Alta Vista Animal Hospital

The staff and the vet are extremely unprofessional. Customer service is important to me, but I moreso care about knowing I can trust putting my pet's health into a medical professional's hand. I do not feel that way about Dr. Hutchinson. She is not professional or good at her job and I definitely would not trust a vet that doesn't even properly prescribe medication to perform a surgery on my pet. The receptionists also don't seem to know how to do their job, which leads to being misinformed and improperly charged. I would avoid this place, there are much better vets that cost the same or less. Read Less

Worst most unprofessional experience at a vet clinic ever experienced. My puppy was sick, having diarrhea and had thrown up once. Being a receptionist at a vet hospital (a good vet hospital) I have seen many parvo puppies and was wanting to get her tested for parvo. I called this clinic which was just minutes from my house, told them the situation and said I wanted to bring her there to be tested for parvo. MY EXACT REQUEST. A PARVO TEST. After being placed on hold to ask the doctor, she got back on the phone with me and said they were able to get me in in 30 minutes. While in route there, they called and left me a message telling me to stay in the car with my puppy when I arrived so I did not bring a potential parvo puppy in the building. Because I was driving, I didnt listen to the voicemail until later, I just called right back...and the receptionist lied to me and said they wanted me to stay in my car bc there was a potential lepto case in the building. SO they lied to me. UNPROFESSIONAL, and do you not have good enough cleaning protocols in place to see contagious dogs?! Pathetic. But I waited in my car until a young girl opens the door and waves me to come in.... as soon as you step in the door it's like sticking your head in a dirty litter box. The smell of cat urine hits you in the face... So clearly, a dirty place filled with dirty people. Once in the room this young girl (who did not introduce herself to me)sticks an unlubricated fecal loop up my puppies anus. I know for a fact because I looked at the loop before it entered my pup. She yells and screams in pain and I try to hold her still as I notice the sign that says "For your safety, let us handle your pet" HA! Also, before doing anything to my pet, my baby, you are suppose to ask permission. But only being a vet receptionist I figured they checked for parvo from a fecal sample seeing as this is what I asked to be tested, and this is what was happening to my pup. My poor dog was diarrhead out, she had nothing to give as a sample. The girl leaves the room and 15 minutes later 2 woman enter the room. ONCE AGAIN, NO ONE INTRODUCES THEMSELVES, and I'm new here. How unprofessional. They start looking my dog over, I have to explain everything out because the doctor was not even asking me questions.. and it starts to really set it that coming here was a mistake... I tell her she was just at my vet 2 days before, got her shots, and a fecal, and dewormer... THEN the doctor grabs another fecal loop, this time lubricated, says she wants to see if she can get a sample now. Again nothing, it was as white as before it went it. Yet the doctor then tells me she is out of parvo test bc she had 3 sick puppies today...( YOU ONLY KEEP 3 TEST IN HOUSE?! What is wrong with this place.) Why are you just now telling me this, after doing stuff to my pup, why was I not told this before I brought my dog in when the receptionist asked the doctor if I could bring my potential parvo puppy in?!? To get my money? I think so, because I was charged for a fecal that yielded no sample thus no results, when I didn't even approve this test. THEN she tells me she will look at the fecal loop under the scope to see if she can see anything, at this point (with my ignorance on the topic like most people who are not vet or a vet tech).. I am thinking she is going to just look for signs of parvo. MIND YOU, I HAVE NOT BEEN ASKED OR GIVEN APPROVAL FOR ANYTHING BEING DONE!! She comes back in and says she saw nothing, she tells me if I bring a sample in she can do a better fecal exam. SHE DIDN'T NEED A FECAL EXAM! She just had fecal exam 2 days ago and I had the documents to prove it! I CAME HERE FOR A PARVO TEST, which after leaving this terrible place looked up that you do not collect a fecal sample to do a parvo test, you simply swab the inside of their anus!! So before the Dr leaves the room I ask if she can at l ask if I can at least get an antidiarhea for my pup. She says okay, leaves. The tech brings me an antibiotic... not an antidiarrhea. This place and this "Dr" are GARBAGE. Read Less

MY wife and I have been so pleased with the Care Givers @ AltaVista Animal Hospital . We have three dogs and they are our babies and the Piece of Mind That we get from Dr. Hutchison and her staff is FANTASTIC!! Read Less

Affordable pricing, as well as the most compassionate and kind staff! I took my dog here for the first time and although he was very nervous I automatically knew he was in good hands! They are thorough and very nice and understanding! 10/10 would recommend this animal clinic! Read Less

I've been bringing my animals here for over 10 years and the staff is nice and the location is convenient for me. They are open every other Saturdays as well, which is helpful when I can't bring my animals during the week. The only issue I have is that their prices seem a little high compared to other places, but I still bring my animals here for convenience. Read Less

Only in it for the money!! Worst vet in the area only out to make money do not take your animals here. They will run up your bill without letting you know. They do not return phone calls nor do they stand behind the prices quotes they give for services. Stay far way from this place. Read Less

I can't say enough great things about the wonderful people at Alta Vista Animal Hospital. They take great care of our babies, and I think that it really shows how much they care about what they do. It seems to me that everyone who comes in gets personal attention. Read Less

My family has trusted this office for 13 years. They have been with us through many milestones & many tough times. We have always been treated with compassion & loving concern for our furry family members. The few times that I've had to use other vets have only reminded me why we continue to trust the health of our pets at Alta Vista Animal Hospital. Everyone from the front desk to the technicians to the Veterinarians are committed to the health of the animals they care for. Read Less

10 years ago they saved my dog from parvo .....hours before I brought them my lab..azle vet told me to just put him down it was to late....BLLSH1T....took him here..4 days later dog was chasing ducks in the front yards.... Read Less

We've been taking our dog here since we adopted him...13 years!!! We love Dr. Stephanie and all her staff. She is very thorough and her prices are affordable. They treat your animals like they are their own!Read Less

I love how much they love our dogs and how sensitive they have been with not only their care but our emotions as their owners. Always providing choices and ensuring we are informed and confident in our decisions. Love their loving care. Read Less

Been using Alta Vista for over 15 years and am very happy with their caring staff and vets for all of our pets and their many illnesses and regular check ups. I won't go anywhere else and always recommend my vet clinic. Read Less

Dr. Hutchinson lacks professionalism and manners. She would ask a question and then proceed to talk over me and belittle me when I tried to respond. Even worse, she kept talking about herself and all I could think was "this visit is supposed to be about my dog." To top it all off, she talked badly about another Vet in this clinic, making it sound like the other vet could have killed my dog with a medication. For future clients, I hope this woman learns to Actively listen and becomes more professional. Until then, I'm taking my business elsewhere. Read Less

I felt as if they were just a money hungry vet after spending 2 years with my last vet who did everything he could to save my beagle after he was attacked I'm very careful who sees him and we just recently moved here and this was the closest place. I felt as if they didn't care enough to help him when I know he needs his acl repaired they just wanted to start pumping me for money and I already knew the procedure because it happened a few years ago just after he had been attacked on his other leg. they also didnt seem to care like other places I've been to where the vet takes time to talk to you and i guess i just didnt feel they were compassionate enough when i was woorried about my baby and his heslth. That's when I knew this probably wasn't the place for either of my dogs! I will be finding somewhere different.Read Less

We took our beloved baby boy to Alta Vista after he'd had a series of seizures and it had just gotten so bad we knew it was time for some kind of drug therapy. I had spent days researching seizures in dogs and learned that Phenobarbitol could be damaging to the liver and that Potassium Bromide might be a better option. Armed with lots of information and lots of questions, we waited to meet with Dr. Hutchison. In all my 40+ years of having pets, never have I run into a vet who didn't even bother to 'meet' their patient. Dr. H literally stood across the room, interrupted me every time I was trying to voice my concern about Phenobarbitol, and very sarcastically told me not to believe everything I read on the internet (I DON'T). Our dog has been on the Phenobarbitol for about 6 months now, and mercifully is seizure free. He's been back to the clinic once for a liver panel, this after 6 weeks of the drug. We had an appointment and she didn't even schedule time to see us then. So, 6 months in, she's never even touched our dog. Yes, we are finding a new vet for next visit. Read Less

I wish I would have read these reviews before agreeing to have my husband take our cat there. Dr. Hutchinson has zero people skills and seems to run the business as if she knows everything about your pet and you know nothing about your own pet. In trying to converse with her on my concerns, she kept cutting me off and not letting me finish; interjecting on what her game plan was (on a very vague level). She has everyone take messages and doesn't allow any vet tech to just inform you of test results as requested. Though she was nice to my husband in person, she was extremely short and rude with me on the phone. I had explained my cat's behavior (non-responsive and not cooperative) when she is caged/kenneled at a vet's office and she ignored everything I told her. So my cat has been sitting there, balled up in the corner of the cage while they are waiting for her to give them a urine sample. My cat won't urinate or have a bm, eat or drink while caged/kenneled at the vet's and I told her so. After having my cat for 14 years, I know her behavior better than any schooled vet who's only seen her for maybe 2 hours. My conversations with her were less about listening and putting my concerns at ease and more about her telling me how things should go. I felt like she treated me/my cat like some statistics or chart found in a text book and as if every person/pet that goes there fits into some text-book cookie-cutter diagnosis. If you want a vet to treat you and your pet(s) with a humane manner, compassion, professionalism and common decency, don't go here. Read Less