Cotati Small Animal Hospital

I have been a fan of these guys for almost 3 decades.  I have story after story of them that shows their heart is all about the animals.  I'll stick to two - the first one seems sad, but imagine you are me.  My cat was sick, and I knew it was time. My husband took him in, and all fears confirmed. I got stuck at work late, of course! And then traffic, of course! Dr. Cook and one tech waited for me.  Just so I could say good bye. Just so I could be with him.  He had gotten me thru so much in his 15 years - I wanted to see him through this. I got there late, I held and hugged and kissed my boy. That was a gift that not every vet would have given me.  It meant absolutely everything to me! My second story is of a lighter note. I was there with my dog, and they had a kitten they were bottle feeding back to life.  She had been found in a ditch and brought to them.  They had named her Slappy because the kitten got so excited when she saw her bottle, she would slap it trying to make it come out faster!  I fell in love. I brought my pre-teen boys in to meet slappy, and a tech discussed what it meant to take her - feedings every 3-4 hours etc.  The vet talked with them about how generous they were, and also that her life expectancy may be compromised because of her start.  That was 2009, and Slappy was re-named Xena... (the warrior princess), and she still runs the house. She started her reign weighing in at a grand 9 oz.! The time they took with my boys made them better pet owners, and better men. I know that seems extreme, but I watched it.  Until you've seen your 13 year old son set his alarm clock to feed the kitten, you have not seen miracles! So - through death and life - this vet has my loyalty!   Every staff member is there because they love animals. Read Less

I needed a same day appointment for my elderly cat. They were lovely in accommodating me. The techs and vet were thorough and sweet with my old man. Gave me clear instructions and the cost was reasonable. Read Less

If you are looking for a good old fashion Vet Dr. Cook is your Vet!  I was introduced to Dr. Cook by my daughter who raved about her Vet.  I live in Novato so the drive at almost anytime of day is long due to traffic. But he and his staff are so worth it!  They truly care about your pet not just your wallet.  Dr. Cook does not talk down to you when explaining what is going on with your family member.  He is very caring and careful.  It was the best experience with a Veterinarian and his staff I have had in years!  I have worked in the field of Veterinary medicine and highly recommend this Doctor and his staff. Read Less

Dr. Cook is wonderful and the staff is friendly and helpful!  We have a very sweet, elderly dog, so we see Dr. Cook fairly often as you can see by how many check ins I have.  Berry, our Sheltie, has arthritis , so we get his medicine here.  He has had his teeth cleaned and toenails clipped.  He had a strange abscess on his side, we were sent to another vet hospital for a scan, then returned to Dr. Cook for the follow up care.  The office called to check almost daily to see how Berry was faring, with the draining wound and antibiotics.  Dr. Cook does not do procedures needlessly, if time will help, then time is given rather than an expensive procedure!  We really appreciate that!  The younger vets at other offices seem to have a really different attitude, " let's do something, so we can collect more $$$"!  Thank you, Dr. Cook and staff! Read Less

Recently moved near this vet and my neighbors go here so I thought I would try it out. I have a serious pet peeve when it comes to vets making you wait for your appointment. It seems like no matter what time your appointment is, you end up waiting an extra hr. I understand to a point, but over an hr and I get slightly miffed. I actually spent close to 2 hrs waiting at this vet the other day and that is just too long. After the long wait, my cat recieved care. Honestly, I just don't like the way this guy cares for animals. He's not a bad guy, but doesn't have the love a vet should have. H the shot he gave my cat went into the skin and out the other side, he then squirted the medicine onto the exam table and said "your all set"  I had to tell him it didn't make it into my cat...so sorry, well do it again he said....i didn't leave with a good feeling about this place or this vet....try animal hospital of Sebastopol Read Less

I've been looking for a new vet in the area and I got a recommendation to see Dr Cook.  Well I'm very impressed with Dr Cook and his staff.  From the moment I arrived I felt welcomed and so does my dog.  I have an older pug with health issues and Dr Cook is very compassionate and explains everything to me!  If you are looking for a vet check them out!! Read Less

I have been to this office three times now. The first time when we had to euthanize our cat and which time the Vet at that time was excellent. Sensitive and caring.  Second time to board another cat of ours who has diabetes and is partially blind. That boarding visit went well. This recent visit to them to board our cat didn't go as well as we had hoped and we are very disappointed. We are paying them to board our cat and to boot paying a Vet tech or the Vet to give her insulin injections twice a day.  We boarded her as we were out of town and we received a phone call from the Vet the next day that he/she couldn't give her the injection she needed. She was hissing at them. Surprising to us to say the least! So, she went without her insulin a few times of which is not something I would recommend doing. Vets are used to dealing with difficult animals for Pete sake and so are the Vet techs!! They shouldn't have had any problems!! I truly think that they just left her in her cage "ignored" and this made her become unhappy and snippy.  They told me the last time that they let her out of her cage to walk around.  Well, I don't think this was the case this visit.  I was fully charged for the visit of which they should have deducted the cost to inject. We provide them with the syringes, of course her insulin, her bed and food.  I know many of you visit this Veterinary office and like the Veterinarians that work there. As I explained I liked one of the Vets there, a female but cannot recall her name.  The staff is okay, there are some friendly people and there are some not so friendly people working there that have bothered me. The first two times I just ignored her lack of customer service.  Since bringing her home she's been "angry" doesn't want to be in her bed in her cage.  She was most happy being outside today up until this evening.  I feel badly for her and hope that she will calm down. I am concerned about what occurred to her while in there care.  The last time she came home and was calm. Happy to be at home, not snippy and angry.  I did not even get an explanation from the Vet, or the staff and not even an apology!  I know many of you may go to this veterinarian office and like it there and I'm sure there are a few of you that have had to have a problem at one time or another. I have a regular vet and he doesn't over charge where I feel this office does. My vet is fair and is willing to work with you in regards to financial payment arrangements. He will do anything to make things easier for you especially the cost of medications etc... The only thing my vet does not do is board animals.  So, this is how I came to bring my cat to this office. And since they were so sympathetic and helpful the time we had to bring in our sick cat to be euthanized as I said in the first paragraph I felt they would do a good job boarding our other cat.  I am torn now about returning. Read Less

Dr. Cook is one of the most personable vets I have encountered. He is great with my babies (dogs) and with me. He personally calls to talk to owners, which is a rare thing these days. I have worked in the field of veterinary medicine, and would highly recommend Dr. Cook. Read Less

I have been bringing my animals here (two dogs and four cats) for several years now after trying 1/2 dozen other vets in the Petaluma/Cotati area. From day one I have been continuously impressed with Dr. Cook and his staff. They are consistently friendly and professional and their fees are very reasonable. I love my animals tremendously and Dr. Cook has helped in emergencies as well as the day to day exams. What I like best is that he always takes time to explain the options when my animals are ill yet has never pressured me to take extreme measures of care nor made me feel guilty for not spending thousands of dollars to extend the life of a geriatric pet.If you are looking for an experienced, caring vet with a "quality of life" approach to pet care this is a great place for you and your furry children. Read Less

I took my dog here today because he didn't eat last night and was acting like he needed to go to the bathroom but couldn't. I showed up without an appointment. I was greeted with, "And who is this?"  Me, "This is Dusty, he's not feeling well."  Clerk, "Hmm I don't see a Dusty on the appointments so we can't see him" Me, "Ok" Clerk, "But we can see him in an hour if you want to make an appointment".... Me, "Sure thanks!"  I felt the approach to seeing my dog in an hour was a little odd, and full of attitude. This was just the beginning of doom. An hour later I bring dusty back and I greeted kindly by the clerk and then the vet. The Dr. did his exam and we concluded Dusty was having urinary difficulty and we discussed what to do next and how much it would cost. We decided he better put Dusty under and use a catheter to clear the tract and that he would most likely dislodge the stone fixing the problem. This was going to cost about $600, and I would pick Dusty up in a couple hours.I get a phone call an hour later explaining Dusty has stones in his blatter and more than likely needed surgery TO SURVIVE. I inquired about when we could do this and the Dr. replied that I should take Dusty to the VCA clinic for an ultra sound and surgery. I asked about how much that would cost and he replied "around $3000."! He told me I could pick up Dusty in a couple hours. I hung up the phone in a whirl wind of emotions. Is my dog gonna die? Can I afford this? is my dog worth this? Why do I have to take him somewhere else?.....I called around and was basically told they would have to do to Dusty everything I had just paid for again prior to Surgery. I learned that Vets love that initial consultation and exam... It's $600 !!! Don't wanna lose that! So that got me wondering why the Dr. was directing me away, I just wanted to keep my dog where he started off. I called the Dr. and he simply explained it was Friday and too short of notice for a surgery, that he was capable but just couldn't do it today. That is understandable.What I don't understand is why he didn't just tell me that from the get go. During the exam before the catheter and xrays. He knew then what was going on, but failed to express high likelihood of surgery within 24 to 48 hrs just to keep my dog alive. This wasted valuable time for me. I was now confronted with a $600 bill and my dog not one bit better than when I took him in. I asked for the xrays to provide the next vet. They weren't there.... They were out being made digital at the VCA clinic and wouldn't be available till the next day.. I offered to go pick up the physical copies myself and explained this whole thing was time sensitive wasn't it????? They agreed but requested I returned them because they were not my property but theirs.... Are you kidding me? My dog is ill and you just told me he might die if I he doesn't see a vet right away even though I'm standing in a clinic and just handed you $600 to get my dog back with advise to get him helped elsewhere.Now I'm faced with finding another vet with fear they will all do this to me. My guard is up and I'm sad, scared, and angry. This is how I left here today. My dog is scheduled for surgery tomorrow and a different vet who I had to beg to give me a free exam . FunAll I needed was honesty. They wanted a few bucks, so they inconvenienced me by starting a job they knew they couldn't finish. If you go here, you may want to confirm how committed they are to you. Read Less

Dr. Cook handled the care and treatment of my cat very well and with utmost professionalism, as well as reasonable pricing.  I especially appreciated his personal touch and conscientiousness upon greeting me and my cat as new patients at his office; a veterinary practice that he took over from the previous vet, Dr. Groverman... a "veteran" vet who previously presided at Cotati Small Animal Hospital for over 25 years +.   Dr. Cook called me the night before my cats dental cleaning and surgery and confirmed the anesthesia protocol and treatment.  I give five stars for excellent service and care.  I needed extra reassurance that my cats medical records were accurate for this surgery, and Dr. Cook's personal touch mattered to me.  I witnessed him doing the same with other patients and their humans within the waiting room.  Vicki, Kathy, and other staff members, who I'm sorry I do not have their names, were all equally great in the care and customer relations department.  Thanks to all of you. Read Less

My English Pointer had the misfortune of inhaling a foxtail that lodged in his sinus cavity. I had never been to this clinic before and called on the advice of a friend and they got us right in. The vet was kind, patient and gentle. The staff warm and friendly. The vet removed the foxtail and checked his ears- yep! another foxtail. Since he was out the vet tech trimmed his toenails as well and the removed a growth on his neck and removed some skin lesions. Not only was dog fixed up great- the bill was more than reasonable. I highly recommend this practice.Read Less