Lake Forest Animal Clinic

Was referred to this veterinarian by a few friends for a 2nd opinion on a supposed tumor my dog may have had from another vet. My experience was great from beginning to end. Front office staff was very friendly and sympathetic to the stress my pup and I were experiencing having been told we were dealing with the possibility of cancer. We saw Dr. Troph and I found him to be thorough and patient, giving  me all the time we needed. I highly recommend this vet and will be making them my permanent Vet in the future. Read Less

We had a small scuffle at the house I stayed at for a few days between dogs the other morning and this place was quick to help. We were a walk in and we're seen within 20 minutes and out the door in 40. The lady at the des was nice. I don't recall the Doctors name but he was nice as well. However I go to take the ace bandage off my dogs head and it is completely stuck to her ripping fur out just about everywhere is covered her. Thankfully my dog is patient and calm but I am sick to my stomach. Read Less

Although I didn't care for the way this office mistreated my pets, it didn't bother me enough to warrant writing a review. I was just looking through my records and stumbled upon a Home Care Instructions sheet they gave me after one of my cats procedures and noticed they offer declawing! This practice is inhumane and already banned in some states - it's basically cutting off the bone at the top knucle and is very painful for the cat for the rest of its life. I'm disgusted they actually offer this! Read Less

This is one of the best Bet I have been to inntge past 14 years and I.m so happy I found them. They were very gentle with my Lobo and they treated him friendly and kind. Plus they were very honest and forward and Don t try to sell us some other un necessary treatment like other Vets. The Dr she was sensational and offered other ulternative treatment without the drugs. I highly recommend this place and by the way it was very clean. Organized and professional conduct..BTW I did mention their prices were unbeatable.. Read Less

I am giving the Lake Forest Animal Clinic two stars for two reasons. First, they were able to schedule me last minute, which was very helpful, and two, Jennifer Self is a great vet. She is friendly, accommodating and spends time with her furry patients. They did not get more stars for one simple reason, the front staff is rude and completely opposite to the vets they serve. They seem annoyed when you call and are not helpful when trying to get answers to any scheduling questions. I have heard this complaint from other people that used to go there and it is why they stopped going as well. It's a bummer since Dr. Self is so nice. Read Less

Very happy with their services and prices - we drive all the way from Irvine and don't mind, as they are always professional, take time, and prices are great (I know exactly what I am paying for). Also, our little pug Chase got neutered here and it was a flawless procedure/process at a great price (very much appreciated!). The Tasker Family Read Less

Do not go to this animal clinic. They charges are excessive and they never really solved any of my dog's problems. Additionally, she will bombard you with spam emails and report your dog to the OC animal registration which in turn they will continue to send you bills for licensing and vaccination. It is not her business. She should mind her own business. I am never ever going to this place again. Read Less

This rating is in regards to an appointment I made for a Health Certificate I need to acquire from a vet to take my dog to Hawaii. For anyone who is needing to do the meticulous blood work, paper work etc. for taking your pet to Hawaii, I do not recommend this place at all. I have done all the blood work and paper work with my primary vet in NorCal, but now I only need the Health Ceritficate for the State of Hawaii, (which a vet is supposed to supply) which is what I will carry and hand to the direct release officer in Honolulu's airport. I had spoken with the receptionist over the phone, explaining everything I needed to be done, and asked if they had experience with health certificates pertaining to Hawaii specifically. She said yes, and I also explained that it was a time sensitive issue, because I have to travel no later then 14 days after the appointment, which is the State of Hawaii's rules. So I made the appointment and went. Few minutes before the appointment, I inquired about the health certificate the veterinarian would need to fill out for me, and I was informed that it would take them a COUPLE OF DAYS to research  which health certificate they would need to give to me, since there are so many, they had no idea which one I would need for Hawaii. Um, HELLO, could they have told me that over the phone when I was explaining exactly what the appointment was for?!!! This is an extremely time sensitive case, so I cancelled the appointment then and there, and now I am looking for a qualified veterinarian clinic who is competent with pet immigration. DO NOT GO HERE FOR PET TRAVEL/IMMIGRATION! Read Less

My dogs have received the best healthcare from Lake Forest Animal Clinic over the years, always with lots of love and warmth. Everyone has been exceptional from the vets to the staff. I highly recommend them! Read Less

I took my cat to neuter her in this clinic. Apparently, a doctor from clinic called and left a voicemail on my phone about some additional procedure he/she is recommending for my cat. I only saw a missed call, called back and asked why they called me. I was told to check my voicmail and I said I have not received any voicemial. Then,  the secretary explained to me what the doctor is recommending. However, I decided to not do the additional procedure but preferred to take my cat to Bennefield to get a second opinion. My entire phone conversation with the secretary lasted about 1 minute My father went to pick her up and I looked at how much we were charged. They charged us 52 dollars for the phone call!!!!!!!!! 52 dollars for a voicemail that I never received or perhaps for the 1 minute conversation with a secretary!???  This clinic literally charges you for NOTHING! STAY AWAY from this clinic! Read Less

I have been coming to this clinic for more than 20 years. The loving staff has been with me through times of great joy and great sadness. They are amazing. I am not sure what I would do without Dr. Byers. She knows my pets. She loves them. She takes the time to sit and talk to me so that we can come up with the perfect plan for my pets when they are ill. My current cat is almost 20 years old. She has pancreatitis, a heart murmur, and food allergies. Without the great care from the staff, Dr. Byers, and all the doctors actually, she would never have made it this long. I know they will be right there with me whenever my pets and I need them! Read Less

A BIG Thank You to Dr. Melissa Byers and Dr. Jennifer Self at Lake Forest Animal Clinic for giving their time and expertise for our American Heritage Girls troop. You graciously gave your time to teach our girls what it is that veterinary doctors do to take care of our beloved pets. Your office is top notch equipped with knowledgable and loving, doctors & staff. We are so appreciative. Read Less

I have been taking my pets to Lake Forest Animal Clinic for years now and have had no complaints. Great staff, great doctors. Very personable and loving towards our furry little friends. Dr. Byers is one of the nicest people we've ever met and genuinely cares about you and your pets. I highly recommend Lake Forest Animal Clinic, you won't regret it! Read Less

We have been bringing our animals to Lake Forest Animal Clinic for over 14 years now. I love the staff and they are always friendly and helpful. The doctors take time to listen and provide a variety of options whenever possible to best manage our pets' care. I always feel confident and comfortable taking our fur babies there and we are treated like we're part of a family. I would highly recommend this clinic! Read Less

We have been bringing our animals to Lake Forest Animal Clinic for over 14 years now. I love the staff and they are always friendly and helpful. The doctors take time to listen and provide a variety of options whenever possible to best manage our pets' care. I always feel confident and comfortable taking our fur babies there and we are treated like we're part of a family. I would highly recommend this clinic! Read Less

Originally I went to Foothill Ranch Animal Hospital which was very clean, staff was amazing along with the vet however the quote given seemed a bit high. I came here today to LF for a second opinion. This place is very small and felt dirty. The vet was nice but he talked so loud and so fast. The girls at the front weren't very friendly and didn't seem to care about doing business which was fine considering how expensive they are. My dog needs a teeth cleaning with anesthesia. Since she also has a heart murmur they said she would need to be examined by a cardiologist first. With cardio and anesthetic teeth clean would be about $2000! At Foothill Ranch they didn't recommend the cardio exam but did bring up the heart murmur. Quote I got at Foothill was about $900. This place is too overpriced, front desk workers were not welcoming (arriving and leaving) and it just felt dirty and crammed. Will not be back or recommend. Read Less

I've been an extremely satisfied client of Lake Forest Animal Clinic for at least a dozen years. My go to doctor is Dr. Melissa Byers and I have found her to be EXTREMELY competent, conscientious, and caring, time after time. My three dogs and two cats are my babies. Recently I had a very serious medical situation with one of my dogs during a period of time that Dr. Byers was out of town at a continuing education seminar for several days. I was a little anxious because I had not seen the other two staff veterinarians before but I had enough faith in Dr. Byers that she would only have veterinarians working with her that she implicitly trusted. Well, it became immediately obvious to me that I was in great hands. Dr. Jennifer Self and Dr. Jason Trope took care of me like I was part of the family. It is clear that the culture of offering the best in veterinary care, delivering it and following through with rechecks and progress phone calls are priorities that is embraced by the doctors and staff as well. Thank you to my "kids" doctors! Read Less

This is what I received at Lake Forest Animal Clinic: 1) knowledgeable and conscientious veterinarians 2) generous amount of time spent on my pets problems 3) amazing follow through 4) caring staff who love critters 5) Family like environment 6) excellent value for dollars spent I am a picky consumer of all things but especially the health and well-being of my "children." I have high expectations and they have been consistently met at Lake Forest Animal Clinic. Read Less

I started going to Lake Forest Animal Clinic a couple years ago and could not be happier. The staff are always friendly and helpful, both on the phone and in person. The prices are much better than my previous vet! I really like both Dr. Byers and Dr. Trope and so do my animals! They have clinics for low cost vaccines and spay and neuter. I feel very comfortable here and trust them with my precious pets. When I ran into the gal from MY doctor's office I figured this was a good place! I highly recommend Lake Forest Animal Clinic!! Read Less

Everyone at Lake Forest Animal Clinic is AMAZING! Dr Byers and her staff provided excellent care to our 14 year old Golden Retriever at the end of her life. They treated her with such dignity and love, as if she were their own. Dr Byers went out of her way to make sure we had a special private room and allowed us all the time we needed to be with our beloved pet. Most reviews of Vets address the care that is provided while the pet is healthy- which is VERY important, but what is equally important is the Vet that is there for you at the end of your pet's life. Thank you Dr Byers and all the staff. Read Less

Dr Byers and her group have taken care of all my pets for almost 20 years; 1 cat and 4 dogs in total. I've always found her to be very caring and professional. She is always willing to take the time to answer my questions and consider alternate treatments if needed. Her staff are great, all of them, and they recognise all my pets when we visit. Would definitely recommend Dr Byers to anyone looking for a good vet! Read Less

I was hopeful about coming to a new vet for my dog to be neutered. However, when we came in the morning, they were not prepared for us. My dog was extremely frightened and terrified, so they sent us outside. Then I came back with my paperwork filled out and asked when my dog would be taken in. The lady replied she doesn't know. I had an appointment. When they saw how scared my dog was, they gave me an irritated look because he was barking. He's a puppy and was very very scared. Instead of offering some love, they were irritated by us. At a different vet I've gone to, the ladies come out and give my dog love. The neutering was more expensive there, so we thought we'd try this place. It's better to spend more money at my other vet and get great customer service instead of rolled eyes and aggravation. I took my files and cancelled my appointment. I am very disappointed with this place. I would never leave my furbaby in an environment like that. Read Less

I noticed my cat trying to pee but only a few drops would come out so I knew there was either a UTI or bladder infection happening.  When I called in they said they were slammed but put me on hold to see what they could do. Sure enough they were able to make time for me so I was able to bring her down immediately! The lobby was pretty full but I really didn't have to wait long and they were insightful enough to provide a quick solution with an antibiotic shot that lasted 2 weeks instead of sending me home with pills (you KNOW how much fun THAT is with a cat!)   They called the next day to let me know the results of the urine test and validated that the shot was indeed the correct solution. My cat is now happily back to her normal litter box routine.(I also brought her in about 6 months ago to get spayed and they took excellent care of her then as well)  I am so happy to have great veterinary care right in my own neighborhood!Thanks you guys!Michelle & Cricket Read Less

My mom had been taking her cat here for over a year to treat his kidney disease. Finally, it got to the point where we had to put him down. I went with her and the vet and assistants were all very kind. We were both very distraught so I appreciate that they took care of everything, including asking if we wanted them to shave off a piece of the cat's hair to keep along with his ashes. We said YES, that would be great. Fast forward two weeks and my mom is mourning the loss of her cat. She goes to pick up the ashes and they suddenly don't have any of his hair. They claim that we never asked for the hair and that the vet assistant never said anything. My mom is heartbroken over this, and all they can do it cover their butts and backtrack saying they never said this when I heard it with my very own ears.If you screw up on keeping the hair, that's one thing. Claiming that the customer is WRONG in order to cover your own butt is utterly heartless and highly unprofessional.I would NOT recommend this place based on this experience. If they lied about this, what else are they willing to lie about? Read Less

Dr. Byers and the entire staff here are amazing. We had to let Stoney go last week and they were amazing. That have taken such great care of him for years and they all truly care about their patients. They also tolerate us crazy animal lovers and parents. Thanks for all you did for our family. You are forever in our prayers. Read Less

We had gone through four other vets before our Lab felt comfortable here with Dr. Beyer. With her getting older and checking in with them on a more regular basis, it's nice she likes to visit everyone to say "Hi!" Read Less

THEY DID NOT CARE ABOUT MY DOG! Yesterday was a rushed business transaction. Make sure they know who you are before they administer any medication. The dog that went in before us was given the wrong shots. My dog needed his vaccines updated. I decided to try this place because they didn't charge an exam fee. Bad decision. This place was cheap and so was the care. My dog is 7 pounds. I explained to them I did not know his medical history because I rescued him. I felt rushed by the vet tech. She seemed to be in a hurry. She explained he would get the shots on the right side and asked me to hold him. As I held him, she grabbed his leg and stuck the needle in. It went through his leg to the other side.  The meds shot out on my hand as MY DOG SCREAMED! I understand that can happen but it wasn't handled with compassion. She said he got 75% of the meds which was enough. I hope she was right.He received a total of 3 shots. Each time the needle went in, was a painful experience for all of us. Two of the three times HE SCREAMED!Then the vet tech spoke to me as if my dog had been there before. He had not. It was our first visit. This led me to believe she didn't read our file or wasn't paying attention. The reason that bothered me was because just before I went in, the wrong shots were given to another dog. Again, somebody wasn't paying attention. THEY DID NOT CARE! I have no idea how that dog felt today, but I'm sure the owner isn't happy. I'm still bothered about it. This morning my dog threw up and was not acting like himself. I spoke to a few vet techs on the phone and decided another visit was necessary. He might have had an allergic reaction. It's possible that he ate something that upset his stomach. It's possible he's sick. But it's also possible that he received too many vaccines in one day. He is a little 7 pound dog without any medical history. Maybe he should have been given one vaccine at a time to help minimize the risk of a reaction and to know what caused one if one happens. I honestly feel THEY DID NOT CARE about me or my dog. It was a business transaction. Nobody mentioned getting the vaccines over time as an option to help ensure safety based on his size and lack of medical history. I would have gladly come back multiple times if I was told about a potential risk, which is what I have to do now because I don't know what or which vaccine made him sick. I thought getting vaccines without an exam fee would be a good idea. It ended up causing stress and another $100 visit today. It also provided me with a story I will forever share. He is resting now and will be monitored for the next few days. I hope I hear from them and will update this review when I do. Until then, be careful!11-23-15 I have since spoken to two people, including the doctor, and will give them another visit this week. I appreciated their time on the phone and feel our next experience will be much better.UPDATE - The follow up visit with the doctor went much better. It went as I had hoped it would. I changed my original 1 star review to 3 stars. We ended up in the same room. Not sure if my dog remembered his last visit here, but he was scared despite it being just a basic exam without shots. We have been to other vets and he has behaved differently. I may never know why. Either way I appreciate the time, the second visit and the follow up phone calls to see how he was doing but we will probably not be back. Read Less

Lake Forest Animal Clinic is definietly the best! The staff here is unbeatable. Dr. Byers is the best DVM around. As long as she's at Lake Forest Animal Clinic, I will never take my dogs to another vet! Read Less

I came here in January of 2013 but just realized that I never left a review. Their website made it so easy to break down the estimate myself and when I called to ask some questions and make an appointment, the girl at the front desk was very professional and had a warm personality, even through the phone. I was satisfied and had a good feeling about it so I scheduled for their next available date. Everyone was so kind and personable when I dropped him off. I was pretty nervous leaving him since this is my first puppy, but all the girls there made me feel like he was in great hands. I got a call shortly after 10 am and he was already done and recovering well. I didn't expect him to be done so early! They told me they would keep him comfortable with a blanket until I could come pick him up. They took care of everything - the neuter, bloodwork, the microchip, 4 vaccines, all the certifications, pain meds, and even a nail trim for around $240! The savings was just unbelievable and it was a price I could afford, but what is most important is the care that he received. He couldn't have possibly had better care at any other vet. Dr. Shimomura and her team are really showing their compassion and doing what they can to provide their best quality care while making it financially easier on pet owners to make the right decisions for their pets. Read Less

I can't say enough wonderful things about Lake Forest Animal Clinic. They have taken such amazing care of both of our dogs but they were more than helpful and loving with our dog Ryder. It overjoyed us when we would walk into the office knowing everyone that works there knows and loves Ryder as much as we do. Thank you for all that you do! Read Less

Brought my two Doberman Girls here last month to get spayed.I was very happy with the service of the front office girls  and the afoordability of the procedure.I had been quoted $900 for both of my girls to get spayed at their regular Vet, I was soo happy i came here instead, not only did i save hundreds of dollars but my babies got top notch quality care. And i got info on their care while at home. DEFINITELY RECOMEND, DONT LET YOUR VET RIP YOU OFF Read Less

I highly recommend this clinic. I was looking for a place that was affordable but still had great quality of care. The staff was super friendly and helpful with our questions. When we picked our GSD up from her spay, they went over all of the instructions and gave us her meds, as well as her microchip info and a copy of the blood work we ordered. Our girl was a little groggy post spay, but by the next day was back to her old self. :) I have already recommended this clinic to all of my friends. Read Less

Like everyone, we are on a budget and after receiving a $800+ estimate from our vet we needed an affordable option.  Our neighbor referred us to where they had their dog spayed about a year and half ago in Aliso Viejo called Affordable Spays.  Our neighbors had a great experience but said they heard the place was bought and the surgeon was no longer working there.  We found out that Dr. Lisa had moved to Simply Spay and Neuter in Lake Forest.We booked our appt and from the minute we walked in we felt comfortable. Simply Spay is part of/inside of Lake Forest Animal Clinic, which has the potential to do more than just spay and neutering. The staff was fantastic, very friendly and handled my little girl perfectly.  We picked her up in the afternoon with plenty of instructions, medications, and contact info in case we had any questions.  By the next morning she was running around (which wasn't recommended by the technicians) and acting like her self.  I would recommend this place to any and everyone looking for a deal but wants a high quality of care. Read Less