Update: Dr. Fan left in January 2013, apparently. I had my dog at Miramonte Vet recently for a nail trim and they gave her a quote for a teeth cleaning for over $600. She's a big Doberman, and this requires general anesthesia, so it tends to be expensive. More recently I had to take my dog to a vet in north Fremont for an X-ray, and while we were there, they quoted me a flat fee for teeth cleaning of $95, inclusive of everything including general anesthesia. I can't help but feel like I was getting ripped off at Miramonte. I just had them send my dog's records to my new vet in Fremont. Without Dr. Fan and with expensive prices, I'm changing vets. To be fair, the staff at Miramonte have always been kind and helpful, and they gave good care to my dogs. I always felt like I got the best care from Dr. Fan and she was wonderful. But whenever I had to deal with Dr. Taylor, he always recommended very expensive interventions. read more

Best veterinary hospital in the area, Dr. Taylor truly cares about your pets and the staff is very friendly.

Wow! I feel like a huge sucker. Please look elseware for compassionate reasonable services for your dog. If you proceed, beware. A knowledgeable Dr. will look at your pet. However, when it is time to have any services or tests, the dirty work of telling you how much it will be will be handed over to the poor assistant. You will not leave until you have paid a small fortune to have tests deemed "responsible" before you get any real help for your pet. I have to concur that you should be prepared to pay a great deal of money and be made to feel you are totally irresponsible if you don't want to or can't drop $460 each visit. And you will need to repeat these visits often. My dog was tested for a condition and started on a treatment after a small fortune. These tests had to be repeated until the correct levels were reached. Fortunately I had to leave the state and return to my vet in another area. This vet told me that the inital dosage was way to low. It would have cost another fortune to reach the "proper" dosage. read more

We had a terrible experience with Dr Taylor. I brought my pup for a consult to get her spayed. Not sure what was worse - the way he treated my dog or the way he treated his assistants. He handled my dog like she was a piece of equipment with no compassion: holding and moving her aggressively. She was so terrified that she peed twice. She tends to pee when she is excited, but she has never peed when examined by other vets. All he needed was to say a sweet word to her or give her a pet to calm her. Also, the interaction with his staff was uncomfortable to watch. I feel bad for them to work with him. We are not going back there.... read more

Refused to see our bunny who's in obvious distress. Receptionist was rude and unprofessional and had lots of sass and attitude. She lectured me when I arrived late for our appointment and proceeded to tell me how I didn't have an appointment and looked at me like I was crazy. After exchanging words and continuing to insult me she refused to see our bunny and threatened to call the police if I didn't leave. All while I was holding our sick bunny in my arms. If this is how they treat animals and humans I have no interest in going here again and humbly suggest you find another veterinary office that actually cares about animals. They have no bedside manner, no sensitivity, and don't appear to treat animals as the part of a family that they are. Beware! read more

ok, being a naive hamster owner, as i was...way back when...I didn't know that those dark (cancerous looking spots) on the back of my hammie were scent glands...so i looked up Vets that took small animals in as patients and found Miramonte Vet Hospital and Dr. Taylor. I live in San Mateo but drove all the way to Mountain View to see him. The staff was friendly. I filled out paperwork. They weighed him and told me he was at a normal size for his breed. We waited in the exam room. Dr Taylor came in...he reeked of men's cologne. If i could smell it that strongly on him, I could only imagine what dogs and cats ...and my hammie, had to deal with when he handles them. By this time, of course, i already knew those cancerous looking spots were scent glands, but since i was already there, I had Dr. Taylor do a "physical" on my hamster. I watched as he squished my ham in different places, trying to hold him still as he tried to wiggle away. After a while, i wanted to laugh in pity. just imagining being him, being squished in all kinds of places by giant hands that smelled so strongly of cologne. I would wanna get away too. After that (mostly useless) assessment, Dr. Taylor asked if i had questions, so i asked what kind of food i should be feeding him (and at the time, i was feeding him some food i bought from Petco ((which was a mix of seeds, peanuts, very colorful nuggets of processed ham feed) (which was not healthy whatsoever as i found out later, from another source))...and all he said was yeah, this looks good. any kind of food that they sell at pet supply stores should have the nutrients he needs. He later handed me a tiny booklet on different types of food for different small animals (rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, and one short blurb on hamster food) (this was not helpful). I also asked what i could do about his nails...as they were kind of long. after that, he sent in a Vet tech to clip his nails. I thought he'd be bringing in something more sophisticated than a pair of human nail clippers. When the first guy came in with the nail clippers, I watched patiently as he tried to hold my hamster still to trim his nails. I was a little nervous, cuz i thought well, that instrument is normally used for human nails and those are way bigger than my hamsters nails...and i was worried that he would accidentally clip his fingers, in all the trying to hold him still as he tried to escape...I do admit, that was funny too. only cuz i knew it was futile. After a short while of trying to do it himself, he had to ask for help from a second Vet tech. so, then, we had one trying to hold my hamster still and one trying to clip his tiny nails with a human nail clipper...it was quite amusing. and also a futile effort. All the while, they were baby talking to him, as if he understood! hah... my poor ham! man handled by very very pungent hands and then man handled again for a good 5 mins (imagine all the effort he expended trying to escape the uncomfortable holds he was experiencing.). After they tried and gave up (essentially), I asked if there was something i could do at home to keep his nails short and they said, sure, just let him run around on cement. i wished they told me that before they started trying to trim his nails. So, they weighed him (put him in a little tupperware container on a scale), Dr. Taylor handled him with his super stinky hands for 3 mins and told me he was healthy, then didn't give me any good advice about food, they tried to trim his nails (but later i looked and there was no difference whatsoever)...and all this cost $59! but i guess after all that, it was "worth it" knowing that my ham was "healthy" and in fact...did not have cancer. My poor hamster smelled like Dr. Taylor's cologne for about 5 hours after the visit to the Vet. Seriously, what kinda Vet wears that much cologne?! and why? If you're handling animals (with strong senses of smell) and small animals....why would you do that? i don't think it's very healthy for the animals. read more

I'll give one star because I do believe this Veterinarian is knowledgeable. However, I do not believe anyone here ever truly cares about my dog (named Hub); the customer service is just consistently terrible. Both the Vet and the staff have a strange, negative, high-strung vibe. The Vet always seems passive, short, and angry at his always young, stressed, and new/revolving-door staff. We've been coming here for 2 or 3 years, and I don't honestly know why. They don't remember anything about my dog, especially how anxious and scared he is to come. I truly only bring him to purchase flea medication, which I "HAVE to make an exam appointment for" ($80 extra dollars). I tried getting the OK from the Vet to just purchase the flea meds through Chewy.com - so much easier for us and saves us some money and travel. We were denied the authorization because this Vet simply "doesn't like Chewy". Even if it would help your patient save? So, every time we run out of flea meds I cringe and book an appointment, then watch them struggle with my dog for no reason. They've tried repeatedly to cut his nails, even after I said he doesn't like having his nails cut AT ALL and even after it took 3 people to try to hold him down the first time they tried (I think they finally made a note to stop asking about nails). They've tried laying him on his side for things, like today to check for a freckle-sized bump on his front side (which I now regret even mentioning, and I shouldn't have to regret asking for anything related to the well-being of my dog) by grabbing all of his legs like a hog-tie, which seems super reasonable to try to do to an already distressed animal (?!?). I'm just confused - what don't you see and remember about this extremely anxious pup of mine? Why are we stressing him out more (and your whole office) to do unnecessary things over and over again? Then, on cue, the staff (and I) get sort-of passively scolded and the Vet disappears and I just spent over $200 for the weirdest, most pointless, 10 minutes of my life. The last straw was today, again just coming for flea meds and exam (he's healthy, we have nothing to check for). I get called to ask where I am for an 8:30 appointment at 8:31; while I'm pulling into the parking lot. I'm then not greeted, my dog isn't greeted, a leash is thrown on him and I'm told that "Because you're late, and the Doctor has an appointment at 9:00, we will do our best to accommodate you". At 8:33? I was probably in the door at 8:33 for an 8:30. I'm failing to see how 3 minutes is so dire? Maybe you shouldn't book your appointments so close together? Maybe you should treat your guests with a little care and respect, especially during a Pandemic? Shouldn't your appointments be even more spread out to accommodate specifically for social distancing, with extra time to clean between appointments? I own a business myself, so I understand how this all should work, and how important it is first and foremost to make your guests feel respected and happy. The exam was then very rushed (not that we have a lot to discuss, but still). I left around 8:53, nowhere near infringing on another persons appointment. I was charged incorrectly (had to drive back after realizing and get a refund). My dog was super stressed and unhappy per the usual. I just feel no connection to this place. I feel robbed of hundreds of dollars every time. Crappy way to start the day, and it just keeps happening. My dog is a very nervous but extremely loveable dude, and he's just treated so coldly here. They tried selling me pills to calm him down for future appointments and I didn't purchase them because - to put it very simply - we will never, ever, be back. Another quick story that my husband just reminded me of, was when they had kittens in the front window in a cage. We went in to pick up flea meds, the woman at the front was on the phone, so we started playing with the kittens. They have cat toys in a jar for sale in the front, so we grabbed one to play with. We were immediately and very rudely scolded by the woman at the front desk to not play with the toy with the cats. Didn't plan on ruining the toy, just wanted to make the kitten happy for a second. What if I wanted the toy, or a kitten?? Shouldn't it just be about making the kitten happy?! How odd is this place!?? read more

Having just moved to California from the UK I needed to have my dog checked over. The people over at Miramonte were brilliant. My dog can be very nervous around the vets but he was the best I've seen him. They know how to handle a nervous dog and he didn't freak out once. All of the staff were very friendly and approachable. I never once felt that they didn't know what they were doing. Prices were higher than back in the UK, but was this is my first visit to a vet in USA I have no useful frame of reference. I hope not to have to go back for a while, but when I do I'm sure they will be great. read more

I have been taking both my dog, my birds & my boyfriend's bird here for many years. My daughter also takes her sweet "Kinny" here also. I have always been pleased with the service by Dr. Taylor, Dr. Fan & the technicians, but the front desk receptionist (especially the Asian girl with the shoulder length hair) has a really funky piss a- - attitude. Hopefully she is not longer working there, but then again I haven't been back there in some time because I just can't stand dealing with her. The last few times I called about getting "Ghetto's" nails & wings trimmed and having "Mamba's" glands expressed I had to deal with that rude receptionist. I was given a cockamamie story about "both the bird and the dog need to be seen by the Vet for an exam before services can be performed." I said forget it and hung up. Now tell me why my pets need to have a complete exam just to have a standard nail trimming and gland expression done? Seems to me they are compromising the business by insisting that clients get services they do not necessarily need for their pets. Needless to say I have been taking my precious pets elsewhere. I'm not gonna deal with piss a- - people even if I like the Vets & technicians at Miramonte Veterinary Hospital. The young man technician with the blonde curly tussled hair is fantastic. He does a great job with the bird nail & wing trimmings. read more

I wish that compassionate was an adjective that I could connect with the Miramonte Veterinary Hospital but, I'm not feeling it and I have a feeling my dog isn't either. Anytime we take her in there she's a wreck! I know you're thinking, "Why wouldn't she be? Who wants to go to the doctor after all?" But, we've had very opposite reactions from her when dealing with other vet hospitals. We've stayed with Miramonte because if convenience, it's very close to our house. When our dog had an accident last year and hurt her ear, it was great to have help so close by. I just wish these folks weren't so attached to their accounting department though. Everything and I mean, EVERYTHING costs extra. Our dog had surgery on her leg for a torn meniscus and the bandage they put on her started to slip exposing her sutures. We were told her stitches had to remain clean and covered but, if we wanted them to redo their own work so that a bandage would remain where it should, it was $50 extra. When we were concerned after surgery that her appetite hadn't really returned, they offered to check her out --- for $100 extra. And mind you these fees we're being thrown at us after a $3,000 procedure! Yet like some do with a ho hum mediocre relationship, we stick with them because they are close, convenient and for the last seven years, they're all we know. read more

My husband and I used to take our little Brandi and Mochi to this vet hospital. The doctors were all pretty good although Dr. Taylor- I believe he is the owner- was a bit cold and impersonal. The place had a really high turnover of staff- vets, technicians, and front desk employees. I gave this place 3 stars because I can't help but compare it to Cameron Vet Hospital, which is just around the corner in Sunnyvale. Cameron has much better and friendlier service and the doctors are all very, very nice. read more

Having just read the mostly awful, scary reviews below, I almost hesitate to submit mine but, this is my experience. My dog tore his dew claw badly, it's the claw by itself up the leg from the paw by about 5". I let it go the first day because he seemed fine and it was near closing time for 'non emergency' vet services. The next a.m. however, I decided he needed to be looked at. My wife has always taken our two dogs to this vet so, I called and they said, bring him in. I didn't even ask cost but I was expecting to be hit pretty hard. The front desk staff (a young lady, then a young guy), the initial attendant who checked weight, etc, and then the lady doctor (don't know her name) were all terrific. She said it needed to be removed, told me exactly what they would do (clean it, lidocaine, cut it, bandage it) and I fought off the urge to ask 'how much $$$?' because I'd have done it no matter the cost. In about 30-40 minutes he walked out, heavily bandaged (very thorough job!) and I was given more info about giving him the antibiotics he would need, caring for the bandages, bringing him back for another look in 7-10 days, etc. Very helpful. The bill, including the antibiotics and a (can't remember the drug..) treatment for both dogs was $200. I blurted out 'that's ALL??' because I seriously expected it to be twice or more that amount. We'll continue with Miramonte based on this and all our past experience. Oh, and there's a great dog wash place right next door, $18 and they supply everything you need to do a great job. Nice lady operates it. read more

Dr. Taylor has been our vet for over 25 years -- for three dogs and one cat. We first used him when he was at Adobe. Since Miramonte is 25 minutes from our house, we have had to make a very conscious decision to keep using him. The pros are: (1) He is very thorough in his examination, testing, and explanations. We don't need multiple visits to narrow down a problem. He doesn't just give us one answer, but explains the most likely possibilities and observations that could winnow them out. If his first solution doesn't work, moving to the next is usually a phone call rather than another visit. (Over the years we've found this saves us lots of time and our animals needless suffering.) (2) He is a superb diagnostician. Multiple neighbors have gone to him when their own vets couldn't figure a problem out and he's nailed it. (3) His practice can handle almost anything BUT if there is a specialist who might do it better, he will tell you. This spring he referred our dog to a speciality oncologist because they could do a certain type of radiation, rather than keeping the initial treatment to himself, since he felt the outcome would be better with one provider. Even though this wasn't in his financial interest. Unsurprisingly, over the years we've learned he is greatly respected at UC Davis as well as among the local veterinary community. (4) He takes a personal, lifelong interest in our animals. In other practices, we've had different vets seeing our (parents') pets each time, sometimes missing relevant past history. The cons: (1) Since this is usually a one-vet practice (new vets sometimes do residencies with him), he is very businesslike and efficient. His technicians cuddle our pets, but he's 100% focused on looking for issues during regular check-ups and answers when we have a problem. (2) He uses local emergency vets for late-night and Sundays. We have not found this to be an issue, as he has a great relationship with them, but this could be an issue if you find it more reassuring to only go to one physical place. (3) He is not cheap since he does the job right the first time. (I was also there once when someone walked in with "an emergency" and insisted that Miramonte drop everything to look at their pet, even though they'd been told on the phone that he was booked up AND there were about four of us in the waiting area with our animals.) Dr. Taylor has forced open his schedule to look at my animals -- existing patients -- but I'd say go to a big practice or emergency vet if it's a crisis, you aren't a patient. Summary: for consistent long-term pet care, you can see why we decided on Dr. Taylor again. Over the long haul, he has consistently saved us time and money, gotten the right diagnosis quickly, and minimized our pets' suffering. If you can get your dog or cat into him, I think you will find he's a great partner in its care. read more

Excellent vet. Responsible, knowledgeable, good follow-through. We've used him for years.

We have been going to Miramonte Veterinary for over 10 years. They have treated 3 of our animals, 2 dogs and 1 cat, primarily by Dr. Taylor but also by Dr. Fan in his absence. Our first dog lived to be 15 after having a slight stroke. Our cat died at 18 of kidney failure and received excellent care until the end of her life. Our latest dog was just euthanized after being treated for lymphoma at age 6. We feel that Dr. Taylor was well trained in treating cancer patients. He was very professional in explaining our options and that this condition was not curable and that we would be only be giving our dog a better quality of life with treatment. We knew going into the treatments about the cost and that remission was probably unlikely. Although Miramonte Veterinary has had a lot of turnover with their staff, the current staff is excellent. Barbara at the desk has been there 4 years and Jake, a technician, is a long time employee as well. We will entrust our next animal to the care of Miramonte Veterinary Hospital. read more

Dr. Taylor and the Miramonte Vet Hospital have taken care of our dogs since we moved to Palo Alto in 1995. He was the only vet for our chocolate lab Bowser who lived to be 15+ yrs. The last year of Bowser's life when he was failing quickly, Dr. Taylor was constantly in touch with us giving us detailed information on his condition and providing us with treatment options. When we made the decision to put Bowser down, Dr. Taylor came to our home and Bowser went peacefully on his favorite rug with us petting and holding him. Our son, who lives in Arizona, has a lab puppy and has made an appt. to have Dr. Taylor check out his puppy while he is home for winter break. We trust him and know he is an expert! read more

This hospital is small, but the quality of care for all our animals is much higher than we were receiving at our former large hospital with the big staff and big building. Dr. Taylor is very thorough, and takes a "whole animal" approach to assessing health issues. He's good with cats, dogs, and birds so he covers our entire menagerie! Speaking of birds, make sure when you go to have a conversation with Bill the Amazon parrot in his cage in the waiting area! He's a character. read more

I've had nothing but good experiences with my dog here. The vets n vet techs are super friendly and obviously knowledgable, and Shelly at the front is super cute and sweet. She even made sure I got my free sample of a new flea medication (which lasts for a month) even though I bought the product anyway. The only reason for the four stars is that it is a bit pricey. However, I was wavering between four and five stars because I think high costs at veterinary clinics are pretty steep universally. I'm sorry for any of the other reviewers who has bad experiences....I know how important my pet/family member is to me. But I've got nothing but good things to say about this place. P.S. The 28 year parrot in there can be kinda funny too...he's got some sayings under his his belt including "whoot woo" (like when you whistle at someone attractive) and "your a good girl". read more

What a horrible experience for Wilber the rabbit! Extremely unprofessional not to mention unhelpful and so overpriced! $1000 for bogus meds, X-ray etc. $75 to watch the vet botch putting him to sleep because of bogus meds. He needed a laxitive! Also lack of compassion is not a good look for anyone dealing with pets. Taking advantage of people seems to be the way vets do business nowadays. read more

Still nothing but good experiences here. I feel lucky to have such a knowledgeable vet for "exotic" pets! Also, it is great to catch up with Bill the parrot and the rotating supply of adoptable kittens whenever I come by. With the lovebird, the test showed she had Giardia, but she seems to be doing great after the recommended round of antibiotics in her water. (I use "she" loosely--they offered to perform DNA testing for gender if we wanted it, since there are no reliable external signs for her breed, but they also said it would not make much difference since it is a one-bird household.) We later brought in our new adult rabbit for a health check-up and to inquire about getting him fixed. Dr. Taylor and his assistant were good with a nervous rabbit and good at explanations. (They kept using the verb "castrate," instead of the more euphemistic "neuter" or "fix"--be prepared, men!) He asked us about whether he was doing several rabbit-specific behaviors ("helicoptering," which sounds like spraying while binkying) and explained how rabbit testes differ from cat or dog testes (open vs. closed inguinal canal), which means rabbits have more healing to do after this surgery. Little bunny came through his procedure just fine, though just as they prepared us for, he needed special help while recovering. In addition to administering pain medication, we stacked up towels to help him climb into his litter box, because at first his hops were hobbled. But soon, he seemed back to normal and it was tempting to let him out instead of leaving him cooped up in his enclosure (where he couldn't hurt his incision by running a lot). Luckily, everything went smoothly and he is a happy bunny! read more

I totally trust Dr. Taylor with his knowledge and willingness to help our pets. He is completely thorough and very precise in explaining technical aspect which I prefer. I had to take my cat to Adobe for emergency during Thanksgiving because Dr. Taylor was closed and to this date I regret the decision because the vets at Adobe was totally uncompassionate, gave minimal information to me, and needlessly made my cat suffer before dying in my arms. I will be leaving a review for Adobe after letting my sorrow for losing my cat and my anger subside so I can be objective when I leave the reviews there. read more

Dr. Taylor and the staff all care about animals. Bill the parrot in the front is way cool. Their prices are high, but they are willing to let you pay in installments over multiple months. They usually have adoptable kittens or cats in the front, and the adoption fees go towards "a fund to help out patients who cannot afford to pay." When you bring your animal in, they run lots of tests to make sure they don't miss a thing. You might bring in your fur baby because she's picking at the wart-like growths on her face and buttocks, and they'll find an ear infection and a kidney stone. Another time you'll bring her in for an ear infection and they'll find a UTI. Dr. Taylor is very thorough. Even when he has done mouth x-rays and found a tooth he felt needed to be removed, he will take new ones to see if there are any new problems to address. Most of the blood draws, injections, and tests are conducted in his back room so you don't have to watch. When the exams are done, he only lets his vet staff handle your animal because they are better qualified to handle your anxious animal than you are. When I had her on a combination of hormones and Proin for incontinence, he had his folks call because he wanted to do an exam and blood panel to check her hormone levels even though I still owed them around $500. When my dog was gravely ill, he had me come in first thing in the morning so he could hospitalize her all day, do x-rays and an ultrasound to look for more problems beyond what he'd diagnosed, and have his staff give her injections. When I could no longer afford to pay for expensive tests, he cut the number of tests back and no longer worried about her hormones, and when he felt there was nothing more he could do for my dog, he was right there to end my dog's suffering. To be fair, I think his office is having financial problems. Even though he has Saturday hours, he's had his office closed on random Saturdays, ostensibly to "give his staff the day off," pushing me into bringing my dog in for a non-critical exam and blood work when I had to be at my own job. I can understand this. As for the rest of my review, his style may or may not work for you, but I hope I've given an idea of what to expect. read more

We have been going to Miramonte Veterinary Hospital for at least 14 years for our pets. Dr. Taylor, Dr. Fan, and the staff are the best! The first time we went was for our Golden Retriever, Corky, who was treated for cancer by Dr. Taylor. He was very professional, knowledgeable, and caring. It was such a difficult time and we were very comforted by Dr. Taylor's expertise, compassion, and working diligently to help us and Corky. We appreciated being given detail information about Corky's conditions and treatments and at the same time giving our options in a honest straightforward manner. For the last 10 years we continue to see Dr. Taylor and Dr. Fan for our two Shelties and for the last year our new kitten. We drive all the way from Petaluma to Mountain View. We have tried to see other veterinarians closer to our home but were always disappointed at the impersonal care that we got. We were treated by other hospital as if we were just business and not as if they were caring for our pets that we love so much. We never even received follow-up phone calls to check on the condition of the problem that we saw them for. For the last year one of our Shelties, Rex, is being treated for cancer and we would not be able to handle this without Dr. Taylor, Dr. Fan, and the staff. They have been so professional, caring, and work so hard at taking care of Rex. We were given full information on Rex's condition and all of our options with a lot of compassion. We receive constant follow-up phone calls and information. While ensuring that Rex is getting the best care, Dr. Taylor is always concerned with the costs of the care and try to give us less costly options. We cannot think of going to anyone else. Dr. Taylor and Dr. Fan really care about what they do and are the best! read more

Dr. Taylor has been our vet and lovingly cared for our dogs since we moved to California 17 years ago. He is very experienced, extremely knowledgable, and always there when we need him. He has supported us through some sad times with the loss of a pet and now laughs with us over the antics of our goofy spaniels. Dr. Taylor takes time to explain any tests that are needed, his diagnosis, and the required treatment. He is a true professional and we highly value his expertise. I cannot express enough how grateful we are to Dr. Taylor and his wonderful, friendly staff at Miramonte. read more

Doctor Taylor is awesome! We brought our dog with breathing problems and tooth ache, and he was the first professional who did not try to sell anything or prescribe overpriced therapy, but cut streight to the point and gave us an optimal solution. The procedure went swell and the dog is very happy now) Overall very satisfactory and reliable service! read more

I want to share my experience with Dr. Kenton Taylor at Miramonte Veterinary Hospital. I hope it helps other people avoid the costly, time-consuming visits we made. Dr. Taylor and his staff gave us misinformation about proper treatment, and made us feel guilty when we refused treatments that had thus far been ineffective. I first brought my bunny Stellar to Miramonte when he showed signs of GI stasis. Dr. Taylor felt Stellar's belly and said he could feel a blockage - he then had his technician and assistants quote a treatment plan of an x-ray, blood tests, 6 shots a day (1 antibiotic, 1 painkiller, 1 stimulant, etc...), and force feeding. The total cost quote came to $900. We were reluctant to pay such high costs, and we left to continue looking for other opinions. Later that day, the director of the House Rabbit Society called me, concerned that I may be denying my bunny needed care. I had brought Stellar there before for his neutering operation - they had been gentle and caring and the operation was a success. Because of this previous positive experience, I trusted her opinion. She told me that Miramonte had called her and reported that I was denying necessary care and that Stellar would be dead in a matter of hours. Now, panicking and feeling guilty, I called Miramonte to bring the bunny back for treatment. The assistant said that Dr. Taylor didn't want to treat Stellar anymore because we had frustrated him by seeking a second opinion. I felt it unreasonable that Dr. Taylor tried to make me feel that I was not allowed to seek a second opinion. This also made me feel that Dr. Taylor did not care about my bunny's health. Because of my state of panic, I resolved to apologize for doubting them, and bring Stellar back to them anyway. We followed their treatment course for a week, and saw no improvements in Stellar's behavior. It was a stressful and time-consuming treatment plan for my partner and I to carry out. Each time we restrained, gave shots, and force-fed, it would take us at least forty-five minutes. It was equally stressful for our bunny to receive the treatment, as he would resist and grind his teeth in pain. And through all of our efforts, he continued eating less and getting more lethargic. At this point, we sought a second opinion at VCA Almaden. Five minutes after making an appointment at VCA, Miramonte called to "let me know that VCA is a corporate hospital, and it's going to end up costing a lot more there." (VCA had contacted Miramonte for Stellar's medical records.) This later proved to be a completely false statement. The staff member offered another consultation with Dr. Taylor, but since the treatment had been ineffective thus far, I declined and asked her to fax the records. At VCA Almaden, they explained that stress is the most common cause of bunny health issues, and that the combination of administering shots and being restrained for force feeding had been inhibiting Stellar's progress. Dr. Leejoan Ma compassionately listened to our concerns, and proposed a treatment plan that included an easy to administer oral drug and subcutaneous fluids. After five days, Stellar was back to normal. Dr. Ma's treatment was efficient and effective, and the total cost of treatment came to about $85 ($10 for the oral drug, and $15 for each administration of subcutaneous fluids). Had I gone to VCA Almaden first, I would have saved a whole lot of money and stress, and my bunny would have been healthy a week earlier. I've tried to make this review as objective as possible, despite how stressful and upsetting my experience with Dr. Taylor was. He gave us the impression that our pet and our concerns were insignificant. I hope this helps others avoid what we dealt with. read more

I am completely disgusted with the treatment of my pet guinea pig here. He had lost significant amount of weight and all they wanted to do was do more and more tests. I think he suffered really bad going under those tests. The nice thing would had been to tell me to consider euthanizing him but instead they saw dollar signs. The first mistake was to see Dr. Fan. She does not know anything about small animals. I thought since it was an emergency to see someone asap better than no one but nope she was the one that recommended all kinds of silly tests that resulted in me paying $410. The sad part was after I picked him up he looked a LOT worse. They try to draw blood and who know what else they did to him. They taught me how to give him shots (6) a day and how to force feed him. If I were dying I would not want any of these things done to me. I was then PRESSURED to get more testing like X RAYS and ultrasounds. Unfortunately the pig couldn't take it any more and died the next day. I only gave him 3 shots and then he died a few hours later. I am SO UPSET that I put him through this right before he died. I WILL NEVER COME BACK to such an AWFUL place. They obviously think about the bottom line first. DO NOT COME HERE if you care about your pets. UPDATE: was threaten with legal action due to bad review. Instead of offering to fix the situation, they argue and now threaten legal action. Look at the other reviews especially one after mine with 1 star review. This is nothing new to this hospital. read more

DO NOT GO THERE!! We had the absolutely worst experience with our sick chicken. We took her in because of a respiratory illness and the doctor was completely unprofessional every step of the visit. It was obvious that he did not care much for the patient nor did he want to get any valuable information from us that would have certainly helped in diagnosis her illness. That itself I could have understood as he was obviously in a hurry but his diagnosis based on x rays he took showed that he was clueless. He then recommended antibiotics although he stated that he did not think it would have any benefit. I later received a call that they are happy to euthanize our chicken, for another fee of course. When I contacted the office for the antibiotics he recommended only a few days later to prevent an infection, the receptionist told us that they would need to do another exam and further testing, with more fees associated of course. I asked to speak to the doctor himself to clarify but that was not possible unless I would pay a fee for consultation.Absolutely unprofessional behavior and unethical standards in my opinion. I should have known better when he was the only vet that still had availability. read more

I had been bringing my 3 cats to Dr. Taylor for years for regular shots, and even though his prices were high, he was very pleasant, and the clinic was convenient. Everything seemed fine until my cat Patches started to lose his appetite in June 2013. I've waited this long to write my review in order to be fair to the clinic. My only regret now, after the fact, is that I didn't read the Yelp reviews of Miramonte Veterinary Hospital earlier, or I would have taken my Patches to someone else sooner. Instead, I let Dr. Taylor and his staff "treat" Patches for a month by bombarding him with expensive and stressful tests--none of which were conclusive. I kept telling them that he was very sensitive, and that these repeat visits were stressing him out and likely causing further decline. That fell on deaf ears. Dr. Taylor then put pressure on me to cut open my cat's belly for exploratory surgery. By then, my cat was skin and bones and a nervous wreck. I figured that the surgery would kill him. Meanwhile, Dr. Taylor had Patches on higher and higher doses of a steroid, and also had me buy a super expensive medication that would treat the "possibility" of cancer, even though the pricey ultrasound was clear. Dr. Taylor and his staff put lots of pressure on me for the costly operation, and implied it was my fault that they didn't know what was causing the weight loss because I was blocking the surgery. After a month of multiple vet visits and a huge bill, Dr. Taylor said that Patches was in "grave" condition. It didn't help, either, that every time I brought him in for yet more probing and prodding that they weighed him on their only scale--a huge one on the floor for dogs. The technicians and vets would race by this scale as poor Patches was cowering there in fear, and slam the half doors that separated this area from the waiting area. Also, they wanted me to bring him in for costly and stressful force feeding, using a tube down his throat. I thought Patches was going to die, and I didn't want his last moments to be in this noisy clinic, handled by a vet who basically was blaming me for their failure. I picked Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos, in part because it was nearby, and also because I finally had the wisdom to read Yelp reviews--and theirs were mostly positive, while the negative ones for Miramonte echoed exactly what I had experienced. Dr. Nancy O'Day at Adobe was fabulous with Patches. She understood when I told her that Patches was a very nervous cat, and she and her assistant treated him with the utmost care. They even have small scales in the examination rooms, so they could weigh my cat in a tranquil, quiet way. Before I brought my cat in for the first visit, I wrote up all the details of Patches' symptoms, blood tests, ultrasounds, x-rays, medications, etc. Dr. O'Day suggested that the excessive dose of steroids could cause stomach upset and internal bleeding, so she got him off the steroids and his appetite started to improve. She also had us treat him at home with daily subcutaneous fluids since his kidney numbers were low. And now, almost 1 1/2 years later, Patches has regained his lost weight, and is enjoying his life. He has recovered enough that we were finally able to stop the subcutaneous fluids, and we now give him water-diluted tuna juice (from canned tuna) to increase his fluid intake. I was surprised, too, that the cost of his treatment was much less at the Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos, even though they have a very impressive building and extensive emergency facilities. They also told me the cost of everything ahead, in contrast to Miramonte, which insisted on multiple tests and presented me with huge "sticker shock" bills after each visit. A final note--for those multiple blood draws done at Miramonte, the technician would whisk away Patches each time to another room. At Adobe, they told me I could stay, which was good because my voice and touch were helpful in soothing my cat. Overall, I'm so thankful I got Patches away from Miramonte. read more

I've been bringing my cats to Dr. Taylor for over 20 years. He has an enormous amount of knowledge and expertise, and he and his staff helped my cat Squeak to thrive despite many ailments over the years. I finally had to let Squeak go when it became clear he couldn't live outside of an oxygen box, and he and his staff were compassionate and helpful at that horrible time. My current 14-year-old cat has just had his fourth major crisis, and I really thought this time I would lose him. He is a gorgeous orange longhair kitty who has had recurring intestinal and urinary problems for years, and he would have died four times if it weren't for Dr. Taylor. Although he's had several excellent associates over the years who have given my cats great care, I feel their outcomes wouldn't have been nearly as good if they hadn't had Dr. Taylor advising them. I strongly recommend that you bring your pets to Dr. Taylor. He will take good care of them. read more

Really mixed feelings and experiences in this place. I took both my dogs to this place for 3 years and had some time great experience, and some other time terrible experience. The good: One of my dogs was pregnant and when time came, there was some difficulties. Dr. Taylor came back to work and helped out, but it was too late to save the pupy. He did save my dog though. Great response and even if we lost the pup, I am just glad my dog is alive. The bad: 2 years later the same dog had a pinched nerve in her upper spine. I brought her to Miramonte around 9AM and through manipulation, she got really hurt and was she way crying (dogs only cry in pain). They took the dog in the back room and I specifically asked to make sure she receive appropriate care for the pain. I was told to come back later. I came back at 5PM as asked, and when I walked in the lobby I heard my dog crying in the back. I just walked into the back room and asked an assistant who told me the dog has been crying all day! I was infuriated, I literally grabbed the vet and ask she gave my dog the proper pain killer. No care was done, they were only waiting... for what? I called a few friends and went that afternoon to a neurosurgeon Vet who gave me all the proper info and the dog is now fine, Both vets in Miramonte (Taylor and Fan) could have told me they just didn't know what to do and it would have been fine with me. I have an other story about this place, and decided to take my dogs to someone else who was recommended, and this new place is really great. I can only hope this comments will make a difference and that Miramonte will correct the level of quality delivered so they are consistent. So be aware. read more

First off, let me explain how I choose a medical clinic: (and this applies when also seeking health care for myself and family) I absoulutely never EVER go to a clinic (human or vet mind you) that is in a strip mall. While everyone at the clinic may be crendtialed and certified and even have the staff's diploma's proudly displayed in the walls, it just seems very tacky to me. I perfer free standing clinics in their own bulidings. I just got a dog a few months back and I thought I would just try a vet out and I would give this clinic a chance - even though its in a strip mall. I didn't at the time have a regular vet (but after this experiance I do now and its not with Miramonte) I walk in to find a friendly receptionist who was very helpful with all the paperwork. The reception area is nice, minus the squaking parrot... After filling out the paper, we were called back by a very pleasant nurse who showed us into a clean exam room. She checked my dog out and filled out my dog's history. So far so good. Then after a few mintues Dr. Taylor came in in a timely manner. He seemed pleasant enough at first glance. He needs to cut down on the colonge and knock off the superior attitude. He spoke down to me as he explained that my dog needed these tests and to lose a few pounds. Yeah, my dog is right where it needs to be health wise, I know how to take care of it!! He went out to go get something and while he was back there I heard him raising his voice to one of the staff members (the walls are pretty thin there) Come on! If your going to speak with an employee, have the tact to do so quietly and maybe further back in the clinic. Seriously, I really didnt care for Dr Taylor's attitude, personally Im really surprised he is still in business or that he even has a staff after I heard him yelling at one of own. He just rubbed me the wrong way. A friend of mine says she prefers the other doctor, but I dont think I would give the clinic another shot.. The clinic is okay the support staff is great, Dr. Taylor....well you decide, but hes not for me. read more

We have been taking pets to Dr. Taylor at Miramonte for 20 years. He is caring, knowledgeable, and professional in the every way, especially in the way he practices medicine. Our pets have had varied and unusual ailments, and if Dr. Taylor has to consult with a specialist, he never charges nor does he charge for the many phone consultations. Veterinary care is expensive. Others have told me the expenses they've incurred with their pets, and Miramonte is certainly in line with other veterinarians in this area. Here's why we choose Miramonte: 1. Louie--old cat that had every disease in the book--hyperthyroidism, diabetes, cancerous tumor of the kidney, and other things too numerous to mention. I had to call Dr. Taylor at home when Louie's chest filled up with fluid and he couldn't breathe. He called ahead for us at the ER and told them exactly what he wanted. And he was honest when there was nothing more to be done for Louie. 2. Willy--Our FIV+ cat that Dr. Taylor patched up when we pulled him out of the woodpile he was living in on Saratoga Ave. I didn't think he would live 8 hours, but Dr. Taylor got him through 8 years! When Willy's virus became active, Dr. Taylor called specialists and did an enormous amount of research to prolong Willy's life. We will cherish every day we had with Willy. 3. Penny--a cat we thought was feral, but turned out she was sweet and friendly. She was anemic and full of fleas when we trapped her. Dr. Taylor was as honest as possible, and there was nothing he could do to save her from the harshness of homelessness. 4. Holly--a pregnant feral cat we trapped in our yard. Also she had been exposed to a rabid raccoon. When Dr. Taylor couldn't find the cause for Holly's pain, he suspected it might be rabies since she had been exposed. Since Holly bit me, Dr. Taylor must have called me 50 times at work, urging me to get medical attention and the rabies series of shots. Unfortunately Holly had to be euthanized and tested for rabies. 5. Acorn--the shepherd we adopted when she was 10. Dr. Taylor discovered she had a cancerous, insulin producing tumor on her pancreas. The staff worked diligently to get the medication Acorn needed. It was out of state, but was delivered in overnight mail! And when Acorn could no longer fight the tumor, Dr. Taylor was kind enough to come out to the house to euthanize so she could be in the surroundings she loved. 6. Dewey--an abandoned kitten I found on the sidewalk while walking Acorn. Dewey was in bad shape. He did not want to eat. Dr. Taylor took him home, over a holiday, and fed him with a tube. Then after that Dewey needed a blood transfusion. Dr. Taylor and staff donated countless hours of their time to save Dewey. But Dewey's spirit needed to be free. We all grieved over this little one. And Henry, Surprize, Teddy, Dinky, Friday, and Ember. My animals are family, and I would not trust their care to anyone else. Dr. Taylor cares deeply about each animal he treats. read more

Dr. Kenton Taylor and his staff are knowledgeable and caring. For four years, Dr. Taylor guided us through several medical issues with our middle-aged Airedale; and when there were hard decisions to make, he consulted with other specialists to give us up-to-date information on available options. He saw our beloved Merlin through regular exams, shots, seizures, and followup from surgeries. When Merlin past during an old-of-town emergency, he called us and made a donation in his name to a guide dog organization (Merlin had become a guide dog during his care). We are again confident in the care that Wiley, our almost-one-year-old Airedale, is being given by the intelligent and gentle Dr. Taylor and his friendly and helpful staff. Nancy C Qutub read more

We've used this phenomenal veterinary hospital for over 13 years. Our three dogs get the very best care from Dr. Taylor and his staff of animal loving people. One of our 13 year olds (we have two that are that age plus a 6 year old) just had surgery and we were so pleased with her care and results. Love Dr. Taylor's attention to detail but always able to see the big picture with each of them! read more

Don't go here for long term care of a pet. Every time I brought in my dog with his lifelong battle of allergies and subsequent skin infections they acted like they'd never seen my dog before and that he needed a full panel of tests, skin scrapings and slides to figure out what was wrong. It was always staph, just as it has been for the last 7 years. When I tried to bring him in for another round of antibiotics to treat his staph breakout they REFUSED to give him any medicine unless I paid over $260 in scrapings and slides that would inevitably tell me what I already knew. They made me pay $108 for the visit and I left with no treatment for my dog. I should have stood in their waiting room and burned $100. Same thing. I'm appalled at their utter lack of concern for my pet. They will nickel and dime you into oblivion. Dr. Taylor didn't even have the guts to talk to me face to face about why he was refusing to treat my dog. He sent in his vet tech multiple times then she sent me to the assistant in the waiting room. Cowardly, appalling and unprofessional. read more

I will never return to Miramonte Veterinary. I took my silver tabby in for a skin condition (swollen, itchy...) He also seemed to be walking strangely. I spent thousands of dollars for skin biopsies, tests, consultations... I was finally told that it must be immune system related, and that he needed suppressants for life. The skin condition got worse and worse. One night I started searching around online. One of my first hits was demodectic mange. The cat in the picture had the exact same look as mine(swollen, redness, pus, miserable). The article recommended 'Revolution', a topical. I asked the female vet in the practice to prescribe it to me. She was ambivalent, but I got the med's. In 1 week he had no swelling, and only pinkish skin, in 2 weeks the only way you could tell he had had a problem was the hair loss above slightly pinkish skin. I saw Dr Taylor w/in a month of Silvers 'cure' he told me it was a fluke that Silver had any improvement - I was not demodetic mange. I said that whatever the case, he's OK now. 4 months later - I go back to discuss why my Silver kitty seems to have worse and worse balance. Many, many, many $$$$$$$$ in tests. I give up and ask for my records - I'm going to another vet. W/in 24 hours he tells me Silver has Spinal Lymphoma - he tells me on the phone. Silver is euthanised 5 weeks later (not at Miramonte) NEVER, NEVER, NEVER will I go back w/ a fur-baby. The last thing Dr Taylor told me on the phone was "I wasn't demodectic or any other type of mange!!!" That's when I hung up on him. Our last phone call was rather ugly, and I would prefer not to re-iterate it here. read more

I am sorry to have to give one star. I know that one star reviews are someone with an axe to grind. And I do have an axe to grind. It is that Miramonte Veterinary Hospital was prepared to "fire us" and not refill my cat's insulin (for diabetes) without warning. I am in human health care. I recognize that cats and people are different. But, with people, abruptly stopping insulin can kill someone, and is a cause for medical malpractice. Maybe it's different for cats. Or maybe Miramonte Veterinary Hospital is out for the buck and doesn't genuinely care about their patients' well being. Like all the reviews have stated this place is expensive, so be prepared to give away your child's college fund to have treatment here. After spending hundreds to thousands of dollars for tests that were mostly inconclusive, I wanted to stop torturing my cat and my pocketbook. His diabetes was getting under control, he was happy and doing well. Couldn't we just see how he looked? ate? acted? I didn't realize that Miramonte Vet Hospital requires you to continually get tests for hundreds of dollars in order to receive your drugs. No one had informed me of this policy. No one had given me even one warning: "Listen if you don't get these tests, then we will stop prescribing". They just stopped. Until I spoke with Dr. Fan and demanded that she not harm my cat by withholding life sustaining medication until I could find a new Vet that actually cares about the health of their patients. I am sad to leave because this place was close to home and I did find their techs very caring and kind. I even liked Dr. Fan but she had toe the line and do what was asked of her by the owner of this place. Note to owner: be flexible, listen to your patients, and stop recommending unnecessary tests. read more

This place is actually not bad as i expect it to be after reading all of the reviews. The receptionist, Barbara, that greeted me as i walked in was very friendly and informative about the steps i need to do for my new pup. I came in for my pup's microchip shot & information of what kind of shots i need to give my pup. read more

No doctor human or animal is going to be a specialist for every illness. Several of my animals over the years have had complicated and rare diseases. For example my current working dog was diagnosed with immune meadiated Neutropenia. Dr. Taylor has always done research and gone to experts to find the latest information so the best treatment plan can be made. The staff is always helpful and I trust them to be part of the treatment of my animals. I don't remember how many years I have been going there but more than 15 years. Adela read more