Oakley Veterinary Medical Center

I've read the negative reviews and had to say my experience was excellent.  I brought my dog in for a sedation dental cleaning.  This is the second visit to the office and both have been great.  I went back to this vet because my regular vet was going to charge me $680 for a sedation dental cleaning plus another $100 for shots and an office visit.   My dog's cleaning here was $380 during dental discount month, plus the shots.  The vet tech did a great job caring for my dog, he was informative and  helpful.  The doctor was the same.  No problems with the front office staff and as a matter of fact the receptionist kept the house cat from visiting me during check out because I am allergic to cats. Read Less

This is the worst place to go to have your animals cared for! Please don't be fooled by these people ! Tonya the nurse , Samatha the receptionist and Dr. Lafferty is an embarrassment to the care of medicine! After spending $1500 to have my animals teeth cleaned the discharge nurse didn't know how many sutures were in my do for skin tag removal  , nor did she know my dog had teeth removed! When questioned about her unprofessionalism she began to argue with me and explained she wasn't the nurse who worked on my dog! The next morning I had my return appointment where I asked the doctor if she is aware of the reflection of her staff on her business , she stated I can't be mean to her staff! As I started to explain the whole story about the nurse being unaware of my dogs condition while discharging my animal, Dr. lafferty response was if she could speak with my husband , I asked if she was calling me a liar since he was in the room along with me to observe this behavior from Tonya ! I have been a client of Dr Lafferty for 11 years , she and her staff have changed into a business that no longer cares about animals ! Please do not continue to use these services !  P.S my husband called her back and verified every detail ! This is not the first encounter! Please feel free to contact me at (925) 481-0062 if you need any further information Read Less

As I sit here in my car writing this review, I am so frustrated with this place! I scheduled an appointment for 5pm I showed up 10 mins early. When I walked in I didn't even get an acknowledgement, the lady at the counter Laurie who was just starting at a computer didn't greet anyone that walked in and she was the only person There! The waiting room was full of animal and no one was even being helped. This is my THIRD experience with these people. I absolutely love the Dr here but the people at the front complete ruin this place for me. I ended up leaving because no one even asked what I was there for. I will never recommend this place to anyone nor will I go back. If j make an appointment somewhere I except to have that appointment. They were an hour behind schedule and weren't telling their customers who were standing there waiting. I truly do not know how they stay in business! Read Less

I went there today the staff was very friendly my little puppy hurt her shoulder and they examined her took an xray and said the angle wasn't good enough and they couldn't see what's going on but they think it's broken and i need to see an ortho surgeon and said they could get the xray to see what's going on better and they charged me 90$ for a film that they didn't deem useful and wouldn't take another xray im extremely upset having to pay for an xray that isn't useful . You'd think they would be trained in taking xrays and wouldn't take advantage of new patients coming to their clinic . Read Less

I am compelled to write about my experience today here.  I had to bring in my cat of 18 yrs in to be euthanized.  I was a wreck to say the least.  These ladies here were the best!  They were very compassionate with my cat as well as myself.  I am utterly impressed with how they handled my horrible situation.   I am thankful that they made my furchild comfortable and were very apologetic to me.  They even teared up themselves. Thank you ladies. I don't know your names, but thank you for making it a smooth experience for me as well. Read Less

I took in my elderly cat for care. I do not think they are very knowledgeable about cat care, particularly aged kitties. They over sedated him just to look at his teeth and to cut his toe nails (took him three days to recover) and sent him home with dog pain medicine (per another vet when I showed them what he was taking). My experience with Oakley Veterinary Medical Center was very worrisome and out of 3 visits to their office I do agree with other posters that the staff in general are basically rude. After the last visit I took my 'old man' (19 years) the following week to another vet who quickly was able to do a visual diagnoses of cancer of the tongue and worked me through the last 6 months of his life - a very difficult time. If I had not changed vets I'm pretty sure he would not have made it that much longer or what pain and suffering he would have had to endure under their care.They may be okay with dogs but would not recommend for older cats. Read Less

I picked this place based off of the positive reviews. My experience was less than positive. I walked-in to hopefully get an appointment set up for my cat's paw to be looked at. The First Lady I seen was very nice, she went to get someone else to help me. So I didn't think that there would be an issue. I was wrong. The next person, she was tattooed all over and seemed very grumpy towards me. She asked immediately if I was a "Client"... I didn't understand what she was trying to say, but I told her anyways about my cat's dislocated wrist that needed attention. She was unwilling to work with me, she asked again if I was a "Client". I tried becoming said "Client", but she gave excuses after excuses: "the doctor is in surgery", "there is a wait of an hour", (took my cat to Antioch emergency and she had to stay over night, so yeah an hour wait is nothing), "we can't schedule until this afternoon". I said okay I'll take this afternoon, she said: "oh you're still trying to come?" I took my injured cat and left, they were unwilling to help and I don't know why. But I can take a good long guess... Read Less

The first time I came here it was an emergency.  I had come home to find my dog on the ground unresponsive.  I picked him up, went straight to the car and drove straight to Oakley Vet because they were the closest.They had never seen me before and they still sprung into immediate action. They saved my dogs life that day.I have been there a few other times since picking up or dropping off dogs for my sister and the nurses and doctors are always top notch. Read Less

Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. My beloved fur baby who has been seen for years at this vet was told to be a healthy dog when we brought him in concerned with his health. He had not been acting right and I brought him twice in the month of April. The second time he was having issues eating due to what we believed to be a tooth infection... He had horrible breath... They took blood and found "nothing" but sent us home with what we were told to be antibiotics. With regards to the blood work, we never heard from them as promised. We followed up with them to be told that nothing abnormal was found and that he was a healthy dog. Two weeks later our beloved dog was laid to rest due to misdiagnosis. As his breath got worse, breathing became harder and his eating ceased almost completely, we took him for a second opinion. It was confirmed the medication we were given was pain medication and not an antibiotic. Please go somewhere that truly cares about animals and not about taking your money. Read Less

Taken a couple of rats here to see thwir rodent vet, she was so sweet and kind to me. One rat sliced my other open and she only charged me for the antibiotic. For the second rat she was so nice to him and knew he was old but didn't say anything about me trying to help him being a waist like ive heard before. The staff was very kind too, except whoever took my call. It didn't seem like she cared at all because he was a rodent. Over all very wonderful place Read Less

Taken a couple of rats here to see thwir rodent vet, she was so sweet and kind to me. One rat sliced my other open and she only charged me for the antibiotic. For the second rat she was so nice to him and knew he was old but didn't say anything about me trying to help him being a waist like ive heard before. The staff was very kind too, except whoever took my call. It didn't seem like she cared at all because he was a rodent. Over all very wonderful place Read Less

Taken a couple of rats here to see thwir rodent vet, she was so sweet and kind to me. One rat sliced my other open and she only charged me for the antibiotic. For the second rat she was so nice to him and knew he was old but didn't say anything about me trying to help him being a waist like ive heard before. The staff was very kind too, except whoever took my call. It didn't seem like she cared at all because he was a rodent. Over all very wonderful place Read Less

I'm doing a shout out to the BEST veterinary in the EAST BAY!!!!!! I absolutely love Sandra Lafferty DVM. Her entire staff are all so kind & helpful. I truly feel they love our pets as much as we do!!!! Read Less

Went in for a rabbit neutering.  Very pleased with my visit.  Place has a friendly staff that seemed to genuinely care about animals.  The "nurse" (whatever they're called for vets) gave me some papers on how to care for our rabbit without being asked, as we only had the rabbit for about a month.  They even gave us a follow up call the next day to ask how our rabbit was doing.Only complaint is the cost, which was a bit excessive.  They are the only place in the area that does rabbit fixing, and they know it.  They initially wanted $165 to fix our rabbit!  We've seen other places that charge less than $100, but they were way too far to drive to.  We did get a discount for having adopted our rabbit which brought the price down to $115, but it was still a little high.It feels like they're taking advantage of being the only rabbit fixer within a reasonable driving distance, which leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, but beyond the price, I was very happy with the service we received.  They even had a couple of very friendly cats on the counter to play with while waiting. Read Less

Came here for a second opinion for my dogs eye issue. I couldn't believe how dramatic the front office was, especially for this being my very first time there, the receptionists didn't care about first impressions that is for sure. I heard them talking sh*t about someone who was on their way to pick up a prescription. They were behind, which honestly... as an office manager for a surgeon I don't get very bothered by these things, it happens. So they put my dog and I in a room and I hear arguing going on between a couple women that work there, I hear one say "honestly if she wants to pay me to only sit on my ass I'll do that!!!" ... then slammed the room to what I'm assuming to be the break room. My eyes got huge, even with me being in a closed room with my dog it was AWKWARD and extremely unprofessional. These are grown women, NOT little girls like they act to be. 20 minutes later.... the doctor comes in, no idea what her name was. She didn't introduce herself but I know she was the associate Dr. and not the main Dr. that works for this practice but she is sure to tell me "Sorry we're behind today, we have some issues going on." Meaning, our grown women staff are acting like children today!!!!!!! Anyway, she wasn't sure what was wrong with my dogs eye but decided to throw the word TUMOR around, my eyes got huge  and I'm sure she noticed my concern and she says "I don't know though, do you want me to sedate her and I take an x-ray?" I said No, she responds with "Ya it would probably just be a waste of money" I cut that exam short so fast. Clearly if she didn't know whats going on with my dogs eye (it happens!) it isn't the best bed side manner to tell me my dog may have a tumor with nothing to base that on, and I mean absolutely nothing. I've taken my dog to an eye specialist since then and my dog is healthy. Has allergies and a 3rd eye lid issue. Thanks for sending my anxiety through the roof over nothing!!!!! Lets say my dog did potentially have a tumor, my opinion is if you're not POSITIVE just refer me to a specialist. $70 exam here and for example for comparison,  my dogs regular vet charges that for an exam, topical antibiotics and oral antibiotics. Go figure. Its all a learning experience right. Read Less

My little pug had a very serious case of Pyometra. Her regular vet was closed and I was worried (didn't know how serious it was until I brought her in). They were open later than then other vet and were able to get her in the same day and diagnose her. They also set up the surgery for the next day. I called her other vet to see how much the surgery would be and it was double the quote I got from the Oakley veterinary medical center. The other vets wanted $1,800 for the surgery.  I brought Chloe in for the surgery and they were so professional and nice. They also called me when she was out of surgery. I got to pick her up later that day. They saved my little pug. I love my dog more than words could ever say, and I trust them with her. I would recommend this place over a lot of other vets. Read Less

the vet for reptiles is the sweetest lady in the world very smart.  but the ladys in office that handle calls and paperwork are going thru menopause.. straight rude ass bitches..I don't know how they are with cats and dogs. but if you have reptile and can ignore cunty attitudes by office girls this is ur place to go Read Less

NO STARS: The girls that work reception are beyond rude. Phone call conversations are like pulling teeth or talking to a wall. Forget a warm friendly greeting when you show up for your appointment, you're lucky if you even get acknowledged walking through the door. Post visits are just as bad, waiting and waiting at the desk to pay while they just stare blankly at the computer screens. How awkward and irritating. 5 STARS: The doctors and techs on the other hand are fantastic! Very thorough and caring when it comes to our fur babies. They are what keeps us coming back and enduring the staleness of the waiting room. Read Less

My turtle was having issues that I thought were related to eggs being stuck inside her. She was not eating at all and would not want to be in her tank. I built a nesting area for her so that she would be able to pass the eggs(which I thought was the problem). I would let her walk around the living room and she would do digging movements in my carpet, but would not pass anything. I took her to Dr. Lafferty because she is the closest exotic vet in the area. The day before her appointment, she passed a very large white thing that I thought was fish (she ate a little fish the day before) but I decided to take it with me to be sure. The staff was great, they were not weird at all with handling my very large turtle. They gave her an xray to check for eggs and she had none. Dr. Lafferty said the white matter was something that she passed from her kidneys. That is probably why she wouldn't eat. They also noticed that she has a bacterial infection that is turning her skin pink and gave her antibiotic injections for that. They also said if the pink color is not gone, I can call in and come and get more injections without bringing her back. I had an overall great experience and as soon as I got home, my turtle was acting back to her normal, fun self. Thanks Dr. Lafferty Read Less

This is our regular vet for ALL 7 of our kitties. Dr. Lafferty and staff are awesome, caring people. Our senior kitty has epilepsy, and once when she had a bad spell, and needed extended care, Dr. Lafferty took the kitty home with her, so she could watch her over the weekend, and give any needed support. She did this out of the kindness of her heart, and at no additional charge! They are the best! Read Less

I love my pets, as a pet parent, I am sure you do too. I recently took in a stray kitten. Raised her and decided it was time to get shots and spay done.I called Oakley vet. I got an appointment the next week. I was so worried but the staff was friendly, place was CLEAN, and we got a great feeling that our baby Patches was in good hands.I easily appreciated the fact they called us periodically during the day to let us know about the progress. We always knew how she was and what was going on.It was a bit pricey but well worth the extra cost to give us peace of mind. Patches came home a bit drugged and by the next day she was back to her kitten self. We have a follow up visit in 2 weeks. Very happy about service! Read Less

I have used numerous vets and after reading some reviews I can attest that you will find other vets in the area that are cheaper for some things and more expensive for others, however....... Dr. Lafferty is a vet you will benefit from in building a long term relationship with if you are a long term pet owner who's pet is truly your family member.  The other vets I've used refer out to 'specialists' for simple things whereas Dr. Lafferty can treat without extreme costs of a specialist.  Where needed she (Dr. Lafferty) brought in a specialist to perform an invasive orthopedic surgery but I saved using her office for the pre-op and after care.  The other vet I used sends out for simple fecal tests, where Oakley vet does in-house for the same tests, generally.  I would describe Dr. Lafferty in a country vet context.  Practical in her practice but understanding of our love for our companions, their prominent positions in our family and what they bring to our lives.  As far as front office and friendliness- I get that, but I'd have to say for me an overly friendly or even very welcoming stranger's face does not compensate for a lack of compassion, professionalism or practicality where it really matters to my animal, in the patient's room by the vet or vet staff.  From a business perspective I understand that finding competent front office administrators is priority number 1. Doesn't matter how nice a person is to clients if they cannot operate computer programs or handle sensitive, emotional situations with tact and sometimes reservation. Having those first contacts with the public when you have been dealing with a busy front office, families in loss, individuals who cannot afford when their pet's care exceeds their ability etc. is a difficult job.  I wonder how many times, some days, they have to reapply their make up to be presentable and happy to the next client when they've had to comfort and collect payment from another who just spent the final minutes with their beloved fury family member.  But as clients it is all about how we are made to feel.... So I guess the front office staff gets a bit of slack from me but the good Doc passes my test with flying colors. My ONLY complaint is that I wish Oakley vet was open 7 days a week because emergencies only happen to me when closed.  (though she has even  intervened for my pet on those occasions, too when she was available)This is a vet for a long term relationship, whose staff will know your animal and know you. Dr. Lafferty, Dave, Denny, Stacey,.....even the occasionally grumpy yet competent office staff are a bit like family now. Read Less

Dr Lafferty and Stacy the tech are amazingly awesome to my two cats. I feel very comfortable bringing in my cats Kona and Cassie to get their shots and whatnot to the center. We've been coming to the Oakley Vet Center since 2002 with our beloved Marley the cat and never ever had a problem with anything. The waiting room isn't all that big and has only 2 seats on the "cat" side. I can't speak about the "dog" side. The friendliness of the front desk receptionists was "thumbs down". Sorry to say but I wasn't even greeted while I sat there with my two cats and daughter until about 10 to 15 minutes later when the older receptionist finally asked what my cats names were. Oh and mind you, one other tech did come into the waiting room and was friendly and said hi to my daughter, my cats and I. I noticed and overheard while we were waiting that a small turtle just got his "shots" as he was "under the weather". So if you have a reptile that needs taken care of bring it here.So the reason for my 4 stars was strictly for Stacy and Dr. Lafferty and cleanliness of the center. It didn't smell like urine or ammonia, it smelled like roses! LOL, no just kidding.The center does have emergency contacts in an emergency. Read Less

Thought the Dr and staff were great at first. Then they gave me wrong medication for my pet and did not return any calls ro question if it was the right stuff. I guess St. Patty day and the rest of the weekend were more important. My cat bleed to death and literally puked his guts out after lethal doses of the wrong drug were mixed up by theyre techs. And initially they tried to deny it before realizing I had saved the syringes then they admitted fault. Keep your companions ALIVE! DON'T GO HERE!!! Read Less