When I first moved to St. Augustine, one of the most important things I needed to do was find a good vet. Not just good, excellent. My 2 of my 3 Goldens do have underlying medical conditions. I lucked out. A stranger recommended the hospital. I reviewed their website and quickly noticed that Dr. Lopez had a connection with my breed. That's important to me. Even before I officially was a client, I called them to see if they could work one of my Goldens in b/c I thought he had injected a foreign object. They couldn't see him, recommended the local ER where the problem was resolved. Yet, even though I wasn't a client, they called the next day to see how my dog was doing. Now, that's above and beyond!! My appointments are always timely. If there's a problem, they work me in. I'm the first to admit I am a high-maintenance client. Always have questions, and often have suggestions. They always take the time (either in person or by email) to answer concerns and explain why or why not my recommendations are appropriate. Highly recommend! read more

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Extremely rude and condescending. They don't return calls after paying $800 for a visit. They're in it for the money- they don't care about your pets. If I could leave zero stars I would read more

Extremely rude and condescending towards what would've been a new customer, can only imagine how they treat regulars.

We have consistently had exceptional experiences at this establishment. The staff is truly caring and conscientious when it comes to the care of our pets. We are committed to adopting senior pets from our local adoption agencies to give them love, fun and care in the last remaining days of their lives and, of course, with this type of commitment comes heartbreak when it is time for them to cross over the rainbow. Matanzas River Animal Hospital has been so supportive when we bring our pets in to help them cross when they're too ill to continue on. We are eternally grateful for their support and have the utmost trust and respect for the way they treat their patients as our family and friends. 10 out 10 would definitely recommend!! read more

I have been taking my precious Addy cat there for over a year with many health issues. We were there at least once a month. Recently Addy passed away from her issues. Everyone there has always been kind and respectful. Especially on that day when I needed to put her down. Dr Nicholas is the smartest vet I have ever met. I have been in rescue over 20 years and never met anyone like him. He has my total respect and I recommend them because they have compassion as well. Thank you! read more

We had lumps removed from our 2 Labs today by Dr Travis. Our Ladies came home right after lunch to get love and rest. We were very happy with level of care that we received. We are very happy to have found a great Veterinarian that is Not a cooperate chain. read more

I am so glad I found this animal hospital when my fur baby needed prompt care! I now take both my pups here! They were caring and prompt and the ladies at the front desk are very empathetic! read more

We are extremely thankful to Dr Lopez and all the team of angels at Matanzas River Animal Hospital. They have taken great care of our pets for many years. Currently they are providing exceptional care to our beloved cat Beauregard. The doctors and staff members are professional, polite and compassionate. Once again, thank you all for all your help. read more

Matanzas River Animal Hospital - Parking lot full of customers - Veterinarians Near Me - Saint Augustine, Florida

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Dr Nicholas Herbert wrote an abbreviation AZT instead of witting the full name of the prescription, Zidouvine. They did not verify with the pharmacy and my cat was given the wrong prescription which had irreparable consequences. He was given a medication used for rejection of organs which should never be given to cats. read more

On 4/8/23 We dropped off our 3 dogs at Matanzas River Animal Hospital for boarding under Dr. Nicholas's care as we were going away for a week. Later that afternoon (several hours later) we got bombarded with emails and phone calls from Dr. Nicholas demanding we pick up 1 of our dogs Zuko, stating he was aggressive and trying to attack the staff. When we picked Zuko up Dr. Nicholas repeatedly harassed me stating how aggressive our dog is and how he is such a danger to others. Zuko was highly intoxicated and was severely drugged so much so that his eyes were blood shot and could barely stand up. It took several hours for whatever Dr. Nicholas gave our dog to wear off enough that he could function and about 3 days for him to act normally. Dr. Nicholas even called Smart Paws trying to pawn our dog off on them without our knowledge. We did end up boarding at smart paws, to which they stated Zuko was fantastic and is not aggressive at all he's just very scared. Smart Paws also stated to us that Dr. Nicholas called them several times over Zuko's stay at smart paws telling them to "beware" and "you better watch your back" when it came to our dog. After smart paws told them he was doing great and how he wasn't aggressive Matanzas got rude with them. When we picked up Zuko at Smart paws they also stated that if Dr. Nicholas was able to read a dogs demeanor he would have been able to tell that he wasn't aggressive at all he was just scared due to his past of being severely abused. Dr. Nicholas needs his license taken away if all he is going to do is drug an innocent animal to the point they can barely walk, try to get rid of your animal that you left in his care without your knowledge, and harass people making false claims about said animal. Edit: Please note I am in St. Augustine not Cali I am not sure why it says Cali. read more

I can't say enough good things about Dr. Lopez and the staff at this office. Dr. Lopez is a kind, compassionate Vet. The staff is professional and knowledgeable! read more

I recently took my kitten to Matanzas River A.H. for a spay with a Wags and Whiskers certificate and was very pleased with our experience! Dr. Lopez and the technician were friendly and had great bedside manner with my kitty. (My kitten is a feral rescue, so she can still be spooked by strangers, but she was instantly comfortable with Dr. Lopez - purring and rubbing on her and letting her do a full exam.) The extra charges for flea treatment and pain medication were very reasonable, too. When I called to make an appointment, the first available (using a voucher) was about 6 weeks away, so just be sure you plan ahead. We had our consult late one afternoon, I left my kitten there overnight (they fed her dinner), and the doctor texted me around lunchtime to let me know that the surgery had gone well and my girl would be ready for pickup in a couple of hours. She recovered nicely and had no issues! read more

This is not a good place to take a beloved family pet for treatment! My experience has been one of frustration due to the employees total lack of regard for my dogs or my time. My appointment, a rabies shot was at 4:00pm and I sat there from 3:50 to 4:25 alone with no other customers, and not one word from anyone until l walked out the door, the Woman behind the counter said "call us back". They flat out suck!!!! read more

I was looking for MRAH's phone number and happened across the 1-star and only Yelp review, so I had to submit an honest review from my own experience. I love MRAH - the staff are friendly and seem to really like/care for animals. They're usually pretty timely with appointments and they've taken care of us at no charge; for example, when my dog got a tick, they removed it for free. I especially love Dr. Lopez and trust her to make the right decisions for my pets. I always request appointments with her and have had nothing but positive experiences. I highly recommend this vet! read more

I have been going there since 2004 and they have cared for 3 dogs and two cats. We just added a new rescue dog and are going to be bringing him there because we know that he will get excellent care. When my Schnauzer passed this last year they were so compassionate and caring. I have an older rescue cat with medical problems and they have really made a difference in her quality of life. I trust both Dr. Nicholas and Dr. Lopez with my furry family members' care! read more

I have been bringing my dog here since 2007. Since 2016 I rescued another dog. I always loved Dr. Lopez, but it is with great regret I no longer will be bringing my dogs here. There is no communication with the front office. I understand if I was bringing my dogs in for just a toe nail clipping to charge me the full price but not when I bring both of them in every 6 weeks for allergy shots. It should be at the discount price. Also I was never informed of the increase of my allergy shots for my dogs. this happened yesterday. It was so easy for Jeannie to print my records on my dogs and to dismiss me from the practice without consulting Dr. Lopez. when she knew I was upset about the communication. I no longer will be bringing my dogs here. Awful communication..with the office staff. read more

The Vets are caring and explain everything well. They have always been responsive and can "work in" an appointment when my dog was sick. I always received a follow-up call the day after being seen, just to make sure my pet was doing well and to ask if I needed anything else. read more

Unless you are a customer that "pays to keep the lights on". Direct quote from Dr Lopez. Your pet will get pushed back for surgery late. Mind you while they've been fasting the night before. Do not go here with a wags and whiskers certificate or they will treat you like you are a less than customer and they are treating your pet out of shear pity. read more

never again why would a vet give a bordatella vacine to a dog that is already sick that is like giving a flu shot to a person that already has the flu i have spent over $1000 dollars so far all my dog needed was a dental cleaning instead i now have a dog that is extremely sick read more

We took our Sharpei mix to this vet this morning hours before our vacation for boarding. Before we booked this place we called FOUR times asking if it was okay that he could be hard to handle and they said it was "absolutely okay and we would handle it by sedating him if need be". He walked into the vet and was calm (he usually is timid going into a vet because he knows where he is). He is a slightly aggressive dog at the vet in a clinic setting but has never attacked anyone and is actually a very sweet dog. We signed all the paperwork including the paperwork stating he would be staying there and we would pay for it. When we brought him into the room for an "evaluation" (which I have never had to do anywhere else for boarding him) and he was again very good. He stood in the corner scared and did not growl at anyone. The vet tech walked in and said to us "are we even going to be able to walk him" in a very condeceding voice after we told her he can be hard to handle. She then walked out and walked in with the vet and Dr. Nicholas was immediately rude to us. He looked at him and preceded to tell us on the DAY OF OUR VACATION that they could not take him because "he was too big and LOOKED aggressive" how does a dog look aggressive?? He then told us it was because his "vet tech got mauled the other day by a big aggressive dog and she would be working with him and couldn't handle him". Even though they all refused to try and touch him or hold his leash. As a vet, that was the most unprofessional thing that could have happened. He told us it was our fault that his vet tech could not handle our dog after we made sure multiple times they would be able to handle him before we brought him in. He also told us we should've brought him in for his vaccinations which we had already had done in the past with our actual vet. How could would redo vaccinations if they were already done somewhere else. I would give Dr. Nicholas ZERO STARS if I could. NEVER TAKE YOUR ANIMALS HERE BECAUSE "HE CANT HANDLE THEM"!! I cannot believe I went to a VET where they could not handle my dog and didn't even bother to get near him. They wouldn't even hold his leash. Unbelievable to me how unprofessional this veterinary hospital is especially Dr. Nicholas. He would not even get near my sweet dog and in fact looked more like the scared, timid dog than my dog. His license as a vet should be rovoked. read more

My cat and her five kittens are dead. I am not writing to slander or deface anyone. I am writing in hopes to create awareness. If my story can spare someone the pain and loss I have suffered, then at least I can say that some good came from this tragedy. Late Sunday evening on Mother's day my beloved cat went into labor. Early Monday afternoon I noticed one kitten seemed lodged and there was more blood than I was comfortable with. I took her to Matanzas River Animal Hospital on US HWY 1 because the emergency vet was not yet open. After an x-ray Dr. Lopez informed me that her uterus may be hemorrhaging and that she still had a kitten inside her belly. I agreed to surgery and to have my cat spayed in the process. When I went to picker her up later that afternoon Dr. Lopez informed me that my cat was fine, just tired and anemic due to a blood count of 22. I was given only an iron supplement and sent on my way. Ten minutes later my cat was dead. I rushed back the vet where Dr. Lopez confirmed her death. Dr. Lopez said to me "I guess she must have been lower than the 22" and advised not to use a heating pad when caring for the five kittens. Unsettled by the abrupt death of my cat and began to seek medical advice from numerous Veterinarians and Vet technicians. The common reaction was shock that my cat had died at all much less so quickly after she was sent home. I learned that there were several other test in addition to a blood count that could have, and should have been done to detriment the overall health my cat. These tests were not performed. The general consensus was that my cat should have been hospitalized and never should have been sent home. My family and I had a meeting with the owner and lead Veterinarian at Matanzas River Animal Hospital. We were refunded a portion of what we paid. Dr. Nicholas chalked the loss of our cat up to a "bad outcome". I was never offered an explanation or even a speculation as to why my cat died. One thing is clear, something was missed. My cat should not have died and her death was avoidable. Something was missed, overlooked, possibly even ignored. In the following week the kittens began to pass one by one. I learned that a heat source was crucial to their survival. This came as shock considering Dr. Lopez told me not to use one that the kittens would keep each other warm. The last kitten was lost exactly two week after it was born. It had never even known its mother. It never had a chance. My experience with Matanzas River Animal Hospital is saddening. I believe my losses can be attributed to neglect, poor judgement, and misinformation on their part. My one piece of advice is that pet owners ask every question possible to make sure nothing is being over looked or glazed over. You can't always trust someone in a white coat to be on top of their game all the time. read more