Sun City Veterinary Clinic

It's a good little hospital, high end caring in a low end building. Their prices are better than I could find elsewhere in the area. The techs are great, very gentle. The doctors are very good, too. I have 2 cats. Read Less

I want to like them b/c I think being AFFORDABLE is an incredible service to the elderly in Sun City who might not be able to afford pets otherwise. The low cost is what drew us here & I know they achieve this by being a "no frills" place. First, when you walk in the door it smells like feces and urine. I understand that pets have waste & they can't pay someone to clean all the time, however I have visited other "low cost" clinics & they smelled like bleach & pine sol. We came here to put our kitty to sleep. We have a regular vet with sweet people & a clean office, but the cost was double. We have put a pet to sleep before, so maybe I assumed it was all the same & maybe my expectations were too high, but I keep replaying this in my head (which I didn't do last time) so that leads me to believe it was kinda traumatic. At the nice place they had a special room with a couch for us to say goodbye (I definitely didn't expect that here.) Next off they took our baby in the back room & placed an IV. This place didn't place an IV at all. The nice place didn't rush us or make us sign anything OR pay them ALL THE WHILE my poor kitty was TERRIFIED. The other place waited until we were ready then placed a sedative in his IV. While he lay there snoring we had time to process things, before things were final. We got to pet him & say goodbye in a peaceful setting with him still breathing & him at complete peace. We sat with him for 1 hr before they gave him the final dose. At this place however we were very rushed & I find myself feeling guilty for not speaking up for her comfort. They weighed her & shaved her arm, giving her back to us terrified while we had to sign paperwork releasing them liability to "dispose" of her & forking over cash(they don't accept credit.) It sounded like they were going to throw her in the trash. Next a lady, who I'm not sure was a vet(they said we could see a vet) came in with a syring & I thought they were going to sedate her. I thought it was standard practice to sedate the animals before giving them the overdose of anesthetic so they were unaware. This was my experience at the last vet & this is how the animal shelter does it(who are non profit and under funded.) They just held her down and shoved that huge needle in her arm (vien) & she screamed in agony (my poor baby.) Next I knew, her eyes rolled back in her head & her tongue stuck out...She was gone. It wasn't a sedative, it was the anesthetic overdose. My poor little kitty died scared & in pain. It happened so fast, it wasn't peaceful. We only got to say goodbye to her dead lifeless body as her blood rushed away from her tiny limbs & her paws turned from the cutest color pink to stark white, not her peacefully asleep like at the last place. I wish they took the time to explain things, so I could've asked for a sedative(even if it was extra money), so she could be calm and we could pet her & love on her while her soul still lay in her beating heart. It was all too fast & a little too traumatic. If we had a little bit more money, I would've preferred she died with a little more dignity & compassion. I kinda hate myself for letting her die scared. I can't stop replaying it in my head. If I had it to re-do I would go to a different place & go without something for myself. It wasn't worth feeling guilty & traumatized. She was the sweetest little thing, she deserved better & I feel horrible for how she passed. On the contrary, the Cremation service was EXCELLENT! I cannot believe the level of care they put into it, for the cost. Gateway Pet Cemetery is amazing, & much better than the pricier place we used last time. The turnaround time on the cremation was only 6 days & it included a cedar box & a paw print. I hope my review can help you make a decision to go elsewhere or at least prepare you for what it's like if you absolutely must have your pet euthanised here. There are definitely minuses to lower cost & in my case it made a big difference for my kitty. Read Less

Update: called and spoke to the doctor. Apparently the girl was new and didn't really know what she was doing. She did patches surgery for the correct price. Not five stars only because of the initial experience. COULD NOT BE MORE UPSET> I am shaking I'm so mad. DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT GO HERE they are liars and they are unprofessional and rude. They will tell you one thing over the phone but when you get there it's a complete different story. I have a 8 month old maltipoo who's canine teeth grew in next to his baby canine teeth. They needed to be pulled in case it causes problems. I called around and the lady I originally spoke to on the phone said she would have to talk to the doctor and call me back. I waited and she called me back the next day and said the total cost including anesthesia and the extractions would be 200.00. (mind you he's 10 pounds). It seemed like a fair price and my parents had gone there with there dog before who had surgery at a very similar price so I scheduled the appointment. WE are over an hour away. My husband had to take half a day off work to be able to take him during their drop off time. He went and waited for them to open. I asked him to be sure of the total because we don't have extra money this holiday season because everything is tight this time of year. HE asked the lady when they opened and she stated it could be upwards of 450.00!!!!! Just to extract two canine teeth! He text me to let me know and I said no way, she said 200.00 TOTAL! I called the front desk immediately and spoke to the same female that my husband dealt with and said I wanted to know WHY I was told one thing and when he showed up there was a complete different story. She said it cost that much to clean the dogs teeth.I about lost it. I let her know that it was for an EXTRACTION not a teeth cleaning!!! She said the doctor would have to tell her how much that cost. I was so livid, I told her I already went through all this and the doctor said it would be 200.00!!! She said there was no notes so she couldn't tell me. I can't understand how businesses can run this way!!! The worst part? SHE KNEW SHE WASN'T DOING HER JOB because she absolutely refused to give me even her FIRST NAME> I told her I was going to bring it up to upper management and she hung up on me. I will never ever ever ever ever go to this place and I don't recommend you go here EITHER> Icing on the cake??? When my husband asked for the dog back, the snotty girl said "you know where to find us".... Real nice. Read Less

****Before you go on to read my review I ask kindly that all the other people that made reviews that gave 4 stars 5 stars and all the other wonderful compliments look at how long ago that they were posted Obviously something has happened now to go on with my review**** My mother took her dog there yesterday for a planned procedure, her dog had an abscess on its paw. She was told to have the dog there between 9 and 12 they were going to do the surgery and then call her to pick up the dog around 7PM The Dr. Performing the Surgery actually had to call my mother to find out what surgery was being done. Are you flipping kidding me !!!! Not only did she NOT read the chart , the dogs abscess was the size of an egg. Later the that exclaim that the dog had a few others that were very small but in her defense said she didn't know which one she was operating on. This was at 3 The surgeon then went on to say that she was taking the dog in to start the surgery at that moment. **My mother was receiving help with the bill from a pet charity program** The reason why I bring this issue up is because even though they worked with this pet charity in the past, they could not confirm payment for this procedure so they kept the dog until after 5:00 p.m. After 5 they called and told my mom that they would do the operation the next day . My mother was also told by the vet in the above mentioned phone call, that the dog was fat, and to not give the dog people food , and then went on to say my mother was also fat and to limit starches . Although the Vet did Say "I know it's non of my business " After everything that happened , my mother went and picked up the dog. She won't be going back . Beware Does whole thing sounds so utterly confusing to tell somebody to bring your animal to have surgery at a particular time to already say that they have to go shaded all the pricing and worked with the pet charity foundation and then to turn around and not know what they're operating on to make comments about and animals way is understandable the veterinarian in charge is the doctor but you make comments about my mother's weight is a little inappropriate to say the least . I get that we live in a world where everyone is offended by everything this is not About being offended by a common this is about being offended that a veterinarian does not understand what they are operating on , also making comments on a human and their way is not within their job description very unsatisfied with this veterinary in and the establishment Read Less

My dog recently had to have surgery and this clinic was OUTSTANDING!I have been an ICU RN for 30 years. The surgical wound was clean and healed without any difficulty. Discharge and care instructions for my pet was clear and to the point. The staff are kind and treat the customers and their pets like family. I LOVE THIS CLINIC!!!!! Read Less

They are so awesome ... Best place I've taken my dog to ever , and they are very affordable . Me and my dog will be going there for the rest of her life . And I just want to tell them thank you very much for getting the fox tail out of my dogs Eye !! The vet looked in her eye two times .. and still decided to look at third time and that's when she found the fox tail , Then they removed it . So thankful For her persistence ! Kathleen Dick Read Less

I'm going to give this place a four stars because of the customer service I received. The girls at the front desk answered all my questions and were very helpful. They treated my dog with so much love while taking him back before his shots. This veterinary clinic was very affordable and close to home which is why I went there. The front office is a little outdated but I guess it doesn't matter when you're clients are animals, or does it? Read Less

I have taken both of my dogs here, and always had positive experiences. She's very good with my emotionally imbalanced dog, and is always honest and direct about what's going on. They squeezed my dog in at 5 today even though they close at 5, because he hasn't been eating and had huge lumps in his thoat. They care about the dogs, not the money, and have always been affordable and never pressure you to get "everything" done. Read Less

Wow...My family and I have been coming to this vet for years, and used to get great service and care for our animals. I don't know what happened, but Dr. Dickson has changed. Dr. Dickson always was a little more gruff/not the warmest of personalities in general, but she cared about the animals. This most recent experience will be my last, as I will never bring another pet back here.I have a dog that came from an abusive home and I got him from a rescue shelter. He's big and intimidating, but not dangerous. The assistants that first came into the room were wonderful with him. He of course was afraid, as most pets are when going to the vet, but he was able to calm down, relax, and even fell asleep. I think the assistant's name was Janelle (unsure of the spelling). She knows how to work with animals who are scared! A dog who is that afraid or feels threatened is not going to fall asleep.The moment Dr. Dickson came in, my dog became more rigid and apprehensive. Anyone who has had pets for a long time knows a person's energy and demeanor will influence whether or not a dog feels safe or on edge. He was squirming while Dickson tried to examine his ears, and I tried to help by talking to my dog and helping to hold him, and was told by Dr. Dickson to let them handle it. Ok, no problem. It was decided that he would be sedated to make it easier for Dr. Dickson to conduct the examination since my dog wasn't cooperating (he was cooperating with the assistants before Dickson came in). I expected them to inject the sedative and leave the room for a few minutes while it took effect. He is a LARGE dog, and Dickson gave no time to allow the sedative to work. She immediately continued to try to examine my dog. No barks, no growls, no bites. He was squirming to get away since he was not comfortable with the situation, Dickson and the assistant were bumped by him and were pushed into the wall, and Dickson LOST IT. Screamed that my dog was dangerous, she refused to examine him, and screamed that I should have yelled at him for squirming.... a moment earlier I was told to back off and let the professionals handle it.The assistants were great. Dickson, the "professional" who has been doing this for years, should know how to approach a nervous dog that comes from an abused background. If she were uncomfortable with the examination, she could have calmly stated that she didn't feel this dog would cooperate (he cooperated just fine with Janelle). If he needed to be sedated, she should have waited for the sedative to take effect (it didn't even hit him until I was already about 5 minutes into my drive home. Had she waited, the examination would have been easy).I have already tried a new vet, and we had no problems. Read Less

My family has taken all our pets over the past about 30 years to Dr. Dickson's office. We love the care and dedication she and her staff have provided to our current and past pets. Sure there is sometimes a wait to see the doctor but patience and understanding in a world of instant gratification is a desirable trait. They also keep costs low for the heavily senior citizen population and cash/check only services help to keep their fees low as well. I recommend this office VERY HIGHLY. :) Read Less

Booked an appointment with Dr Lachner for 1230 on Sat. The office called to verify the appointment at 10 AM. I got there at 12:15 and waited till 115. No one ever advised me they were behind and several people went back before myself. I got in my car and left. Drove to another clinic where my dog was seen immediately and taken care of within 15 minutes. I will never go back here again. It's just too bad that they don't appreciate their patients. Read Less

The first time we came in we saw the younger female vet, everything was great she seemed like she knew what she was doing and how to make the animal feel comfortable. The next time we had an older lady that didn't seem to know what she was doing. On top of that the vet assistant apparently was fed up with dealing with a cat before us and was very rough with our cat when she didn't need to be and even chocked him while she was holding him. In contrast with the first visit the vet didn't need anyone to hold our cat to do the exam she came in and petted him for a bit before doing anything. So it's hit or miss, I don't like any of the vet assistants they are rude and obviously don't want to be doing anything for the pay checks. Read Less

The vets Dr. Lackner & Dickerson are caring and keep prices reasonable to prevent problems as well as treat acute conditions. Although prices of lab work or other tests might seem expensive, from what I have seen they do not mark up the costs and use the results to understand what is going on with the patient. I came from WLA and can say that they are on par with any practice in So Cal. Read Less

Animals are treated with so much caring. They keep prices down by not having fancy office. Great top notch care. Never feel rushed and the vet takes the time to tell you what is going on. Dr dixon drew me a picture of a gland explained the how and why the treatments resolved the problem. Read Less

I have been taking my dog here for 5 years now and have had a great experience everytime. They are very helpful over the phone and in person. I feel lucky to have found such an awesome Vet so close to me! Read Less

I've very grateful we were able to get an appointment 20 minutes before close for my dog. The Vet was very nice and handled my dog very well. Received a great explanation of what the problem was and medications immediately given. Read Less

Friendly and knowledgeable. My pets are all in great health thanks to these guys. Switched here from Menifee Animal Hospital where a couple of the ladies there were rude B's... they got mad because I asked questions. Sun City Veterinarian takes time to explain things, offer advice, Doctor actually speaks with you instead of hiding behind closed doors. But then I guess if I was guilty of fraud like Menifee Animal Hospital I would hide too. Thank you Sun City Veterinarian for you honesty and keeping my pets in good health. Read Less

We have been going here for the last 4 years, we really like the Vet herself. However, the receptionist I spoke to today was rude, short with me, and refused to let me speak to the Doc or even leave a message. She kept pushing me to 'make an appointment'. (After dropping $400 on an after-hours clinic to assess a cyst on my pit, that vet couldn't find the problem. So, I was trying to see if it was worth it to take my boy here or not). When I agreed to just make the appointment, she offered one at noon the next day. I told her we couldn't get there until 2 because of work. She replied that the sooner I got him in, the better, because they start surgery at 3:15..... I told her I understood, still can't make it until 2, and she simply stated that maybe I should find elsewhere to go then. To that, I agreed. Maybe she just had a ruff day. Read Less

We've been going to Sun City Vet for about 8 years now.  I've always been satisfied with the service I receive and you can't beat the prices.  Be AWARE - this is a no frills veterinary clinic.  Bring toys etc. with you to keep your pet occupied.  Ok - Dr. Dickson is a little gruff.  If you get to know her, you will find she loves animals.  She may not always communicate in the best way, but at heart, she really cares about the animals. Read Less

We have been taking our pet family here for over 10 years.  Doctors are knowledgeable and thorough.  They do not run up excessive tests or costs....but clearly communicates all options.   The staff is friendly and helpful everytime.  Compassionate during difficult times too. Read Less

Went next door for a grooming, popped in to inquire about getting shots for my dog. The receptionist told me I needed to call to make an appointment. I had to ask for the phone number. I mean, you can't help me make an appointment??? With that kind of customer service I never called back.Read Less

I have been going to Dr. Dickson for over 10 years. She is truly a great vet. She is kind and knows what she is doing. She does what best for your pet and does not look at the owner as a pocket book. I will continue to go to Dr. Dickson because she has integrity and their is not that many places like that anymore.Read Less

We recently brought our dog in for oral cleaning, surgery.1. Our dog. We brought our dog in at 8:45 AM. We were told our dog would be ready at 5:30 PM. I was out doing errands and decided to stop by at 5:45 PM. Our dog was not ready, so I asked the receptionist how he was doing. She told me he was fine. I asked this THREE times, with the same response from her. I went home, and at 6:45 PM my wife decided to call. She was told he was not even treated yet!! Why didn't the receptionist tell me that?? That meant that our dog was in a cage for TEN hours by that time - no food, no water, no walks. Our dog was finally treated around 7:30 PM, and I picked him up at 8:45 PM. A full TWELVE HOURS since I dropped him off. When I picked him up his head was totally wet and he looked a mess. The assistant apologized, and told me Dr. Dickerson was sorry. Although she did not have the decency to tell me.2. Staff. I'm not happy with the receptionist answer of "He's doing fine". She had to have known I was referring to his surgery. I was not told the truth! As far as the surgery, it makes common sense that you would want surgery performed early in the day. Staff is fresh and alert; however, 11 hours later, a long day, and tired staff does not make for a comfortable situation. Also, it appears our dog had no recuperation period. It was a 'wham, bam, out the door' experience.3. Us. At no time during the day did staff contact us to inform us of the situation and that it would take longer than expected. All-in-all, it comes down to 'you get what you pay for'. Yes, they keep the cost down a bit, but look at the downside. Also, they gave me an estimate range, and when we brought our other dog in it was at the top of the range. This time it was on the higher side of the range.As an aside, when I pulled up a couple was waiting in their car. They had taken their dog in, AT NOON, for a washing, and had been told he had mange. Later that was reversed, but here it was EIGHT HOURS later, and no dog. Additionally, they were never given any estimate on the cost! I'm curious as to the charge for the 'bath'. Read Less

Your pet can receive decent care here, seems like they have many customers who are quite happy going here. I've never been thrilled with the service nor the lack of showing concern for their customers - always very business-like. Read Less

I would have to agree w/Quailsong - we had a very similar experience. Used Dr. Dickson in an emergency situation. Dropped our dog off at 9:00 a.m and was told we'd be phoned around 5:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m. WE finally called and our dog was just then in surgery - we should have called sooner and picked him up. So all day w/out food, water, attention. Should have went w/our gut feeling to pick him up that night, but we didn't. Instead he was left alone ALL night RIGHT after surgery - he'd NEVER spent a night alone before this. He had vomited and urinated in the kennel and he'd gotten 'aggressive' w/them so they didn't clean him up - ya think? We NEVER saw or talked to Dr. Dickson directly. The one star should be a red color for 'caution.' (This was posted several months after this experience - my apologies to others for being so late). Read Less

No rating, I cannot give a low enough rating. I left my little dog to be spayed at 9AM, told she would be ready to go home by 5PM, however we'll call you...I went in at 5PM and they never even touched this dog, they never spayed her. She was cooped up in that tiny cage for 8 hours without water, food or a potty break! This is animal abuse. Then I was told they will DO her in 20 minutes and I can wait...Oh really? I demanded my dog back and they will never see me there again.P.S. I had to give the review a star only to post. This vet's office does not deserve a star.. Read Less

My husand and I have been with Dr. Dicksons office since we moved to sun city in 1992. We love this office. Keep in mind that her office is not all ""high tech"" and doesnt have all the frilly little decorations and plants like alot of the other office may have, but she is there to do a job for the animals, not to be frilly. I love that she can keep her prices low by not accepting credit cards. Several times our dog had to be rushed to an emergency clinic in the middle of the night and each time they said he was not going to survive unless we underwent some outrageous surgery that was going to cost us thousands of dollars. We opted not to have the surgeries and instead went home with pain killers and went straight to Dr. Dickson the next day. Both times it was just his back went out and he couldnt move. She fixed him up with some medicine and he was fine. The emergency vets always tried tell us he had a neurological problem... bah! Our dog lived to be 17 years old and alot of that is because of Dr. Dickson! We have several other animals that we still take to her and she has always been attentive to the animals needs, never have I felt she didnt have a love for the animal and NEVER have we felt she was too busy to take care of us. Yes, you do have to wait when you go to your appointment, sometimes an hour, but good service is worth waiting for. I have referred 6 people so far and they all love Dr. Dickson. Read Less

This vet (Gloria Dickson) was very cold. Did not answer most questions asked of her during our so called consult. My dog needed emergency surgery per this vet. But, she ""didn't have the time'. Tried to get someone to do it over the weekend and could not. Called back and set up surgery with this vet for Monday. Dog was there first thing per their instructions. 4 1/2 hours later, vet calls and tells me she is having a bad day and did not feel like doing the surgery, and told me "" I thought I told you to take the dog into emergency"" I replied I had called 15 places and could not get it done, even the 24 hour could'nt do it. Although this was apparently not enough of an emergency to make up for her ""bad day"". She also told me that I was a new patient and had not been there long enough for her to do it. If I had been there longer then she probably would. She made other excuses to which I had answers that negated them. Such as ""you said you did not want him neutered"" to which I replied "" I told your tech this morning that it was all right to do that for my dogs sake. After questioning the tech, finding this was true then berating this tech. She then tells me she might try to get to him today but was not promising. I could not get over there fast enough to get my dog the hell out of there. Seems competent enough but has no bedside manner and does not seem to care about the animals. Acts like a total burnout. With serious bad attitude toward people and animals. Could not trust this vet to do the right thing even though her prices are reasonable. I played hell trying to get someone to do it in the following day but was able to set it up. Cost me more, way more in time and money due to her unprofessional attitude. But I am getting light years better service, equipment and a total professional that cares. I am sorry I ever chose this vet at random because she was closest. For my dogs sake it worked out for the best even though she put his life in more jeopardy than needed. Read Less