Montclair Pet Hospital

This place is amazing. If only the doctor offices for humans were this good. As we were walking down the stairs, we were already greeted by someone who was walking to the other side. She stopped in her tracks to instantly greet and help us as we were walking with our little bun. Everyone smiled and was very friendly and excited to see us and our little Groot. They were prompt and attentive to our needs. The staff was very informative and seemed knowledgeable about their field, so this made me feel at ease. The doctor was so amazing with our baby bunny! We haven't been able to hold him yet and she knew exactly how to safely and comfortably hold him for his check up. She explained everything she was looking for and gave us tips and things to look out for along with when we would need to immediately come in. It was bunny lesson 101! Which we needed because it was our first. She printed out material for us to read about our pet as well. I really loved how she showed us his anatomy because my daughter thought his little teeth were the funniest things she's ever seen. They also showed us step by step on how to trim his nails, which they did because it needed to be done. This is a great office, everyone was fun to interact with. We will definitely use this office as a permanent vet unless we move very far away! Read Less

What a great place! I bring my birds for treatment and checkups here and the staff at the clinic is amazing. They have helped one of my birdies with her bleeding beak and guided me through the recovery process very fast. I would recommend this place a 100%! Read Less

Everyday I evaluate my 3 dogs and their health, even though they do comunicate quite well, its up to me to pay attention. I know they are receiving the Best health care possible from The Montclair Veterinary Hospital. Thank you for keeping our family healthy and happy! Read Less

We have taken our two dogs here for quite some time and have always felt like we're getting great service, whether it's an unfortunate emergency visit or a route check-up. In our experience, the prices tend to be a bit high, but worth it for the quality and consistency of care. Read Less

I was referred to Montclair Veteriary Hospital by PETS in Berkeley. Everyone at PETS called MVH the best veterinarian hospital near me, and based on my experience, I agree. Everyone was friendly, courteous, and very good at their jobs. Read Less

Switched to Montclair Veterinary Hospital after a bad experience with VCA and I couldn’t be more pleased. They have been able to work with my very rambunctious 1 year old lab effectively and easily. We love our new vet! Read Less

This review is overdue, my dog went into labor on a Saturday. Our usual vet was closed as he is a private vet and does not have Saturday and Sunday hours. We could not reach him on his cell phone and did not know that our two dogs had mated during a stay with our vet. That being said, it was obviously an emergency because we were not expecting a puppy and are not breeders. We had no idea what to do. We live right up the hill and my mother and I don't drive which we explained to them and no one else was home. We asked if we could quickly walk down so our dog and her puppy could be examined. The rude receptionist said no in a nasty way. We only take appointments here, she said. I understand that you only take appointments, but this was an emergency and we do not drive at this time. They started giving me a list of places I could go 20 minutes away. We explained that our dog was rejecting the puppy and we asked for advice at least to which they gave us none. They were "too busy" so they couldn't answer a couple of questions. Had we been expecting the puppy we would have known what to do and been prepared and so would have our regular vet. This place does not care about animals in my opinion and I'm glad that this is not our vet even though we live in Montclair. Lucky for us our regular vet called us back and he lives close to us and has been a family friend for years so he came and opened up his practice for us and examined my dog and her puppy. I will never bring my pets here. They do not care. Read Less

Reception and vet techs are super nice and helpful, which makes this review a difficult one to post. Our experience with the vet we were assigned is much different. We recently have brought in two separate cats for checking on symptoms. The latest happened yesterday and was a 7 week old Kitten we rescued after finding him in our backyard. We had him for 1 month and two days prior to this visit, he started regurgitating after eating each meal. After losing some weight and not changing course, we brought him in to MVH for an appointment. The vet listened to our story then examined our kitten by feeling up and down for any issues. He felt a bump in his intestines and said "it's likely worms" and then proceeded to offer a de-worming but nothing else. We trusted this assessment but after reviewing the bill, he used this feel test to diagnose and didn't even test for worms, just gave him the meds. On top of this, no offer of X-ray to look for the blockage source which all other vet hospitals we contacted after were alarmed by this approach. You find what might be a blockage, you offer X-rays. We ended up taking him to SAGE hospital late last night but unfortunately, the problem was too great and our kitten has passed. There was indeed blockage but it was a congenital condition in his throat. This would have happened regardless of the care we received at MVH but it's very alarming how little time and support the vet gave us when we had such a small kitten who was sick. Just be aware of this and please investigate the hospitals if you do need to take your pet in. Read Less

This is one of the best vet hospitals in California, not just because I worked there, but because of the doctors and staff. They are very passionate about what they do. I will miss you all very much. I will be back to visit sometime. Read Less

We starting going here for a second opinion with our new puppy and a medical issue he had. I'm impressed with their professionalism, cleanliness, and believe it or not size. They've got the regular doctors office with a hospital section too. one stop shopping with is comes to your pet. Like that a lot. I was happy to see their waiting room to be very clean and nice looking. A great place to wait while your pet gets seen. Aesthetics does matter! LOL... I just picked up medication for my pup and was impressed by their smile and professionalism while I just picked up the meds. I know I just started coming here but I think I'll enjoy this place a lot more. Kinda already do.. Read Less

First visit for me and my 11 month old Havanese.  Each staff member took time to greet my puppy, making us feel welcome and appreciated.  The vet tech even took time to show me how to detect anal glands.  The doctor was warm, friendly, and knowledgeable.  Highly recommend this facility for your pet needs. Read Less

We just switched here because we have been driving out of the way for our vet for a while. Our puppy had a swollen eye and they fit us in for their urgent care on Saturday. We were seen really quickly, and the staff was super friendly. Read Less

We just transferred to Montclair Vet and had a really great experience. Our previous vet was in SFO and way too far to drive to now that we are in Oakland. The staff at Montclair were welcoming, very friendly, attentive to our concerns, gave suggested options and really worked with us. They also paid lots of attention to our guy and made him feel calm and at ease. I highly recommend them to you as your next long-term vet. Read Less

I've taken a few of my rats here. The staff is wonderful. They don't have their own parking, so you'll have to try your luck with street parking or risk parking in the Lucky parking lot. I'd like to rate this place higher because I really do love the staff, but, as a rat owner, this place is just too expensive. I just spent nearly $500 over the weekend for two of my rats and I've previously spent about $400 on another. Also, one of the rats I took this weekend will need to come back and that's estimated to be nearly $500. Read Less

Always great care. Took in our puppy to get fixed. They came in below estimate, even with the microchip added. He's healthy, and happy enough given the circumstances. You can tell that they care a great deal about every step of the process, and even called to check in today (the day after) to see if he was doing well. It was a doctor who actually did the call. Read Less

If you care for your animals do not bring them here. They misdiagnosed one dog and caused her death to come much sooner. The second dog they gave medication that was a direct contradiction to her other medications. Had I no looked it up my dog could have died. Now to find out what they told me was a skin tag is actually a carcinoma. On this same visit they suggested I have a pricy ultrasound that was unneeded for a completely different reason. Maybe if they weren't so money motivated they would do a good job. Also there are new vet techs all the time. Again if you truly love you pet don't bring them to this place. Read Less

I recently adopted my first 4-legged canine companion, a female 10yo Australian Shepherd, from a SF rescue. Among the documents of my girl, they provided me a list of veterinary hospitals in which I can choose from that will waive the 1st check-up free of charge. After doing a brief research on my own, I decided to go with Montclair.LOCATIONIf you never drove into this area before, like me, then expect a downtown-like area. Small 2-way roads, a lot of foot/pet crossings and street parking. The hospital is a bit hidden - located right off the street, down some narrow steps or zig zag railing for wheelchair accessibility and between the regular check-up and the surgical side is a dry cleaner shop.SERVICESince the beginning, the entire staff has been quite consistent with their service, care, friendliness and professionalism. I think the hospital rotates the vet technicians to cover the front as I have met two (2) different receptionist. It really does not matter as they both seem to remember my dog's name and recall how sweet she is.I have had the opportunity to interact with two(2) different vet doctors regarding my girl's dental work and her benign mass removal underneath her paw and both times (along with their vet technicians) have been incredibly informative and thorough on all visits. Every question I asked, they provided me an answer in which I could easily understood base on my limited knowledge of veterinary care terminology. I am actually more impressed on how they approach and treated my girl as if she was the hospital's pet. With that said, I felt comfortable leaving her there for surgery or any other reason that she is require to stay overnight.In additional to the service, living in the 21st century, they have embraced technology as another form of communication between doctors and veterinary technicians concerning pets of handlers. I hate the sound of my own voice and preferably like to do bookings via email which they do! Also, I was able to save a lot of time making unnecessary visits to the hospital by addressing my concerns and digital visuals via email. Sometimes a simple short and quick consulting is all a handler need.OVERALLShould I move to a different city - again, I hope that there are other vet hospitals like Montclair out there. Otherwise, they set a pretty high standard to my expectations of what a vet hospital should feel and be like.Thanks Team!Cheers! Read Less

This would have been a 5 star rating except for two reasons. One, the fact that we had expected Dr. Richter to come out for at least 30 seconds when we collected our dog following a rather delicate surgery, to tell us how it went. The second - the post-operative instructions were clearly done in haste from a standardized template: our dog was listed as having been neutered, whereas he had surgery for an anal growth, and the medication instructions called for a "15 pound dose" of Meloxicam ( a painkiller) plus other mistakes. Finally, the survey should also request comments so that such issues could be addressed. Read Less

I took my cat here after being VERY disappointed (and paying lots of $) at another vet in the area. From the time I called to make the appointment until the time I was walking out of the appointment, everyone was really friendly and helpful. The receptionist doted on my cat as if he were her own, the vet tech took care in handling him and the vet spent plenty of time with me addressing all of my many questions and concerns and talking through potential treatment options. I feel the prices are fair and the location is great too - you can park for free in the Safeway parking lot.I will definitely be back and will transition my other cat to this vet for his future checkups as well. Read Less

My conure was scratched by a cat on a Saturday morning. I immediately began calling vets, starting with Montclair. Getting Saturday service is difficult, and that weekend they did not have anyone available. However, everyone I called said "try Montclair Vet first." I wound up taking the bird to Sage in Concord, where they took great care of her. Then they recommended that I bring her to Dr. Richter at Montclair Vet on Monday morning as they have the avian care. So, that's what I did, though it was one of their avian vets who helped. They were great! They suggested the Sage treatment plan was good, but recommended a different course of antiobiotics, gave her a checkup and it all was at a reasonable price considering how much we had already spent on emergency service. The quality of the hospital is top notch and the staff was friendly and attentive all through my visit. Now we are bringing our new dog to MVH and while that's been my wife's task, she is loving the care he's getting. Read Less

Our vets for our conure and our puppy. Our conure was scratched by a cat and he healed quickly under their care. I also got great advice from Dr. Cayton on a vaccination schedule that will protect our puppy without overwhelming him with unnecessary vaccines. I trust them completely to take great care of our fur & feathered babies. Read Less

I made a yelp just to review this place. I wish I'd seen a review like this when looking for someone to care for my rat.Montclair Veterinary Hospital is SO GOOD. I am young and pretty broke most of the time, and this is by far the most affordable and by far the best treatment I've gotten for my rat. Dr. Vangilder knows her stuff. I had such a hard time finding affordable/decent rat care and I'm so so so happy that I finally did.She saved Earnest's life after I took him to a terrible vet in Dublin who lied about having rat experience. She treats him so respectfully and gently and is clearly an expert. She also makes an effort to provide affordable treatment when I'm tight on money. I couldn't be more grateful for this place.Also, shoutouts to the consistently nice, helpful and patient staff members like Josh and Hillary who work in the front, and Ryan, a vet technician who I particularly love.All around an amazing experience. I will never go elsewhere again. Anybody looking for rat care should look no further. Read Less

Love this vet, brought my girl sugar to have an ear infection treated,& update her shots, not only were the entire staff amazing with the entire visit, the care she received was very thorough & very effective:) this is definitely her vet for all visits to come:) she is an active outdoorsy dog, so, unfortunately, that comes with occasional injuries.. All I can say is they are keeping one goofy happy pit very happy & healthy:)4 paws up! Read Less

It's always a pleasure to bring my baby to MVH to see Dr.Lynn.She has great bedside manners and is very knowledgeable and accurate when treating my baby. Brooklynn has been a happy patient here for 5 years.Today's visit update stomach..came in worried, and left comfortable and informed on how to treat her. Read Less

We have been going to Rose Marie pet hospital for 15 years. We live on the farm and our farm is in the city so we even take our farm animals for check ups...........not only do they help us keep our cats and dogs healthy but our peacocks and birds healthy to........the thing that keeps us coming here is the friendly staff and affordable prices......:) Read Less

I was very impressed with the office. It was clean, chic, and (most important) it didn't smell like a pet clinic! The staff was always friendly. Price is higher than our old Vet, but I don't mind paying a little extra for a clean facility. Read Less

I went to the Montclair Veterinary Hospital for a second opinion on Duke. This place really has their act together. Not only did they NOT want to operate on Duke, which the other place immediately suggested, they actually knew exactly what was going on with his foot and how to treat it, which the other place did not figure out. Two days later and his foot is looking much better. I'm moving both my dogs to their care from here forward. Did I mention, the bill here at the "high end" hospital was less than the other spot too? Well done Montclair Veterinary Hospital~ Read Less

Montclair Vet Hospital was very Clean and Their prices were very resonable. We were awaiting our femals Pregnancy test, which was negitive and the vet sent me information for the future about breeding. So now hopefully in a few months they can try again and be blessed with puppies and have a vet on call. Read Less

My three kitties are quite healthy thanks in large part to a raw chicken diet (flesh, bones, and organs). When we made the switch from the vet-prescribed kibble diet (that was literally life-threatening for my big guy) we also switched vets. We chose Dr. Gary Richter due to his holistic approach, support for the raw food diet, and his gentle manner. My big guy doesn't like strangers, especially men, but he tolerates Dr. Richter. Read Less

I began taking my animals here around 1997, even though it was farther than the closer vet I had used since 1993. I have always had cats, and various amphibians. I had added parrots to my family (all of my animals have been my family members). Parrots need specialized medical care, and my regular vet's doctors were not qualified to treat birds. So, I looked in the phone book and saw that Montclair Veterinary Hospital did treat birds (along with dogs, cats, etc.)! I even tRead Less

My beautiful and beloved Champion Maine Coon cat that I had for 14 years was treated here for a horrible mouth cancer. They were all very sweet and caring. That said, when my beloved died I got a nice call from his Doctor but that was it. After spending thousands of dollars and them knowing how destroyed I was I am very surprised that they didn't take two minutes to send a sympathy card like my cat's normal vet did. I hate to say that it really hurt my feelings. You want to think that these people care about you and your pet but when something like a seaming brush under the rug happens when your beloved pet dies and they spent so much time with them... hey, I don't know what to say. I am confused and saddened.Read Less

Great care for the critters; vets and techs will take as much time as is needed. Everyone is friendly and pleasant to deal with. I like that they are affiliated with the Holistic Veterinary Care clinic, and nobody thinks I'm strange because my dogs see a chiropractor as well as a regular vet. Read Less