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    Saddleback Animal Hospital

    4.5 (124 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

    Services - Saddleback Animal Hospital

    Pet physical or wellness exam

    Pet vaccinations

    Pet sitting

    Saddleback Animal Hospital Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Saddleback Animal Hospital

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    Reviews With Photos

    Nubia G.

    I don't usually write reviews but in this case I had to share my experience. Veronica and Daisy at the front desk were friendly and welcoming, so I felt immediately I was in the right place. Dr. Clark was very patient with us and answered all our questions. The whole staff treated my 17 yo male cat with so much TLC. We had the absolute best experience. I cannot express enough my gratitude for making our first visit so pleasant.

    Eragon

    Our dog Eragon was 14 and became sick. The Dr. and staff at the hospital were great and did their best to help him. Unfortunately, he just wasn't able to rebound like before and we had to let him go. Everyone was so kind, patient and understanding. I highly recommend this hospital for your pets.

    Saddleback Sign
    Julie S.

    Dr. Kavanaugh's staff is knowledgeable, friendly and professional. Dr K is honest and compassionate. We have been bringing all of our furbabies here for over 15 years. We highly recommend to all of our friends and family!

    No dice on this place.
    Sara T.

    Front Staff - courteous, non condescending, pleasantly surprised by that. Wait - Can't say it was terrific. Dr. K was cordial enough first time around during an initial checkup and vetalog injection for allergies (he did not give enough the first time and I had to return a few days later). I've tried everything during his 14 years of life: apoquel, raw food, cytopointe, cbd, yeast control, expensive allergy testing, allergy shots, special shampoos...apart from a reiki healing, I've done it and have the receipts - You get the jist here. The only thing that works when nothing else does is a damn Vetlog injection (which helps his hips too since he can sometimes barely walk). My bad-ass dog has survived very, aggressive mouth cancer, removing a quarter of his jaw and we nursed him back to health. I had to make a switch from that vet at Costa Mesa Animal Hospital only due to proximity. I went to Saddleback because I had just switched to a pet savings plan and they offer a discount on services which was totally radical since I canceled his now-very-expensive insurance. So it had been approximately a few months and the dreaded itch had reared its ugly head and out came the cone of shame. I called because I was going out of town and wanted to make sure to get him back in for another injection before we left. The staff put me on hold and returned to say that Dr K. wanted to talk to me and he'd call me back. Initial thought? Oh, ok cool! Maybe there was a new option for him that he had briefly mentioned last time? How nice of him to take the time to have a chat or relay a concern. I awaited the call.....6 hours later. Nothing. Closed. Called second time next morning. Staff ensures me he'll call me back. At this point I'm just waiting to hear why he might want to chat. No messages relayed but he'll call ya back. Hours later - nothing. I call again and am quickly transferred to...Gilbert. Oh Gilbert. You were the cherry on top of my day. This is where the metaphoric sh*t hits the fan. This guy has no place in customer service unless it is at a local DMV office, while trying to win a "who can piss off your customer for no reason" contest. He came off rude, accusational (wait, why??) and honestly just confused the crap out of me. Gilbert mentioned that he didn't want to give my dog the injection and why (which I understood their concern) but I just can't even describe the manner in which the information was disseminated. I'm all fine for a vets opinion on doing what (they feel) is best for my dog. I just think they went about it all the wrong way. I thought he wanted to have a chat about another option, not make me wait two days and than sick Gilbert on me to get me off his back after he was the one who said he wanted to call me. When I asked to just speak to Dr K. instead because I felt this was handled pretty sh*tty, he informed me he would add me back to the "queue" with no estimated time of a return phone call and that he's sure Dr would LOVE to hear all about how I feel (insert male condescending voice here). Dr. K did in fact finally "return" my call 3.5 hours later that he initially asked to have with me. The tone was immediately apathetic, there was lots of mention of his very busy schedule, being down a vet, and that he had Gilbert talk to me while he was in surgery as like some sort of back-handed compliment to both he and I. He was not understanding the point I was trying to make. He promptly said he'd email me my records and good luck. I've had a good amount of experience with vets and animals with the family I grew up in. Never have I seen an office manager treat someone with such disrespect for no reason and then the vet really just not give a crap about it. North Tustin animal hospital has some great vets, an office manager who truly cares about customers input and experience but unfortunately they had some communication issues with their front staff and I'm all for less stress these days. Costa Mesa animal hospital is really the only vet I've experienced that is able to handle a high amount of clientele, while providing easy appointments (I'm talking same-day), knowledgeable vets, relatively low wait time, and pretty darn good cost efficiency when compared to other offices and hospitals. Dr Paladin at CMAH saved my pups life and has given him two extra years so far. Unfortunately this company, mainly Gilbert (read his previous review mentions on Yelp) and Dr K's disinterest in feedback is a reminder to me why I keep making the commute back to them. Too bad the 55 freeway just sucks.

    Elly D.

    Great care for my senior dogs and cats. Dr. Clark is very responsive and communicative. Staff is engaging and kind.

    Patti A.

    I cannot say enough good about Dr. Kavanaugh and his staff. All involved were so caring and compassionate about what they do. 1st time to the vet for my rescue Charlie I cannot put into words what a positive experience this was. I'm including a picture to show how relaxed my boy was.

    This was our beautiful boy Vinny. Forever in our hearts!

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    5 days ago

    Best veterinarians. Been to many places throughout the years but they are the best. They care and they do what's best for your babies

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    6 months ago

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    3 months ago

    So happy with our experience here! Dr Mike is amazing. The whole staff is awesome. I definitely recommend bringing your fur babies here.

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    9 months ago

    The doctors and staff are caring and attentive. There is never a wait time and they always have your pet's chart ready.

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    1 year ago

    Great experience. The front desk and the doctors are always so nice and helpful for a new dog owner.

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    3 years ago

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    Great staff, great Doctors & not owned by a corporation that will shut it down bc of profits. Thanks to them for their compassionate care.

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    3 years ago

    I highly recommend this hospital. The staff and vet were incredibly caring, fast, and kind.

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    5 years ago

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    Michael K.

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    Michael K.

    Thank you for the nice comment!!

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Saddleback Animal Hospital

    Does Saddleback Animal Hospital do taping after ear-cropping?

    Do you guys still Declaw cats?

    Hopefully not, it's inhumane.

    View All 7 Questions

    Review Highlights - Saddleback Animal Hospital

    . Kavanaugh and he too was amazing with Zeus (and our 100 questions) Thank you so much for taking care of our pup!

    Mentioned in 41 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    When you find a service provider that goes above and beyond, you MUST leave a review! The owner,…read moreCarrie, has taken such thorough care of my dog, Gracie. She did this at a point where I took my dog as a last ditch effort. My dog has extreme allergies (both food and environmental) and scratches ALL day long (if she's not eating or sleeping, she is scratching). Her skin was in terrible condition and she had been ripping her hair out and causing hot spots. When I say I took the dog in horrible condition, I am not exaggerating. Our Vet has given us advice (guesses) and given the dog prescriptions, supplements, injections, and tests....with ZERO improvement! I've spent thousands of dollars trying to get our dog healthy and nothing ever helped! Based on a recommendation to take Gracie to The Spaw I dove in telling myself this is the last time. If this fails, we will just do the best to let her live her life out as comfortably as possible, which is a sad place to be as a dog mom. She's not even 7 years old and she still has a lot of life to live. Meeting Carrie was the best thing that has ever happened to our dog! She recommended some specific testing and said that Shih Tzus often have low Zinc which can lead to skin issues. We had her tested by a Vet and sure enough, her Zinc was SO LOW!!! She made some suggestions about supplements we could give her. At a follow up test, we could see some improvement in her Zinc levels. She also said that it looks like my dog had mange and that Shih Tzus are also susceptible to mites. Our Vet never once mentioned that as a potential cause nor did she test for mange. We did a skin scraping with a different Vet who found no mites, but she suggested we put her on a mite medication for a couple of months. The stuff that came out of/off my dog was disgusting (old die off???)! Through skin cytology, we also confirmed Gracie had serious yeast overgrowth. That was not a mystery to me, because our house smelled so bad! I didn't even like to have people over because it was so embarrassing. Carrie gave Gracie sulfur baths and used some other amazing technologies on her; Ozone baths, red light, blue light, and micro bubbles to name a few. It was a lot of work, but I can tell you for the first time in years, I'm actually optimistic about Gracie's future AND my house no longer smells disgusting. We boarded her for a period of time so we could do some deep cleaning and reset our house before she returned. I'm so glad I made that initial call to The Spaw. Carrie truly loves my dog and my dog loves Carrie! When we drive to The Spaw my dog knows. When we hit Tustin Ranch Road from the 5 Freeway, Gracie starts going crazy! When we get there, she practically jumps out of the car. Thankfully, her harness is clipped in, so she can't get out of her car seat without help. ;) On the subject of Boarding: I love that The Spaw has staff on the premises 24 hours a day and that the dogs aren't locked in crates all day. I am so grateful to see my dog's hair growing back and for her to have noticeably more energy and MUCH less scratching! Carrie clearly loves animals and is a true blessing. She admitted that my dog's issues forced her to do deep dive research to find help for Gracie. I will forever be grateful for the life she has given back to my dog! She is much more than "a groomer!"

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    Saddleback Animal Hospital - vet - Updated September 2026

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