My family, with many animals, have been clients of SCAH for more than 15 years. When we first began seeing Rick, he was just a small-town, animal-loving guy, whose true priority was caring for our ca... Read More
My family, with many animals, have been clients of SCAH for more than 15 years. When we first began seeing Rick, he was just a small-town, animal-loving guy, whose true priority was caring for our cats and dogs. He was well-loved by all as a talented, caring pro. The staff was small, everyone knew your name; it was what you'd expect from a semi-rural vet practice.Now there are three vets. Rick is rarely seen, having fully insulated himself from both client and client's owners by the other vets and a seemingly endless staff of nameless faces. Michelle is kind, but often clueless, and makes regular, major mistakes in judgment and professional care, for which no one is accountable. We had a purebred dog who was susceptible to a particular chronic condition, which, left untreated, would kill him. I brought him in to her in full-blown crisis. The symptoms were awful, but immediately recognizable for this disease by anyone familiar with the breed's vulnerabilities (which I then was not). She sent us home after performing 800.00 worth of useless tests, and told us he'd be fine. He was not. As the condition progressed, I immersed myself in the research and diagnosed my dog myself in desperation. When I brought him back the following day, he was nearly dead. My diagnosis was confirmed by another series of expensive tests for which I was charged, along with yet another visit fee. The correct meds were given, and my dog survived nearly two grand later. No offer to compensate us for the needless first visit and tests.Marisa is an amazing vet. We adore her. Smart, compassionate, at the top of her field. When we recently had to put that same dog down after four years of living with his disease, we were charged more than 1500.00 over the course of a week, only to be left with no choice but to put him down. The last day of his life, we were charged 300.00 for a visit and blood test, in addition to 300.00 to end his life and have him cremated. While Marisa was great, the fees charged were outrageous and unkind. I'm all for a business succeeding, but at a certain point, it just becomes exploitative.Other vets in the area simply don't do this. One of my dogs suffered a rattlesnake bite yesterday, and I took her to a vet who came highly recommended in Gilroy. He charged me cost for the meds. I want to go somewhere where my business and heart are valued. I know no one will care at SCAH that we've left after 15 years. There's always someone else to keep up their bottom line. Read Less