Mar Vista Animal Medical Center

The staff here are very nice, and they are quite on top of things. But once a while you can sightly feel they deal with animals better than human, which I completely don't mind and Suki (my cat) seems made peace with them too. Read Less

Reflecting on my experience today, I can't imagine why this clinic wouldn't have higher ratings.I took my senior rat terrier, Lois, in knowing that we have fleas (because everyone in Mar Vista has fleas) and my dog has been itching pretty substantially, enough to break the skin. This morning we noticed her ear was inflamed, and it looked pretty serious. Red, clogged, scabs, the whole works. We called, very easily made an afternoon appointment, and visited today with Dr. Moore, who was absolutely amazing. I always worry about judgment from doctors (not just veterinarians) but received absolutely zero from her; just good information and plenty of it. My favorite thing was that Dr. Moore was thorough as all get-out. She didn't brush off any of my concerns about Lois, and she addressed every single issue, down to her being a senior who should have a blood panel as well as dental work. She also gave me printed price quotes and reviewed them with me before performing any procedures other than the initial physical, so that I could pick and choose what products and services I purchased from them on that visit. No fear-mongering, no judgment, no sales pitch. Seriously, who else does that?P.S. The animal hospital around the corner charges $175 more than MVAMC for dental cleanings. Maybe that's a real estate issue and not a price-gauging issue. But I do and will continue to trust Dr. Moore and Mar Vista Animal Medical Center with all three of my pups for as long as I live in this neighborhood. Read Less

I discovered this clinic when I moved to Mar Vista in 2014. I have a little rescue chihuahua named Poopies, that has blessed my life unexpectedly since 2009 when I found her. In 2010 I began to notice she was missing patches of fur in certain areas, but wasn't too concerned. Then around 2012 she began to get very bloated and more hair fell out. I started to really get worried, and took her to a vet in Whittier. I spent hundreds of dollars on blood tests, x-ray etc.... only to have that vet misdiagnose her. The vet said she had hyper thyroidism. He then prescribed medication, but being someone that is pro holistics..... I hesitated. I decided to try to treat the holistic way. Years went by, and Poopies wasn't getting any better. She seemed to be getting worse. Then in 2014 her skin began to tear in her belly. She had holes in her skin, where it got so thin, it would bruise and tear!  I googled and found MAR VISTA ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER..... It was like a beacon of light. I met with dr. Wendy Brooks for the first time, and she took one look at Poopies, and knew exactly what she had. Cushings disease.   The other vet told me for years it was a thyroid issue, and dr brooks nailed it. She ran some tests to see what type of cushings she had, and put her on the proper medicine.  Sadly it took me a year to finally put my dog on a medicine that she would have to take for the rest of her life.... because I was afraid of the side effects, but it was worth it, once I finally did it!  The proper diagnosis caused my dog to recover... she no longer gets the skin tears, bruising, and her hair even grew back. She's a different dog, full of life and energy.  I owe it all to this little clinic in mar vista and a genius vet! I have since moved, very far ... but I make the 30 mile trip to mar vista every time Poopies needs to see the vet.  Even if it's just for a nail clipping. They are the only ones that know how to deal with my highly emotional dog.  The staff is warm, and very informative. I highly recommend this place. The prices are reasonable and the wait is short.  I usually drop off my dog in the morning, and pick her up after work whenever she needs anything. I also love that they love my dog. They know Poopies by name, and I can tell she is loved. Read Less

Good veterinary practice. They know what they're doing. The receptionists answer the phones quickly, without putting you on hold for endless minutes, and you can make appointments fast or describe your animal's ailment to determine whether or not your pet needs to be taken to their clinic. For example, I just got a reminder in the mail from my old vet reminding me that Pup is due for vaccinations next week. When I called Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, my current vet, they said that two of the shots were no longer needed because Puppy was no longer a puppy. (Puppy is the name of my dog -- he is two years old). They have a discount on their vaccinations on Sundays, from 9am - 11am, and 1:30pm - 2:30 pm. These are walk-ins and you don't get charged an examination fee. I'd recommend this clinic. Read Less

Ever since our usual veterinarian retired a few years ago, we have been searching for a place with vets who care, won't try to upsell us on treatments or the food they carry, and have reasonable prices.  I brought one of my cats, who has previous health issues, in to see Dr. Moore.  Dr. Moore is very down to earth and took the time to explain to me what was going on and the why behind it.  She also took the time to listen to me and was non judgmental.  There was no pressure to add on any testing and she respected my opinions on the treatment options.The prices were extremely reasonable, especially for this side of town.  Sure, there are animal clinics around with newer buildings and more state of the art technology, but this place is no frills and no nonsense.  There is a reason this clinic has been around since the '70's, I'm just sorry it took me so long to discover it. Read Less

I "met" Dr Brooks, the owner of this clinic, online at the "Ask A Vet" section on veterinarypartner.com (top right). That website is for pet owners and it's a branch of the Veterinary Information Network (VIN) site (vin.com), which is only accessible to vets across the US. I was impressed by Dr Brooks' articles on veterinarypartner.com because she has the rare ability to take complex information and explain it simply. You can go on that site and learn a lot about your pet's illnesses and medications.   After asking a bunch of questions at "Ask A Vet," I kept getting answers from Dr Brooks. It wasn't long before I realized I found a gem. I had a diabetic cat and an elderly dog and could go to that link, ask questions and get answers -almost always from Dr Brooks. So naturally, when I moved to L.A. years later, I brought my dog to her. And to this day, whenever I E-Mail Dr Brooks, she gets back to me soon with a helpful response. She is an invaluable resource.  There are probably 20 vets between her office and my home. I go out of my way because I trust Dr Brooks. I know that everything is going to be taken care of and that I don't have to worry when I leave. She doesn't suggest unnecessary tests, doesn't prescribe unnecessary medicine, doesn't send me to unnecessary specialists. The prices are reasonable. My dog's had several UTI's and it can get costly, especially when they are recurring. This office reimburses you for part of the costs if you pay up front for a culture that is negative. Deborah and Susan are usually working at the front desk when I've brought my dog in and they are sweethearts. Always kind, always helpful. I haven't seen Coral or Karen for a while but they are, too. I saw Dr Moore once and she was friendly and efficient. The vet techs are always gentle and compassionate toward my dog.   REGARDING THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS...I read the last three negative reviews. I'm willing to bet that most, if not all of the other reviews have at least some degree of misunderstanding. I see a lot of people easily pointing fingers instead of simply asking for clarification. If you don't understand or don't like what's going on, ASK for clarification. There's a reason why vets go to school for eight years -it's complex, scientific information. Making negative assumptions on subjects you don't know about is an injustice to your pet.  For all the fashionistas complaining about the way the office looks: You've lost sight of what's important. Your pet does not care what the office looks like. It's clean and it has character. They focus their attention on what matters. Read Less

Mar Vista is the best! They saved my rescue from "Girl" from Parvo. They took great care of her and I now go to Mar Vista for all my pets! They are affordable and offer great care for your best friend!Read Less

Mar Vista is the best! They saved my rescue from "Girl" from Parvo. They took great care of her and I now go to Mar Vista for all my pets! They are affordable and offer great care for your best friend!Read Less

The last dog I had passed 8 years ago at the age of 18 and this was his Vet...fast forward 8 years and I am a dog owner again and brought my dog Summer to Mar Vista Animal Medical center to get spayed and they are just as awesome now as they were then(maybe even more)! Coral at the front desk is genuinely kind and personable. The staff are all caring and true animal lovers and the best part of this office is they don't rip you off with a million different office fees like most other vet offices. Their prices are beyond reasonable and they are seasoned pro's when it comes to clinical aspects. Dr. Brooks has been practicing for over 20+ years and she's seen it all. I am so glad they are still there and able to provide my new dog Summer with the same awesome care they provided for my previous dog years ago.Highly recommend them if you are looking for a new Vet! Not a fancy place but they provide the utmost in care and for me that's what matters most! Read Less

I took my dog in because she was acting weird and I was worried about her. When I get to the office and go in to see the doctor they said she looked to be in some back pain and would need x-rays to pinpoint it. I told them I couldn't do x-rays right now financially and could in a few weeks. I then asked would the x-rays tell us if she needs surgery and they said no. So I talked to my husband and we decided now wouldn't be a good time to do the x-rays. After that the doctor told me if you can't afford X-rays then I couldn't afford back surgery and I would have to euthanize my dog! Who says that to someone? My dog could walk and jump still and they were already telling me I'd have to euthanize her. I actually could afford to take care of my dog, but they tried to guilt trip me into doing things. It was a terrible experience. There was also a nurse who would tell me how I was doing things wrong every time the doctor left. Maybe it was just me, but I really had a sad experience there. The guilt tripping and telling me my dog that was walking just fine would need to be put down because of me?? I personally would never go back there. Read Less

Any bad ratings here are likely the result of unscrupulous internet-based blackmailing "companies" or idiots. I have been going to these people for years and they are the best. Affordable, professional, knowledgeable care. Read Less

The place always seems dirty. I always find tons of dog hair all over the place -- on the floor - in the sitting areas, in the exam rooms too. Tons of dog hair. Also, maybe its the yellow walls and really old equipment, etc but the office always gives off a dirty feeling. It just never feels clean in that place. The service is no better. Our dog developed a bladder infection while she was in their care (overnight treatment) and they still made us shell out over 100 dollars to "fix" the problem.. except they didn't fix it, a month later, when our dog was still showing signs of an infection we take her back, are charged more money and they tell us she was given the wrong medication. worse part is they were very unfriendly to us the entire time. When we asked for some kind of financial credit since it was their negligence, they refused. I could go on and on with other problems we've had but lets just say since they were convenient I kept going back until finally, I went somewhere else for the safety of my animals. Read Less