Center Sinai Animal Hospital

Honestly, don’t let the low prices here fool you. Center Sinai Animal Hospital is definitely one of the more affordable veterinarians that I’ve found in the area for both boarding and veterinary care. That being said, I did find out the hard way, that you do get what you pay for. I brought my dog here on 12/17 to board him while I went home for the holidays. I actually had a vet appointment prior because he had an infection on one of his paws. The vet prescribed him medications (both allergy and antibiotic) but NEVER actually gave it to him during the entire 2 week length of his stay. I picked him on 1/2/18 and was shocked to see that he was covered in sores on his underside (pics attached). Center Sinai had him in their possession for 2 weeks and never called me once to say that he had this infection all over his body. My dog received no care while he was there and was likely laying in his own filth (I’m basing this on what he looked like and how he smelled when he was returned to me). When you leave a pet to be boarded, you at least expect the establishment to call you if something is off with the pet. Especially because he had seen the vet at Centers Sinai prior to being boarded and they knew he had an infection and was to receive weeks worth of medications. That being said, I returned to Center Sinai that evening and had Dr. Baum take a look at him. He agreed that they made a mistake by not administering my dog the medication he was prescribed during his stay and provided me with a few more medications and refunded me some of what I paid for boarding. I definitely recommend taking your pet(s) to another veterinarian, if you’re able. This has been a nightmare and will cost me even more, as I plan to take him to another vet (I recommend VCA) to get this taken care of. I’ll definitely spend more money on boarding and services before I return to Cener Sinai Animal Hospital. Hope this review helps you make your decision on where to take your pet for boarding and healthcare. Read Less

Dr. Baum called me paranoid when I took my bearded dragon here for a general wellness check. I suspected he had a mild case of mouth rot but Dr. Baum would not investigate this further. I am so thankful I went to another vet for a second opinion because I was right. Although he will take appointments for reptiles Dr. Baum should not see them unless he will treat them with the same sort of concern as any other animal. He made me feel like an inconvenience to him for bringing a "perfectly healthy" animal for a check up - despite he made me wait over an hour after our scheduled appointment time to see me. Do not go here, especially if you own a reptile. Read Less

We brought two healthy overweight happy robust dogs into his office. He put them on insulin and never monitored their weight loss and kept them on the same amount of insulin. Both nearly died of insulin overdose and have never been the same since. Bringing them to the animal emergency clinic because there sugar was at seizure level. Thankfully AESC knew what they were doing and lowered their insulin dosage dramatically. The doctors could not believe the amount of insulin our dogs were on, to the point where they had to ask multiple times if we were positive about the dosage that we were saying. I would not bring a goldfish into this place. Read Less

Brought my dog here for years. When my rabbit was sick they said they were an exotic vet. Not true. I brought him in and they gave my rabbit a cortisone shot which likely shut down his organs. Another very told me this, after the fact, saying that anyone familiar with rabbits would not have done that. Horrible. My rabbit died. Read Less

First time coming here.  I bought our little 10lb rescue dog in for teeth cleaning, the staff is very professional. At one point I became momentarily difficult, they all keep their cools and provided excellent service. The Little guy has nice clean teeth now, and the Thursday 20% discount really made the trip even better.  I do recommend them to you, but make sure you verify the total cost of the work before signing. Read Less

Always a good experience for me and my dogs when we visit. My dogs are well cared for when they are in Center-Sinai's care. The staff take every precaution to ensure that all animals and people are safe and in a comfortable manner towards owners too. Staff and customers are very friendly. They have a jar of treats on the counter for your pets to make them feel more comfortable. Staff that handle my dogs appear to be very well trained in handling them and showing them affection. My dogs are very big and one can't control his excitement when new dogs are in his presence and staff here never make me feel uncomfortable or that they fear my dog as he's a total teddy bear that only looks intimidating. The staff here are also on top of every little details. Dr. Carillo is really sweet and loving towards my dogs and always gives me the best advice she can that's not only best for us but for my budget too. They are not trying to make a fast and easy buck.Carmen at the front desk is always polite and helpful. And big shout out to staff members Robert and Josh for caring for my two dogs during today's visit. Read Less

Do yourself and your pet a favor and DON'T COME HERE!!! They are totally uncaring for you or your pet!!! Even the owner himself!!!The staff which is mostly all Mexican are horrible. They treat the animals that are seen there terrible.My 12 week old German Shepherd puppy has had three bad experiences there and we will not be back. If you care about your puppy, dog or cat....DO NOT TAKE THEM FOR ANY TREATMENTS HERE!!!! The service is bad and the care is even worse!!!!! They actually should be given a negative star. :( Read Less

If I could give zero stars, I would. Please do not come here. Their level of judgment in priority setting is lacking. Very basic care can be found here, but with no empathy. Wait time is long. Then you wait even more once in the exam room. Long meaning 3+ hours in the main waiting room, 45+mins in the exam room. Read Less

This review is based on a rodent treatment experience which I guess they don't know much about. I took my mouse here to get antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection and the vet told us to mix it with peanut butter so the mouse would eat it. That is what I did and my mouse got severe allergy reaction to the peanut butter and scratched herself raw for months until she died. After doing some research, it is clear that peanuts are one of the most common mice allergens. I wish the vet knew this before telling me to give it to her. Again, I know mice are not their specialty, but some knowledge should be required if you're going to treat them. Be careful taking your pocket pets here. Read Less

It is so hard to find a vet that treats rats in Los Angeles, especially an emergency last minute. Mr. Baum saw me within an hour of showing up for a walk in, and was more than happy to help with Olive, my baby rat. We got her antibiotics right away for her upper respiratory infection, and the price was extremely reasonable! I will definitely be back. Read Less

Pros:- I was able to schedule a next day appointment for a routine check up. - Front desk staff were very organized and efficient with their service. - The patient rooms and waiting area were clean. - They have their own parking lot. - The vet who saw us had a decent bedside manner. - Price is fair. Cons:- This is not a huge area of concern but I was a little disappointed that the vet immediately recommended that I try out Frontline or Nextguard for my dog, even though I had just told him I wanted a more natural approach to flea and tick control. I understood his perspective but he didn't seem to want to try and provide me natural options. That was a bit annoying but nothing to drive me away. Read Less

They are great and gentle- though one doctor suggested I put a cap on my dogs tooth ... but that was the only oddity I encountered. When I mentioned it to another doctor they thought that was nuts as well and probably thought I since we live in SoCal that I cared about my dogs dental astheticsRead Less

The management has changed , and so has the service . All They care about the money. Without knowing what's going on with my dog they show me a bill for $1,300.00 and giving a treatment plan to hospitalize the dog for three days. I have explained to Dr. Erika Carrillo that this has happen to my puppy before any the vets here before just gave her IV Fluids and she was perfectly fine after . After. Explaining that to the doctor, I received major attitude an bad service Becouse I didn't want to sign . Obviously if I can afford the full treatment I would pay but I can't so I wanted to start one step at a time and see where goes with the IV fluids. I called to check on my dog and the only response I get "she's not going to get better because you didn't want to sign and give your pet the full treatment " so what was the point of me just leaving my dog for an IV fluid that cost $250 ???Do not go! It's not genuine service!Petsmart pet stores have vets there and they are amazing and very affordable and they look into your dog into details and they have great insurance which is worth it and extremely affordable and they are very honestly . Read Less

Dr. Baum is so sincerely compassionate and caring. All of my experiences here have been pleasant, even when we had to put our baby down, as hard as it was, I couldn't have asked for a more proper send off.The staff was amazing. Read Less

Good doctors, horrible customer service!Trying to ask/explain something to front desk is a daunting task since they interrupt you and talk over you. They end up assuming your needs and you need to start all over again. When they finally understand what you need they simply say "I'm not a doctor". They need to listen to understand rather than to just reply. Read Less

I recently moved to the area and I'm so happy to have found such a wonderful veterinarian's office!  I've taken both of my cats here and seen three of their doctors on different occasions (Drs. Baum, Oliver, and Quel), all of whom were caring, friendly, patient with my 100 questions, and most importantly knowledgeable.  The vet techs and front desk staff have always been super nice and helpful, both in person and over the phone. When one of my cats was very sick, the office responded quickly and squeezed me in for a lunch-time appointment - and then Dr. Quel called the next day to check on how kitty was feeling! All of this great service, plus their prices are lower than other vets in the area...I will definitely continue taking my fur babies to Center Sinai in the future. The lobby is usually busy but with excellent doctors, staff, and pricing, I completely understand why they are so popular! Read Less

Best!!!!! animal hospital in town. Staff is Amazing. Just had my Bella spayed and Mickey had his teeth cleaned. I truly appreciate how caring the doctors and staff are at CSAH. Thank you!!!! to everyone at CSAH for doing such an incredible job taking care of my puppies.Read Less

Forgot to examine my dog while boarding. I've been coming to these guys for about ten + years and never had any complaints, they're caring, affordable, offer low cost dental and spaying.... I would normally rate them close to a 5, but this past weekend I asked them to give my dog a wellness exam while she was boarding there for 3 days, even filled out a form for it stating her swelling around her throat and that I feel like she had a stitch from when she was spayed in october sticking out.. They're supposed to be dissolved. It doesn't seem to bother her or maybe it's just a hard belly button but I wanted then to check it and kill two birds with one stone while I was out of town. They never gave her the exam, in which case had I known I would have boarded her at her regular boarding facility which is nicer and filled with happier animals, not surrounded by scared dogs in pain, where they only charge an extra $2 for applying medicine instead of $14... My dog is an elderly special needs rescue and only 4lbs so I'm very protective and find this negligence unforgivable so I've made an appointment with internal medicine doctor at City Of Angels not far from Center Sinai. I need to make sure my dog is well taken care of.Read Less

I have a 2 year old bearded dragon named hellboy and didn't know why he wasn't eating right for 2 weeks. All I can say I make an appointment with Dr Oliver. She figured what was wrong in a matter of seconds. She was very sweet and very kind to us and our hellboy. The visit was extremely cheap as well. Dr Oliver made the difference. She knows what she's doing and she really cares. Best reptile vet ever. Thank you Dr Oliver. Make your appointment with her she is a reptile specialist who really cares. Read Less

Both my husband and I love Center Sinai. The staff is kind and we are especially impressed with Dr. "B"! We have been coming for many years and have had all our pets treated here. Although sometimes there may be a long wait in the lobby it is well worth it. Dr. "B" is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to diagnosing problems. He is carrying and explains everything in terms you can understand. They also offer their own insurance which is a life saver, especially if you have multiple pet's. Vetinary care is very costly these days but Center Sinai Animal Hospital price point is fair. All in all I would highly Dr. Baum and Center Sinai! Read Less

Our cat was having weeping eyes. Our friend referred us to this place so we walked in around 10ish. We filled out a small amount of paperwork and waited. 15 minutes later we were called in. The veterinarian was kind and our little cat didn't seem to afraid of her. She did a check up, looked at her eyes and gave us some eye drops for conjunctivitis. We were there a total of 30 mins. The place is a bit cramped, some of the people at the front office were a bit off but at least the veterinarian was nice. If you need a place that isn't pushy and won't try to get you to pay for a ton of "extra" things it's the place to go. Read Less

Late hours are very helpful. I called on a Friday afternoon and got an appointment for 8pm that night. Waiting room is a bit hectic but the staff is efficient and keeps everything sorted.We liked Dr. Gamez. Our cat will never like any Vet :) He checked her out, found the problem (impacted tooth) and set us up for surgery the next morning.We brought Iko in at 8am and they called us twice, once to tell us that the surgery went well and later to tell us that we could pick her up.Prices: Vet care costs money! I'm sure you all know that, but it always seems to come as a shock. In our case, because they had never seen Iko before, they had to run blood tests before surgery. Eventually they extracted two teeth after a closer examination. Putting her under, pain relief and antibiotics were involved. The price was steep, but not relative to other Vets we've been to. I would guess about half of what our previous Vet might have charged.Pros: late hours; friendly, efficient staff; competent Veterinarians; reasonable pricesCons: Hectic, loud, and a bit run down. Only a problem if you're sensitive to such things. Read Less

I have been bringing Teddy (my Yorkie) here for 10 years for routine shots, checkups, etc. Teddy was seen by Dr. Carillo yesterday who I must say was so kind, caring and knowledgable. I left feeling totally confident and satisfied that we received proper care and advice. Read Less

If you're looking for a place purely based on price / value, this is your vet. But if you need a bit more coddling and a "feel-good" type of place, this isn't for you. I come here for selective services - like boarding, shots, etc. because it's cheaper and standard. But when I had to go through a bit more complicated procedure and needed more hand-holding, I went to another vet that was pricier and a nicer facility with friendlier staff.Pros:- Prices are a bit cheaper than other vets for services AND boarding.- Flexible hours - open late nights, early morning.- Multiple doctors on site.Cons:- Tiny parking lot and almost impossible to find street parking.- Not a "nice" facility. It's pretty bare bones and isn't the cleanest of places.- Not the friendliest staff. Read Less

Took my yorkie to Dr. Plechner a couple of times since its close, he wasn't checked correctly as the vet never noticed his teeth had an infection which could be serious and cause gum disease. The place is alittle cheaper for some things but I wasn't comfortable with the service. The place can get busy and there was a lady whos dog was barking nonstop and growling at everyone and when I asked her if there is a way to calm him down since its scaring my dog, she told me to go wait outside. Place doesnt seem to be extremely clean, staff are ok. Parking on the side of the building off Venice. Read Less

Dr. Barry Baum DVM owner Center Sinai Animal Hospital (CSAH) and his staff are the best for all animal care. Can't say enough positives (10 being excellent ) reviews for his services. Staff is fully knowledgeable in providing well care and can fix the ill within a short period of time. CSAP's has an excellent program for putting your pet down, a caring service that will give you comfort with the best quality care for end of life. Read Less

Google only lets me put 1 star but really its -5. Its off the scale in the reverse direction with this mentally challenged company. So before they use to have a okay bird vet. Only okay because she knew what she was doing. This place sucks. My bird has been sick since December and they charged me for bogus tests. Here's the big reason why you should not come here. They asked me to take some poop samples to send off. They refused to tell me the cost in person so I said I am not doing anything until you tell me the price. I leave they called me left messages saying $150... To send some poop to someone. So I did not answer. A smart company would realize I did not want it. They sent it off anyways like completely incompetent morons anyways and tried to stick me with the bill. I never signed anything and they are saying they are sending collections on me. HAHAHA! Good luck. If yall want a good bird place go to VCA Wilshire. They give cheap meds, do proper diagnosis's, and actually called me almost weekly to check up on my pet. Center Sinai, Sinai sounds alot like Cyanide. Makes alot of sense when you think about it. They just want to make your animals sicker and rape your wallets. *Middle finger to you guys at Sinai!* Read Less

If you ever have your pet put to sleep there, I recommend you make sure they've got an extra syringe on hand of the solution they inject. I had the horrible experience of watching/hearing my dog suffer halfway through her experience when the vet determined not enough of the stuff had been injected in her body and left for a few minutes to get another syringe of the stuff to complete the process of putting her to sleep :( They also ignored my instructions in a prior experience of surgery to not give her max amount of anesthesia nor max amount of pain meds because she had a very young, clean internal health (I was told she had the blood profile of a dog 3 or 5 years younger than her age when they did pre-surgery tests). Apparently, they gave her too much anesthesia and/or pain meds because she came out of surgery non-functional for the next 10 hrs whereas I was told she would come out of anesthetic state within a couple hrs of being picked. She couldn't walk, eat or anything else and peed what seemed like half a gallon's worth in her bed (she's never peed in her bed during the 8 yrs I had her prior to this instance). Her nervous system was obviously shot, because she became disabled immediately after that surgery and had to be put to sleep within 2 or 3 months whereas I expected her to live at least another 3 if not 5 years prior to surgery incident. So be super clear, in writing (which I did but no one paid attention) and verbally about any special surgery instructions there. Read Less

We have been coming to this vet for over 10 years for all of our animals... We began seeing Dr Baum and have most recently had Dr Carillo help us. Overall- the service has been good. I felt most recently that we were a bit rushed when we had to put down our sweet pup Nala, Due to the distress we were in- we said we were ready and it all unfolded almost immediately-She was wisked away with a catheter put in her leg with a sedative- which was not explained that it would be occurring beforehand. With that said Dr Carillo was extremely compassionate after Nala was put to sleep- and let me sit with her for as long as I needed. They made a generous donation to an animal rescue group in our pups name as a memorial. I would just encourage anyone who is coming here to ask to have any procedures spoken through with them in advance so that you fully understand all aspects of any treatment- This can be especially hard in times of distress but is important to remember. We participate in the VPI Pet Care plan and it has paid for itself time and time again. We also use Pet Plan insurance and the office was excellent at processing all claims to the insurance agency same day as treatment. As far as the care of animals go- They are thorough- Just don't expect anything to be truly personalized unless you demand it....Read Less

All of the doctors and staff at VCA Los Angeles,went above and beyond for my cat, Bear. I recently found a tumor that was very concerning. She is 20 years old and knew what it most likely would turn out to be. After being referred to by Vet Pronto I scheduled an appointment with VCA. The entire process was simple and very fast. Read Less

Dr. Plechner is the BEST.VET.EVER! I was referred to Dr. Plechner by a dear friend of mine when we adopted an abandoned, elderly, semi-feral cat. Baby is our first kitty so we weren't sure what to do or who to go to. After Diana recommended him, we fell in love with him. He is the most gentle, intelligent, caring vet that we have ever had the opportunity to take a beloved furry family member to. I also admire that he is not stuck on Western medicine, and takes a holistic approach to treating my 18 year old girl. A year or so after our first visit with Dr. Plechner, our Baby fell off my bed trying to get at her treats and severely sprained her ankle. An associate of his saw her as an emergency, and we were not at all pleased with his rough treatment of her. For the follow ups we returned to Dr. Plechner and she got a little better. Several months passed and she was still not back to normal so we took her back for another follow up. He saw signs of an endocrine imbalance, gave her a Depomedrol shot and she started getting better. He subsequently ran blood tests that proved an estrogen imbalance. He gave her a total of 3 shots and an ongoing prescription for Prednisolone drops. This treatment was the only thing that helped her. I truly believe it saved her life. She was giving up on living due to the pain and discomfort, and all she would do is hide under the stairs only coming out to do her business in the litterbox. Her spunk was gone and our little feral monster under the table disappeared (she was semi-feral and the only thing that remained is she would hide under the table and ambush our feet as we walked by). After the treatment, she was able to run and jump again and her spunk has returned. He gave us our Baby back, and for this we will always be grateful. All the recommendations he has made to date with regards to her health have given her a much better quality of life and more energy. He also cares enough to answer even the dumbest of my questions within minutes (like litterbox issues) - I find this so rare in this day and age where doctors don't truly care anymore. We don't know what we will do if he retires!!! Read Less

This vet has at least one doctor who will practice experimental medicine on your pet without telling you, and it might make them far more sick. Dr. Al Plechner at Center Sinai (google him) promised me that he had found the solution to my cat's long standing bladder issues (generally urinary tract infections -- remember this detail, it comes back later), but after two weeks of his prescribed treatment only made her worse, I googled him and his ideas and found out that they're based solely on his conjecture and whims. He has not done any research or controlled studies, he just thinks it works. It didn't. Eventually, my cat got worse and I ended up paying a ton of money for something I thought was high quality medical treatment but was actually the opposite. Turns out that the medicine he prescribed, prednisone, causes bladder infections. Which is what I brought my cat in for. See? I told you that part'd be important. What I didn't realize is that Dr. Plechner had diagnosed my cat with "Plechner Syndrome," which causes (according to him) Food allergies, skin allergies, infections, vomiting in cats, cancer, feline viral leukemia, all retroviral infections, bladder infections, dental disease, inflammatory bowel disease, high cholesterol, epilepsy, something called "cherry eye," infertility, SARDS, "rage syndrome," and infestations with fleas or mites. Incidentally, the only way to test for it is to send a blood test to the only lab he trusts to test for it, because that one lab is the only place that will test the particular hormones he (AND ONLY HE) believes to be important. But testing seems kind of superfluous, really, since in Plechner's own words: "every patient I have been involved with, whether dogs, cats, horses or people, all have an identifiable, hormonal antibody imbalance." Everyone in the world has Plechner disease. And only he knows how to treat it. Despite being the worst vet I have ever encountered, I have to admit he's a really good business man. To be clear, I'm fine with people practicing experimental, non-scientific medicine. Your body and your pets are your business. Pray to the Green Lantern and Al'katulia The Forest Witch if you want. But when I go to a vet, I want that vet to practice actual medical science, not witchcraft. If you want to pray to the sun god and do a rain dance to try to cure my cat, at least ask me first. Because I would not have paid for this utter crap and I'm furious that I was deceived into being a part of this guy's pet theory. Read Less

Dr. Debbie Oliver DVM is working at "Center Sinai Animal" Now finally, I can recommend a Veterinarian on the Westside. I am so EXCITED! She is NO Bullshit, Call it as it is Veterinarian. She doesn't miss a beat! I would recommend her any day of the week! I will only take MY pets to her. So if your in need of a Veterinarian, she is back!Read Less

I drive all the way from Santa Clarita just to take my dogs to Dr. Plechner. Thats how awesome of a vet I think he is. While the folks that man the front desk seem nice, they really need to get it together. It was slammed when I was there this past Saturday, as it is a lot of times Im there, and the front desk just couldnt handle it. They were unorganized, didnt submit a couple of prescription refills I asked them to fill for me when I first got there so I wouldnt have to wait at the end of my visit, and they tried to put someone with a later appointment ahead of me. My appointment was for 12pm. I wasnt put into an exam room until 12:30. For as long as Center Sinai has been in business and for as busy as they usually are, the front desk really has no excuse for not having a better system in place to handle that many people. They make the appointments, they can see how many people are showing up that day. They acted like they were caught off guard with the amount of people that showed up this past Saturday. And a few weeks ago, I called in a prescription refill and asked that the refill request be faxed to a local pharmacy near me so I wouldnt have to make a 60 mile round trip drive to pick up the meds. I spoke to Miranda. She never faxed the request and I had to drive down to pick up the meds. As long as Dr. Plechner is there, Ill put up with the other stuff.Read Less

Dr. P is wonderful as is the rest of the staff. We were very nervous about our Baby's health as she is a senior kitty who was abandoned by her family. Hegave us many health tips to keep her healthy for years to come! I'll never take her anywhere else!!! Read Less

Everyone here is supportive. They deal with the animals and pet parents with compassion. The staff are also very professional and knowledgeable. Every thing my pets need are at Center Sinai. I would not go anywhere else! Read Less