I am very sad to post this review for Santa Fe Animal Clinic, a clinic that I have used over the past 15 years with 5 cats. Dr. Tanaka left the clinic and things have steadily declined. On my last visit I brought Sage in because her regular flea medication had stopped working and she needed a worm pill and an antibiotic since she got infected. The initial estimate was about $800 but I did not do the tests they wanted so I paid a little less. Fast forward to this morning when my Chewy Autoship informed me that "Your veterinary clinic, Santa Fe Animal Clinic - CA, has opted not to support online prescription approvals through Chewy". So on the day before Thanksgiving I now have one additional errand of running to their office, picking up the prescription and mailing it in. To make things worse, they are holding my cat Pepper Jack's flea prescription hostage because he is healthy and has not seen the vet recently. I feel like they are using the prescriptions as leverage to force people to make unnecessary appointments and that they know some people will just pay for the flea medication when they arrive at the clinic out of convenience. I will not support a business that resort to withholding medications for my pets to get more of my money. I declined to schedule an appointment and am picking a new vet that cares for my fur babies. I asked her how many customers they have lost due to this policy she replied "I am not taking a tally". read more

$800 plus fee for my dog's ear infection! $88.00 to renew 30 pill arthritis meds!! These people are unscrupulous!!! And take full advantage of how vulnerably devoted and loving pet owners are. Please spare yourselves and pets! Find responsible, caring and trustworthy Vets!!! read more

Under the last ownership this place was amazing! Here is my experience since the recent owners took over. Our 14 year old cat was not acting healthy. I took her to be seen. At the exam all my concerns were glossed over. They did generalized blood test which came back reasonably normal. I expressed that something was still very off but was told it was " normal". About a week later we awoke to find our cat Abby suffering and in extreme distress. She was actively passing before our eyes. I called Santa Fe Vet (where we have taken our pets for 8 years). I tearfully told them she was passing and we just wanted to help her be at peace. The vet told me I was wrong. That despite the fact that Abby couldn't stand and was vomiting and foaming at the mouth she was not dying. They offered for her to be seen the next day or they suggested if I was "really worried" I could take her to the ER Vet. Obviously we ran her to the er vet and they confirmed Abby was actively passing and said a very basic exam reveled that she was suffering from a very large tumor. The er vet had no idea how this was missed. We have since left Sante Fe Vet and now they continue to remind us to get Abbys wellness check. read more

This clinic has gone down hill since Dr. Tanaka left. The vet who put our beloved dog down had the compassion of a gulag camp supervisor. She had to leave and get mote medication while a tech and myself held my girl from flopping around! Seriously! What vet doesn't come in prepared for end of life treatment! Shout out to Melissa for her compassion during this awful experience. read more

I've been harassed for weeks by email and phone reminders of an appointment for my dog which I canceled (by email and phone with a live human.) I was also told that my dog's records were faxed to my new vet. This was a lie. It never happened. Service sucks. Also unnecessary medication was ordered for my dog for months. Wasted money. Ever since the new owners took over the clinic the place has gone to shit. DO NOT USE THEM ANYMORE. read more

After 17 years of subpar vets in Encinitas I finally found a vet I can trust and who cares about my animal's well being as much as I do. I recently took Norman the cat (17) in for some blood work / exam at Santa Fe Animal Clinic which is under new ownership. I met with Dr. Dvorchak who is sweet, caring, knowledgeable, friendly, positive etc. She was very patient with my questions not making me feel rushed. Natalie and Leslie were awesome and gave Norm a nice mani pedi which got the old man a little grumpy but they were very sweet and patient with him. I highly recommend Santa Fe Animal Clinic under the new ownership. Rachel at the front desk was great and handled scheduling. Thank you to the whole team for a purrrfect visit to the vet! read more

Santa Fe Animal Clinic - Norman - Veterinarians Near Me - Encinitas, California

I made the difficult decision to put my cat down as he had been very sick. Everyone was so kind and supportive.

My dog had a corneal ulcer and over her month of healing Dr. Deckert was amazing! Through all of her rechecks she was so kind and thoroughly explained everything during each visit. read more

Service is very bad. Always leave you on hold when you call. Never give the right information for your pet and will never let you get what you need. If you are planning on going there don't, but if your already there go to another somewhere read more

Wonderful vet. The office is so friendly and fairly easily to get in. I am New to the clinic and he did a surgery on my dog I was super happy with communication. The vet is so warm and kind and doesn't try to sell you unnecessary test and products. I'm very happy with Santa Fe vet! read more

Just Don't. I think this practice changed owners or something. It used to be reasonably priced with caring service, and Dr. Tanaka was not our vet. Now...it will cost $900 just to 'run tests.' you may be in for a full $1500 before you know what is wrong, and that it will take another $2000 for operation/care, which may or may not work. A caring vet, sure...I think all vets pretty much are kind & caring (which is part of why they become vets). But this is a business, and this business is very expensive. Prohibitively so, and it puts undo stress/burden on owners to make difficult decisions. Just call around and check quotes... the end-of-life services were 98% higher here than the other vet we ultimately used. I think that will lead you to a more reasonably-priced vet. read more

I rarely take the time to write yelp reviews but Santa Fe Animal Clinic deserves an excellent review. I 100% support this clinic, their staff and especially Dr. Tanuka. Dr. Tanuka was not only kind, personable and resourceful in person but he went out of his way to call on his off day to see how our dog, Korra, was doing after getting 7 teeth extracted. He also gave us his personal number in case we ran into any issues afterwards. The staff also broke down all of the financial charges before Korra's procedure which was very helpful. Not only did Korra have bad tooth decay (she's 9 years old), she had also been dealing with blood in her urine for about two years and every vet prior could not figure out what the issue was nor seemed to show much sympathy towards the situation (we have been racking up thousands of dollars in vet bills with no solution). However, Dr.Tanuka offered to do an ultrasound on her at no charge. Everything looked good with the ultrasound so we decided to only go forward with her dental procedure and to our surprise, that is what stopped her bloody urine. We are beyond grateful that the staff at the clinic was able to figure out this mystery! Korra is back to her energetic fun self and her bad breath has completely vanished. All in all, our experience with the clinic and staff was exceptional from start to end. Every staff member genuinely cared about our dogs health and offered helpful tips with kind and clear communication. We will definitely be taking Korra here for her yearly teeth check ups from now on. Korra says thank you so much to the Santa Fe Animal Clinic! read more

Santa Fe Animal Clinic - Veterinarians Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Dr. Tanka and his staff are inspirations to what the entire customer service industry should strive for. Super friendly, helpful, and they go out of their way to figure out solutions. I don't feel like Im being sold something my pet doesn't need, an honest Vet is hard to find. They go above and beyond! I couldn't be happier with the love and care my pup gets. Thank you read more

Santa Fe Animal Clinic - Veterinarians Near Me - Encinitas, California

Dr Tanaka was a wonderful, caring vet and in my opinion the best in this area but unfortunately he retired and the new (bad) vet at the Santa Fe animal clinic is dr elkaram. She not only refused to renew a flea treatment dr Tanaka had prescribed for my cat, she ghosted me after I sent five texts asking her to please renew the prescription. Her reason for not renewing was she wanted to prescribe a higher dose. The lower dose dr Tanaka prescribed had been 100% effective for six months. Dr Tanaka looked at each pet individually and assessed accordingly. My cat, Lulu, is an elderly frail kitty and dr Tanaka took that into account when prescribing. Dr Elkaram arrogantly ignored dr Tanaka's low dose decision. She seems to be a rigid "one size fits all" vet. Please keep in mind when reading reviews for Santa Fe animal clinic that if they are good they are probably reviews for dr Tanaka not for Elkaram. If there was an option to leave zero stars for her I would have. Sent from my iPad read more

This clinic was recommended to me by a neighbor. The visits have been okay up until now but I've called three times to try to get them to phone in a prescription for NexGuard for my dog. We had a well-visit recently and they've repeatedly told me the request is "on the technicians desk." Started phoning on Tuesday and now it's Friday. They're sounding annoyed that I keep checking and they say they're "busy." Of course I keep checking! I'm trying to care for my dog! I don't feel like we matter and will have to find a new vet after this. read more

Doctor Tanaka is a great doctor and has been with me during good times and bad. I received so much support and compassion during the loss of my pets and last year when my wife tragically passed away. He does not over charge and does not give you false hopes. Doctor Tanaka will give it to you straight. He is a wonderful doctor and friend to me. I highly recommend him and staff for your needs to keep your family members healthy and thriving. read more

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Special thanks to Ally, Audrey and Dr. Tanaka for thoughtful care today. This practice has set a high standard in recent years and we're hoping that it can continue. read more

This practice has done absolute wonders for my cat. He was diagnosed with severe hyperthyroidism and was doing very poorly until they introduced the medication which ultimately saved his life. Any time I've had questions they immediately emailed me back with an answer. We had an issue with his medication being shipped in and they were able to give me a derivative to keep him stable in the mean time. I genuinely don't have words to describe how thankful I am. We love Santa Fe Animal Clinic! read more

Santa Fe Animal Clinic - Veterinarians Near Me - Encinitas, California

We can't thank Dr. Tanaka and his Staff enough for their loving and expert care of our dogs! Dr. Tanaka is the most wonderful veterinarian we have ever known. Our 12 year old, Roxy had a very concerning growth in her inner eyelid that urgently needed removal. Dr Tanaka reschedule his entire day to perform the surgery on Roxy. What a success! Dr. Tanaka was able to remove the growth and save her eye...we are so grateful! He spends the time with his patients to know you and them and he follows up with you after you bring your fur baby home. We wouldn't go to any other Veterinarian! Thank you, Dr. Tanaka, for all of your care! Wendy, Ken & Roxy read more

Santa Fe Animal Clinic - Roxy's successful eyelid surgery! Thank you Dr. Tanaka! - Veterinarians Near Me - Encinitas, California

I am very sad to be leaving such a low review for a vet office. While healthcare workers for animals and people are obviously overworked, I have never experienced such condescending customer service as I have with Sante Fe. Our dog has had a worsening leg injury significantly affecting his mobility. As the injury worsened, we brought our dog to Sante Fe to receive x-rays. Due to his worsening condition, this is a time sensitive matter- not to mention very difficult to watch your animal in pain. Since the x-rays, we have been told every day the vet would call, and after a week, we still have not received the results. Sheena, a veterinary tech, communicated to us "I can't keep tabs on when the doctor will call you," and "it's a nightmare here." When we asked if the records could be sent so we could help our dog through another vet, we were told several reasons on why we can't be helped, including "privacy policy" and "caseload." We were also treated as if we were idiots for asking if there was another vet on site to help... though their main reason for refusing to send records is because Dr. Tanaka has been MIA for a week since records were supposed to be sent. Save your time & emotional energy and go somewhere that will care about your pet's health as a vet should. read more

Unfortunately, can't leave a review on the service as I didn't have a chance to see the Vet. I made an appointment 2 days ago with Dr. Tanaka, upon arrival, I found out it wasn't going to be with Dr. Tanaka, but a different dr. which I was a little taken back by, but I figured this place has such good reviews I'm sure the other Dr. should be just as good so I said ok no problem. They are following COVID guidelines which is totally understandable but just makes filling out paperwork and checking in not as pleasant as normal. After filling paperwork out, I went back to my car with my mom to wait and about after 20-25 minutes I realized my appointment was at 1:45 (granted, I had to fill out paperwork and stuff) but it was 2:30 when I went back in to say I was leaving because the appointment hadn't even started yet and it was already 45 minutes. My old vet used to take the dogs as soon as I arrived and would fill the paperwork as the dogs are being looked at the same time instead of having to wait around for all that. The lady at the front is nice but whether it was a misunderstanding or they are just super busy or whatever it could be, from getting a different Dr, to the long wait time, etc. my experience wasn't the best and I didn't have time to wait another hour on top of the 45 minutes I had already waited. I'm disappointed as I spent 2+ hours reading reviews on a bunch of places on yelp and will just have to start looking again. read more

When our dog became sick, Dr. Tanaka was so kind and compassionate, and explained everything to us in a clear and humane way. Mind you, he wasn't our regular vet --- we'd been going to another practice that couldn't squeeze us in during our dire time of need. And Dr. Tanaka was very practical about running tests, and not resorting to needless, expensive options. As it turns out, we unfortunately had to put our dog to sleep two days later. And Dr. Tanaka was even more amazing about that. I highly recommend this clinic to anyone seeking a vet who actually has your -- and your pet's -- best interests in mind. read more

Great veterinarians and lovely staff. Recommend this clinic to every fur parent. I am very grateful that I found my forever vet. Thank you Santa Fe for everything you have done. read more

I live down the street from this vet, Dr. Tanaka and he comes highly recommended. I wanted to find a vet after my last vet disappointed us after an issue. Long story short, I took my 11 year old lab in for check up and Dr. Tanaka was concerned about my dogs teeth. I had been taking him to an "anesthesia free" cleaning the past couple of years but his breath was getting god awful. Dr. Tanaka explained he needed further examination under sedation. We agreed and low and behold my maxiepoo was scheduled for this that same week. Nobody wants to risk their pets health with risky anesthesia but the benefits outweighed the risks. He actually had 3 extractions and recovered has expected. WOW what a difference this has made. Our sweet boy had nerve and roots exposed that must have been so uncomfortable for him and his breath is better than ever, no yucky bacteria growing anymore!! But I'm really writing this because Dr. Tanaka called me the next day to check on max AND two days later to confirm that all was good. Never experienced that before!! Dr. Tanaka cares!!!!! Oh and by the way, all was reimbursed from our pet insurance, nationwide, within a week (please if you don't have pet insurance, get it! Our dog has better health care than us!) read more

I've taken my various pets over the past 15 years here and I would never go anywhere else. Dr Tanaka has gained my absolut trust over the years. He's very knowlegeable, personable, thoughtful and doesn't try to push unnecessary procedures or tests. The staff is lovely too. I highly recommend this clinic for your furry family members! read more

Tried two weeks for them to approve prescription flea medication. My pharmacy tried 5 times no luck trying to get through. Each time I called, hello is this an emergency? Please hold. 15-20 min. goes by still no answer. Meanwhile week 3 goes by my poor dog is biting and scratching non-stop and it's killing me to watch. I finally get ahold of them and told Oh you're a couple months behind on your visit. He needs an examination. So now they want to look at him for two minutes and confirm he's got fleas to just to squeeze another $75 out of me. What a scam. They're all about money. Meanwhile I'll have to follow up on my credit card repayment and re order through another vet. These guys put me through such an inconvenience and my poor dog is suffering. They don't care. read more

I brought my pet in to see the doctor and everyone was really helpful and kind. However, the manager, Christopher, was extremely rude and condescending. I love the clinic and the staff but I will not deal with this guy again. read more

Dr. Tanaka and his staff are amazing. They care about the animals health and not about making money. I brought my cat (Tom) in for a wound that was caused by a larger animal. Dr. T recommended I go else where because my cat needed urgent care and they were not able to attend my cat right away. I insisted I wanted to stay at their clinic and he agreed to do surgery on Tom as soon as he was able to. Thanks to them Tom is doing so well. read more

Santa Fe Animal Clinic - *GRAPHIC* Wound before being stitched up. - Veterinarians Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Rei is the best Vet and one heck of a checkers player! We would give him 6 stars if we could.

Dr. Tanaka and his staff have been great to my 2 dogs. I've been taking them there for about a year now. My 5 year old dog had a mass on her side last year which started to rapidly grow. Dr. Tanaka laid out all of our options and when we decided to jump to surgery they were able to schedule us later that week. Izzy recovered great from surgery. The Dr. called that evening to check in on her even. When I've been in for just vaccines the staff remembered her and Dr. asked how she's been doing. Today I took my older girl in for an annual exam and she's been having trouble getting around. They took x-rays and Dr. explained what he was seeing really well. The treatment plan he laid out is reasonable and makes the most sense for her. I think she will be much more comfortable moving forward. read more

We have been taking our rescue dog there since we got him a year ago and have never had a bad experience. The office is very clean and the staff friendly and knowledgeable. My rescue dog recently was attacked, and had a severe wound to the shoulder and leg. It was after hours so we had to take him to VCA. They did a mediocre job and a few days later, decaying tissue was coming out of the wound site they said they cleaned! Took him to Dr. Gee who immediately cleaned and restitched their botched job, and saved his life. Will never take my dog anywhere else! Buckley LOVES Dr. Gee! read more

I have been bringing my pets to Santa Fe Animal Clinic since before Dr. Tanaka took over the practice and I am so happy to have him as our vet. My animals feel very comfortable around him and he always goes the extra mile to see them and take care of them, regardless of how busy the schedule. I am so grateful to have a doctor like him nearby. read more

Santa Fe Animal Clinic gives discounts on initial exams if your pet is a rescue. Also is part of the SNAP program which gives discounts on spaying and neutering. I had 4 kittens to spay and believe me the discount was significant. I've heard some mixed reviews about this place but my experience has mostly been good. And they are open on Saturdays which is a big plus. read more

Dr. Tanaka is hands down the best bet I have ever taken our dogs to. He is kind, caring, personable, experienced and extremely knowledgeable. He is easy to reach and always willing to take the time to discuss my dogs with him. His staff is always kind and great with our dogs. I highly recommend this clinic for anyone who loves their pets. read more

Dr. Tanaka and team are kind and compassionate. I rarely have to wait around long for my dog to get examined. He always asks about the other dogs at home (though I am unfortunately down to 1 from 3). I highly recommend them. read more

I have been attempting to remove a negative review I posted last week. This issue has been resolved. Dr. Tanaka was not the vet that was at the clinic on Sat. Be sure to see Dr. Tanaka..he is an excellent & caring vet. I felt tho..that he needed to take responsibility for what happened to my kitty. This was his chosen vet at his facility and I had an awful experience. He did take responsibility and I appreciate it. Please do not hesitate going to this facility but see Dr.Tanaka! read more

I had an emergency with my dog I called this vet to see if they could take her even tho they weren't an emergency vet they offered to help me find a ER vet and if I couldn't find one they offered to see her anyways. My dog is not a patient here but it just showed me how caring they are and what great customer service they have for even just helping people who aren't their patients. Thank you Santa Fe Clinic for your kindness! read more

I just brought my dog home from our first visit (which also happened to be an emergency) and I was so impressed with this clinic that I felt compelled to write a review. First of all, it is incredibly stressful to try to find a new vet (we just moved to Encinitas last year) during a pandemic and worry about sending your beloved pet into someone else's care without ever meeting them. The staff here totally put me at ease from the start. The front desk was fabulous, the tech was friendly and caring and I so appreciated that Dr. Tanaka came out to the parking lot and took the time to explain the issue and my treatment options. I feel so fortunate to live close to this place and so relieved to have found our new vet! read more

Dr. Tanaka has The Qualities you'd want to care for a Life that you care for. He goes out of his way to help. (Texted me at 9pm to check on my Lady Kylee.) If you want ego, this is not your place. If you want kind, compassionate caring, call Dr. Tanaka. Trust is Paramount, Life is Too Short (TiP LiTS). read more

Our family has finally settled on a dog after a crazy and long 2 weeks search. Now came the search of finding the right doctor family for our little Loki. One thing that he needed was to eat nurtured. I called around to different places on a list given to me from the San Diego County of Animal Services. I was told by them the places on the list do the procedure for an easy amount (amount depending on the weight of the dog) and that it'd be an easy and simple procedure. After crossing checking the lost with the businesses on Yelp, I knew this location was the one for me. Morning of surgery: So the day before I got a call from the offices, with some easy and simple reminders of no food or water after 10pm and the morning of. I was to show up between 8-8:30am and drop him off. I showed up early not knowing what traffic would be like and took Loki on a quick walk around the neighborhood. I wanted to make sure he took one last bathroom break before I brought him inside. When I went in, I was greeted by Boris with a smile and he made sure that I got all my information. He went through everything with me and made sure that I knew what I was signing off on. After a bit, Dr. Rei Tanaka came out and introduced himself to me. We talked like we were old friends and it was nice. He then met Loki and brought Loki to the back. He told me about the procedure and then let me know that I'd be getting a phone call when Loki was out of surgery and recovering. Post Surgery: I got a text message from the office!! So nice to know that they were able to send me a message to my phone letting me know that Loki was ok and in recovery. Dr. Gee let me know some concerns he had because of Loki being an active dog and some swelling that had happened and recommended some more meds. When I went to pick up Loki, Dr. Gee came out and introduced himself to me and spoke to me about everything. What was nice was, when I was getting my finishing paperwork and paying, Boris was able to go over some last minute things, talk about the mess, and post procedure safety tips. What was nice was they recommended more meds, but weren't super pushy about it. Not knowing what to expect, I was. Enter safe than sorry and took them. I'm so happy I found an amazing and caring vet family here at Santa Fe Animal Clinic for my dog. read more