Pet Hospital Of Penasquitos Veterinary Specialist

I took my guinea pigs here because one of them was bleeding from somewhere and didn't know which one. The staff was super nice and we were taken into the back almost right away. The doctor found who was bleeding and from where super quick. My guinea pig was bleeding from the lower gums by the tooth and the doctor asked me if he wanted to get an x-ray just to see if the tooth was broken from the root and I said of course. Fortunately there was nothing wrong with the tooth. My guinea pig had just cut something in his mouth. And the doctor was nice enough to talk to me about diet for my pigs. So overall I am pleased with this place and the cost wasnt too outrageous. I think I found a good vet for my pigs. Read Less

I have been bringing my bearded dragon, Miss Baxty, to Dr. Boyer & Dr. Mendez at Pet Hospital of Penasquitos for many years now as Dr. Boyer is nationally recognized for his expertise in reptiles. Baxty had been having progressively worsening issues related to egg laying as she advanced in age, and Dr Boyer performed major surgery to spay Baxty and remove stuck egg follicles. Baxty made it through the procedure with no problems and had no infections post surgery. She's also had her teeth cleaned here with sedation with no adverse issues, and both Vets have helped Baxty with other problems in the past. Without Boyer's surgical expertise in reptiles, I doubt my lizard would have made it to being 10 years old now. The office staff also deserves a mention as they are very good with handling reptiles and small animals, and both Tim & Kevin have done an excellent job giving my lizard injections and she's comfortable being handled by them. Read Less

Dr. Boyer uses a lot of high pressure tactics to try to get you to do unnecessary, expensive treatments.  I have taken all my pets to this clinic for years and, while it was very expensive, I just thought that all vets were expensive.  In September, I took my 12 year old dog in because she was acting a little droopy.  Dr. Boyer saw one drop of blood from her privates and immediately tried to pressure me into doing very expensive surgery to remove her uterus by telling me if I didn't do it IMMEDIATELY, my puppy would die a painful death over the next few days from a uterine infection.  Very high pressure tactics and lots of guilt about letting my dog die.  I felt like I was in a timeshare presentation.  I ultimately told him I would need to think about it and left with $20 in antibiotics.  Long story short, puppy didn't have a uterine infection and didn't die a quick, painful death.   It was a really horrible experience and inflicted unnecessary emotional distress.  I had also taken my cat into Dr. Boyer because she had started experiencing bad hygiene in her privates.  Dr. Boyer recommended a labioplasty - a surgery done to trim her vaginal lips because they were getting in the way of keeping clean.  Only a few thousand dollars!  After the incident with my dog, I took both animals to a different vet.  Turns out the cat had a urinary tract infection which Dr. Boyer completely failed to diagnose!  Again, $20 in antibiotics fixed the problem.  The other vet was also much less expensive when procedures did have to be performed.I recommend getting a second opinion on any expensive treatments this clinic recommends. Read Less

I brought my tortoise Sparky here after he was attacked by a dog and the staff here took amazing care of him. Every appointment they explained how to treat my tortoise and what to except during his treatment. The staff went above and beyond to help me after the initial attack and called to check in on my pet weekly. If I wasn't moving, I would definitely be changing all my pets to this vet. Thank you Pet Hospital of Penasquitos!!! Read Less

Dr. Boyer was amazing and kind to my poor itchy miserable beagle. He sat on the floor and got to know him and Bailey was very comfortable. Props to his Office staff that worked us in even though we were new to the hospital. Thank you for your kindness today! Read Less

This review goes out to Dr. Brian Mendez of the Pet Hospital of Penasquitos and their supporting Team members. Dr. Mendez performed a mammary gland tumor removal for our dog Crystal, last month in February. The procedure went smoothly and we were glad to hear that her tumor was benign.The Pre and Post-Op instructions were explained very clearly to us and all medications that we needed for Crystal, were readily available.The Technicians are always courteous and professional. They take the time to answer any questions that we have. If they are unclear about my concerns, they take the time to validate and verify my inquiry, before getting back to me. I also appreciated the Post-Op follow-up appointments for Crystal (i.e. Post-Op Day 2 visit, suture removal, etc.) I value the fact that Dr. Mendez takes the time to explain things to our family, in a way that someone with a Medical background (such as myself) can understand, as well as someone from a non-Medical background could understand. Whenever I come in, Crystal is always treated well by all of the Veterinarians there. I like how they talk to her in a cheerful voice, so she seems to feel like she's going to visit her Friends (vs. paws digging into the ground and resisting entering the building), like I have experienced with my other dogs at previous Vet offices.     Thank you for taking the time to read my review. Happy Spring Everyone! :) Read Less

When I came over to this vet clinic after reading good reviews, I was sadly disappointed. DR. Boyer is only interested in one thing...how much he can bill you for services. Proposing to put my dog under multiple tests and surgeries to add a few months to his life was clearly not in the best interest of our pet or our families goals to spend as much qualify time in his last few days. DR. Boyer made me feel ashamed and embarrassed to not take his advise, and thinking back to how this all went down still makes me sick to my stomach. He would not agree out pet was in his final days of life. Our 13 year old boxer was cared for in our home until his final days where we chose to put him down with another vet at Best Friends Vet Hospital who agreed he was ready to go and provided loving end of life care. Read Less

Normally I live by whatever my vet tells me.  X-rays?  Do it.  Blood tests?  Take 'em.  Meds A, B and C?  Put it on my bill.  But this clinic's way of doing business is atrocious.  My regular vet doesn't see avian or reptiles so I came here.  My husband has been here a couple times with one of his ball pythons and spoke highly of the vet he saw (and I have complete confidence in my husband's opinion, I am sure Dr. Boyer is great). However, when I went there yesterday with an urgent medical need for my newly hatched (barely a day old) ball python I didn't see him, I saw another female vet.  When I walk into a vet clinic, I expect some bill padding (it is a business, after all).  But when the vet INCISTS on doing things that put an animal's life in danger (unnecessarily), just so she can make some extra money, that is completely unacceptable.  I know there are no laws against this, but you would think there would be some kind of moral or ethical code.  I guess not.  It makes me sad to think of the animals who may have unnecessarily died or suffered because she ran this crap on people who were trying to do what's best for their beloved pet. For full story, read further:One of our hatchlings came out of the egg half the size of the other babies and with an enormous lump in her belly.  After looking this up I learned it was hardened yolk that wasn't absorbed.  All the breeders said the same thing, 'get it out or the snake will die within a few days from the blockage'.  The descriptions and stories were accompanied by videos on how to carefully and slowly express the hard yolk.  They were all done with no problem and it seemed fairly easy.  However, they all warned that sometimes the blockage is so large it will rip the snake's vent.  Me being the 'if it can go wrong, it will go wrong' type didn't want to take the chance.  I decided to leave it up to the (what I thought was) professional; and if it tore a little then the vet could stitch it up right then and there.  Man was I wrong.  As soon as the doctor came in I explained the problem.  She replied that 'she has NEVER had a good experience with expressing the yolk and it always ends badly (I just watched multiple videos of regular people doing it with no problem).  She said that she needed to give my 36 gram, 6-inch baby snake sub cutaneous fluids (Why?  He stays in an incubator with 100% humidity, and baby snakes don't consume water in their first days of living anyway).  Then she said the snake needed antibiotics because the yolk could grow bacteria (Why? the blockage will kill the snake before any bacteria does).  Then she said the snake needed X-rays.  When I asked why, she replied that it was to see if there is anything else in there.  When I asked what else would be in there, she said, 'extra organs' (Um, what?  The snake is half the size it's supposed to be but it might have extra organs?) And then she INSISTED that the only way to ensure the baby snake's life was surgery.  WHAT!!?  Surgery would, almost, certainly kill this tiny little reptile; between the bodily trauma and effect of anesthesia.  She laid it out that my only options were surgery or let the snake die from the blockage.  This is the horribly unethical part I am talking about.  She refused to perform a procedure that would save her life.  She would rather kill my snake for the all mighty dollar.  I said 'thanks but no thanks' and went home.  After A LOT of patience and gentle, slow massaging I expressed the mass with NO PROBLEMS.  In fact, the snake was incredibly calm during the whole thing (she now weighs 28 grams after the expression).  The poor little, lethargic baby that could hardly move was zooming all over her enclosure afterward.  I didn't want to do this myself, but I am glad I did.  I hope this post helps other people avoid a possible nightmare.  And for the clinic's sake (and moral's sake), I hope they get rid of that vet. Read Less

After a bad experience with another vet my bearded dragon wasn't doing to good and me and my husband where very worried we called and they made room for us in their very busy schedule. Dr. Boyer was amazing, he has a lot of knowledge about reptiles and it made me feel so much better hearing my little girl could recover, so a few months later and my little dragon is still here and very active. I am so thankful to Dr. Boyer and all the friendly staff, you gave me and my husband a safety net while we cared for Pazuzu to make sure she made the best recovery possible. I highly recommend Dr. Boyer for any reptile. Read Less

It was our first visit to see them and they were terrific! They spent plenty of time with our doggy to help fix their health issues. We are excited to find a vet that knows their stuff and also cares about your pet. Great front staff too! Read Less

The vets, techs, and staff are all very knowledgeable and caring. I heard really great reviews from fellow bunny owners and have seen Drs. Mendez, Kerns, & Boyer. They are all fantastic and take time to get to know my bunnies and answer my questions thoughtfully and offer suggestions for improvement in a non-judgmental manner. The staff is very kind and courteous and always ready for my appointment. If I have to leave my bunnies for any treatment they are great with following up with after treatment. Read Less

Vet was able to see our guinea pig the same day, and took a lot of time with him. Gave us a lot of recommendations to improving his health, which wasn't great even though I'd done plenty of reading online about guinea pig care. Read Less

Dr Boyer and his staff have taken care of all our pets for more than 12 years.  First it was a hamster, We received a free vet visit  with Dr. Boyer when we purchased the hamster. The hamster actually went back to see him a few times.  When we added to our family with a puppy,  we did not hesitate to take him to Dr. Boyer.   He has taken care of Peanut for about 12 years.    He has seen the vet for ear infections, shots, checkups and teeth cleaning.  When we added an older dog through a rescue.  Dr. Boyer helped us get her healthy.  She was with us only a brief time but the Doctors were helpful with all of her health challenges.  She only spent 10 months with us before she passed but Dr. Boyer took care of all her medical needs.We have since added 2 more dogs to the family. Dr. Boyer and his staff take care of them and we never have to worry about the care they are receiving.  They give us an estimate prior to any procedures being done.  They explain why they are doing any tests.  They offer discounts twice a year on teeth cleaning.  I don't have to worry about when the dogs are due their shots.  I receive emails and postcard reminders.  I would not trust them to anyone else. Read Less

I had an emergency situation with my tortoise on a Saturday. This amazing office made time for us and took great care of my little one. Dr Boyle & Tim also provided me with extensive instruction how to provide the after care until our follow up appointment. When I called on Monday with questions Dr Boyle listened to my concerns patiently & provided me with much appreciated feedback. I highly recommend this office for their exceptional critter & customer care. Read Less

I came here from Temecula to get my 6 year old female bearded dragon checked out. I am very impressed.  Dr. Boyer is a bonafide herper, and has a wide variety of clients from what I can tell. He even trains vet students at his practice (that's cool). Phyllis ( my beardie) got a physical,  complete with blood work and ex rays.  Awesome 3D ex ray with zoom showed phyllis broke a rib somewhere along the line, but has healed ok. So if you are looking for a herpetologist veterinarian,  this guy is the real deal. I've read some people complaining about price, but it wasn't unreasonable.  Vets are doctors,  hello? If you can't afford the vet, you can't afford the pet. Seriously speaking, people Read Less

I have brought my pets to various exotic animal vets in several states. Dr. Boyer and his associates were very kind with care to my pet during its health check. The clinic is very clean and the services provided are affordable. Dr. Boyer's professional experience is very impressive. One of the best vet clinics that I have ever been to! A+++ Read Less

Dr. Boyer does an outstanding job and is very loving towards our yellow lab and our daughters green cheek conyure bird. He clearly is extremely knowledgeable and takes whatever time necessary to perform a thorough check up and do the necessary tests to ensure the best health your pet can possibly have. I would highly recommend him and his stall for all your pets needs Read Less

We have had an awesome experience with dr Boyer. He helped our painted turtle after he ate four rocks recently. The turtle went through surgery to have a feed tube to get him to eat and pass the rocks. With out the knowledge we would have lost our painted turtle mojo. Read Less

Great staff wonderful doctor showed me how to tube feed my bearded dragon and save her life and how to make a meal worm farm! How ever the issue is I went in for an appointment I made cost me 160 dollars which I knew I was going to pay after that they asked me to come in for a follow up to check progress I showed up and didn't find out till after the appointment they were going to charge me for it!  I can't believe they would ask me to pay for an appointment they chose for me! I ended up spending an extra 53 dollars I even had to break into my credit account to pay! Absolutely ridiculous!  That's why the lost 2 stars they should have at least told me ahead of time so I could have made a more informed decision..... and not been put on the spot with no money... Read Less

Friendly, knowledgable, and somewhat expensive. The cost was highthe regular exam fee was about 5-10% higher than the other exotic pet vets that I called, but I chose to bring our hamster here because it was closest to our home by a good bit. After an initial exam, it turned out that the needed diagnostic tests and treatments would have been more than we could afford, especially for a hamster toward the end of a typical hamster's lifespan. That said, throughout the process, the staff and Dr. Boyer were friendly, understanding, courteous, and accommodating. Dr. Boyer was able to confirm that our hamster was quite sick, but explained how it was not with what we had initially thought. We were given quotes for additional services before being asked to authorize anything. We very much appreciated that he and the staff were patient and kind with us as my wife and I debated the difficult decision of what to do with our dear furry friend. Read Less

Came here because of the yelp reviews. I was looking to get my 10 year old corgi checked out and it was the first time that he walked straight into a vet's office. Usually he trembles at the door or is stubborn and will put all his weight down or do anything in his power to not go in. All of the staff greeted him kindly and gave him a fair share of treats. He even went away with the doc without any problems to do a needle aspiration and he still came back as his happy, smiling self. If he's a fan, I'm definitely a fan. They gave me price quotes for their recommendations and I never once felt pressured into having to do a procedure. My only tip would maybe to provide hand outs or direct patients to certain resources to provide more information about certain diagnosis. I kind of had an idea of what was going on with my pup already but for those that aren't as knowledgable, I believe patient education is key to giving patients confidence in medical decisions. Read Less

Wonderful, compassionate veterinary care. Dr. D'Amore went above and beyond in diagnosing and caring for my aging cat. She was compassionate and caring when I had to put my Zephyr to sleep as a result of advanced Pancreatic Cancer. Top notch facility. Read Less

I genuinely can't imagine a more wonderful vet. We have brought all three of our dogs here for the last several years and ever. single. time. we are thrilled with Dr. Boyer and his staff.They remember our dogs by name (even the two that don't come in the be groomed regularly). Twice we've had scary incidences where our dog needed emergency/abnormal care- our pups were taken care of and obviously loved while at the office, and we have always gotten follow-up phone calls to see how they are doing.There have been a couple of occasions where we have brought a dog in for something unexpected and small (like a surprise allergy attack) and not been charged an office visit, only the cost of medication.-- One of these times we left our dog here all day after she had been attacked by another animal and we were not charged a single thing for them to monitor her all day. Who does that?!?We love, love, love this practice, and plan on taking our doggies here long after we've moved out of the area. We can't imagine anyone having anything but a five star experience. Read Less

Dr.Boyer and his staff are awesome. Very caring, attentive, and very sweet. I brought my 10 week old, now 14 week old frenchie here and received great care. Dr.Boyer and staff have always been so kind to offer any advice to me. They've always worked with my schedule and I've ony had great experiences with them. I would highly recommend them. Read Less

After taking our Golden Retriever in with a limp, I will never take her anywhere else.  They were wonderful from start to finish, and they understood how emotional we were about our 'baby'.Two wonderful techs came out and literally lifted my 100 pound dog out of the car, since she couldn't jump out by herself.  Dr. Pomes saw her and said he didn't think she needed X-rays since she could put some weight on it.  He and the other person with him (I'm so sorry I didn't get her name, she was Brazilian I think, and WONDERFUL) were so great with my dog, understanding she was scared and confused.  The vet and the other lady LIFTED MY DOG INTO THE CAR FOR ME!  They didn't try to recommend a bunch of different treatments, and they didn't try to sell me stuff.  They were very personable and the bill was reasonable, which is more than I can say for all of the other veterinarians we've used, both here and in Oregon where we're from.  This place is fantastic, and I will recommend them to anyone looking for wonderful care for their pet. Read Less

Dr. Boyer truly cares about the quality of life of each pet. He once said to me, "the value of the pet is not in how much it cost when you bought it, but in the bond you've built with it since then." He gets it. Not only does he know the state-of-the-art treatments for the complex issues, he was willing to help us come up with a workable payment plan. More, he was happy to discuss our rabbits' issues on the phone at length, helping us understand what was going on in a down-to-earth way. I'm so glad we got the treatment for our rabbit rather than just put her down. She's thriving today. Dr. Boyer is our trusted bunny vet.Read Less

Can't ask for a more knowledgeable reptile vets, Dr. Boyer and Dr. Steffas were wonderful to help me when my iguana ate rocks, private practice, the staff goes out of their way to help you, small office, means one on one care and they are flexible to your needs. Would fly in from another state if I move if my iguana needed surgery, thats how good they are and how much I trust them. Read Less

Pudgy had been seeing another known exotic vet closer to my area. After a visit with one of their staffmembers, who misdiagnosed my Pudgy, I finally listened to a recommendation I had received from a local pet store owner (who has been raising bearded dragons for 20+ years). RP is not close to me, but it was worth the drive.Dr. Boyer was magnificent, and I was a blubbering idiot-completely distraught that after three vet appointments I couldn't figure out what was going on with my Pudgy.Each time (now a total of three) we went to the office, we never even sat in the waiting room. We were taken back immediately and Dr. B was with us within a minute. In fact, the last time we were there, Dr. B was in the lobby area and took us back on his own initiative after taking a look at Pudgemeister.The first time we went, Dr. B actually GOT DOWN ON THE FLOOR WITH HER! As it turned out, Pudgy could not be saved. It was an absolutely devastating time for me. I cried. A lot. Dr. B was patient and understanding, but he did not want to mislead me NOR charge me for an expensive surgery he knew Pudgy could not survive. His concern was for Pudgy, NOT for his bottom line. On July 25th I made the heart-wrenching decision to let her go and Dr. B and his staff gave me the time and privacy I needed to say goodbye. Just writing this makes me tear up.Dr. B later called me after the necropsy and told me Pudgy would have thanked me. He actually performed it so I could be assured I'd made the right decision, and as much as I miss her, I know I did.As soon as he saw Pudgy he knew. Dr. B KNOWS lizards and he knows what he is talking about. I would not take my beardie elsewhere. I understand with our pets we become emotional, and vet care (without pet insurance) is pricy. I have been around Yelp awhile now (this is my 400th review!), and I assure you my review is 100% honest and real.Dr. Boyer and his staff (shout out to Danielle) receive my utmost respect, thanks and HIGHEST recommendation. I don't know that I have it in me to ever have another bearded dragon or pet for that matter, but if I am ever ready someday, I will not take my pet elsewhere. Read Less

Recommended by the San Diego Zoo, Dr. Boyer saved my iguana ""Babe"" when no one else could. He is a GREAT vet! He is the one of the highest trained reptile vet and surgeon in the country, My 17 yr. old ""baby"" means everything to me and he cares about him like I do. He can tell you what you need to know to keep your pet healthy and happy.I wasted alot of time and money with other vets who have limited knowledge. I would have traveled across the country to save Babe, but the Zoo set me straight and gave me his name. If you have an iguana, go here. Read Less

This was our worst experience ever, We took our Pom in to Dr. Boyer, last week, and he was diagnosed with Luxating Patella on both his back knees, and he told us that he needed to have a surgery. He gave us a Written estimate, and we went a head and made an appointment to get this surgery done. Shorty after we found out that Dr. Boyer him self is not capable of performing such a procedure, and he is using a Freelancer NON Surgeon, NON Certified Dr, named : Rachell Brinton, so after many attempts trying to talk to this so called Dr. we finally talked to her, and she sounded very convincing, so we decided to give this a try. Today was the actual day of surgery, and after dropping off my dog, we got a call from her, stating that the cost of surgery will be 2 times more than what we had on the Written estimate, She was extreme unprofessional, Rude & talked extreme nonsense, so we decided to pick up our Dog, and have actual certified surgeon perform this surgery. When we went to pick up my Dog, they had already drugged him, and shaved. without our permission. Neither of the mentioned Dorctors. had a  decency to actually come to front desk and talk to us, they both 100% neglected us we received a very nasty attitude, and I don't know how they Drugged my Dog, but he was out of it when I brought him back, Please be advised that this So called Dr. Rachell Brinton, is only a Day taker, and she is not a Surgeon, or certified Dr. She should not be allowed to perform these kind of surgery, she is the worst professional veterinarian we have ever met, Please save your pet, and take it some place else. This place is a huge Ripp OFF they are only after your money, and Do NOT give a sh** about your Loved ones. Read Less