I diligently read all the reviews I could find before choosing a vet for our new puppy, and despite a few negative ones settled on South Bay because there were so many positive ones. On the first visit when I handed the vet a letter from our breeder on helpful things particular to my dog's breed, the vet didn't handle it well - very ungraciously giving me a lecture and saying that when my breeder goes to vet school then she'll consider her advice. As a brand new client, I was taken aback to say the least, and left feeling like a scolded kindergartner. While the vet was lecturing, she was also giving our puppy meds without explaining to us what they were for or what she was doing. On our second visit, a different vet noticed our puppy had a hernia, and commented that this could be potentially serious, and said the first vet should have noticed it on her initial exam. I guess she was too busy getting riled up by the breeder letter. On other visits my follow-up questions were never handled with the time, care and concern I would have liked, but rather answers were given with the sort of tired but rushed rendition that made me feel like these cookie-cutter responses were without thought to my specific case, and given in a hurried manner to get me out before the next appointment arrived. On most visits the staff was curt but not rude, until a few months later when my puppy had an emergency and I called for advice. The receptionist said they had no openings and my only choices were to wait until the next day or take the puppy to Angel. All I wanted to do was describe my situation to the vet and get some advice. The receptionist at first refused to get the vet on the line, saying she wasn't going to be able to offer me anything more than what I'd just been told. After I very curtly asked to speak to the vet, she reluctantly got someone (but not without giving me attitude first!). I immediately called another local vet, who went out of their way to see me that afternoon. I had my puppy records transferred and will not be going back! The second vet is a little more expensive, but they spent an hour and a half with me on short notice and went out of their way to make sure my puppy was ok.
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