Companion Animal Medical Center

Dr. Kuswa and Dr. Tarkington are the kindest, most knowledgeable vets I've seen. They truly care about each of your pets and take the time with each one. I've been going to them over 20 years now. I remember how pleasantly surprised I was when I first saw Dr K. Get on the ground to assess, pet, and exam my lady dog.  She still does to this day!   Amazing people. Read Less

Love this vet. Been going for 8 years now. We recently had to put our family dog down, and even though I know they do it all the time, they were so compassionate and sweet and warming during the process. Always sweet and loving towards our dogs, and always affordable! Read Less

This was a very caring, wonderful veterinarian. The staff was amazing. From the check-in to the actual examination of my dog, everything was so caring and kind. Our dog had a lot going on with her and we didn't realize she had an ear infection or other things and the vet explained things calmly and clearly so we were able to understand.  We were able to ask questions and felt like they took ample time with us. We highly recommend them. Read Less

My problems with companion vet go back years. One of my cats had a medical condition that and needed to be put on prescription CD Science Diet cat food. I asked if it would have adverse effects on my other cat's if I fed it to them and I was told absolutely not. Turns out it absolutely does. I lost my other cat to kidney failure due to a high protein diet, the kind of diet that Science Diet CD cat food would supply it. The incompetence of companion vet has led to the death of one of my animals. Fast forward to today... now the rudeness of Colleen is keeping me from getting that same CD cat food that kills me to call in to buy because of this incident. Now I'm looking for a new vet. One that has staff that's capable of basic adulting and polite discourse. I just want cat food not to babysit one of your rude staff members. Read Less

I have been going to Companion Animal Medical Center for several years  until last weekDid not ever have any problems until this appointmentI took my boxer there to have a cancerous skin tumor removed from his leg and also to have them remove a small wart from under his chin that would constantly bleed when he would bump itMy dog had previously had other skin tumors removed prior to this appointmentAlso to have them examine a previous tumor that was removed and it had reopened and was infectedDr Kuzwa was usually the doctor we would see but she cancelled her appointments because she was ill that dayMy appointment was then changed to Doctor TarrkingtonThey called me later that day and the person on the phone didn't say who they were they just asked who I was I told them who I was then they proceeded to tell me that my dog was at the end of the road and they have him on antibiotics and steroids to slow down the cancerous growths and he was ready to be picked upI then called back a few minutes later and told the assistant that I wasn't sure if I talked to the nurse or who it was but that I would like to talk to Dr TarrkingtonDoctor Tarrkington then got on the phone and said You were Taking to me!I said so were you able to suture the opening under his arm?She said NO!I said did you remove the one on his leg? She said NO! I said did you do a blood test? She saidNO MORE Surgeries! It is Carcinoma Cancer! IT is going to come back! So we have him on Hospice care! And I don't think he needs his vaccinations either there is no reason for that! I think you should think about putting him down! So are you coming to pick him up? I said yes in the morning So my husband and I went to pick him up in the morning and the receptionist were very understanding and kind we asked if Doctor Tarrkington was there and if we could speak with her The receptionist went back to ask and came back and said she said we could just tell you about the medicines and answer your questionsWhile we were waiting the nurse came out and said you might want to think about putting him down! I said I am not going to do that!I told the receptionist that I just lost one dog a few months ago and it was sudden and I could not lose another one and I cant put him downSo we told the receptionist that we were not happy because they didn't do anything for our dog We then told her that we would take him to another Veterinarian I have since taken him to another Veterinarian and they removed the tumor on his leg and took off the wart on his chin and even sutured the one that came open under his arm They were kind and understanding and more importantly they let it be my choice!  They are Awesome! They understood he wasn't just a dog! He is a part of our family! My dog is much better he is healing and still recovering but he is happy and active and himself againI will NEVER take another pet to Companion Animal Read Less

My entire family has used Companion Animal Medical for all of our pets needs for years. They have been nothing but wonderful to every furbaby we have taken in. I highly recommend them. They are professional, kind, caring, loving and they take their time to explain what's going on and what needs to be done. They give you great service and their quotes on what it will cost if surgery or something else that needs to be done are very reasonable. I love the entire staff there! You can't go wrong using them for your vet needs. Read Less

Best vets!! Dr. Kuzwa has been my vet for 15 + years.Everyone here is Helpful, kind and knowledgeable and dedicated.I have 5 dogs and 3 cats and we have NEVER had a bad experience.Dr. K literally pulled my dog back from death after she ate a piece of rubber and had an intestinable blockage. My dog was dying . Dr K arranged for an ultrasound then did emergency surgery and kept her in 24 hour care to make sure she was healing properly. Honestly I do not understand the bad reviews. We have gone here for 15+ years with a number of pets. Not only have I have never had a bad experience, she has saved the lives of several of my pets as well as providing routine care.I don't think you can get a better Vet! Read Less

They're timeliness is awful. I get that these types of appts seldom start on time but it's so disrespectful for a business to leave their customers/patients in a back room for an hour and a half, unseen, for a five second shot. Then the vet tries making small talk once she gets there. Shut up! You've already wasted my afternoon with your tardiness. This takes NO time and you're wasting all of mine! Kuswa had two more rooms ahead of us when we finally got into a room (20 min after our appt time) and it took over an hour for her to come in there for all of 5 minutes. On top of that we were charged for an exam we clearly told reception we were not there for, but her "exam" was looking in the dogs ears and touching their belly. That's it. Was that an exam? Or an unnecessary expense because they're such a mess there? We didn't NEED to see the vet, so why we had to wait for her instead of the assistant that let us into the room performing the shot on the dogs is beyond me! Hell, I COULDVE DONE IT. The shots were just sitting there. Mega waste of time, poor service, and overall a complete disappointment. Read Less

If you care about your pet, don't go to this location. I was sitting there waiting for my pet to get vaccinated, and the client in front of me had their pet vaccinated. They would not let her go back with the dog because they claim sometimes the dog dies. I was so shocked on their rudeness i left. I've never heard of a vaccination killing a dog, and you not being allowed to watch the dog gets it shots. Read Less

I have 3 dogs that are seen here. One is a senior dog and two younger. The office is great and sensitive to the dogs and my needs. Their hours are convenient for those who work.  Prices seem comparable to other vets in town. Read Less

I wasn't going to leave this veterinary clinic a bad review for incidents that happened on the last two visits but, because THEY continue to bring it up, I now feel compelled to review them. I have been using this office for many years. Kelly has always been very professional, polite and has always treated or dogs well. No complaints what so ever. But recently we took our 3 day old poodle puppies to have the tails docked and dew claws removed and Kelly wasn't there, we Dealt with Nanette (I think she is the owner) When we ask for the tails to be docked the assistant took the puppies in and then came back to the lobby with the puppies and a black marker and told us to mark where we want the tail docked. ( that's very strange, fist time in over twenty years that a vet ask this from us) we explained 'We don't know where the tail knuckles are and that we just want it done just like last time'. Then the vet came out, Nannette, with a book explaining what the standard dock should be in n a poodle. The information was good but the delivery was so condescending and unprofessional that even another client that was having their dog treated made a comment about it. I work in the medical field and I know hippa laws don't apply to animal but the "normal " thing would have been to bring one of us back there and we talk about it and not handle this issue in the lobby. Later we noticed that on one puppy the back left dew claw was not removed (the other three were). So we called to explained what happened. And they had us come in so they could verify. And instead of being apologetic they were on the defensive. The vet assistant said 'We didn't remove it because you didn't tell us to remove it'. That was such a strange answer; I had to ask: "if I didn't ask you guys to remove them, then why did you remove all the dew claws on the other puppy and three dew claws on this one?" And I also asked "why was I charged for dew claw removal " The young tech had no answer and I felt bad because my logic was irrefutable. Couldn't they just say "sorry we missed it", or "let's see how we can fix's this mistake " all humans make mistakes even professionals. It's not a big deal but if they start trying to excuse or blame others Instead of owning up to them then it make me lose trust. We then asked the to speak to the doctor and the first thing she said when she walk in the exam room was "I just want you to know that I wasn't the one that removed the dew claws, what do you guys want?" She was visibly upset to the point were her facial muscles were quivering. She didn't introduce herself or say hello. It was again; very very unprofessional. We asked what can we do to fix this. She said they would anesthetize the dog and remover the dew claw. But it could not be done till the following week. By then we felt it would be too much stress on the small puppy and we let her know that we were just going to leave it like that. We NEVER insulted her or used curse words. We did however tell her that she was very unprofessional in her dealings with us. She became even more upset and proceeded to tell us that all the other 20,000 patients she has disagree. I guess if you have 20,000 clients it's ok to be unprofessional to some of them. It wasn't until we were walking out that she finally uttered the word "sorry". She said "sorry you are not happy with our services " a simple apology from the beginning would have resolved this whole thing. they never offered to return the money we paid to have the dew claws removed. Lol. We weren't even upset until now... Like I said before, i wasn't going to leave a bad review but today I received a letter from them (4months later) telling me to never come back to there business or it "will be considered trespassing " What? I didn't need this letter to tell me not to go back that was a given. It's not like I was planning on going back with all my poodles and barking at them. Lol! Thanks you for the warning I'll stay away now. Lighten up Nanett it's wasn't that serious. It was just one little dew claw. Read Less

Recommended our dog have her leg amputated due to noncancerous growth. Didn't take into account her age and the risk of seizures. Our dog died within months of this expensive procedure. Has limited availability for very sickly animals. Referring to another pet of ours.  We won't be coming back Read Less

Recommended our dog have her leg amputated due to noncancerous growth. Didn't take into account her age and the risk of seizures. Our dog died within months of this expensive procedure. Has limited availability for very sickly animals. Referring to another pet of ours.  We won't be coming back Read Less

Never, Never again...I had taken my lab here several times and had an OK experience. I needed to renew the monthly heart worm medication. My dog had not been there in over a year so they said they couldn't renew the prescription without seeing the dog. I was going to take the prescription and order online since it was considerably cheaper. Suddenly the lady behind the counter says, "Oh, we'll sell you sentinel on special that we happen to have right here". (without seeing my dog)..HYPOCRITES!!! So making a dollar suddenly took priority over "having to see my dog" Shame on you... Read Less

I have gone to Companion for years with many of my dogs and totally trust them.  Everyone one has always been very caring and compassionate.  They have always been very good at taking the time to answer all my questions and never felt rushed out. Read Less

We have been going to Companion Animal Medical Center since it opened in 1999. Not once have we been disappointed. They are professional, caring and above all extremely knowledgeable. We've been there for emergencies, continual care, vaccinations, etc. Dr. Kuswa works with the K9 units of Tulare Country Sheriff's department, Visalia Police Department and Tulare County Police Department. That is a fine endorsement in our minds. Read Less

Wonderful care and knowledgeable staff.  My dog loves dropping in every month to pick up her medication.  She enjoys going in and seeing "who is at the Dr today"  We have used them for 4 years since we first brought home our fur baby. Highly recommend. Read Less

I have taken my pets to Companion for several years. I have always felt they cared for my animals. Recently, I had to put my cat down. The staff were so accommodating and supportive. They didn't push me to do it and reassured me when I decided to. I got to mourn my cat's passing and exit privately. They even sent a sympathy card.  I am so grateful for how loving they were during the difficult process. Read Less

What a joke. This was by far the worst experience I've ever had with a vet. The owner (older woman) was beyond rude. Very unprofessional! She was very condescending and did not provide the service I PAID FOR. And instead of speaking to me face to face to at least try to correct the issue (on the second visit cuz my dog was messed up from her botched work) she sent her assistant to talk to me! What a shame ! All these 5 star reviews must be family or friends cuz jeez they are WAAAAY OFF Read Less

Seriously the best vet office! All the girls are so caring towards your pet and owners. They have helped with my dog tremendously and show interest in him. They have such busy days and never show they are stressed or too busy to help out. They answer all questions and will get to the bottom of all answers. I have been taking my dog for years and I won't take him anywhere else. Plus they have very reasonable prices. Truly thankful for the staff! Read Less

The ONLY people I would trust with my fur baby. They are kind, patient even when my pup is being a handful, and they are knowledgeable. Skip the cheapest places in town and invest in quality care for your fur family. Read Less

The ONLY people I would trust with my fur baby. They are kind, patient even when my pup is being a handful, and they are knowledgeable. Skip the cheapest places in town and invest in quality care for your fur family. Read Less

My dog had a major ear infection. I took her to other vets and they could not clear it up. We took her to Companion and Dr Caldwell knew what to do and what kind if medicine she needed. Thank You Dr Caldwell. The staff treated her as if she was their pet. Read Less

I've taken my dog here twice. The first time was amazing! The staff was amazing and they were so nice and caring towards my pup. I took him again a year later and they had a different vet and vet assistant and they were rude and forcefully held my dog down just to give him a shot which was completely uncalled for. Will NEVER take my dog here again.Read Less

We are very impressed with the Doctors and staff, We will be taking our dog baby girl there inApril to have her teeth cleaned, they do an excellent job. Every Doctor we have seen has been amazing. We recommended them to everyone we know. I love the staff they are 5 stars just fantastic,  the front desks. Please people pick Companion Animal Medical Center they are #1 in our book. Read Less

Love,  love, love!  Dr. Cardwell takes such good care of crazy dog and puts up with his anxiety and wiggling during his appointments.  I would trust them with any treatment a pet could need.  They care,  are patient, and knowledgeable.  Not the cheapest but why would you want to be the cheapest choice when you can have the best!  Well... They are the best! Read Less

I moved to Visalia from San Diego, convinced my pets had the best care there.  Dr. Cardwell and Dr Kuswa are excellent.  The best.  The staff is warm, welcoming and create a very nice atmosphere.  Sadly, we had to put our beloved 12 YO German Shepherd down recently.  Having owned pets my entire life this was not the first time.  Let me say that the experience we had at Companion Animal Medical Center was the kindest and most considerate treatment we have ever had.  They truly could show anyone what 1st class service really means. Read Less

We have lived in Los Angeles our entire life.. and I Thought!!! I had the best Vets everBUT!!!! Was I Wrong!!!! The wonderful people at Companion are not only the Best in Visalia..... But The Best Hands Down in all of the Central Valley!!! They are professional and at the same time kind and with Loving Hearts, as well as Do a lot for all of the Homeless/Feral Cats thru out the community.... If you have a Dog or a cat go no where else But this wonderful loving caring place!  It's the Best!! Read Less

After being a customer of Companion for the last 15 years I was absolutely stunned when they refused to see my pet for treatment after she was mauled. They told me I needed to make an appointment. How can you make an appointment for that? " Hi, my dog is going to be mauled next Monday and I need to make an appointment for sedation and stitches...." SMH! So I ended up at Caldwell Animal Hospital and was seen immediately. The staff were awesome. The vet was great the problem triaged in quick order and priced reasonably. I now have a new vet for my 4 pets. Good riddance Companion. Read Less

VCA was an awesome place to take My baby Murphy when he went into heart failure. Staff and Drs are very caring and spent a lot of time trying to get him into A heart specialist hospital. Although it was very pricey and we were there for 30 min and the bill was 500$, they took very good care of him! Read Less

They are very professional, staff is friendly and I have been very satisfied with my dog's care. It's hard to get an appointment fast but they will try to help finding a spot for you according to the urgency. Read Less

I wanted to thank the staff that took care of Zola, my German Shorthaired Pointer, that got hit by a car Monday 3/21/2016. They were quick to assess the situation and start CPR. Unfortunately, she did not survive but they were very sympathetic and never rushed me in the process. Thank you very much! Read Less

This place has all the tools to take the best possible care of animals, with a gorgeous, clean facility, Newest technology, and many well educated, extremely friendly and caring staff. Thank you with all my heart for being the reason (twice) that Mario is still here to be my bff. Read Less

I take all three of my fur-babies to Companion. Every visit is always a pleasant one. The entire staff is friendly, knowledgeable and trustworthy. My dogs are always handled with care and treated like they are one of the staff's own pet. I have always had a great experience with Dr Cardwell and Dr Adams. I especially enjoy the fact that whenever I bring my American Staffordshire Terrier, Dutchess, in she is greeted with much enthusiasm and told she is a vet office staff favorite. She gets lots of kisses and treats. A few months ago we received heartbreaking news that Dutchess is showing signs of Congestive Heart Failure. When I broke down in tears, Dr Adams and several vet technician staff gave me hugs and told me how amazing Dutchess is, and that everything will be okay. To me, that makes all the difference in the world - that they care. I highly recommend taking your pets to Companion Animal - To see either Dr Adams or Dr Cardwell. Read Less

This clinic has compassionate, knowledgeable, professional, and friendly veterinarians. They listen to you and address all your concerns. They treat you and your pets with respect and care. I would highly recommend Companion Animal Medical Center. Doris Read Less

I don't know about the other vets but I will stay away from Dr. Adams. Whatever you do. My English Bulldog went into castration surgery under Dr. Adams and almost died on the operating table. She said my dog turned blue. Thank god my dog was strong enough to live through it. I will never take my dog there again. Scary! Read Less

We have been going to Companion Animal since shortly after they opened and have always been pleased.  We have found everyone to be caring, knowledgeable, and understanding.  We often recommend Companion to others and even though we now live outside Visalia we continue to take our pets to Companion Animal.  We own a boarding kennel and often refer our customers to Companion if they are new to the area or do not have a regular Vet. Read Less

This Animal Hospital, staff, and vets are truly one of the best. In the past I have been very lucky when it comes to finding great vets, and this facility takes it up a notch. My terrier/bichon mix became very ill and I had to rush him to an emergency clinic at 3 A.M. I was fortunate in locating this facility and my pup ended up having to spend 4 days in the "doggy" hospital recovering. He pulled through thanks to the expert medical staff at Companion, and their kindness could not have been more appreciated. My pup requires you to "earn" his love, and despite the circumstances, he actually was giving kisses to the vet and staff before we left. This is a dog who trembles immediately upon entering any vet! My lab mix is a rescue, and is also terrified of the vet. Yet each time I take her in to Companion, I am even more blown away about their ability to provide a calm and cheery visit for my dogs. Even after relocating to downtown, I still take my dogs to companion animal hospital. I could not recommend them enough!Read Less

The staff and vets here are excellent! I truly appreciate the high-quality, professional and caring way they go about their work. I especially am thankful for the compassionate way that everyone here handles questions and concerns ... for those times when you have nagging worries that something may be wrong with your beloved animal, but you're not sure and you feel silly about asking about because it's probably nothing, but you can't let it go and have peace of mind? They are great with this -- always calm, kind and understanding. We've seen both Dr. Cardwell and Dr. Adams and they are both knowledgable and with a super friendly "bedside" manner  -- would highly recommend this practice and am grateful to have this resource in our community! Read Less

Our 6 week old kitten was very sick from a botched spay and the Companion Animal Medical Center was quick to fix her belly and keep us posted in the process. She's now a healthy and happy 1-year old cat who may not have been with us, if we had been without their expertise. We continue to board Hermione with them and use them for any other issues knowing our sweet girl is in good hands! Read Less

If you have a Bulldog I highly recommend you see Dr. Adams. She is the best and so knowledgeable about the breed. She and the staff have provided my bulldog Tank with amazing care.  The office is clean and the staff is friendly. Read Less

My husband and I just moved to Visalia and needed to get our babies (2 cats and 1 dog) their shots. Since my cats HATE car rides and will meow and pant and cry in their kennels anywhere we go, I needed to find some place close by my house.One of my cats, Lilly, is rude to anyone that is not me or my husband and will claw and hiss and run away from everyone she meets (...kind of a B). When Dr. Adams came in to give all of the animals their shots, she massaged them and made all of the babies feel comfortable! Love her!The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is because both times I went, even though I had appointments, there was a long wait to get in. It took about 30-45 minutes to get in to the examination room, and then another 15 minutes to be seen after that. Read Less

Love my CAMC peeps!! Had to bring Emma in today for a swollen eye and bring three kids under the age of 2 with me! They got me in and out in under an hour and were super helpful with all the kids :) love you guys! Read Less

We took our tortoise here for a check-up, on the recommendation of the practice we take our birds to, and had a great experience! The office is spacious and nice, and CLEAN! It also smells nice and everyone we interacted with was friendly. I thought for sure we'd have to go to Fresno to find a vet that sees reptiles so I was stoked to find Dr Cardwell. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this practice! Read Less

Dr Kuswa is very Compassionate. Treated one of my dogs for cancer Chemo drug was half the cost of other vets around. Has a wonderful ortho MD she works with that saved my dogs life. The staff is kind and cares about your pet. The office is involved in the community too. Raising money for local police K9's, this the only Doctor treats all the Police and Sheriff K9's for the county. They raise awareness about the need for adoption and eduction on spay & nuetering, always having information and getting involved with local SPCA. Recently raising awarness to the need for K9 serving in the milatary. So started a program to send toys, mendication etc to dogs serving in Afganistan etc. My three dogs love this place. Read Less

My Chow Chow and I have been with this doctor for 12 yrs. I have never met a Vet. so honest, professional and caring. This doctor has gone above and beyond making sure my Chow and I had all our questions and concerns answered.His kindness and care of my little furry partner in life will never be forgotten.Kathy Otholt Read Less