Neartown Animal Clinic

We live on Galveston Island but decided to go to Neartown Animal Clinic to have a torn ACL on both legs of our female dog due to their reputation. Our dog recovered beautifully thanks to the care of Dr. Murray and the entire staff at Neartown Clinic. Unfortunately our male dog has a torn ACL and we again decided to drive to Neartown Animal Clinic from Galveston to have him taken care of. The veterinarian (Dr. Murray) discovered our dog had a serious skin infection and gave our dog a shot and instructions on how to care for him for a week as surgery needed to be postponed. I myself am scheduled for surgery thus needed my dog taken care of as soon as possible. The clinic called and re arranged appointments so that I could bring my dog in when I needed. I had taken my dog to our veterinarian on Galveston Island just days before going to Neartown Animal Clinic and I was NOT informed that a skin problem existed. Neartown is excellent. They totally dedicate themselves to the care of their animals. I would recommend them to anyone. Read Less

After visiting several vets over the last 2 years (due to several moves), I have found our veterinary clinic home! I will drive here even if we move again! The lobby was clean, the front desk staff was helpful, the wait was minimal, the vet was SUPER knowledgeable. I went in for a skin condition that my dog has constantly suffered from, and Dr. Sandberg recommended a solution that none of the other 4 vets I had seen in the past year had every prescribed. Super excited to have found this place! Thank you! Read Less

Dr. Murray, the other veterinarians, and the staff at Neartown Animal Clinic do an amazing dog. Jackson, my wire fox terrier, is never scared to go there, and walks in with his tail wagging. The staff are always thorough and patiently answer any questions I have. Dr. Murray, their vet that performs surgeries, is incredibly smart and well thought out with her treatment plans. Read Less

The fast acting staff at Neartown Animal Clinic saved our dogs life today. Our dog suffered from heatstroke and the staff prepped the back room for our arrival. They acted quickly and methodically and were able to get our boys temperature down. We're so thankful for the care our dog received today. We've been customers at the clinic for close to 5 years and we've always received the best care possible whenever we bring our animals in. Read Less

We've been taking our two pups to Neartown since we arrived back in Houston around 18 months ago and we've had nothing but friendly amazing care from the staff. They've always accommodated us when we've needed a last minute appointment, are happy to answer any question we have (no matter how silly!!), and are always super caring and compassionate with our two little pups! Read Less

Totally taken advantage of. I took my old cat in for a visit. The vet is very nice and the assistants were awesome. However, clearly this office is all about making money first and foremost. I was quoted $250 for blood work. Expensive but I don't mind paying for animal care. Turns out she needed a shot too for a uti, so I expected the bill to go up a bit more. When I checked out it was $597! I was NOT told my bill would go up $350!!! For a cat uti infection of all things. I told them I felt completely taken advantage of and will never go back again. I cancelled my follow up appointment immediately. They said, "we'll tell the office manager." Yeah we'll see, I don't expect anything to be done.Read Less

Neartown Animal Clinic is an excellent Veterinarian facility. Before coming to Neartown, we were very loyal customers of a clinic in The Woodlands. Even after moving in closer to town (Rice Military), we were making the 40 mile trek back to The Woodlands clinic because we loved the care we received and could not envision going anywhere else. Our fur baby is starting to age and is in need of more and more medical care. So, we finally made the decision to look for a new Vet clinic. Based on a recommendation from a close friend, we chose Neartown Animal Clinic. We trusted our friend€s recommendation for 2 reasons: 1) like us, she is extremely picky about who she trusts to care for her fur baby and 2) Neartown Animal Clinic did medical wonders for her newly adopted dog who contracted just about every puppy disease. Her dog is now happy, healthy, strong and developing beautifully. Since our first visit a few years ago and through today, Neartown has been excellent to work with. They transferred all our records from our prior vet. They took the time and attention to understand our dog Lexi€s needs and issues. Lexi is a 9 year old Golden Retriever and is in overall good health but she is starting to show signs of age issues and is also prone to mast cell tumors. Lexi has had 4 surgeries in her lifetime for mast cells, with the last 2 surgeries being performed at Neartown by Dr. Murray. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Dr. Murray. She is very knowledgeable, thorough, caring and compassionate. She diagnosed Lexi quickly and got her into surgery fast. Her skills as a surgeon are excellent. Lexi healed very quickly and with no issues from both of her surgeries and the surgeries were €complete€€meaning, good margins were obtained and to date, no further treatment has been needed (i.e., no chemo, radiation, etc.). Dr. Murray also helped to diagnose Lexi with arthritis in her back. It was great to get a fast, thorough diagnosis and a treatment plan that is quickly helping Lexi feel better. She also guided us on a harness to help Lexi navigate the stairs without pain. Over the past few years, Lexi has also had some other minor issues (such as a urinary tract infection and skin issues). In addition to Dr. Murray, we have seen Dr. Sandberg and Dr. Hunt. Both were excellent at providing thorough diagnosis and treatment plans that got Lexi back to normal quickly. Both of these doctors are also very compassionate and very loving to Lexi during her visits. We usually work with Chelsey or Abbie as our Vet Techs. Both are excellent. Just like the doctors here, they are both very caring and compassionate. Lexi loves to see them when we visit. They are skilled at handling animals, understanding the issues and are both personable and fun to work with. Kelli and Susan €hold down€ the front desk. Both are very knowledgeable and are wonderful at fielding my questions and calls for help. I have called from out of town before, needing help, and they are quick to get answers and direction for me. Dana is the manager and is very meticulous about the billing process. There was an incorrect charge on our bill for one of the surgeries. I did not catch it. Dana caught it, corrected it immediately and sent me a personal note to let me know that it was found and taken care of. Now that is customer service!!! This is also a one off. We have not had any other billing issues. Their fees are reasonable€they are not cheap but they are not expensive either. Based on many years of being a vet clinic customer with various pets, their fees are very fair for the high quality of care provided. We are very happy clients of Neartown and cannot imagine going anywhere else for the care and well-being of our fur baby, Lexi. They are staffed with wonderful, caring people and they have my full trust and recommendation. --posted by Debbie Manning Read Less

Neartown Animal Clinic is an excellent Veterinarian facility. Before coming to Neartown, we were very loyal customers of a clinic in The Woodlands. Even after moving in closer to town (Rice Military), we were making the 40 mile trek back to The Woodlands clinic because we loved the care we received and could not envision going anywhere else. Our fur baby is starting to age and is in need of more and more medical care. So, we finally made the decision to look for a new Vet clinic. Based on a recommendation from a close friend, we chose Neartown Animal Clinic. We trusted our friend's recommendation for 2 reasons: 1) like us, she is extremely picky about who she trusts to care for her fur baby and 2) Neartown Animal Clinic did medical wonders for her newly adopted dog who contracted just about every puppy disease. Her dog is now happy, healthy, strong and developing beautifully.Since our first visit a few years ago and through today, Neartown has been excellent to work with. They transferred all our records from our prior vet. They took the time and attention to understand our dog Lexi's needs and issues. Lexi is a 9 year old Golden Retriever and is in overall good health but she is starting to show signs of age issues and is also prone to mast cell tumors.Mast cell tumors are similar to being diagnosed with skin cancer as a human. And like humans, early detection and thorough treatment is key. Lexi has had 4 surgeries in her lifetime for mast cells, with the last 2 surgeries being performed at Neartown by Dr. Murray. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Dr. Murray. She is very knowledgeable, thorough, caring and compassionate. She diagnosed Lexi quickly and got her into surgery fast. Her skills as a surgeon are excellent. Lexi healed very quickly and with no issues from both of her surgeries and the surgeries were "complete"--meaning, good margins were obtained and to date, no further treatment has been needed (i.e., no chemo, radiation, etc.). Dr. Murray also helped us determine why Lexi suddenly refused to climb the stairs at home--she diagnosed Lexi with arthritis in her back. We are now on a joint supplement and it is working wonders. She also helped to guide us in selecting a harness to aide Lexi up and down the stairs (these townhouses are murder on everyone's joints!). It was great to get a fast, thorough diagnosis and a treatment plan that is quickly helping Lexi feel better.Over the past few years, Lexi has also had some other minor issues (such as a urinary tract infection and skin issues). In addition to Dr. Murray, we have seen Dr. Sandberg and Dr. Hunt. Both were excellent at providing thorough diagnosis and treatment plans that got Lexi back to normal quickly. Both of these doctors are also very compassionate and very loving to Lexi during her visits. We usually work with Chelsey or Abbie as our Vet Techs. Both are excellent. Just like the doctors here, they are both very caring and compassionate. Lexi loves to see them when we visit. They are skilled at handling animals, understanding the issues and are both personable and fun to work with. Kelli and Susan "hold down" the front desk. Both are very knowledgeable and are wonderful at fielding my questions and calls for help. I have called from out of town before, needing help, and they are quick to get answers and direction for me. Dana is the manager and is very meticulous about the billing process. There was an incorrect charge on our bill for one of the surgeries. I did not catch it. Dana caught it, corrected it immediately and sent me a personal note to let me know that it was found and taken care of. Now that is customer service!!! This is also a one off. We have not had any other billing issues. Their fees are reasonable--they are not cheap but they are not expensive either. Based on many years of being a vet clinic customer with various pets, their fees are very fair for the high quality of care provided.We are very happy clients of Neartown and cannot imagine going anywhere else for the care and well-being of our fur baby, Lexi. They are staffed with wonderful, caring people and they have my full trust and recommendation.Debbie Manning Read Less

I took my 14 year old cat there because he was constipated and having trouble with the litter box. It turned out to be an inoperable tumor and we had to put him down. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make in my life. But the staff was patient and sympathetic. Dr. McBride's bedside manor was a bit lacking, but I don't doubt his competency as a doctor in the least. The clinic sent me a sympathy car too after it was all done, which was a nice touch. I miss my friend, but I'm glad to know we caught the tumor in time that he didn't suffer too much. Read Less

My first visit everyone was real nice. My dog seemed really relaxed from the start ie I did not have to pull him through the door. He actually laid down in the room as if he didn't have a care in the world, it seems less stressful for him then where I was taking him. When the assistant took him back for weight and other things he went right with her without hesitation and me having to trick him by making him think I was going with him. As far as price I'm not really sure because there are several issues that are being checked but dr McBride seems very detailed oriented and explained things simply, he also gave me a lot of information on things that were very helpful. I'm very pleased with our first visit am waiting on test result next week then have a follow up in a couple weeks which they will call to remind me as I'm not sure yet what day I can do it. This I find helpful. Read Less

Dr Hunt is awesome, knowledgeable and thorough with diagnosises. She has taken care of two of our dogs and treats them like her own. The staff and Techs are Great! Appointments and med refills are easy and hassle free with the app they use. Neartown' facilities are always clean. I have used them for 15 years and highly recommend this Vetinary Clinic. Read Less

I have been using Neartown for 10+ years and the front desk staff is always friendly and helpful. When one of my 5 pets is sick, they always try to squeeze in an appointment. The vets answer my questions and don't seem rushed. They call the next day after treatment to check on your pet which gives you another opportunity to ask questions. Read Less

My awesome Catahoula, Wednesday needed knee surgery on her back legs, and I was referred to Dr Murray. She's a thorough, experienced, no nonsense surgeon. She changed course mid way through, which was irritating at first, but in hindsight was the right thing to do. The staff was super friendly and helpful. I never had to wait very long in the lobby (we had about 7 visits). And best of all, Wednesday has recovered much better than expected. Dr Murray did a fantastic job getting my senior pup through two surgeries! Read Less

All of the people here are amazing / miracle workers in my opinion. They are so incredibly caring and I have had at least 12 animals there. Dr. Murray and staff saved my sweet Molly when I rescued her and took her there. My Frida was also taken to see them the day I rescued her. 2 of my dogs were there during Hurricane Ike while I was out of town. If I mention going to see Dwayne for boarding, they get so excited. Jarrett, Kelli and Susan are always so kind and helpful - especially when I was losing my Sampson. Everyone is great, and I highly recommend this Animal Clinic!! Read Less

Thank you for being our Casey's healthcare provider these last nine years. He was a healthy, happy family member for all of those years. And thank you, most of all, for helping us make the decision to let him go. We deeply appreciate your thoughtful advice and compassionate treatment. We are lonely today but know we did the right thing. Read Less

These folks have been absolutely fabulous.  I was a little reluctant when my regular vet recommended Dr. Murray to do a complicated surgery on my dog's leg. When I ran into a friend at the clinic, I felt better.  He'd had a great experience with Dr. Murray and loves the clinic.  So we went with Dr. Murray and she did a fabulous job.  And the clinic staff has been wonderful, diligent, and helpful.  Five stars. Read Less

Top notch! Their service is unsurpassable! My partner & I could tell something wasn't right with our kitty. She wasn't eating all her food like she usually did & was losing weight. She had to have some teeth extracted & has irritated bowl syndrome. Dr Murray was so thorough & after one surgery, Dharma's already looking & feeling so much better. Read Less

We haved used this vet for several years despite the rude and unprofessional staff. Finally, we had enough of them. The front staff is unbelievably rude. The vets are very unprofessional and arrogant. They act imposed upon when you ask a question. The vets are not interested in the dogs and seem to be annoyed at the owners.  They do not like to answer questions and want to do and bill for whatever they want to do.  I did not have confidence in their ability.  There are a lot of good, professional and honest vets in Houston. This is not one of them. Read Less

This clinic rocks!! Saturday 11am our Borzoi wipes out while running full speed on our driveway and slices the skin over her thigh and knee open. We discovered Neartown Animal Hospital is open until 1pm. They took us in as new clients! 5 stitches later and laser treatment, our Addie is ready to go home! The vets and staff are awesome, friendly and professional! Super reasonably priced!! Thank you!!! Read Less

Dr. Sandburg is the bomb. I don't really need to elaborate but I will. She goes above and beyond to give my babies the best possible care (even staying late to run tests on a cranky old dog) :). She is patient, kind and my babies love her and so do I! I feel they are receiving the best care possible under her watch. The staff is wonderful and we do have our favorites but I won't mention any names because I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings!!!!Read Less

Just a thank you for the staff and doctors at Neartown Animal Clinic. They got my dog in pretty quick with pats on the head and hellos, the doctor explained what the issue was, what the next few days would be like, needed to be done and what my dog was experiencing. All the information about that made my heart stop beating out of my chest. I love these guys!Read Less

I immediately felt better when I walked in the door. Jarrett, my technician came out immediately knowing my dog had suffered an eye trauma and put me at ease. This is my first time coming here and I feel like I was treated very well. The receptionists were very friendly as well. This was after sitting for two hours since 7am at my regular vet knowing I had an emergency then being told they were unable to see my dog until at least 3 pm or so, if I was lucky. I called Neartown and got in within the hour as a new customer. Read Less

I have been taking all my dogs to Neartown for the past 7 years. These folks have walked me through the last years of declining health with two of my dogs. They were very caring and knowledgable about options to best care for my babies .I have adopted 4 more dogs and Neartown has been there to guide me through all the ups and downs with their health.Although I do feel like they are a bit pricey, I just chalk it up to the River Oaks location. And to be honest, when it comes to my animals, there is nothing I wouldn't do or pay to give them adequate health care.I do, and have recommended this clinic. Read Less

So far so so good! I haven't had a single issue with Neartown Animal Clinic.  They always remember Roscoe despite the fact that we haven't visited that often (he's only 1yr old).  The ladies at the front desk are great and very down to earth. I highly recommend Neartown to anyone looking for a vet. Read Less

Just moved to the neighborhood and tried them out--I'm very impressed.  They are helping me take good care of my extremely aged pet, without ordering pointless tests and recommending endless specialists.  They work with you on your goals for your pet--namely that they be happy and comfortable.  And there is no guilt.  Priceless.Post script--it's 2 years later and they still are taking good care of my aged dog. I think the staff is the best--very friendly and helpful. They make my life easier with their flexibility and good humor. Read Less

I took my puppy for his first visit with my daughter. Front staff was unfriendly  and  they told me that I would need to bring in my dog every 6 months forever? I felt like they were just trying to get me in the door as often as possible.  I left work early just to bring him in for a check up, they told me to come back.  They were not accommodating at all.  Doctor was inpatient with my questions. I did not feel good about the staff. I would not recommend. Read Less

I chose this clinic because it's very close to my apartment in Montrose.  The front desk ladies weren't the friendliest bunch, but once we got into the appointment room the vet tech and vet were extremely nice and accommodating. The prices are typical of what you'll see in a big city.  When I had my dog in college station I paid about a third for a regular exam, but in Austin in was only a few dollars less. ($53 for an exam here, $46 in Austin, and $15 in College Station...)  I believe the vaccine prices were about the same though.  So while I didn't get any warm and fuzzies about the place, it's convenient and my dog is healthy. Read Less

We owned a townhome almost directly behind Neartown Animal Clinic and thought it would be great to have a vet so close as we own three dogs. I had one of the worse experiences with not only the medical staff but also the front desk AND vet techs.  My puppy was even treated with disrespect by being 'pushed' along the floor after surgery. He was wet from droll and the vet tech said "I didn't want to pick him up and get wet".  He only weighed 8 lbs at the time!  I was astonished and felt hurt for my little 'fur child'.   I was not given care instructions as to the following 24 hrs after surgery either even though I asked. I wrote a complaint letter detailing the incident and two weeks later received a very neutral apology. I was handed a very large bill for my highly inadequate experience, paid and never went back.  There are so many great vets in Houston.  How this place stays in business I'll never know.  Nor want to. Read Less

We left our pet there for a few days and this is the last they will see of us. Upon arrival, i requested that they checked my pet because of some scabs that had just appeared. They assured me that they would get the vet to check him. Well 4 days later, when we picked up our pet...they could not find his chart, they had not checked him (they said our pet was not cooperating)....hello, you are a vet...you should use another excuse! In short stop the BS.. you dropped the ball...they brought my pet in the wrong carry on...even though his name was on  his.....and to finish up...they gave me a bill that was not ours....when I went back the next day to get my pet's chart...they did not apologize for all the mistakes.... this place does not care for the pets. Read Less

Very disappointed in this clinic...we normally go to VETERANS MEMORIAL ANIMAL HOSPITAL and we needed to get in somewhere the same day, and Veterans is far from our house. We called this place and (not surprisingly) they had an opening, so despite that bad reviews that I read on yelp, we gave it a try. First of all, we paid for an office visit, and neither the tech nor the doctor (Dr. Chmaitelli) took my pup's temperature, weighed her, or listened to her heart. She was there for a skin rash, but STILL..an office visit is an office visit, and these things should be performed regardless of what the visit is for. Secondly, the tech took my puppy back to the back with him to "see the doctor" which is RIDICULOUS and to me, says that they're either doing something or restraining her somehow that they don't want the owners to see. I should never have let her go back there with him when I couldn't supervise. The "doctor" performed a skin scraping and came in to tell us the results. He didn't introduce himself to us, and when he was showing us how to apply the cream (like we couldn't figure out how to apply cream to a dog's leg..) he grabbed my dog's snout and kept it closed while she was fighting it. Absolutely ridiculous. I grabbed her, paid the ridiculous fee, and left. After we were in the car, I noticed that they had charged me for a bottle of shampoo that I didn't receive. I went back inside and told the receptionist (Armenia) that I didn't want or need the shampoo and had been charged for it. She asked me what kind of shampoo the dog was using (which doesn't matter as the skin condition had nothing to do with the shampoo or bathing in general) and I nicely told her what it was and that the shampoo wasn't the issue and please refund my money. She did so without saying anything and I left again, this time for real. I will NEVER EVER go back to this clinic. Receptionists and doctors who don't care, and who obviously are just after money. We'll make the trek to our regular vet from now on. Read Less

Will never be going back to this clinic.  Went against my better judgement and came here because they could get us in the same day on a day when I was off work (pup was having some skin problems).  We normally go to Veterans Memorial but that's quite a drive, and I thought this would be okay just once.  WRONG.  When we arrived, no one really greeted us or looked like they even half liked their job.  When the tech took my pup back to the exam room, they didn't weigh her, take her temperature, check her heart, or anything.  Granted, it was only a skin issue, but when I'm paying over $50 for an office visit, I expect more than a pat on the head.  When they suggested that she needed a skin scraping, they took her back to "see the doctor" which is RIDICULOUS to me...if the doctor can't come in the room to do the skin scraping, they're either doing something they shouldn't be doing, or they're restraining her in a way that they don't want the owner to see.  Against my better judgement, I allowed them to take her back.  When Dr. Chmaitelli came into the room to tell us what he found, he didn't introduce himself and was very short with us.  When he was showing us how to apply the cream (you know because we needed a demonstration....... ::sarcasm:: ) he grabbed my puppy's snout and held it shut while she was fighting him.  A doctor should NEVER handle a dog in this way.  She wasn't trying to bite him and he was in no danger, and she was absolutely manhandled.  He suggested a gentle leader harness for her  Not to mention whatever happened while she was out of my sight.  After I had paid their ridiculous fee, we got in the car to leave and I noticed that they had charged me for some shampoo that I didn't get (and didn't want.)  The skin problem was in no way related to her shampoo or bathing habits, so I went back inside to get my money refunded.  The receptionist, Armenia, asked what kind of shampoo she was using at home and I wanted to reply with "That's really none of your business, as her skin condition has nothing to do with her shampoo."  but I just told her, and she typed it into the computer for whatever reason.. and she put the money back on my card without saying a word.  GOODBYE!  They can kiss any future money they would have made on me goodbye because we will NEVER come back to this clinic.  Think about how you'd feel if your CHILD was roughly handled by a doctor right in front of you.  That's how my fiancee and I felt with Dr. Chmaitelli. I'll tell everyone I know to stay away from here. Read Less

If you do anything, please do not use Paul Grunenwald.  he has to be the most uncaring, indifferent, disengaged vet I have encountered in 23 years of pet ownership.  Of course emotions are high when dealing with a dog nearing the end of her life but this man might has well have told me to pitch out with the garbage.  He may be a brilliant epidemiologist for all I know but he has no business dealing with the public.  Asshole is the only word I can use to decribe him.  I wrote a letter about his manner and general attitude to the owner of the clinic and it went unanswered.  Screw them.  By the way, my dog lived another four months in relative peace no thanks to him. Read Less

Neartown clinic is very close to my home, and the staff is very nice.  Been taking my 2 small dogs to them since 2005, but as of the last month, I have decided to find another clinic.I took my dogs there for a regular checkup and health certificate so i could take them to LA for the holidays.  They had a standard checkup.  Also asked the vet to express their anal glands and trim the hair around their paws.  They obliged.  Picked up the pups a few hours later, adn they didnt really do much around the paws, only trimmed a small amout of hair under the feet.   Oh well... no need to fuss over that.  But they charged me $25, almost as much as a full grooming.  I though that was something they could have done for free, or for only a few dollars.  Anyway... took them to LA to have some grooming done in LA a week later.  Groomer told my wife and I that their anal glands were backed up... What?!?!  I had just had them expresed by Neartown!After 4 years of so-so experiences, very high costs, and a very negative experience recently, I have decided to move on to another clinic for my pups.  I recently tried West Alabama Animal Clinic, and my older dog contracted Kennel Cough there after a 2-day boarding.  I'm running out of options in Houston quickly. Read Less