Santa Fe Animal Clinic

In the 30+ years that I have been taking our four legged family members to the vet I have never experienced anything like the genuine loving care, excellent medical treatment, and caring communication provided by the Santa Fe Animal Clinic staff. I had not read any reviews before going in on an emergency basis one Saturday for my sweet 14 yr old cat Cuddles but a good friend recommended Santa Fe Animal Clinic and that was enough for me. Cuddles was near death and Dr. Gee brought him back to life. It didn't matter that this was Saturday afternoon, and a busy afternoon at that, Dr. Gee and the team performed emergency surgery and Cuddles was a new cat almost immediately. Dr. Tanaka treated Cuddles subsequently, he was equally as amazing and helped to address some serious behavior issues that arose from Cuddles being away from his sister Socks (who became aggressive after Cuddles returned home). Several weeks later Socks became quite ill and despite growling ferociously (have you ever heard a cat growl? It's scary!) at Dr. Gee and the team, was treated successfully and returned home better than before. Both Dr. Tanaka and Dr. Gee call regularly to follow up and check on Socks and Cuddles, and I am glad to say that we have found a new veterinary "home." Every step of the way both DVMs kept me apprised as to cost; they honored and respected my wishes in terms of next steps and what was or was not financially feasible. The location is so convenient, the Saturday hours are a lifesaver, and the responsiveness of both Dr. Tanaka and Dr. Gee and their entire team is fantastic. The staff I have met so far, Emily, Ryan, Boris and Shannon, are amazing, and we couldn't be more pleased. Read Less

Dr. Tanaka is very caring and nice. Even called to follow up on Sophie's status. Not the closest vet to me by far and it requires driving in heavy traffic on the 5, but I'm so happy with him, his staff and the care and concern, it's worth the drive. Read Less

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 Less

Took a stray cat here for a neuter and it was only $55. The staff was incredibly helpful, professional and caring. You can tell Dr. Tanaka truly has a love for animals and is just as interested in their emotional well being as he is their physical. He talked to me extensively about my stray and gave me really good tips and advice.  I will definitely be coming back here as my expectations for a vet were exceeded! Read Less

I have been bringing my 12-year-old dog to see Dr. Tanaka for about 2 years and he is awesome!  He takes great care of her, and the thing I appreciate most is that Dr. Tanaka is honest about what procedures and products my dog needs and doesn't need. He is not pushy at all (I've had bad experiences in the past with other vets). The staff has always been very nice too. I highly recommend Dr. Tanaka and his office! Read Less

I have never written a review on Yelp before, but I had to share my experience with this vet. I need to start by saying I have been to at least 5 different vets within this area and every experience has been disappointing until I walked into this establishment. Dr. Tanaka is by far the best vet, but more importantly one of the kindest human beings I have ever met. My dog was horribly sick and he took time out of his busy Sunday with his family to meet me to help my dog. Did I also forget to mention that his wife is pregnant, talk about going above and beyond! The staff is also extremely kind and helpful. I know we all love our pets as they are our children, so trust me when I say this is simply the best vet in North County. Words cannot express how grateful I am to Dr. Tanaka. I highly, highly recommend him, if you are looking for a honest, kind vet please contact him. If I could I would give this vet 10 stars! Read Less

When it comes to our dog/child, it's hard to earn our trust and ease his anxiety, but Dr. Tenaka and his staff have earned our every confidence in caring for our dog. Super thorough, knowledgable, and friendly, we all felt comfortable knowing he was receiving exceptional care. Sante Fe Animal Clinic will always be our first choice for our dogs health. Read Less

Had quite the scare tonight! Had to take katana in for emergency surgery!!! When I saw she was sick I knew just the person to take her to. Called Dr.Tanaka at Santa Fe Animal Clinic in Encinitas. They waited for me because of course it didn't happen until 4 pm on Friday night. The hospital closes at 5 pm. I pulled into the parking lot at 5:05. The staff was so caring and concerned. Dr tanaka knew exactly what to do and stayed after hours to perform emergency surgery. This is her 45 mins later. Waking up a bit dazed but doing good!!! I can't thank you enough Dr. T and all the staff at Santa Fe Animal Clinic. To all my friends in the north county area dr t is the best and you absolutely must take your four legged kids to see him. Read Less

I can not begin to express how amazing the service and care that not only Dr. Tenaka and his staff showed my dog for a simple teeth cleaning and removal of a benign lump on his chest.  My "Doberman" has very bad separation anxiety and so he cried the whole time he was in the kennel.  His staff was very understanding and went above and beyond to ensure is comfort during the time he had to recover.  I will always go back to Santa Fe Animal Clinic and will always recommend this vet to all of my family and friends.  It is worth the drive to me from San Carlos area.  Thank you again Dr. Tenaka and your staff. Read Less

Had quite the scare tonight! Had to take my pittie, katana in for an emergency!!! When I saw she was sick I knew just the person to take her to. Called Dr.Tanaka at Santa Fe Animal Clinic in Encinitas. They waited for me because of course it didn't happen until 4 pm on Friday night. The hospital closes at 5 pm. I pulled into the parking lot at 5:05. The staff was so caring and concerned. Dr tanaka knew exactly what to do and stayed after hours to perform emergency surgery.  I can't thank Dr. T and all the staff at Santa Fe Animal Clinic enough. To all in the north county area dr T is the best and you absolutely must take your four legged kids to see him. Highly recommended. Read Less

My dog had surgery here last Thursday, July 30 for her teeth.  The staff was very friendly and helpful.  Our vet was Dr. Tanaka.  He was very friendly, professional and most importantly put our family at ease with the details of the surgery.   He removed 5 teeth because of the extent of our dogs tooth decay.  She is a happy camper now and would highly recommend Dr. Tanaka. Read Less

My labrador, Duke, developed terrible allergies and Dr. Gee fixed Duke in one visit after several vets couldn't. Duke had chewed at his skin and was miserable. Dr. Gee was very reasonably priced for his service on top of being highly skilled. I got my dog back!!! Thank you Santa Fe Animal clinic!!b Read Less

Thy operated on the wrong leg, another time they called and said she needed medication so drove to pickup, I then get a call that he doesn't need it. I point calmly out that I just picked it up. Then they go off on me on how they have so many patients they are so stressed and it's impossible to keep track of everything. WTFCan't keep track of, what patient needs medication and which one doesn't. And then instead of apologizing saying I should find another vet if I'm gonna have so high expectations!You got to be kidding me. Almost everytime we go something happens. We actually laugh about it. But this is unacceptable!!We very much like Dr.Gee. But the staff is terrible (not all)  and how he handled this is disappointing. Read Less

Dr Gee is the best vet! Been bringing Stella here for 8 years. He is spot on with his diagnosis and doesn't gouge his clients with unnecessary tests. Prices are reasonable and he cares about each animal he cares for. Read Less

Dr. Gee and Dr. Tenaka most likely saved my puppy's life when he was critically ill. The staff are genuinely helpful and caring about my animals. I highly recommend Santa Fe animal hospital to all my friends looking for a great vet referral. I've been using them for the past three years and get great care and service.Read Less

I have been using Dr Gee for several years. I have to say I think it's time for him to retire. Office staff is a jumbled mess. Dr Gee himself seems very scattered. Seems like he doesn't want to take the time or truly cares beyond how much he charges Worst of all he misdiagnosed my pet's condition as congestive heart failure! When I ask questions as to how he determined that, he literally said to me " I think we're finished here " So obvious he was too rushed to be through. So sad and very scary. All Pets Hospital is the place to go !! Read Less

Deciding to change Veterinarians is a heavy decision...but thankfully in my case an excellent one!  My dog was suddenly having allergy problems.  Constantly scratching...I didn't think it was fleas...but weeks of her scratching at her eyes and making the area around it nearly raw, I realized I needed help.  The vet I was using recently moved...so I decided to search Yelp.  I read the reviews on this clinic and made an appointment.  What a GEM Dr. Gee is.  He was like the "Dog Whisperer" down on the ground checking my dog, trying to figure out the problem.  After almost 20 minutes, he tells me he doesn't see any flea problems and that he feel that I most likely need to clean my carpets (and actually I really do!)  He prescribed some medicine and 3 days later she is almost a new dog.  Thank you Dr. Gee for your talent! Read Less

We have been taking our French Bulldogs and various cats to Dr. Gee and Dr. Tanaka for years and we are very happy with the quality of care they offer. The staff is friendly and reassuring and the Dr's really seem to be thoughtful in their diagnoses and plotting their course of action. We feel that they make their decisions truly based upon the welfare of the animals and don't up sell, over prescribe or recommend unnecessary expensive surgery.It is difficult for me to say categorically because I have limited frame of reference but we feel the prices we pay are reasonable and in line with vet clinic norms.Dr. Gee may perhaps be a little misunderstood because his social skills are a little awkward at times but once you get to know him it is clear that he truly cares about the animals that we all put in his care.We have no reservations in recommending Santa Fe Animal Clinic. Read Less

These guys are awesome! Offered to spay my stray cat for 70$ and got her in in 24 hrs after another Vet ( Sandy Paws in Carlsbad said she was in heat and wanted $400 to spay her) When they checked her out they found out she was already spayed and most defiantly NOT in heat. Read Less

I was underwhelmed by most aspects of this animal clinic.  I feel like the front end staff are very disorganized (kind, but disorganized).  In two situations where I needed a copy of my pets medical records faxed, they ignored the initial requests and I had to call back two then three times.  The one time I had to call Dr. Gee to ask for immediate guidance in an emergency situation when I was out of town I was told he'd call right back... six months later he apologized for not calling back.  Meanwhile I rushed her to an emergency vet in Chicago, but having her vet involved (or even giving the slightest inclination that he cared) would have made that tough situation a little better.  Wellness checks are not thorough at all and are pricey for the limited effort put into them.  I agree with Anita P.  My current vet looks in my dogs ears, eyes, checks her breathing, heart rate, tongue, teeth, weight, temp etc.... Dr. Gee did her temp once, but never again after that... his staff weighs her and he just kinda looks her over in a matter of seconds.  It all feels very hurried. Also, Dr. Gee said my dog's luxating patella was a level one and there was no need to intervene... my dog's new veterinarian found the knee cap in such a condition that it would not pop back into the groove (level 4).  This was when I sought a second opinion (less than a week later, mind you) because my dog was clearly in pain and limping.  At Dr. Gee's office a vet tech called him out to look at her limping after her check up where she was deemed okay (without him even touching her hurt knee) and he just let me know that that was normal and he knee cap would pop back in.  We are having her surgery this coming week, thanks to the new vet- sadly, she has been suffering since her first appointment with Dr. Gee well over a year ago.  I'm glad I got a second opinion.   I give two stars instead of one for the kindness of the vet techs and the nice lady working at the desk who tried to get Dr. Gee to give my girl a second look.   But for all of the above reasons and many more, I cannot recommend this veterinarian. Read Less

I cannot speak for this office regarding serious, life threatening issues, only with general appointments however, we will no longer be using this clinic because they overcharge for appointments, and seem to have an incompetent office staff.The last time my dog needed his annual exam and vaccinations. Dr. Gee listened to his heart, touched him once and pronounced him "fine". I was charged $65, plus charges for the vaccinations.. The office staff is not very courteous, always seem disorganized, and the techs are doing internships--which is fine, except we've never had one who knows what they're doing. They are uncomfortable with my (very nice) dog and kept running back to ask the manager what to do. We have been to this office 5 times and have had the same experience each time. Dr. Gee never spoke to me, instead he spoke to the dog, which would be fine if he said anything of substance. The dog isn't paying, I am.Last thought. Our rat was having uncontrolled seizures as well as a respiratory infection. She was 3 years old and obviously at the end of her life.Instead of being nice and helping with the euthanasia, they wanted to charge me $90 for an exam. For a rat. Who was old and dying.I found another vet who helped with the process--$10.I've tried to give this clinic the benefit of the doubt, but 5 visits seems more than generous. Read Less

Dr. Gee and the team at Santa Fe Animal Clinic have given me hope that vet's really do care! I've gone to a few other places and have been treated like I was just another appointment / paycheck and then charged ridiculous amounts without warning. Thankfully I won't have to settle for that anymore. My cat had been limping for a week and Dr. Gee and the team found it was a rat bite. He was very concerned about her and asked if he could do an x-ray on her leg because it was swollen and looked injured. I was worried about the cost of an x-ray (since VCA had quoted me $250-400) but he was kind enough to only charge me a fraction of the regular fee! He encouraged me to try to keep my cat indoors so that she will have a longer life. I really felt as though he cared for her like she was his own pet! The team was very good with her as well and I am eternally grateful for their kindness! Thank you Dr. Gee + team!!!!Read Less

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 Less

I was honestly relieved to see we had 4 stars. Paying close attention to each client, providing clear communications, being accurate and credible and individualizing medical care for each family is more challenging now than it was 30 years ago. Thank you, present clients for your understanding and former clients, sorry we didn't meet your expectations, but we in all likelihood, tried. Read Less

I have been taking my 4 cats to Santa Fe Animal Clinic for a bout 2 years now and have always received WONDERFUL service from them.  Dr. Gee really and his staff really cares about your animals and is very reasonable in terms of cost of care.  Dr. Tanaka recently preformed a surgery on my cat Theo who had needed a femoral head ostectomy (FHO).  The way he explained things about what needed to be done, the follow-up care, and his genuine compassion blew me away!!  Theo is doing great!Santa Fe Animal Clinic is absolutely the best place around for your animal care. Read Less

Sante Fe Animal Clinic is such a warm and loving environment for animals. They are treated so well. We have been going here for more than 15 years. Always, the best treatment for our pets has been received. Lucy Girl loves the attention she gets by the staff.Read Less

The front desk staff are professional and merciful. They took my two cats for neuters instead of making me wait two extra weeks - and they Loved the boys, and played with them. Both boys recovered easily and did not mind going back for a checkup on shots. Read Less

My husband and I took our cat, Mollie to be checked by Dr. Gee as her physical body showed signs of a possible illness. Dr. Gee talked to her and examined her with such kindness and compassion. I could sense that he really cared for her well-being and was striving to make us feel comfortable as well. The staff was very warm and caring also. I am pleased to have such a caring veterinarian in my neighborhood. Read Less