We have been trusting Dr. Richieri at Melrose Veterinary Hospital for more than 25 years now. He has cared for every dog we have ever owned. Our grown children have 2 dogs each and they go there too. I have referred many through the years. Dr. Richieri is gentle, kind, intelligent, a non alarmist and above all, HONEST. He doesn't do what he doesn't feel is necessary and that's a huge reason for our trust. I wouldn't go anywhere else. Read Less

First time I had seen this particular vet [hard name to pronounce and remember], and she was very, very good. I have been a longtime patient mom seeing Dr. Richieri. The visit was very good. However, I know how busy it gets, but doctor did not call me next day with lab results. Better to tell me that it might be 2 days before call back. I was concerned at end of day that I had not heard. Next day call was very, very good, and doctor answered all of my questions. Thank you. Good experience overall. Read Less

Been going here since 1991. These folks are great. Sometimes they get very busy, but well worth the wait. They care about your animals and are very responsive. Wouldn't think to change even though I now live a bit further than I used too. They're truly great! Read Less

I especially like your vet, Dr. Paul Richieri. He is very knowledgeable of his profession and understanding of his client's concern. He took good care of Jackie, my Poodle. I am fortunate and very happy Dr. Richieri was referred to me by a friend. I also like the the staff in the clinic. They are all efficient and friendly. Read Less

This place is so fantastic! Dr. Richieri, Jeannie and the rest of the staff are excellent at caring for pets and empathize with their owners no matter what they are going through.  High level of quality care! Read Less

Switched to Melrose from another vet. They are so friendly and the doctor took his time describing what possible things could've been wrong with my dog. Also prices are awesome! I feel very lucky to have found them! Read Less

I found this veterinarian via the internet and I was very satisfied with my visit here. I don't want to say "happy" because the visit was to put down my pet rat, Jolla. My brother and I brought her in with a severe respiratory problem.. The veterinarian laid all of our options out for us but she was too far gone and we decided to end her suffering. Apologies to the vet by the way, I was speechless at the time, I must've seemed rude or something, but my baby was dying. They kindly offered to oxygenate her and that gave us a few minutes to say goodbye. They took her back and were so gentle with her. We chose to take her body home with us as we have buried all our baby rats next to each other in the backyard. They gave her to us wrapped in a towel in a small box and expressed their sorrow for our grief. They were professional and still human at the same time. The most beautiful part was coming home today (the day after we said goodbye to baby Jolla) and receiving a card in the mail from them that read "so sorry for the loss of your pet" and a handwritten note. I will come here for all our pet needs from now on. (We have 3 dogs and two rats.) Read Less

I have a new fur baby and we had our check up this past week.  The staff were very efficient and friendly.  We like our new Dr. Puja Buch every much!Very happy to return to Melrose Veterinary Hospital. Read Less

Not So Great for Cats. They seem to cater more to Dogs and the barking pounded through the walls as my newly adopted feline was getting checked. I believe this experience contributed to over-grooming problems for the next year. Read Less

Small vet office but a wonderful staff and really reasonable prices. We took our cat in for an emergency and got excellent care from the Dr. and very timely updates for lab results. I I really appreciated how gentle the staff was and tried their best to minimize the animal's stress. Definitely recommend and will be going back next time my pet has medical needs.Read Less

I came in today at around 5:30 p.m. I did not have an appointment. I came in because it was close to where I live and my dog is sick. After waiting for twenty minutes, They call me up and tell me that they are closing in about ten minutes but theres another vet on mission that closes a bit later. I could not believe that they would not even bother to check my sick dog out! I let them know my dog was sick! I understand that I did not have an appointment but my dog is sick and i brought her right in. I did not want to wait to make an appointment and have my dog get dehydrated from all the vomiting she was doing. I just could not believe that they just turned me away after waiting just because they were closing "in about ten minutes." Shame on them. Read Less

This was my first time here and definitely won't be my last! Everyone was so nice. On top of that they didn't try to up sell me on anything and just focused on the matter at hand which were "hot spots". The price was even better! Thank you and I will see you guys again! Read Less

My nugget was sick and I thought he was having issues breathing. I called Melrose on a busy Friday morning and they suggested I bring him in immediately just to make sure there wasn't any emergency (ended up being bad allergies and his body fighting infection). They checked him out right away even though the waiting room was full of people and their fur babies. He was okay in that dept but of course we needed to get him a full exam. They asked us to wait until they could fit us in. It was about 45 minutes but I didn't mind. We didn't have an appointment and they did everything they could to make sure we were seen. They even checked in with us every so often to let us know how it was going. After seeing Dr. Kristie Watanabe, we found he had a pretty bad UTI. She was great and made me feel calm as I was quite nervous. She also gave me options, working with my budget. We ended up treating him with antibiotics first without doing more testing than needed initially because she knew cost was a concern for me. The vet visit was about $50, the urinalysis about $60, and meds about $15 if I remember correctly. We left with a bill around $120 and a whole lot of stress relieved. They even called a few days later to make sure he was okay. :) The only thing I wish this office would do is offer your first visit free. It has really helped in the past and sets the tone of your pups future doctor visits to be positive. As for the clinic itself, it's very clean and does not smell like a vet clinic at all! Read Less

We have taken our dogs here multiple times. We have (5). When we had to lay one to rest at another clinic because they were closed they sent my wife a condolence card. They even went  so far as to split his pills for us while he was being taken care of. They are also helping manage one of my older dogs pain. He has cancer and they are helping us take care of him. They also do not over charge. We went to a vet in Valley Center and had a misdiagnosis and had to pay a premium for it. Read Less

Our Boston Terrier Penn has been coming here since she was a puppy, she's now 4 years old! Thankfully a doctor recommended that we have Penny's eyes checked out as she saw signs of cataracts. Penny was only about 10 months old, and it turned out that in fact she did have juvenile cataracts. We are very thankful for being able to take care of this as soon as we did.Just yesterday I took Penny in because she was showing signs of needing her anal glands expressed. She has never had this done before so naturally I had a lot of questions. Today, she was doing a few different things she normally never does, so I called in to see if these were normal. I spoke with Lanna on the phone for over 15 minutes. She was so patient with me, and answered all my questions. Since I know how busy they are, she really impressed me with how accommodating she was. In todays world customer service like that rarely exists. Two thumbs waaaaay up for Lanna! Oh, and a big thank you to Cheyenne who did the expressing yesterday! Thank you for taking such good care of Miss Penny! Read Less

We bring all 3 of our fur babies hereOur 14 yr old Belgian Malinois hasn't had the best luck with previous vets but ever since we brought him here he's never been happier and healthier  ! No panic attacks or anxiety Dr Richieri is the best we've had especially with dealing with our dog being older more allergies and hip issues happen he is quick to address  and does not cost us a arm and a leg! They're so great we recently adopted two stray sibling pups and knew exactly where to bring them for their physicals and future visitsIt's great to go to a vet and not pay for all these unnecessary add ons We love it here and always feel great  with our family being treated like family I refer them to everyone we know for a friendly and affordable vet Love the Melrose staff ! Read Less

I've been taking my fur baby to Melrose Vet since he was born over 3 years ago and have never considered taking him elsewhere. Since the beginning my little man has always seemed to know when we make the short drive to the Vet and every single time, the requisite Chihuahua shakes overcome his little body. Probably due to the whole chopping off of the huevos experience of 2013, so I can't blame the guy. However, each and every single time it takes mere seconds for the calm aura of Dr. Richieri to soothe his nervousness. He is then absolutely putty in his hands, the trust is evident and palpable. There have been several times where I've even called after hours and had the doctor paged and every time, I've received a call back within minutes.The front office staff and Vet technicians are always kind, helpful and friendly both in person and over the phone.The prices for services seems to be below any other Vets in North County as well but honestly, I would pay whatever they asked to receive the supreme level of care they have always provided. Read Less

We have three dogs. Thanks Dr. Gibbs n staff Morgan, Wrascal & Spencer stay healthy. Which in turn gives us peace of mind. These are our little ones now that we have an empty nest. Morgan our 14 yr. old Shelty developed Cushing's Disease two yrs. ago. Shortly thereafter hyperthyroidism come on followed by a heart murmur. Thanks to Dr. Grubbs our little girl with medical care & medication going on two years continues to rule the house. Her two younger brothers know to step aside.Read Less

My dog had swollen lymph nodes. Was informed in a cold and uncaring manner that is was probably lymphoma. When asked the cost for testing I was quoted 300.00 for fine needle aspirate. I asked for a payment plan and was informed they did not have one. The vet did not even take her temperature at the exam and I had to ask twice to have her ear examined because she had been pawing at her ear. He finally looked ( didn't even use a scope) and said she did have an ear infection. I paid 65.00 for the exam and ear meds. When I returned to have her ear rechecked she was examined by another doctor, who was a lot more caring than the first one (or so I thought). She said the ear was ok and at that point I told her I needed to have my dog tested for the swollen lymph nodes and would have the 300.00 by next week. Then she tells me its only 140.00! ( plus 40 more for the exam) so I was 40.00 short and asked if I could get the test done and bring the other 40 next week, she refused and wasn't going to do that! Luckily I called my bank and one of my bills hadn't cleared yet so I was able to get the test. When the test came back it was positive for lymphoma.I was given no other options but chemo or predisone. I had to chose the predisone because I don't have the funds for chemo. When I gave my dog the predisone she started having horrible diarrhea, so I called them back, was put on hold and the receptionist said she would call back after she spoke to the doctor. well, she didn't call back I had to call her! Also, was never told how serious the predisone is and that you cant just stop giving it after you start and plus was not told that it is a steroid either. These people are money hungry uncaring and selfish . I cant believe they would try to overcharge me the first time and then wouldn't take 140 down and the remaing 40 later for something as serious as swollen lymph nodes. Also, I told them about a year ago that something didn't seem right with my dog because when I would take her for a walk she would pant heavily and tire out way too easily also she would get diarrhea off and on and she also had a cough once in awile like something was irritating her throught. I even had xrays done back then and she ( a different doctor then) said it was probably just nerves and the diarrhea was probably just nerves also. And now my wonderful beautiful dog who I love more than anything has lymphoma just out of nowhere!!? I think it had began a year ago, I cant say for sure but they needed to do further tests back then and see why she was having issues but instead they just said it was nerves! The first doctor said it couldn't have been the cancer that long ago but I don't know what to believe he lied to me about the price of the test so how can I know that hes lying about that and if they would have caught this earlier then I wouldn't be losing my precious baby now! Read Less

I have had many pets visit this office over the last 6 years (4 cats and 2 dogs). I LOVE this Veterinary Hospital. All the doctors are very gentle with my cats and with my 110 pound wolf hybrid (who totally loves Dr. Richieri). They are thorough in their exams, and always tell you the cost of the tests before they do them plus they don't make you feel bad if you don't think a test is worth doing. (I'm a critical care nurse and sometimes I have my own opinion) Unfortunately, I have had to put down two of my cats (both were over 18 years old and in kidney failure). I felt that the cats and our family were treated with respect during the process. I would highly recommend them to anyone who loves their pet. Read Less

Tremendous!!! Never before had a dog who LOVED going to the vet's clinic. Phoebe LOVES the staff here and cannot wait to get into the door and greet each and every person...........she even insists on being taken into the treatment area to check out everyone back there. The doctors are awesome---great bedside manners, calm, patient, communicative, gentle. Couldn't ask for better people! Read Less

After having a horrid time at Mohnacky Animals Hospital in Carlsbad I saught out another vet because my cat had tapeworms and the last place I wanted to go was Mohnacky. Anyways I got a same day appointment for about and hour after I called. I went in and the staff was very very friendly which is a heck of a lot better than I can say for Mohnachy. It was very clean and smelled like chlorhexidine which is I believe the solution many vets use to clean. Mohnacky's rooms always smelled of urine to me. The vet did not rush me at all when I asked her a million question about my cats Past Upper respritory infection and what I can do to keep it at bay from coming back. She gave me prices when I asked and was extreemly gentle with my cat. Unlike the male doctor with the accent at Mohnacky whose only concern was flea control for my inside cat and getting more money. Vista Animal Hospital is my new go to vet. I highly recommend them! Read Less

A few years ago, my little beagle went into our backyard after dark to use the bathroom and was attacked by coyotes. It was late at night and the only veterinary hospital open was an emergency hospital (I won't name it because they actually did a very good job). We rushed our puppy there, unaware of the full extent of her injuries, just in a hurry to get her treated. When we arrived, they informed us that she had several deep puncture wounds on her head and around her neck and had lost the use of one of her back legs. But the worse part was, her entire left side from her front legs to her back legs was gone. Only 1/16 of one out of the three natural layers of muscle were left and you could actually see inside her! The diagnosis was not good, they suggested we prepare ourselves for the worse. The emergency vet even admitted that she was the worse trauma case he had ever seen and wasn't sure of the outcome. They did manage to stabilize her, for which we will be eternally grateful, and kept her alive through the night. But the next day, they began discussing skin grafts costing upwards of $30,000!!! And this was after the several thousand it cost just to stabilize her and hospitalize her through the night, also, this was if she continued to improve. One of the doctors suggested that it may be best to just put her down, because he didn't think she would ever fully recover. As we began to consider the horrible possibility of euthanasia, we decided to make a last ditch effort and take her to Dr. Richieri, who we had been to for vaccines a few times. Dr. Richieri spent a lot of time just examining her, before he agreed to give it a try. I really appreciated this. He understood and appreciated her bleak situation, and rather than just saying, ""sure, I can do it."", and getting our hopes up before charging us for a ton of tests and stuff, he gave it to us straight. In the end, Dr. Richieri hospitalized our dog there, performed two surgeries, and did three months worth of daily bandage changes and treatments all for a VERY affordable price!! (I don't want to list numbers because I know prices change, but a week of hospitalization, two surgeries, and three months of treatments cost less than one night of hospitalization at the emergency hospital!) The staff there was all very caring and supportive. Every time we walked in the door, they made us feel like family. Both of the other doctors there were also wonderful. It has been three years now, and my beagle is completely healed with only a tiny scar about the size of a quarter. She has complete use of her leg, and at 11 years old, still blasts around the house full speed and jumps on and off the high beds. We cannot begin to express how grateful we are to Melrose Veterinary Hospital, and how in awe we are of Dr. Richieri. He saved our dog's life. We HIGHLY recommend him or either of the two women doctors there, for ANY of your pets' needs. :) Read Less

The Doctor and Staff were Great and very helpful and on Time!!!!! I would recommend this office to everyone..... They were really patient and went over everything with me on appointments and what to expect. I'm sooooo happy with my new smile!!! Thanks again Melrose Square Dental Group! Read Less

My puppy, Hunter, was attacked by coyotes a day before we were evacuated for the San Diego Fires in October. (I know, great timing, right?) We were forced to pick Hunter up from his vet in Fallbrook and pack up for a friend's house in Vista. The next morning we called a dozen of vets in the area, but no one would take the time to see him... After calling Melrose Hospital, they told me to come in ASAP. Staff and doctors were unbelievably kind and caring... not to mention our bill wasn't astronomically high. Remarkable. Our little guy pulled through thanks to Melrose Vet Hospital! Read Less