery. * Picked her up in the afternoon. The Nurse, was literally the most kind and through professional I have ever dealt with. She had a folder with instructions, a color coded calendar for the next two weeks so we can keep track of drops and medication, pictures of her eye prior to surgery and she took her time and answered every one of our questions. The pills were all cut in half where needed, which may sound like a small thing but when you are given so much information and there is so much to deal with in the days after cataract surgery this gesture goes a very long way. * Re-check the next day, again, the nurse was informative and kind. Doctor Hoffman explained some things about the surgery and advised on what to look for in the next week. Regarding the other comments about the detailed estimate which lists out costs for the room, equipment, etc., this is what a professional office should offer. And yes, they "already" have the equipment but to maintain the equipment and keep it up to date you have to charge for the use. Just like any other "people" hospital would. You are paying for the specialized training and I'm thankful such a place exists. We are still in the recovery mode and have weeks of healing to go but up to this point, we couldn't have asked for more from a Doctor and staff. And our little baby can see again! Thanks Dr. Hoffman! P.S. Sorry for the long post... read more

I will never go back to them or give them a penny of my money. I think the place is run as a money making scheme. But Their Exorbitant prices are just the beginning. They are also lying, uncaring and unprofessional crooks. If you are refer to this place, do some research and go somewhere where your pet will be first priority and not the cash to be made! read more

My kitten had surgery here for her eye. She had some tissue removed that was caused by herpes in the eye since birth. The surgery was mostly succesful and she is a lot better than she used to be. The doctors and tecs have been great. One thing you have to know though is that it is VERY expensive here. With all the appointments, meds and surgery ive spent over $2500. read more

The words awesome and amazing don't even begin to describe everyone at Eye Care for Animals! They took my blind Min Pin and gave him the gift of sight, an absolute miracle! From the receptionists to the technicians to the ROCKSTAR Dr. Hoffman everyone was kind, caring, and compassionate. Dr. Hoffman took her time to explain everything in detail and any questions I had were thoroughly answered. Yes, the procedure was expensive but when you consider that my dog can see again, I would consider their services priceless. Thank you!!! read more

I had to take my dog in yesterday because he'd been squinting and my regular vet couldn't find the problem, she recommended Dr. Hoffman very highly. She was right- Dr. Hoffman was amazing, and was quickly able to identify the problem(s)- no one else had been able to even get a good look b/c he rolls his eyes back so far! She needed to do a minor surgery on his eye, which thanks to her and the technician's skill was able to be done without general anesthesia. We left with a cone and some medications, the bill was very reasonable for the procedures and frankly, Dr. Hoffman's level of expertise is priceless. I would definitely return here for any eye questions with any of my pets. Thank you, Dr. Hoffman and Kaley! read more

This isn't a review for the Care this is a review for the guy who answers the phone. Not the warmest. I call to make an appointment and he tells me nothing available for almost 3 weeks. Didn't ask if I was a patient or anything. I call 2 minutes later to suck it up and take the appointment and a woman answers, tells me there are 2 AVAILABLE DATES in mere DAYS not weeks like the guy said!!! She asked me a series of questions and I was able to get my pet seen way earlier. So how is that possible? Are they not lookong at the same general calendar? Everytime I encounter him he is stern and not pleasant. I'm really annoyed about this scheduling of his. Obviously if this is a speciality Vet there is an urgent reason to be seen. This was not a follow up. 3 weeks vs. Days is major and I'm so glad I called back and got her but to imagine I just went with what he said as stern as he said it... Unacceptable. read more