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Categories: Veterinarians, Pet Boarding/Pet Sitting [Edit]
810 University Ave(at 5th St)
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 841-4412
Free exam for first time clients!
Please schedule an appointment!
http://www.uvhberkeley... for a free exam (first time clients, one pet only)
- Hours:
Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri 8 am - 6 pm
Wed 8 am - 8 pm
Sat 8 am - 5 pm
29 reviews for University Veterinary Hospital
All Reviews
They took great care of my little kitten, they had the best price for a spay (I called around) I loved the attention they gave us and the knowledge all of the staff had or went out of their way to optain for me.
I will be taking all three of my pets there for many years to come.
Mazzy seems happy too :)
Since my last visit on 12/26/09 DR. Mattu has contacted me a few times. We talked and he took the time to regain my trust. He also refunded a portion of my money, and I am taking time out to let people know that he does read YELP.
If you are looking for a vet and try him for whatever your pet might need.
Everyone doesn't always see things the same way but he can provide care for your animal.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/26/2009
Okay so I just got this puppy. I am a nurse so I do know something about healthcare. I met Dr.… Read more »
Dr. Mattu is one of the most compassionate veterinarians I have come across in my many, many years of taking cats and dogs in for veterinary care, both here and in Manhattan. During the time he is examining your pet, he makes you feel like your pet is the only one in the world. He is thorough, perceptive, and demonstrates a sixth sense about what may be going on with your pet. Compassion and technical expertise make for an awesome veterinary experience. I highly recommend Dr. Mattu and his equally committed staff.
I'm new to the area, so I decided to try University Vet because they offered a free first visit on Yelp. Now I know that they only offer that free visit so that they can get you in there and try to sell you stuff that just isn't necessary.
My first visit was very disappointing. I took my dog in there for a basic checkup (she's six) and came out with a $500 estimate for a teeth cleaning. Getting your dog's teeth cleaned is fine and all, but I felt like there were a lot of ad ons to the estimate that were just plain unnecessary. I know this because after I went through each proposed item with the doctor/staff line by line and asked them to explain the need for all of them, it soon became clear that about $150 of the stuff was optional, which was not made clear the first time the doctor handed me the bill.
After my first visit, I didn't really want to go back there but I had no choice because my dog had an eye infection and I didn't have time to find another doctor. Dr. Mattu took one 10 second look at my dog's eye, left the room and then had his assistant come in to hand me the proposed bill, which was about $350. Really, for a simple eye infection?! Just like before, I had the doctor and assistant go through the bill line by line and was able to knock off about half the bill just by taking things off that really weren't immediately necessary, like using two antibiotics that basically do the same thing.
I didn't get a good feeling from Dr. Mattu. Though he was very friendly to my dog in the beginning, I felt like he spent too little time actually examining her, he seemed kind of annoyed when I would ask follow up questions, and being in his office felt like being in a car dealership--you just know you're going to get overcharged unless you go through the estimate line by line, something that I do NOT want to have to worry about doing when my dog is sick.
**Follow up below**
I took my 7 month old puppy into the clinic to find out why she's lost her appetite and been biting at her bum a lot lately. I figured it was a simple worm from her drinking muddy water at the dog park. I thought it would be a simple deworm.
The Dr. didn't think it was a parasite, so he'd have to run some tests: blood, fecal, ear. He'd also go ahead and write her 2 prescriptions. Both of them to be administer via needle while at the clinic and then some pills to take home. Her anal glands were also full, so they'd have to be drained too.
The total bill, $400! Just to figure what's wrong? Surely dogs lose their appetites and scratch their butts all the time--why does he need to run a $150 blood test to figure it out?
After he left the room, the vet tech went over all the procedures with me. I told him I couldn't afford anything near $400, especially if they couldn't explain exactly WHY she needed these things. One-by-one we started eliminating things- the prescription injections at the clinic (I can give her a pill as soon as we get home and save $60), one of the prescriptions entirely (a simple antacid that I could get for $2 at a pharmacy vs. the $35 at the clinic), all of the diagnostic tests because he had no reason why we should keep them, and the anal gland draining because he couldn't tell me what the point was or if they would drain on their own once she started eating. The irony is, now that I've done some research at home, I wish I'd had them drained for her.
The bill was about $70, but I had a coupon for a free first visit. I ended up paying only $20.
If you are going to charge so much and order so many tests, you've got to explain why they are necessary and, most importantly, if they are going to help my puppy.
Also, the front desk staff called my puppy a "boy that weighs about 20-25 pounds." Had they paid any attention to all the forms I had just filled out for them, they'd have known she's a girl (named "Mabel"--very girly) that weighs 35 pounds. They also made us wait, even though there was no crowd and it was an early morning appointment. When we walked in, they didn't seem to even know we had an appointment. That made me feel unwelcome.
Dr. Mattu does have a nice "bedside" manner. He was kind to Mabel and me. I like that he left the room while we went over prices, but at times, I wished he was in there to explain why he'd ordered certain things. I feel like he assumes we all have pet insurance, so cost doesn't matter anymore. I'm hoping to find a vet in the East Bay that can diagnose a bellyache without expensive tests, the way the vets treated my dogs when I was a kid.
Both vets in Berkeley that I've been to are ridiculously expensive (this one and Campus Vet), but at least Campus Vet's staff are TOTALLY INTO my puppy. When we come into their office, the staff come into the waiting area to play with her, and they all remember her, even when I call on the phone.
**Follow Up**
Tonight, the same day of posting this review, Dr. Mattu called to apologize for our lack of communication. He regrets not being in the room when the tech and I were going over procedures and prices. He said he brought up all my concerns with his staff in a meeting today, so hopefully, all these issues will soon be remedied. I should be fair, one of the receptionists seemed to be training the other, so I should have cut them more slack. Dr. Mattu seems to be a really caring and responsive vet. If you go to University Vet and are worried about cost, be sure to talk with him about it directly. I'm sure he'd be happy to explain everything and figure out what is reasonable considering your budget.
The best part- Mabel seems to be all better. She's eating now that I put some moist food on top of her kibble and the butt scratching has stopped.
Dear Dr. Mattu,
This review is way way overdue, so please forgive me for not writing sooner. Thank you on behalf of my Dog Mrss. J. Brown M.D WHO ALSO LOVES YOU TO DEATH. Thank you on behalf of my previous dog Bucky Buckaroo (resting in peace). Thank you for being such a kind, curtious and caring doctor to my pets and a wonderful and helpful person to me.
I will never forget how kind you were to my dog and the day you put Bucky down I saw tears in your eyes cause you are simply the most honorable vet I've ever been too. My dog is totally in love with you and I keep on telling her "stop it girl, he's married!!!!!!!!" I even told her that "his wife has a gun" but, she still wont stop. Oh well that's what you get for giving her all the attention in the world.
Thank you for hiring all these wonderful and amazing people like Lisa,(the incredible and amazing Lisa), Tasha, David, Eric etc....etc.... they are all so amazing.
Thank you for all the wonderful dental work you've given my dog, her teeth look great, she's already lining up her weekend date with a neighbor dog.Too bad I can't get my dental work at your clinic it sure would be cheaper than half the human dentists out there.
Last but not least, thank you for being so generous with your time whenever I come in with my dog or whenever I send you my friends. Every single one of them leaves you office incredibly impressed with your knowledge and service.
Dr Mattu, I dread the day you might hit the Jackpot and then you'll probably buy a house on the hill in Bombay and I really don't know where will I take my dog to get her teeth cleaned for the next boyfriend. Oh my god, what will I do when she's an old fart? where will I get her botox??????????????????
Thank you soooooooooooooooooooo much you are an ANGEL
A.M
First, to address some of the negative reviews here, yes UVH is more expensive than any vet outside of the Bay Area. However, just try pricing services at Berkeley Dog and Cat, a nearby vet with excellent reputation. They are much higher! For the zip code, UVH is very reasonably priced for the excellent service you get.
I have had both a foster dog and a kitten taken care of here. Both were spayed/ neutered and both had excellent care. Dr. Mattu was sooo good with the foster dog we brought in. The dog was fresh from a shelter and he needed medical attention for a number of things. Dr. Mattu was very concerned (along with the entire staff) with his well-being and they all worked to keep the cost to our rescue group low.
I did the low-cost spay with the city voucher for a new kitten. They did sell us an add-on package which included pain killers and IV fluids for her comfort. This was optional (not pushed hard!) and we opted for it. It was so nice to see her recover so quickly and the extra services definitely helped. If you have ever seen an animal spayed with minimal care, you will appreciate the difference.
From the two doctors, multiple vet techs and receptionists I have dealt with here, their customer service is the best I have seen. They even sent us home with a get well card signed by all the staff for our kitten. And the foster dog was greated by cheers (they all remembered his name) when we returned for a check-up.
Thanks UVH! We will now be bringing our dogs, who have been treated by BD&C for the past 6 years, to you!
We came here to get our newly adopted kitty checked out just for good measure. I made a Saturday appointment, and was surprised to find the place quite empty.
The service at first was a bit off, in that it took the receptionist forever to acknowledge our presence. But in all fairness, it looked like she might've been a bit busy.
The place is clean with comfy chairs and coffee.
The vet tech was really friendly, and did her best to make it not such a traumatic experience for the cat. And to our surprise, the kitty's great during vet visits!
The doctor checked her out, and made some suggestions regarding her teeth. He decided to put off some work until we got the final paperwork from the rescue agency so as we didn't double up on shots or pay for unnecessary things.
They're a great vet, and I would definitely recommend them to others. They didn't push me to spend money and they were great with kitty. They were more than helpful when we asked for suggestions and tips.
I just got back from my first visit to University Veterinary Hospital, and I can assure you that I'm going back!
I have a sweet-but-huge pit bull named Oliver. I once brought him to a clinic where they insisted on muzzling him based entirely on his breed despite my insistence that he was completely non-aggressive (you can imagine how baffled they were when he just stood there for his shots and microchipping), and it was generally very upsetting.
Dr. Mattu and his staff were kind, understanding, and thoughtful. They answered all of my questions and helped me work out Oliver's care financially, and were generally wonderful. I will definitely be returning.
I got my puppy spayed here for $25 through the low-cost voucher program.
Yeah, um...Why did they tack on $400 worth of fluids and painkillers and crap that I didn't ask for? After hacking away at all the unnecessary stuff, I ended up with a $140 bill because my pup needed two deciduous canines taken out. Yeah. $70 per baby tooth that takes 5-10 minutes with an elevator to take out. @ssholes. I know what goes on behind scenes and I know I was severely overcharged.
And they kept pushing this new vaccine for cats on all the cat owners. They did it to three clients while I was waiting. Collinchy-something. It sounded like a recited infomercial Hope you fellow Yelpers didn't fall for it!
Oh yeah, did I mention my puppy had fecal vomiting shortly following the spay? Fecal vomiting usually stems from an abdominal obstruction or abdominal trauma (aka which is what a spay could be classified as). Grrr.
Why is it that I didn't look here before going to UVH? Who knows. Trust your fellow yelpers, y'all. Here's my story:
My kitty had a lump on her neck, and I took her in to get checked. They took tests, and found that it was a benign tumor. The vet who called back recommended having it removed, saying it would "eventually be a problem" So I scheduled an appointment, even though they couldn't tell me how much the procedure would cost ($500 - $2000 they said).
When I arrived at the hospital, I saw a different vet who said the surgery was very much optional, that she couldn't say whether it would be a problem or not...but that they would work up an estimate. The technician came back and said it would be $800-$900, and she being my special kitty I agreed to the surgery. Well, a couple hours later the technician called back and said "We have kitty all prepped for surgery, but I left about $400 off the estimate...is it okay if we proceed?" One of the items she had left off was "mass removal"...the whole point of the operation.
Never never never again. Stay away from this place. I'm going back to Dr. Foor in El Cerrito.
I brought my oldest cat, Squeeek, to this vet on the advice of a friend. Boy does she have good tastes in vets! They took us in immediately on 3/5 and gave him a shot of antibiotics and benedryl for a skin infection, and then asked us to come back because he needed his teeth cleaned and one needed to be pulled. What can I say, getting old sucks!
So, today was the procedure day, and everything went perfect. The staff is nice, Dr.Mattu was totally sympathetic not only to my child, but to me as well (as were the techs), and they even have their own office cat, George! It wasn't cheap, but then again, nothing ever healthcare-wise is!
I totally recommend this vet! It's also at an easy-to-get-to location, which is nice!
When I first adopted my dog and brought him home from the Merced Animal Shelter, he was not neutered yet. I lived in Berkeley at the time and the city of Berkeley had low cost spay/neuter programs. This was one of the hospitals that their programs were affiliated with and so I came here for the neuter surgery. We later returned a few more times for treatment and care relating to a puncture wound.
- The doctors didn't seem to take much time in examining my dog or communicating with me. I mostly spoke to the assistants or receptionist.
+ The staff was generally helpful in answering my questions when I called and in instructing me on his healing care (antibiotic pills, wound cleaning solution, etc).
+ They were also very friendly with interacting with my dog and making him comfortable.
- The fees were kind of pricey, but I expected that..
I love University vet - I take my two kitties and pup there although we live in Oakland (around the corner from Broadway Emergency Vet - never ever go there!) I do worry about the distance in an emergency, but for ongoing care, they have been excellent!
We especially like Dr Matu. He really connects with the animals, and will let us know if treatment is overkill, while at the same time being very cautious with the health of our pets.
In addition to annual exams and shots, we have brought Metro in for an embedded tick, one cat for eating a bunch of raffia and each cat in for a tooth extraction. Each time went smoothly and I was really happy with the service.
********
I'm amazed by the poor reviews - we've been going here for ten years and have never had a problem of any kind. Yes, they are a little pricey when it comes to tooth extractions and other procedures that require knocking the animal out, but their service and care for my loved ones has always been top notch. They always call a day or so after a visit to check in on how the pet is doing, and are great at sending reminders when preventative care is due. They have never ever recommended treatment one of the pets hasn't needed, and have talked me out of preventative care that was overkill.
And, um, who wouldn't buy pain meds for his/her pet after having surgery?! That seems unbelievably cruel to me.
I would rather pay more and know my loved ones are in excellent hands. I have heard such horror stories about other vets - I would never forgive myself if one of my pets suffered so I could save some money
Excellent vet techs- all of them were fabulous. But I give this place two stars and not more because of Dr. Mattu: Both of my cats died shortly after several thousand dollars worth of unnecessary dental work. Dr. Mattu should not have put my 14 year old and 16 year old cats under anesthesia- rather, he should have papoosed them and cleaned their teeth manually, ignoring the cavities and such. I think that the stress of anesthesia on their bodies led my cats to die sooner than they would have otherwise. Both had kidney disease to begin with. Anyway, just be a little wary of elective surgeries on sick cats, as Dr. Mattu obviously was not.Oh yeah, and he removed a "suspicious" growth from my cats mouth that turned out to be a healthy salivary gland- and he charged me 300$ more for this "necessary" procedure.
I went to see Dr. Mattu last week for my newly adopted cat, and I went to see Dr. Reid at Campus Veterinary Clinic for a second opinion. It turned out that Dr. Mattu misdiagnosed my cat's scar in his right eye as a corneal ulcer and gave me two eye medications that would not help with his condition. He would have known this if he had read his medical records (which Dr. Reid did). I went to see him because his office offers a free exam for new patients, but I will not see him again. He does not seem to care about the wellness of my cat.
Certainly Dr. Mattu is a wonderful and caring veterinarian, and the employees here are all animal lovers.
However...
I just cannot get over the price. I took my two cats in for their vaccinations/checkups and expected it to cost maybe $100. Wrong! It was $300! And that included the discount of the free first visit for one of the cats. Thank goodness they let me do a payment plan. I love my cats, but I also cannot afford to spend money on unnecessary things.
They talked me into doing the "fecal float" for both cats, which was about $40 per cat. Then there was the "strategic deworming". I do agree that parasites need to be prevented in cats. These cats never leave the house nor have they ever had any rodent treats, so I don't see how they would contract something in the first place. Finally, after a look in the ears, it appeared that one cat had a yeast infection, so they stuck it under the microscope. Another $30 for that! I'm glad they found it, but as a scientist who could also easily ID yeast, I'm guessing that their reagents and expertise cannot justifiably cost so much.
Okay, so maybe I'm too much of a cheap ass...Just be forewarned that a visit to this vet will likely cost more than anticipated, unless you can avoid the frivolous charges.
dr. mattu is the first long term vet for our dog. he is really good with people and i feel like he really cares about us and our husky. we've gone in a few times for dental work, hip problems and benign tumors. i must say, we really like his vet tech (i forget her name, but she is a youn blond woman), who is always thorough about going over every item on the estimate of each treatment. she's patient with us and is always okay with us refusing certain additives.
at first, i felt like they pushed us a little too hard to get all this work done-blood panels, exams, etc. when we didn't have the money. i feel like they've been less pushy and also more reluctant to do what's not absolutely necessary.
in general-we love dr. mattu and everyone who works with him!
PS- it's worth mentioning that I'm not a big fan of his male receptionist. most recently, i called to let dr. mattu know that our dog passed away and this guy was just so apathetic about it and has no inclination to try to connect to people at all.
We had been taking our dog to another Berkeley vet for nine years. Recently we had a crisis and when we phoned our regular vet, they declined to help us after making us wait on the phone for over 15 minutes. University Vet took us right away - even though we had never been there for care.
After that, we changed to University Vet. I've seen the other Yelp reviews and what people say about the pricing. University Vet's prices are comparable to other vets.
Lastly, the past month our dog became very ill. Dr. Mattu and his staff have been compassionate, kind, helpful, and responsive. We ended up taking our dog to UC Davis Veterinary Hospital for additional tests. UC Davis vets told us that Dr. Mattu's records were excellent - clear, well-organized, and helpful.
Dr. Mattu and his staff did an exceptional job taking care of our dog, and they were always compassionate, friendly, and helpful with us. They always knew who we were and who are dog was when we called. We highly recommend them and will use University Veterinary Hospital when we get another dog in the future.
Wow, I'm not sure how to weigh in on these reviews. Some of the negative reviews have shaken my confidence a bit. I do agree that the clinic seems to hard sell some of the treatments & vaccines & we have had some pretty huge bills, especially for dental work on our dog.
That said, we love Dr. Mattu's "bedside" manner & his obvioulsy genuine concern for our pet. And re aggressive selling of services, the last time we had our dog in, we asked Dr Mattu about a service at PetVet whereby your dog's teeth are cleaned w/o general anthesia. He said he thought it was fine, only caveat was that such procedures aren't able to get at the calculus under the gums. Looked at our dog's teeth, said he saw some minor inflmmation, encouraged us to do the PetVet cleaning & check again in a year. So, that certainly didn't seem like a hard sell at all.
I will say that, overall, the services seem a little pricey, maybe just because we don't have a lot of money, but I haven't done any careful comparison of services with other local vets.
I once rushed a dying (dead?) dog that had been attached by a pit bull at Berkeley Marina to the clinic. Have to say that everyone in the place dropped what they were doing and rushed to the task. Sadly, poor thing was already gone, but I was impressed with their response.
I dunno....we like Dr Mattu so much, in spite of others' bad experiences (which I am not discounting) that we still give it a four star rating until something changes our minds.
O_o
Echoing others who have recently posted before me.. I'm a little shocked at previous reviews. Was the previous doctor a monster?
I've taken both of my schnauzer puppies (Milo, now 10 months and Louis, now 7 months) to Dr. Mattu for their puppy shots/vaccinations/neuter surgeries after I moved back to Norcal from L.A. My initial exam and dental cleaning cost absolutely nothing, thanks to a few coupons I printed from the UVH website (http://www.uvhberkeley...). The free first exam gave me a no-strings-attached, 15-minute examination with Dr. Mattu and let me get a general feel for the place.
I wasn't disappointed.
Dr. Mattu and his technicians were all more than kind to Milo (who was my first puppy, so I had some severe overprotective/paranoia issues taking him to get his shots), and were receptive to my questions. It's important that you do your OWN research on veterinary procedures before taking your babies to ANY vet because different doctors truly do tell you different things. Dr. Mattu responded to all my hard-ass questions/statements truthfully and seemed appreciative that I understood many of the basic procedures before I came in. He treated Milo (and later, Louis) with kindness and a gentle hand while giving me upfront opinions on his condition. For example, while he examined Milo's rather hairy ears, when I asked if one of his vet techs could clean out his ears for him (at an added cost) he honestly remarked that the small amount of wax in his ear and absence of mites indicated that there was no need to pluck the hairs (especially if it caused Milo discomfort). I truly believe a money-oriented doctor would simply nod and send the Milo's ears to the nearest hemostat for an easy $10, but it was this small attention to Milo's comfort that made me relax and feel that my dog was in empathetic hands. Another vet tech also offered to show me (free of charge) how to clip Milo's dark nails and ended up trimming both of Milo's front paws. I offered to pay but she refused to charge me and just told me to be careful with Milo's sensitive puppy nails.
I do understand some of the complaints about added charges- but most vets do this (many without asking). You come in for a checkup and your initial invoice may list things that Dr. Mattu/the vet techs "recommend" for your pet... nail trimmings, fecal samples, the works. It is quite easy to refuse these procedures. A vet tech will always go over the prototype with you and you can slash the things you don't want to pay for. My first visit cost nothing, and I walked out with a happy, healthy puppy and no obligation to return. If all vets provided trial checkups like UVH, surely there would be less people who approach veterinary services in a costly trial-and-error manner just to end up disappointed. It sucks to pay for shitty service.
Do not go to any vet with the assumption that the vet knows what's ultimately best for your pet. YOU are the owner, and YOU must do research. Even with all the advances in modern animal medicine, there is still obviously a huge discrepancy between individual practices so it is important that you educate yourself as much as possible before going to any vet. Be prepared to SPEAK UP if something doesn't feel right or you read otherwise online. Dr. Mattu and his staff is very open to this.
For example:
Dr: "Would you like to have Milo's anal glands expressed today?"
Me: "Actually, I'm sure he doesn't need his anal glands expressed- his diet is substantially healthy and he receives more than an adequate amount of fiber and exercise and his poops are firm and healthy."
Dr: "You're quite right. I'm glad he's as healthy and active as he appears!"
And after Louis was diagnosed with Giardia, I called UVH back-
Vet tech: " Would you like me to prepare a prescription for you?"
Me: "Actually, I read that Fish Zole tablets (used to treat Giardia in water tanks) are exactly the same as canine Giardia medication but much cheaper (like $4 a bottle compared to $20 for 2 prescribed pills... I love Google). I'd like to supply the pills myself, if that's okay.
Vet tech: "Oh, sure, there are a lot of people who opt to do this instead. Do you understand the feeding instructions?"
Me: "Yep"
Vet tech: "And you plan on quarantining Louis for the duration of his treatment?"
Me: "I've already sanitized the house and kennels, and yes, Louis is quarantined and will be for the next few days. He's also on a bland diet."
Vet tech: "That should be more than sufficient for Louis' recovery. He should be fine in a few days!"
Don't be afraid to open your pet's health up for discussion! If you have doubts, voice them, if you have questions, ask them! The combination of a well-informed pet owner and a great vet is the best way to save money and insure the health of your pet =D
Btw- Mondays and Wednesdays are great times to go in for vaccinations- they offer 20% discounts! Say hello to Verne, the chill GSD (if he's there)!
As recommended by our vet, we took our French Bulldog "Max" to see Dr. Mattu for a slipped disk that caused paralysis in his hind legs.
Prior to our visit with Dr. Mattu, I did my research and knew the seriousness of the situation. I learned that in most "slip disk" cases, surgery was needed which was very expensive and there was no guarantee that it would work. My boyfriend and I had already decided against the surgery...not because of what it would cost, but because we did not want to put Max (and ourselves) through all that pain and suffering if we had no guarantee of a full recovery.
Knowing that we did not want to do the surgery, Dr. Mattu put Max on a non-surgical treatment plan consisting of strict rest, and treatment with drugs that would reduce the inflammation/pain and hopefully take the pressure off his spinal cord allowing him to regain control of his hind legs.
Dr. Mattu showed genuine concern and gave us hope -- but made no promises. He was honest and did not try to talk us into surgery. I remember him saying "just leave it in the hands of God....you will know the treatment plan is working if he starts trying to walk in three days". Sure enough, after three days of treatment, Max started standing...and by the 4th day he was walking!
We are so lucky to have found Dr. Mattu and his wonderful staff. His staff always remembers us when we call and they always ask how Max is doing. Words cannot express our gratitude for the excellent care they have given Max. We highly recommend University Vet.
i adopted my cat about 4 years ago when i used to live in berkeley. i moved back home in '06. til this day i still take my kitty to UVH - so yes i drive 30 mins.
Dr. Mattu takes great care of my cat - he's kind & gentle with him. its a small hospital but i feel that the staff are very caring. they are good at keeping me updated by sending me info via mail & email. they offer lots of discounts seasonally, which helps my pocket.
i will continue to use UVH since i have had a terrible experience with another vet in Oakland (i cant quite remember the name but will update my review once i do). my cat responds well to UVH ~ thats all that matters to me =)
This is a terrible veterinary clinic. They are the most expensive vets around, and will find ways to charge you for unnecessary services. We took our two cats here for a six years, mostly because we lived a few blocks away. During every visit, we were told that our cats needed their teeth cleaned. Eventually we agreed to have one cat get her teeth cleaned. When the cleaning was over, all her molars except for one had been extracted. They told us it was necessary and she was in pain, and while we were angry for not being asked in advance, we assumed they knew what they were doing.
Then at our last visit, I brought in our second cat for her annual vaccines and pointed out a lump between her shoulder blades. The vet aspirated the growth, sent it to the lab, and then had me come back for the results. It turned out to be an injection-site sarcoma, which happens to cats when they get too many vaccines in the same location (like the scruff of the neck). The vet immediately began describing the heroic actions they would take to save our cat, without first asking what we wanted. When I asked how much the surgery and chemotherapy would cost, he estimated over $15,000. And then after telling me that the chances for recovery were very slim, he announced that he'd go get the vaccines we were scheduled to get that day. In response to my comment that it didn't make sense to vaccinate a dying cat, he said "I understand your point, but we should probably play it safe." In other words, they should make some kind of money off the cat before she died.
We now have a different vet who is kind, compassionate and who does not appear to be solely motivated by money.
I really like University Vet Hospital.
I think they have gotten some bad press in the past, but are now under new management. Dr. Mattu is terrific and has always been very thorough and sweet with my Pup. We've been going there since Buddy was 3 months - he's 10 months now and has been in for neuter surgery, had teeth removed, shots and lots of stomach trouble.
They've always worked with me deciding on treatment. The reception people are very friendly, and they almost always call to follow up on how he's doing after we've been in. They have great hours as well - not just until noon on Saturday like most places.
So far, I'm very satisfied!
*UPDATE* - Buddy is now almost 2 years old and UVH has been really terrific and thorough with Buddy. They also really *listen* to my concerns about overmedicating and over vaccinating my pup. Buddy went in for his Bordatella spray and he was totally happy to go with the vet tech. The reception and techs are always really nice and remember my little man.
I think *everyone* who has a pet should make sure they are as educated as possible about their pets and to take responsibility for their health as much as they expect their vet to. This way your pet will get excellent care, always.
More people should post their own experiences - rather than the experiences of their "friends".
It costs money to run a business. They pay their employees (who I notice stick around for a really long time) - and people seem to forget - you're not just paying for their time - you are paying for all the years of school they went through so that they know what their doing. Do you really want an underpaid vet? I just think it's funny that people always expect that everyone should be doing their jobs for love, instead of making a living and supporting their families. If you have trouble with fees, talk to them. I'd rather have great care, and occasionally have to say - let's weed out what is not necessary. But painkillers? Not a question.
Other things that I think are great - they have the latest technology, their facility is clean, parking is easy, and you can even keep track of your pet on their interactive website.
I would highly recommend not taking your animal to this vet hospital if you want to avoid feeling like you went to a high pressure used car lot. I have a 2 and a half year old dog that has high anxiety about vets after being spayed. We always inform the vet of this fact before making an appointment. Instead of being seen in a timely fashion, it was 20 minutes after my scheduled appointment time that my stressed limping dog was finally seen. He was worked up into a frenzy by that point. I was shocked at the prices of some of the basic treatment which they calculated would be about $150 for a supposed routine bacterial infection in a paw. I opted for pills instead. If you want the drugs immediately, be prepared to pay a fat premium. I just paid $30 for some generic antibiotic pills that are available at the on-line pet pharmacy without insurance and with free shipping for $4.50. I had to ask about the option of antibiotic pills because they were trying to sell me on the $100 or so of injections. I also had to ask about possible side effects of the medicines--they did not offer this information--I guess they expect you to pay extra for that.
My girlfriend and I have two dogs, one is 11 and one is almost 2 and we have been bringing them to University Vet Hospital for over 3 years now. The staff there is great and we always have a good experience and never feel like they push us to do unnecessary procedures or that their prices are unreasonable.
I find they genuinely care about their patients, are very professional, and will always call to checkup on them.
My review is also based on their fees, and also how they try to push and sell extra medication and services. I went in for a dental for my cat, and had the estimate done. While I had never paid over $320 for a dental, the estimate of this place came to over $700!! I told them to take this off and this off and to better check their insane fees for medications online, because they were 100% higher. I have never seen a bill being racked up this high for a cat's dental in 10 years! The front guy got smart with me. I asked for my cat back, and walked out the front door with her. I will never go back there again. They are absolute crooks in my opinion.
I absolutely love University Vet. We have been taking our two cats there for four months (they are kittens). The staff has always been wonderful, we love them (Hi David, Cassidy, Lisa, Fran & Tasha!) and Dr. Mattu is fantastic. He really does go above and beyond for his patients. He once stayed late on a holiday weekend to mix medication and wait for me to pick it up. I agree with the other reviewers on the price... you're paying for MEDICAL pet attention. It's not going to be cheap. But $45 for a standard office visit seems very reasonable. We have only had fantastic experiences with University.
