I saw Dr Cecil for my tortoise in the emergency department. He got me in quickly, and was super knowledgeable. I had brought my tortoise in because he was breathing funny. After he examined him, he didn't see anything too alarming and didn't make me do any unnecessary X-rays. I'm always scared to go to a vet because they always make you do things to make more money. Not him. His assistant Derrick was super knowledgeable about tortoises and super nice. He taught me how to inject the medication and he was super personable. It's nice to know there is a reputable San Diego vet who is nice and honest and knows tortoises. read more

He was so kind and compassionate when dealing with my flock! It's not easy being a bird mom and I felt my babies were safe with him and his team read more

Compassionate, caring staff all around. Everyone we met was knowledgeable and took the best care of us and our pets.. such a blessing!

I don't understand the poor reviews of Dr. Cecil but understand that emotions run deep when our beloved pets are sick and dying. In my experience, he has been available and compassionate and extremely knowledgeable. I live out in the boonies and he made a visit and his fees were as expected. I spoke with him yesterday concerning a sick koi and he apologized that he is ill this week but promises to get back with me to arrange a visit as soon as he is able and I believe him, but I do hope it is soon. I will give an update. read more

https://youtu.be/Ph7hGciMHpg?si=V3LKbOPpJDQzR3Yu Still nothing from this doctor. No apologies. No offer to cover costs of getting another bird. Not even a refund even though he was completely at fault. This vet is responsible for killing my precious Baby and has offered no remorse or accountability. I'd respect him more if he just admitted what he did. Unbelievable! read more

The entire staff was professional & kind. Dr. Todd Cecil was very nice and compassionate. He called me with test results and to let me know how everything was going, which really helped me to relax. read more

My pet bird was having a lot of feather picking problems for years. Dr Cecil took quite a bit of time with me and got back to me with a new medication which has been working wonderfully well. After asking my former veterinarian about alternatives, I couldn't believe that I finally found a solution. Thank you, Dr Cecil. read more

Dr. Cecil helped my iguana Elizabeth many years ago and I never forgot him. I was not aware he is now affiliated with the Living Coast Discovery Center where my pet Raven (Scarlet) hopefully will be finding her forever home. Thank you Dr. Cecil. read more

Todd R Cecil, DVM, DABVP-Avian - Rhonda and her Raven Scarlet - Veterinarians Near Me - La Mesa, California

Well....I had an emergency with my pet Guinea pig. I called and was told to come in. When I arrived my little piggy was taken back and checked(?) I sat there and finally got up and asked what was wrong. I was told I would have to wait until the Dr. finished his appointments. So I waited. The assistant took me into a room and showed be an estimate of what it would cost to treat my piggy. **Let me add piggies do not do well under anesthesia. My piggy was already in a health crisis** $1100 was the total. It was not clearly explained exactly what the problem was. The bottom line for me - the humane approach - would have been to euthanize my piggy. I knew he was not going to make it when I came to them. When you are emotionally distraught that you are losing a pet making decisions is very difficult. I was asked from the long estimation list: what did I want to do? I looking at the Dr. who has a veterinarian license and being asked what I want to do. No suggestions were given other than; I think it might be this or that. I took my piggy home and held him as he passed away in my hands. read more

I brought my guinea pig in for a teeth trimming and was given a quote for 3 times the amount of what I pay for the exact same treatment at our normal vet ($900 vs $300!!). Our normal vet was unable to get us in and she needed her teeth trimmed to enable her to eat and I was told I could "expect to pay 200-250" over the phone. I'm not sure how the same service costs 3x the amount at this vet but I was not able to pay it putting unnecessary stress on my guinea pig for transporting her there, causing me to miss over 2 hours of work and costing me $120 for the appointment fee for absolutely nothing (I knew her teeth were messed up already). To top if off, I waited over 30 minutes, the dude didn't even review the medical records or x-rays sent over by my normal vet and then he wouldn't even come back into the room to discuss the quote with me and instead sent his poor, nervous tech. I do not recommend this vet unless you have a large amount of money to spend on your pet for services you can get at a fraction of the price with very comparable veterinarians. I'm happy to say I was able to get my guinea girl into my normal vet with a last minute appt the next day and she is doing much better. Thanks for absolutely nothing Dr. Cecil read more

Dr. Cecil took care of my bearded dragon, and although she didn't survive, he came in on the weekend to attempt to save her. He is a compassionate, caring doctor. I can tell he really loves animals and appreciate all his efforts to save my dragon. thank you Dr. Cecil! read more

Todd R Cecil, DVM, DABVP-Avian - Veterinarians Near Me - La Mesa, California

Dr Cecil and all the staff here are amazing. He saved my daughter's guinea pigs life and took great care of him whenever he needed help. They can usually get you in to see the vet quickly in an emergency. The office is small, but it is clean and comfortable. When we had to put our guinea pig down, they didn't pressure us to do everything we could to keep him alive and they didn't make me feel bad about my decision to euthanize him. I highly recommend Dr Cecil. read more

This is such a amazing place. Today I had a emergency pop up with my Guinea pig. I didn't know what to do, or who to even turn too! After some googling I found Dr. cecil and thank goodness I did! We came in right away and they took my little piggy right to the back and started to search and look at what it could be. They had me in and out of there within 2 hours and that included the x Ray with anesthesia. There was a plan of action given right away and medication. My little piggy is home resting and feeling better. I definitely recommend them! Cost were fair and comparable with other vets in the area. Thank you so much! read more

Compassionate, thoughtful and very knowledgeable Doctor and staff. We had to have our pet put to sleep due to his worsening condition. Everyone on staff who we came into contact with were very compassionate. Thank you. read more

I found Dr Cecil while hopelessly scrolling through chameleon forums searching for the best chameleon vet in the san diego area. I had already taken my sick chameleon to two different exotic vets in the area and had several tests done to find the issue and no one could help him. Im so grateful for Dr Cecil and his team especially Hannah. They listened to me and gave him the correct tests and were able to solve the issue unlike two other vets! My chameleon has never been better and im so grateful that i have found the best chameleon vet in san diego! read more

We all love Dr Cecil's office. This office is also a 24 hour per emergency clinic, so it's extra convenient. We recently had to come and found the intake and consult process very well thought out and planned with plenty of social distancing due to the Covid-19 situation. If you feel spooked about coming, they really have everything very well thought through and you will most likely feel very reassured- we felt totally safe and the environment is very organized. Kudos to all of the staff here for their professionalism and great care of our furry friends! read more

There is NOTHING special about this guy. God forbid he get called in after his shift. We took our Guinea pig in because something was wrong. We could not pinpoint it and after losing one to age and another newer one suddenly, we were at a loss. Unfortunately it was kennel cough from the newer one that died. This is an ongoing issue with Petco because of where they get their small animals, Barneys. Do your research! I digress. My daughter was horrified and ubered over to the La Mesa location. I met her there. During that time he accused my daughter of not caring for her pigs. We've had pigs for nearly 10 years and never had this issue. He offered oxygen treatment that was going to be $400! Are you kidding me? The bill was going to be around $2k. He was rude. He made horrible assumptions. He offered nothing but over the top expensive treatment or to euthanize. No, "I think it might be kennel cough so let's give him a bolus and treat in that direction..." We made the choice to euthanize. Moments later we realized the one we had gotten from Petco had indeed been the sick one. It was too late. We lost our Frankie. Dr Cecil was a bully because he wanted to go home. He offered nothing! What a joke. Sorry you were cranky and wanted to go home but your jaded mood cost us our pet that DIDN'T need to be put down! Jerk! read more

Exotic vet Dr Craft in Temecula referred me to Dr. Cecil immediately upon me bringing in my 3 year 5 mo old wild rat, I've had since he was one day old. He had a tumor grow under his chin and ON his tongue almost overnight. I rushed him right to Dr. Cecil in rush hour traffic. He took Xrays and showed me only ONE of Rattatoille's lungs was working ( he's been on three meds for a year and a half due to a respiratory condition). He told me he could remove as much of the tumors on the tongue and under chin, as he could, and send the tumor in for a biopsy to see if cancerous. He kept my little guy over night in oxygen. I went back and made sure he was comfy and surrounded by lots of material to hide in and NOT around a lot of loud, sick other patients ...he called me before and after the surgery the next day, and all was going well. So far, my little guy is doing well, it's been 9 days since the surgery. His regular exotic vet expert, Dr. Bowers at Norco Animal and Bird Hospital was amazed at his great condition when I took him in to her for 3 day post op check up. She said she could NOT do that surgery, no equipment to intubate a rat, or anethesiolgist or the practice of doing it, in the mouth. WE have enjoyed EVERY minute with the little guy I raised from an eyedropper almost four years ago. He was very, very understanding, gentle and patient. He didn't PUSH me to do the surgery and didn't guarantee any certain outcome. BUT this was our only chance of having Rattatoille have more days of quality life on this planet. It's a shame that pets don't all get the medical treatments necessary due to money constraints. It would be horrific if people had to put their children to sleep because they didn't have the money for the life-saving treatment. ( I know elsewhere in the world, this is true). The hospital is very professional, had a pet ambulance outside. KNEW rats inside and out, and didn't make me feel like I was NUTS because I wanted the best, latest and greatest medical care available for my little pet. TO Me his life is as VALUABLE as the rarest white tigers. I don't differentiate on species or colors, etc. A life is a LIFE to me! HE's doing great, had little down time and has recuperated remarkably! read more

Todd R Cecil, DVM, DABVP-Avian - Dr. Cecil will be operating on Rattatoille, my wild rat I've had since he was one day old tomorrow, He's 3 1/2 ! - Veterinarians Near Me - La Mesa, California

Dr. Cecil is one of the best Vets. He has done two different Guinea pig neuterings and one Rabbit spay for me, all with great success. My Rabbit herniated the day after her surgery while still in recovery at the hospital and Dr. Cecil immediately noticed and did a second surgery ASAP to fix her and she is doing great. I trust Dr. Cecil 100% with my animals. Dr. Cecil is great with calling you back with updates or if you have a question. I feel very lucky to have him as a vet. read more

Dr Cecil may be technically competent but his follow up with clients is lacking. I took my critically ill African grey in to be seen on a Sunday night at 6pm. I paid extra for dr Cecil the avian specialist to come in to see the bird. The next day the bird had not improved and after spending 45 min with my bird saying goodbye I arranged for euthanasia . The doctor was supposed to call after he did the necropsy. So after a night of worry I called the doctor in the morning, he apologized HE FORGOT!! He then said he would send out samples for examination and call me probably in 4 weeks. I waited over 4 weeks before again I called him. He told he had tried 2 weeks ago but the call didn't go thru!! It was the correct number but shouldn't he have tried again on another day? How about an email to me to call his office!! His staff were more in tune with a grieving client than he was. read more

Dr. Cecil is amazing with my two birds. I have an African Grey that is scared of everything and he is so gentle and professional with her.

I switched from Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital and I am very pleased with the service of Dr Cecil. He performed an exam for my new parrot and was able to answer to all my questions regarding care, nutrition and housing of my new bird. His assistant did an excellent job while handling the parrot and explained necessary tests that had to be performed to make sure the bird healthy and developing well. I highly recommend Dr. Cecil! read more

I was referred to Dr. Cecil for my 60yr. Old Desert tortoise that had a runny nose...trouble breathing. He showed me how to rinse his nose for an at home treatment instead of coming back several times and paying $25 each time. Also instructed me on how to give him injections of an antibiotic. He was very knowledgeable about these guys and even has a few at home! I am very grateful to have Dr. Cecil as my vet. I have beardies, mice, tortoises, and rats as pets along with my dogs and I know they are safe here and it wont cost me a fortune! read more

I will try this place again, because he's the only person I've found that even knows what ADV is, but my first experience was not pleasant. I brought in a Betta and Bearded Dragon. My dragon was going into brumation for the first time and I wanted to make sure he was all clear before letting him sleep. Everything was good but the price for a fecal test was I believe $72 when at my previous vet it was $50, so seemed a little steep. When we got to my betta though, I was incredibly upset. My betta had a little white film by his eye and small bump on his back, so I wanted to make sure it wasn't an infection or fungus of sorts. He said he wanted to take a swab/sample of the cloudy area and I said okay. He proceeded to take my fish out of his tank, scrape his face with a plastic slide and repeatedly scrape the bump along his spine to if it moved. When he put him back in the water, he sank the bottom of his tank and scales dropped from everywhere. I started sobbing because his fins were clamped and he was breathing heavy just sinking on the bottom. I could tell Dr. Cecil felt very sorry for making me cry, but if he had told me he was going to take him out of the water, I would have said no. They are such fragile little fish and when he finally unfolded his fins, his pectoral fins had holes in them! He also wouldn't use one pectoral fin for a few hours afterwards, so I know he was hurt. It took a week or two for his scales to regrow around his eye where they had been scraped off. More communication was needed. I'm sure this procedure is super mild for larger and sturdier fish, but for these little delicate ones, if it isn't necessary to stress them like that, then maybe don't. The swab came back fine and when we got him back home and put him in tank, he got better, but I was terrified that he would die. My partner was also extremely angry that he was taken out of the water. read more

Last week was my first time visiting this vet! Normally I don't take my snakes and lizards into the vet because I have never really had issues and I always thought it was too expensive. I was very pleased with my experience that when my bearded dragon Sophira started to get sick. Sophira started to show signs of dehydration and lethargic. After attempting care at home, the next day, I knew it was time to bite the bullet on taking her to the vet. My wife called to see if the vet was available and gave some general info over the phone before rushing her to the vet. Upon arriving they took Sophira back immediately while my wife filled out paperwork. To my surprise, even with my own stubbornness of thinking most vets are in it for the money and don't do enough to care for the animals, this vet made sure that everything that could be done was. Unfortunately, Sophira had to be put down because she would not make it through the night and I could not afford the overnight care that the vet offered to provide even though they too did not believe that with 24 hour care she would make it. I greatly appreciate the job done by all of the staff here and their dedication to the animals. They even sent us a card expressing their condolences. Thank you for everything you did for us and for Sophira! read more

Dr. Cecil and his tech were warm, kind and respectful towards me and my bird during our visit. I was impressed with Dr. Cecil's up-to-date knowledge of parrot diseases and treatment options, as well as his gentle and adept handling of my bird during the exam and sampling. He is easy to reach by phone and email, and really knows his stuff! I am so happy that I have found such an amazing veterinarian in San Diego - my bird will only see Dr. Cecil from now on! read more

A+++ Dr. C is great. Always takes the time to explain things and does not charge for unnecessary tests etc. His main priority is the animals. He recently pinned a broken femur in a 100g parrot, the recovery was quick and the surgery was a success....an lemme tell you that is one teeny bone! We take all our birds to him and recommend you do too! :) read more

Dr. Cecil was the first vet I took my very first bunny too. He was knowledgeable and very good about answering my questions.

Dr. Cecil is one of the best small animal vet. We have brought our hamsters and rats to him for the past 16 years at Pet Emergency & Specialty and his past location and know people who take their fish and birds. He is vey helpful and does not push any procedures that aren't needed or may not help. He reviews the medical problem(s) with you and offers options towards treatment. We have been able to speak to him directly on the phone regarding follow-up treatments and the status of our pet's health even a year after the initial visit. The cost of treatment is fair and prices for certain procedures have even been lowered over the past years. read more

Dr. Cecil is amazing! He's always been great with my green cheek conure, Buddy, and I'm SO sad that I'll have to find another vet when I move to a new city this summer. Dr. Cecil has a very calming presence and always handles Buddy so gently (while still managing to get him into whatever position he needs him to be in). Buddy is not a skittish bird, but my mom and I are still blown away by how well he behaves around Dr. Cecil--especially given the circumstances under which he usually sees him. If I ever forget to ask a quick question during my visit, I can email Dr. Cecil afterwards for an answer rather than having to pay another $75 to find out. And what's extra awesome is that he works for an emergency vet, so even if he's not there when Buddy is sick, the staff can reach him by phone (and he will even come in for an extra $200-$300, which I say is WELL worth it if your feathered friend is in danger). I highly recommend Dr. Cecil for all of your avian veterinary needs. read more

I've seen dr. Cecil several times for my rabbit and he is always so sweet and helpful. Anyone who has an exotic vet knows that it's hard to find a good doctor and at a reasonable price. Thankfully, while still expensive because he is a specialist, he is a good doctor at a reasonable price (in the case of exotic animals) read more

Dr. Cecil operated on my guinea pig and removed two ovarian cysts, each the size of about 1.5 golf balls. My guinea pig lost about a third of her weight immediately after the operation. What was noteworthy was that Dr. Cecil operated with the guinea pig in an inclined position. Another veterinarian tried to operate, but aborted after the guinea pig stopped breathing due to the horizontal operating position. I'm so fortunate that I found Dr. Cecil, who showed tremendous care and confidence in his consultation. My little guinea pig is a little over 4 years old now and continues to be in good health. She had the operation 2.5 years ago. read more

my bird died because this doctor was only in it for the money' tried to charge over $1,200 to take off a tumor. and in the end, wrap my birds wing and never told us to change the bandage. therefor her tumor burst and she bled to death. read more

I wanted the best care for my bird so looked for certified avian vet, found Todd Cecil on a web search, checked the Yelp reviews and thought he'd be a good choice. WRONG WRONG WRONG. In 10 years of having pets, I have never encountered a more money grubbing veterinary practice. Just how many appointments does this guy cram into an hour? It's like Kaiser: intake with technician who asks questions to fill in the intake form, Dr Cecil appears with a vet-in-training of some kind (he never bothered to introduce her), looks at my bird for maybe 5 minutes at the very most, takes her in back with the trainee vet (I did not sign up for my pet being training fodder!), returns in 2 minutes, makes ominous pronouncements about liver disease, rattles off a list of tests/treatments to the TECHNICIAN, not to me, and disappears. Tech reappears with the list. When I asked her what the tests/treatments were supposed to accomplish, she replied, with calculator in hand, how much it would cost (many hundreds of dollars). When pressed for answers about the treatment, she could not supply a single informed answer for anything: the possible bacterial infection in question, how it was transmitted, the accuracy of the tests, the efficacy of the treatment proposed, nothing. I regret letting them pressure me into what in the end turned out to be completely uninformative, expensive tests (requiring blood draw) that stressed my bird badly and did absolutely nothing useful for her. Expense aside, what makes me angry is the pointless distress of a useless blood draw to my bird when a cloacal swab would have been more informative (given the blood work revealed nothing), and the pointless anxiety Dr. Cecil induced with all his doom saying to get me to pay for the tests to begin with. What does it matter if Dr. Cecil is a certified avian specialist when the person whom you mostly see, and to whom you have to address your questions when you get there, or on the phone later, is a papably indifferent technician with a 2 year AA degree. Complete the experience with a snarky blonde millennial at the front counter who, after you pay, shoves your prescription and credit card at you with "talk to the hand" rudeness. Amazing? Yes. But not in a good way. read more

It's difficult finding a competent vet for birds. ,This one may know rabbits, etc. but when it came right down to an emergency with a bird, he FAILED. I am no expert, but I have been training and breeding birds for 35 years. When my 14 year old cockatiel developed a large swelling by the vent, I immediately started looking for a specialist. Based on his ad stating "compassionate," I chose this vet. But, what I found was that It's all about how much he can get in the way of $$$$$$$'s. Listening to the options and $1000 plus, he missed the boat. I took her home and found that she was impacted with fecal matter and removed the impaction. To Dr. C -- if you had really done an examination and had seen that there was no fecal matter on the cage paper, as I saw, get a clue! If you really know birds, this would have been a gimme. I thought you may have known more than me. After thanking you for your time and paying your office visit (which you should refund) you left with a "vocal" attitude. Not only poor integrity, but poor manners. To any one reading this, chose another vet. read more

My husband and I have been bringing our non-human family members to PECS to see Dr. Cecil for almost 2 years. We have 4 backyard chickens, 1 California Desert Tortoise and 2 indoor Rabbits. He has been more than accommodating for all of them and demonstrates an intuition and ease with animals which allows for seamless procedures and exams which are low-stress on the animals. He is also very friendly and encourages us to ask questions, which he answers in a way that makes sense and covers the bases. He is also reasonable in prices and only recommends what he thinks we need, and does not pressure us to put in for more than that. I highly recommend him and his staff for your pets' needs! read more

My parrot receives the best of care with Dr Cecil. He has the knowledge and compassion to be tops in his field. I highly recommend him!

We have been rescuing reptiles and taking them to Dr. Cecil for checkups over the past decade. It is obvious that Dr. Cecil owns reptiles of his own and has first-hand knowledge of what it takes to keep them heathy - and exactly what to do when they are not healthy. He has a great way with animals and he will explain his diagnosis and the treatment options clearly in everyday language. He has never, ever let us down. (Thank you Dr. Cecil!) read more

Dr. Cecil is the kindest, most caring exotic vet I've ever found....... how many vets you know get down on the floor to play with your ferrets? Dr. C is extremely knowledgeable & truly cares about your animal. Wonderful manner & compassion. I recommend him all the time.......... read more

I'm very happy with Dr. Cecil and the vet techs at the Pet Emergency and Specialty Center. My two parrots received great care and I really feel that Dr. Cecil took the extra time and effort to make them both more comfortable and address all of my concerns. I have been to another avian vet in San Diego and was extremely unimpressed and looking for someone new - I'm not going back to that one now that I found Dr. Cecil! read more