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Alta Vista Veterinary Hospital
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
18 reviews for Alta Vista Veterinary Hospital
My family has been living in the neighborhood since the mid-50's. This is the place my grandparents, parents, and now I have taken our pets. Our pets have always lived long and happy lives. My last dog lived to be 17, which was way beyond her expectancy.
Yes, we have received some large bills from Alta Vista, but we have also seen them cure animals that should definitely have died. I will always take my pet here.
I'm not sure whether to give this place 2 or 3 stars.
We have taken our pets to Alta Vista for vet stuff as well as for boarding.
As far as the medical stuff goes, one time the vet was very friendly and helpful and we were completely satisfied. Another time a different (and very creepy) vet tried to get us to do all kinds of unnecessary tests on our cat and recommended hitting her in the nose (wtf?) .
As far as boarding goes, the person we dropped our pet off to was great. She said call anytime to check up on our cat. I called twice. Both times I got a different person and both times they were very rude and acted like I was a bother.
When we went to pick her up we heard an employee yell "SHUT UP" very loud presumably at one of the animals in their care.
That being said, our cat seemed healthy and as happy as one could expect after being boarded for a few days.
There are good things and bad things about Alta Vista. I think a lot of it depends on what particular employees you get on your visit.
I first started taking my animals to Alta Vista back in 2006 when we moved to Central Phx. I was impressed by their website and all the services they offer. Very pleased with the level of care my animals received and, although the exam fee is $45, I always felt like the staff, techs, and vets were truly concerned with the health of my pets and not just looking to tack on additional costs.
They have extremely accomodating hours and will even make house calls!
I started taking my Shi Tzu-Poodle to the Pup Scouts Doggy Day Care about once a week as well in hopes of getting him better socialized to other dogs (he's more of a cat-dog). I loved that they were also so excited to see him and even let him hang out under the check-in counter when he didn't want to play with the other little kids (the smaller dogs or those that are old and slow are kept in a separate area from the larger, high-energy campers). I boarded him there a couple of times as well and felt so much better about leaving him there than at the previous "Pet Hotel" I had used.
We just moved back to the area and am relieved to have them close by again.
I was truly won over by Alta Vista again last week when we brought our newest furry addition in for a check up. We had found an 8 week old kitten hollering after being put outside in the 113 degree heat. I've never seen a cat drink so much water in one sitting! There are of course a lot of "start-up" costs involved in giving a new animal a home. As I was getting ready to check out the gal at the front desk pointed out that I'd qualify for a Kitten Package that would only cost $200 total (all of which I did not have to pay at that time) and save me literally $300 when all was said and done.
A week later I was in at 8pm on a Friday night with one of our other cats. I will leave out the details of kitty's diagnosis, but the outlook was not good and completely unexpected. The vet took the time to explain the situation to me and then again to my fiancee. The tech referred to us as "Mom and Dad" while we were waiting for the outcome of the surgery, which made me feel that they understood how important our little guy was to us. The gal behind the counter even put on a DVD for our daughters and gave them crayons and coloring books. Even the guy who was mopping the floor pointed out where we could find the restrooms and water-cooler if we needed them.
In the end, we had to make the toughest decision I have ever had to make and had to put kitty to sleep. The care and concern of all those at Alta Vista that night meant so so much to me and my family. I left knowing that my cat had received the best possible care and fully trusting that the health and life of my cat was their paramount concern, even at 10pm on a Friday night.
Not that I look forward to taking our pets to the vet, but knowing that I can trust the people and place I take them gives me a lot of relief.
Alta Vista Veterinary Hospital has been my goto vet for years, even after I moved out of the area and now have to drive a ways to get there.
They've got very reasonable and competitive prices, and the ABSOLUTE BEST HOURS of operation of any vet in the area. If you work regular weekday office hours, and need a weekday evening appointment, it can be impossible to find that anywhere, but Alta Vista has always been accommodating.
My experiences with Alta Vista began years ago when my best friend Gideon ( http://www.youtube.com... ) came into my life. Alta Vista is a sponsored vet that you can choose for your free initial checkup when you adopt through the Humane Society.
I've also been back for instances of illness, emergency injury, and routine surgery (neuter -- not me, one of the dogs), and they've been friendly and helpful each time. I do not at this time recall the names of individual vets I've seen, but they all seem genuine and knowledgeable. I've only had Science Diet suggested to me lightly and then dropped, and any vet visitor knows what a pimp all vets are for that crap food. One of the vets was even supportive and knowledgeable when I was asking questions pertaining to transitioning to a raw diet ( http://www.rawmeatybon.../ ).
The neuter surgery I visited for was also a freebie using one of the Maricopa County Big Fix Program vouchers ( http://www.maricopa.go... ). I love that they participate in these programs which help the pet community. The voucher gave the surgery fee free, but not all the meds/aftercare, and Alta Vista was not pushy at all when it came to my choosing what level of care, and therefore expense, I wished to incur beyond the free voucher's value.
Alta Vista is a full service hospital and boarding facility as well. I've not used the boarding facility services. They've undergone a renovation, or actually, moved to a newer larger facility since my initial experiences. The new facility is spacious and clean, both front and back office.
**It is unfortunate that sometimes folks have experiences with their loved ones that end tragically, but it is not fair to blame the medical professionals who try to help, even if they end up failing, no matter if your loved one was furry or not.
My review can be summed up by the letter I mailed to the owner.
Personal names have been blacked out because I'm not totally horrible.
RE: Bootzer, male Chihuahua
Dear Dr. ******,
I have been a client of your location since I moved to Phoenix in 2004. Your facility has cared for two of my dogs, Bootzer and Mattie. However, I will no longer be bringing my pets to Alta Vista.
The reason for this letter is to inform you of my disappointment in your staff. On numerous occasions I brought Bootzer in for a consistent, honking cough. Each time your staff would test him for something new; such as Valley Fever or Kennel Cough and each time, after paying around $300 for a specialized test, we would be told our dog was healthy and just needed to shed a little weight.
On our last visit we met with **** ******. **** examined Bootzer and did not perform any tests, rather he suggested a prescription weight loss food and then tried to up sell us on flea baths and preventative de-worming. He had no explanations for Bootzer's cough except that he was overweight and small dogs often breath in dust and it could be a response to that.
On July 13th my husband and I had to euthanize our beloved Bootzer due to his trachea collapsing. The emergency hospital we took him to was extremely knowledgeable and knew right away what was causing his distress. After speaking with the veterinarian we learned that collapsed trachea is a common problem with small dogs, and Chihuahuas are a high risk for this problem and its not uncommon for this to be a hereditary issue. We were also informed that the cough and his lack of being able to exercise should have been a significant sign to any experienced, professional veterinarian. This could have been treated earlier with medication, a harness instead of a collar and putting a humidifier near his crate.
As you can expect, my family is very saddened by the loss of our friend and frustrated that not only could this have been prevented, but that we could have improved the quality of his life while he was with us.
I will be informing the public of my disappointment in Alta Vista via word of mouth and review sites like http://Kudzu.com and http://Yelp.com. I will also be contacting your receptionist to have Mattie's records transferred to a more reputable vet.
I don't know how much money we have invested in your clinic to date, but I'm confident that we spent too much - considering that the real issue was never diagnosed, tested for or addressed. I don't see you considering compensating us for our loss or the money we spent with your organization, but I want to voice my displeasure in losing a family member due to a lack of caring, negligence and incompetence.
Comment from Angie B. of
Alta Vista Veterinary Hospital
9/2/2009
The Doctor's and staff at Alta Vista Veterinary Hospital…
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Wanted to find a place to board my cat for over a week. They say on the website to come in and take a tour. So, I went down there and told the not that friendly person at the front desk if I could please take a tour of the boarding? She said to have a seat, so for 30 minutes I sat and then went back up there and she said she forgot I was there. Not cool. She took me inside to look at the cold steel metal box where they put your cat. It was atrocious. I looked like a prison for criminal cats. I wouldn't ever leave my cat there or anywhere like it. Ended up not going out of town but if I did, my cat would be just fine at home and not in Alta Vista Pet Penitentiary.
But on the other hand, they are open seven days a week. So I will bump it up a star for that.
Having gone through a period of time when I would have sworn that I was running a hospice for animals, I became intimately associated with Alta Vista. Seriously, how many people can walk in to a vets office, be recognized and acknowledged by their first name, and the techs all know the details of your animals BMs? I am convinced that I have put more than one vet in a new car!!! But ranting aside, they have almost always been professional and caring. I have had the odd off visit, but when you are on the frequent visit plan that is to be expected. Personal experience would rate a 4 star rating alone on the fact that they can muscle my chart around. But they get the coveted 5 stars for their mobile service.
Dad's very large (I would say obese, but that's a sore point, so let's say she was big boned) and very old yellow lab was frail and failing fast. We all knew what the humane thing to do was, but here's the rub... Libby hated going in the car. The folks at Alta Vista have an incredible mobile vet service which allowed the family to not force Libby's last moments to be worse than they already were. One call to the office and an appointment time was set. The vet came to the house (right on time) and spent a considerable amount of time with the family and Libby. She was allowed to pass comfortably, surrounded by those who loved her most.
If you are someone that has four-footed family members and find yourself in a situation where a more personal touch is needed, Alta Vista and their staff will definitely rise to the challenge.
I have this cat, you see, whose name is Count Larry. Only in the last month, after 1.5 years of dating, has my boyfriend come even close to garnering the same amount of affection I shower on this cat. The cat and I have been through the ringer together.
He started displaying some disgusting behavioral problems, and I thought he was angry at the the dogs, but then he added lethargy on to the top of these problems. I took him to Alta Vista, very very worried... absolutely in hysterics, thinking I was going to lose my little Larry. The doctor took a look at him and took X rays, the first of which were too "fuzzy"... she charged us for these. The second set were fine, but she said she couldn't diagnose the problem and that we could make one of two inferences from the "gray area" on the X ray:
1.) That he is going to die if not operated on
or
2.) It's just a piece of poop that's stuck.
REALLY. So, basically they told me I would have to pay upwards of $600 to operate on something potentially benign, or run the risk of him dying by just paying $200 for the useless x rays and observation, with further "study" on the X Rays. Because we had limited funds and his illness didn't qualify for the CareCredit, we had to go with the latter, and kept him under close observation for the next 24 hours. They said they'd call in the next 24 hours to check up on him and to let us know what the new X Rays said.
Guess who never called?
After 7 days of badgering them about whether or not my cat was dying, they couldn't tell me anything and passed me off to eachother at least three times on every phone call.
They suck. Screw them.
UPDATE: By the way, Lar turned out to be TOTALLY FINE. After inspection of his bowel movements (totally disgusting, FYI... cats must be the smelliest creatures 2nd only to either ferrets or those monkeys that fling their own poo), turns out he just chewed a hair tie of mine and it started twisting him up a little. Nothing some kitty immodium-AD and force-watering couldn't fix.
This review is for the hospital AND the boarding facility.
New edit: Munch has stayed at AV a few times. Last time I picked her up, I arrived much earlier than I had stated on the intake form. Munch was outside with all the other dogs, playing and running around. I was happy to see her tail wagging and a "smile" on her doggie face.
Yes, the facilities seem a bit draconian. But they follow my instructions to the letter and as long as my dog is safe and uninjured, I don't mind paying the very low rate of $18 per day.
As for her operation, I must say that she is still totally fine. My cat was spayed at the "humane" society, and such mangling of an animal I hope never to see the evidence of again. I would rather pay a reasonable rate as a customer in order to expect to find a pet still able to bear a touch to the abdomen.....
My new rescue dog was spayed at Alta Vista. In my research, I was most impressed with the presentation/comfort of the waiting area. It was clean and spacious, which I believe is very important. The pricing for a spay was reasonable compared to other vets in my area.
This place is VERY busy, and as a new customer, I was not surprised that there was little attention paid to my dog's needs as I saw them. But they did the job and she did not appear to be worse for the wear. It might seem like this is a lukewarm review of the treatment we were given. In fact it is not, because my dog is a bit of a hot mess in the mental health department. She showed zero signs of trauma from the procedure. Her little belly healed nicely with no problems. Yay!
Same with the boarding facility. I asked to see the actual kennel area, which could easily serve as a setting for a horror movie. It is loud, dark and dank. But hey. I figured my dog was going to be miserable anyway, so as long as there were no signs of dogs being neglected or abused, it was worth the 18 bucks/day. And it was! She was VERY well taken care of and again there were no new crazy dog emotional issues to contend with later. They did their best to follow all of my instructions, which admittedly seemed annoying even to myself. But I didn't care, because for once it was worth it to me to be a bit demanding. My dog is important to me. Yay again!
There is nothing more frustrating than taking your pet to the vet because you think something is wrong with him, and having the vet completely ignore everything you tell her. This is why I do not take my dogs to Alta Vista anymore.
I took my older dog to Alta Vista after we adopted him because it was close, and I had a free exam certificate from the shelter. The vet seemed nice enough, and I'll give her a pass on the fact that she clearly had no idea what breeds he might be (she told us he'd get 50 pounds, max, when full grown today, he's 70).
So, figuring that they were ok from the first visit, I took him in when he started having issues. Vet #1 "thought" he might have bladder crystals, and sent him home with expensive prescription food and an order to come back in 4 weeks.
Vet #2, on the return visit, completely disregarded everything that had been written in my dog's chart as well as everything I told her, and wanted to run a bunch of expensive tests. Vet #1 had told me he'd just need a retest for the crystals, Vet #2 wanted to send him through the ringer. No thanks.
We got the hell out of there as fast as we could manage. I don't do doctors who don't listen. She may have the degree, but I live with the dog and know what he is and isn't doing.
Needless to say, we haven't been back. And my dog? He's perfectly fine.
I don't even have any pets but I still have an experience to relate that justifies the 5 stars here. And it's a doozy.
While comfortably sitting at Postino's (for the very first time believe it or not) sampling my first-ever heavenly bruschetta with a friend, my girlfriend at the time called my cellphone. When I answered I couldn't understand a word she was saying because she was hysterical. Basically, her dog ate her bird. (Please don't laugh. The friend I was with couldn't resist and I almost punched him). She had come home, saw a bloody clump of feathers in one corner of a room, another bloody clump somewhere else, her guilty-looking dog sulking nearby, but no Mr Apples (a parakeet) anywhere to be seen. She ultimately found him hiding in the bathroom, barely conscious.
I drove over to pick them up and got my first look at Mr Apples. I was pretty sure he wouldn't make it. He was little more than an unrecognizable lump of bloody skin and bones. Even his long tail had been ripped off. We rushed to Alta Vista, calling them on my phone to make sure they were ready when we arrived.
They took Mr Apples away as soon as we got there. An attendant asked us questions and comforted my gf while the vets tended to him out of our sight. Maybe an hour or so later, a female vet came into our private waiting room to explain the situation. It was a miracle. The dog had punctured the little dude's body but he seemed to be holding up, and only time would tell if there was serious internal damage. A lot of feathers had been ripped off but with time they would grow back. He wasn't out of the woods, but with little-birdie antibiotics and time there was a good chance he'd be back to his old self.
The ending's a happy one. I don't know how the spunky little bastard did it but he eventually healed to a complete recovery, and he routinely gives the middle finger to his canine assailant. If you ever run into a serious pet crisis the way Mr Apples did, I'd say you can run to this place and count on the best care under the circumstances.
I called Alta Vista yesterday because one of our dogs needs some dental work and I am pretty unhappy with the service that we have received from our current vet (Banfield at Spectrum/Christown).
The receptionist, Sissy, was extremely nice on the phone. She gave me a general quote for a dental and fit us in for an appointment the very next day, for free! She told me that we would be meeting with Dr. Harbo, the vet at the practice who does dentals.
During the time from when we arrived, finished filling out the requisite paperwork, and were ushered into the room, we saw several employees, all of whom were pleasant.
At this point, our experience changed completely. Adam was our final veterinary technician. He was terse, almost rude. He spent about 1 minute with us and the dog, and looked in the dog's mouth for about 5 seconds. He barely spent enough time in the room to hear our concerns. He left as quickly as he came in and was gone for quite some time.
When he came back, estimate in hand, he asked if we expected to see the vet. When I told him that I understood that our appointment was with Dr. Harbo, he informed us that if we wanted to speak to a vet, a $45 office charge would apply. We declined.
My problem is that I was misinformed when making the appointment, then treated poorly at the appointment. From a business perspective, they should have treated this free exam like an audition to win our business - because it was.
Will I try Alta Vista again?? I don't know. The price was right, but that really isn't the only factor. If it was, I would still be happy with Banfield (ugh.)
I want a vet (and their staff) who will treat me and my dogs with respect, and not value me only for my money. I also want a vet who does not treat me poorly because I have financial concerns - I just can't blindly drop thousands (or even hundreds) of dollars. Believe me, if I could, I would. These dogs are my babies.
I am bummed that my first experience at Alta Vista was not as good as I would have liked. Maybe next time.
I'm not sure why there would be any negative things to say about Alta Vista!! Not only are they open 7 days a week, the doctors and staff truly care about the pets. One negative would be that sometimes you have to wait, but this is usually because they've taken in an emergency, and to be honest, if my pet was critically sick or injured, I would so happy that I could be seen immediately!!
The end of last year they expanded to a new, much larger building, which is nice because there are more exam rooms and plenty of parking.
My precious pooch attends Pup Scouts at Alta Vista and wow, do they have the doggie day care business down. I've been to Dog Day Care facilities all over the city and this is the one that's stuck. The staff are caring, well-trained and do perform a temperment test on new pups. The dogs rotate between one-on-one time with each other, with employees, and group time. This is the first place my dog has ever willingly gone knowing I was going to leave him.
Ollie gives Alta Vista four paws up!
I am so glad I found this place, and it's right across the street!
It's in Melrose, the quaint neighborhood on 7th Avenue between Indian School & Camelback.
Now, for the review:
My 15-year old cat, Spike, got sick. I got an appointment the same day.
They were so caring there. I got into a private room almost upon arrival and didn't wait long for the vet. It was bad news: his kidneys had failed. They ran tests and I knew...KNEW...I would have to put him to sleep. I had been preparing for this day. The female vet put her hand on my shoulder, which is exactly what I needed. The vet loaded him up with fluids so I could have a few days with my Spike. Turns out, the next day, he wasn't doing any better. I immediately went back, tears streaming down my face. I whispered "I need to put him down". They immediately whisked me to a private room. Everything was humane and the people working there were so caring! They let me sit with him after he died and said they'd be back in a bit. I was a wreck, but everyone came in and hugged me.
I wasn't charged an arm and a leg. I had him cremated and they gave me a beautiful urn to go with Spike.
I highly recommend Alta Vista based on service, price, caring and the wide range of services they offer.
They also do day care and boarding!
It's very hard to choose a vet for your four legged friend that is practically your child. After doing a lot of searching, I decided on Alta Vista for a lot of reasons. The staff was very friendly to me on the phone with all my annoying questions, the location was close to my home, the hours are unbeatable, and they were able to get me an appointment immediately. My dog Rally only needed a Rabies shot, but it was still a big deal to me. When we came in for his appointment, I was pleased to see a very large waiting area that was very clean. Small lobbies are terrible for veterinary practices because the animals get way too anxious in those small places. The staff was also very friendly at the front desk. We waited about 15 minutes past our scheduled appointment, but I guess that's what all doctors do. Rally's vet, who we did not choose, was Dr. Todd Carter. Unfortunately, Rally did not take too kindly to him and was very scared. While I'm sure Dr. Carter is a great vet, I will probably select a female the next time around, as Rally feels more comfortable around women. Overall, a nice experience here.
In addition to all the rave reviews about Alta Vista staff saving pets from horrible circumstances, i would like to add that they have very reasonable rates for routine care. I have also boarded dogs there for short trips out of town. The rates were good, and the dogs were returned happy.
Alta Vista saved my puppy from the dreaded Parvo. This feat alone is a great endorsement for them, but there's so much more. The staff is always really nice and friendly to both people and pets. In addition to being a veterinary hospital, they also do grooming and boarding. All this and their amazing extended hours, make it hard to justify taking my dog anywhere else.
