allCREATURES VETERINARY CLINIC

Dr Otten and his crew are my favorite. I have never loved my vets office so much. They love my dog and are very kind to me and my over protective tendencies with my dear cocker spaniel. They are always very helpful and try to keep my costs low. I adore them. Recommend them to all animal owners. Worthy of hugs and my dear dog. Read Less

This place has the worst service. They are never available for emergencies (during normal hours) and I scheduled an appointment through the website but apparently it doesn't mean anything!!! You have to call. I can't believe it! Read Less

First time here with my cat. Staff was very friendly, the doctor was great. He was very thoughtful and thorough while examining my fur baby. He was also extremely detailed while informing me of his findings. Loved the fact they give a written estimate before anything was done so there was no gasping shock when paying the bill. Highly recommend this place. I felt like they really cared about the animal they treat. Read Less

I've been taking my healthy little dog, Lola to Dr. Otten for several years.  The practice has been more and more focused on making money.  I requested a refill of a chronic ear medication before I was going out of town.  I made her yearly appointment, although a little late, at the end of the month   He refused to refill the med without an appointment.  Ridiculous and bad customer service.  They nickel and dime you like crazy.  I had her teeth cleaned last year and with extractions cost me over a $1000.  I've always paid for necessary services.  This has just gotten ridiculous.  I'm going to another local vet. Read Less

They are the best veterinary clinic that I have ever had the pleasure of having my dog cared for. Dr. Often knows his stuff. The staff are friendly and really do care for your pets. I would recommend them for the care of your pets. Read Less

The absolute best of the best. They take care of our whole zoo- dogs, birds, Guinea pig, cat with such expertise and love. I've been working with and living with animals in the east bay my whole life. I've been to just about every vet in the area. You won't find anyone that even comes close. Seriously - the best. Don't know what we would do without them!! Read Less

All Creatures has a nice feel to it, the vet techs are nice and appear to know what they are doing. The vet I visited (Dr. Chan) was knowledgeable, though I get the impression they are focused on selling additional services. She advised that I really should get a number of vaccines for my dog, for which I did not see any value. Moreover, she went through an extended description of a dental procedure that she described almost as inevitable, which would require general anesthesia. I later found out that they specialize in this procedure, and it seems like a healthy revenue stream for them. Selling me on additional services is fine, even if with a slightly aggressive tone. The pricing for their check-up ($60) and the vaccines were normal, and my dog had no issues following. At the conclusion of the visit, I ordered Heatgard, as I generally do, from a reputable online retailer (1800-Petmeds). I was then contacted by the vet that they did not provide prescriptions to online retailers, but they would match any price. I then insisted they send me the prescription, which I could then send on to the retailer. Your performance may vary, but given all of the choices, including the less expensive Petco option, their approach did not impress me. Read Less

I had to wait a long time before being seen and then the vet didn't really hear me he just decided he would do a certain treatment on my dog when I told him what really works for my dog . He also quoted me $1500 at first. This is a lot of money . He acted like this was nothing to spend on a dog. Read Less

Recommended to Dr. Otten by SAGE for after-care of our two dachshunds. Dr. Otten is kind, knowledgeable, and explains things clearly.  He does not recommend unnecessary tests or procedures, which made a nice change from other vets in the area. The staff is friendly and, there is plenty of parking in the back of the building. Read Less

They have the most caring, gentle staff! And Dr Otten is just the best. Very knowledgeable and also honest about his concerns, and very kind to both creature and caretaker (pet owner). We miss him a lot now that we've moved! Read Less

I feel extremely powerless and saddened by my experience with Dr. Otten. I've been bringing my pet, Brooklyn, to Dr. Otten for the past several months believing that Dr. Otten was a solid veterinarian with reasonable pricing. (I was recommended by another vet) I brought my dog in and was told that he had a staph infection on his skin thay would be cleared up by taking several pills and using an antibacterial shampoo that Dr. Otten provided me. I paid almost $400 dollars for this visit that also included treatment for an ear infection.I went home and followed his orders diligently and gave him his pills daily and washed him with the medicinal shampoo once a week, fast forward and my bf went in to take Brooklyn to his follow up appt. a few weeks later without me. When he came back I noticed pretty quickly that dr. Otten sold him another antibacterial shampoo when he just sold me one on the last visit about 3 weeks ago and charged him another $250 for the follow up appt. I though that this was pretty shady since these shampoos are not cheap and why were we getting charged so much for a follow up?. We waited again and about a month later I noticed that my dogs skin wasn't getting worse or better it was just persistent so, my bf took him back again and this time Dr. Otten gave him some more meds and charged him anoth amount close to $300. This was on may 3rd. Today, may 18th, i was giving my dog a bath when i noticed that he had some nasty red marks on his skin right by his nose. This made sense since my dog has been withdrawn and staying in this little cubicle behind the bathroom door, something he does when he is not feeling good. Needless to say, its a very hard thing to watch your dog suffer especially when you've spent your very hard earned dollars to insure that he does not have to suffer. Afterwards i called Dr. Otten's office and explained my situation to a woman who told me that the Dr was out for lunch and they'd call when he got back, this was around 1pm. At atound 4:30pm i call back the office bc i never got a call back about my dog which is a patient of his. When Dr. Otten got on the phone with me, before i even had a chance to explain myself fully about why I was calling Dr. Otten proceeded to raise his voice, become very defensive and was clearly uninterested in listening to me and helping me sort out what was going on with my dog. I was bewildered bc he is usually very nice and accomodating when you are in his office for an appt. He made me feel like i was unworthy of his time bc i wasnt going to be handing him my credit card after this interaction. First he told me that after i initially brought him in he never came for his follow up appt. and thats the reason his condition is persisting. Naturally i interjected to remind him indeed my bf did bring him in for a follow up appt which was the time he was sold another shampoo. So he denied this again until a few seconds later when he realized that we did bring him in for a follow up and admitted it to me. I asked for an apology bc a few seconds ago he was yelling that we didnt bring him in bc he can see everything on his computer. He refused to acknowledge his mistake an continued to not take any responsibility by blaming it on me for not bringing him in for the follow up to his follow up appt. Are you kidding me?? Money doesnt grow on trees and i dont have the luxury to pay for two follow up appointments. First it was that he didnt come for a follow up at all and when he realized that I'm aware of how many times my dog has been there even though its not me bringing him in he changed his excuse. The whole time i kept telling him that I was amazed by his tone and approach on the phone with me. He kept telling me not to interrupt him but i was the one with the issue but he was doing all the talking and was more interested in avoiding blame than making sure that my dog would eventually get the treatment he needs and be okay. I dont know if i called during a bad time or if this is how he deals with clients displeased with his service. Eventually he said that i need to take my dog to a specialist bc he doesn't know what could be wrong with Brooklyn. I paid almost $1000 dollars after he led me to believe that he was giving my dog the right treatment. Now I'm short on cash and need to wait before i can take my dog to another specialist. It just really sucks when you trust a professional and they end up taking your money, not delivering and then treat you like shit when you state your grievance instead of helping you resolve the problem. I wish i had the opportunity to record the conversation but honestly i had no idea this is how Dr. Otten would treat his patient and myself. In the end after he told me to go to a specialist bc he didnt know what else to do i called him an asshole and he hung up on me. Thanks Dr. Otten for treating my dog and i like shit. Read Less

This clinic provides care that feels personal, genuine, and caring. There is always a knowledgable person answering the phones at the clinic. Dr. Otten provides thoughtful advice and treatments, and had the best bedside manner when it was time to say goodbye to our dear old kitty. If you want quality care for your pet, you are missing out if you don't go to allCREATURES! Read Less

The staff at All Creatures is wonderful!! We brought our rescue dog to them and the dog was pretty badly beaten up. The staff was kind to him, Doctors Otten and Chan were wonderfully kind to us and to our dog and thanks to their expertise and care, the dog is now in wonderful shape and as happy as can be. Many thanks to all of the folks at All Creatures! Read Less

We've been seeing Dr. Otten since we first adopted our little tripod schnauzer mix 3 years ago. We recently also started seeing Dr. Chan after she joined the All Creatures team. Both doctors are extremely knowledgeable, caring and honest and they will never recommend a procedure that is not needed for your pet. They just genuinely want to see your pet happy and healthy The whole staff there is friendly:) I highly recommend taking your pets here! Read Less

This is by far the best veterinarian I have ever used. My cat and my family have loved every visit we have had! The staff are extremely profession and very family orientated. The vet himself is fantastic, very gentle and provides the best care ethically, emotionally and financially. I am so happy to have them as my pet care. I would highly, highly recommend.Read Less

Dr. Otten and his staff took fantastic care of my sweet kitty during her senior years.  They always treated her (and me!) with warmth and dignity.  As Molly Jean aged and developed health issues, Dr. Otten approached her treatments wisely and conservatively.   He used the most advanced and current treatments in the field, but never over-treated.  He always called me promptly with her test results and provided an in-depth, easy to understand analysis of them.  He and his staff were always professional and courteous.  I firmly believe that Molly Jean's senior years were made all the more "golden" because of the care she received at All Creatures! Read Less

(No one is perfect, so All Creatures gets 4 stars.) Dr. Ben has looked after our cats and dogs for the last seven years or so. His vet techs are fine, and the office staff pretty well organized and getting better; I've noticed that we spend less time in the waiting room these days. Dr. Ben himself is knowledgeable and pleasant, and gentle with our animals. I think his treatment pricing is fair for the Bay Area, although I've noted that it's much cheaper to buy supplements and flea stuff through the on-line store he recommends than to get them at All Creatures. On the other hand, Ben doesn't throw expensive procedures at every symptom, as our previous vet did, and he explains treatment options carefully, giving estimates verbally and on paper. When our much-loved aging dog was diagnosed with bladder cancer, Ben and his staff took good, noninvasive care of her and, after we decided on euthanasia, sent us flowers and a donation to the U.C. Davis vet school in her memory. (Our senior cat receives an Internet birthday card every year, a nice touch that I'm sure she appreciates.) Read Less

After much research and several false starts we found that this was the one place in the bay area we could go to have our aging but still otherwise vibrant Chinchilla's teeth worked on. And it was close by to boot. He did a great job, charged very little, and even gave us the weird little chinchilla teeth trimmings in a little glass tube. A very good vet experience and we have had many as we have had quite a few ordinary and exotic pets. I would recommend highly for any pet but especially for small fuzzy ones that others are not up to dealing with.Read Less

Dr. Otten has been our Vet for about five years with three different cats. He and his staff have provided loving care to our pets and has been very cost-conscious in the process. When one of our cats was hit by a car, he donated money on the animals behalf to University of California, Davis Vet school. An exceptional gesture for one pet out of many that he saw daily. Read Less

We are really happy at All Creatures! I found Dr. Otten after one of my cats had a series of weird and complicated health issues that other vets seemed to consistently make worse. We finally found relief with Dr. Otten, who was thoughtful not only about our cat's needs, but also about what I could actually do for my cat. Read Less

This place is great. Dr. Chan really knows what she's doing, cares about your pet, and is thorough. I've taken my dog to over 6 different vets in his 7 years and found that most places see your pet as a dollar sign. The facilities are small, but the quality of service is exceptional. Not the cheapest place, but they definitely don't try to nickel and dime you. It's totally worth it. Read Less

Went in for my bearded dragon and they gave him medicine and took stool samples and said I would get results by that Friday (4 days later). I didn't get a call or e-mail and I had to call myself after another week of waiting and they told me my results and said a DR. would call me back and that was over a week ago. Read Less

Very nice and friendly staff was very careful and cautious handling our hamster. (The suggested $600 surgery on her was probably a little overboard...) Instructions on how to give the medicine was also thoroughly done to us. When I called in we got an appointment the next day and we didn't have to wait too long in the waiting area - which is soo fun! There are literally ALL CREATURES coming in. Read Less

Ben is really the most kind and amazing Vet. He helped me put my dear sweet cat down after 18 long great years--it was horribly sad but he was so helpful and caring. I am finally ready for a new animal and I'll be happy to care for him here! Thank you!!! Read Less

I just wanted to get my pet's nails trimmed, but they said they couldn't do that simple procedure without a full physical exam. All told, I would've been out about $100. I found another place that waived the exam fee and charged only $17 for the trim. A much better deal! Read Less

Dr. Otten and his staff have been wonderful in the treatment of my older cat. The technicians are nothing short of  kind and caring individuals.  Dr. Otten has very good people skills and I felt that all my concerns were being addressed to my satisfaction.  I would highly recommend this vet clinic. Read Less

I just switched my cat's care from VCA to All Creatures. At our previous vets office I felt as though I was always being manipulated or sold on unnecessary product/services. Dr. Otten and his staff handled the care of my very difficult cat with a now chronic condition with care and respect. Reasonable treatment plans were offered and the decision was left in our hands. Everyone we interacted with there was very kind. I would recommend this vet clinic. Read Less

I echo another reviewer who described Dr. Otten's practice as "clean and minimalist."  As a horse owner for over 40 years, I have noticed a distinct difference between small and large animal practices.  While a vet may have to possess better "people skills" when dealing with household pets, that doesn't necessarily translate into better, or more compassionate, care for the animal itself.  In large animal practices, vets and owners are acutely aware of the cost/benefit of any treatment modality.  We have to be.  We are also around death more than those with just companion animals, either our own horses or another's in a training barn.  Recently, I had to bring in one of my cats for a UTI.  In terrible discomfort, she didn't respond to the initial round of treatment so I had to return her for more diagnostics.  She is a difficult animal to handle due to neurological problems associated with being exposed to Parvo Virus en utero.  Dr. Otten was marvelous.  He understood my limitations with regard to treatment options, etc., due to my cat's skittish nature.  He was supportive of my position on euthanasia if this infection didn't resolve in another week or two.  He did not try and convince me to "do whatever it takes"With costs already over $500, Dr. Otten also discounted items without any prompting from me at all.  His understanding, and sensitivity to his clients' financial considerations is not something I've encountered before, and it was much appreciated.In closing, Dr. Otten is one of those rare individuals with a small animal practice who displays a pragmatism toward realistic treatment options while, at the same time, always putting the animal's best interests first.  I can honestly say he understands animals and is a true advocate for the alleviation of pain and suffering.  He is a true "patient advocate." Read Less

On my other yelp account I gave this place a good review, but I shouldn't have. The first time I took my bearded dragon here, Dr. Otten flipped him on his back for a long time. Bearded dragon's lungs collapse when they're flipped over on their backs and they can't breathe. I had to tell him not to do that. He wasn't just checking his stomach or anything, that's how he was holding him.I rushed my bearded dragon here on a separate occasion because he wasn't breathing and this is the closest reptile vet. His time was obviously limited, he was very fragile and in pain. Dr. Otten was very rough with my dragon despite the fact he was in terrible shape. It was very unnecessary. I decided to put my bearded dragon to rest, I was a mess just like anyone else would be when putting a friend down. When I was getting ready to leave the receptionist says "I'm sorry about your uhm... uhh.... *long pause*" and I had to tell her that it was a bearded dragon she replied with "oh". It might not seem like a big deal, but they were being very rude. I don't like the way they handled my pet and I don't like their attitudes. I have yet to find a good reptile vet, but please do not take your reptile here. This place may be okay for dogs and cats but exotics are obviously not their specialty. On a side note, there was one lady of the staff who was nice. I think she might have been an assistant. She was very polite and assured me that they were going to do the procedure quickly and he wouldn't feel pain anymore. Read Less

First impressions are lasting. I was incredibly excited to go here because of the rave reviews so I stopped by the office to make an appointment. However, the receptionist was completely clueless. I asked her standard questions, like if my pet still needed to see the doctor for his shots weeks after his first appointment with the vet (usually an office visit will be valid for up to a year). She couldn't answer the question and had to get up to go ask someone else who knew the answer. Then the doctor came out from behind and didn't even bother introducing himself as we made eye contact. I'm almost positive he knew that I was the person asking the questions since no one else was in the office at that time.The receptionist may not be seeing my puppy but she is reflection of the practice and if she can't answer standard questions, how can I trust this practice with the best care for my pet? Read Less