VCA Ocean View Animal Hospital Pacific Grove, California

I have been with VCA for quite awhile now. We came here from another state and decided to stick with them because we had such a great experience. I have not had the same experience here in Pacific Grove. I have been out and out lied to, misled and swindled. We had our pets on the care club plan for their puppy shots and keep getting auto renewed even when I ask not to be. When I asked to have the care clubs canceled because I did not ask to be renewed and was told we would have to pay the plan out in full to stop it. I had to finally get their corporate offices involved and still did not get truly helped. When our baby girl passed away I also thought we could just call and cancel the care club since she was no longer living and they said we had to pay it out as well. Our current experience was just today and I have never been so disappointed. I have repeatedly given this hospital a chance because I have great memories with VCA and didn't want to leave but it looks like I will have to.

We've been going here for at least a decade. Their newest doc, Dr. Shauppe, is a gem and I highly recommend her!

I was a newcomer to the Monterey Peninsula area 20 years ago and found Ocean View for my dog. 3 dogs later, we're still coming back for excellent care and advice.

Great vet and reasonable prices. The are friendly and find whats best for your pet, not their wallet. They also offer military discount

I waited a few months to review VCA, specifically Dr. Sharpe's care, until I received additional opinions on my own pet and my parent's. We were both roped into believing our pets were either pre-renal or well on their way towards kidney disease. She insisted they both required a special diet, but even worse she withheld NSAID pain relief for my parent's pet given their interaction with kidney clearance. In my case, a second (new vet), third (an unrelated ED visit at the Pet Specialists of Monterey) and fourth (a cardiology consult) opinion reasoned otherwise. All of the subsequent providers agreed there was no evidence of renal or even pre-renal disease. My parent's new vet has said the same given a comparison of old and new lab results. On top of this, Dr. Sharpe's communication has become quite frustrating. She talks fast, which is fine, but I get the feeling she talks and works so fast she's careless in her listening. Not to mention she interrupts. When I ask questions I'm often interrupted and not allowed to ask it in full. It's very frustrating and not at all friendly. Forget about the money it cost us... What is distressing is that Dr. Sharpe convinced us to treat our well animals as though they're sick. It's unacceptable, unethical and she shouldn't be not worth supporting her practice.

Very caring employees! They were able to book me in within 10 minutes of calling! My cats food is also available for sale there which is great. They were understanding and listened to my concerns and my cat was better within 2 days! Definitely my primary vet now :) Thank you VCA!

would also put 0 stars if I could. had the same problem like the other one star and it has to do with teeth!!! they will only offer some outrageous price for teeth cleaning or just plain up surgery!!! just money grabbing and it sucks because there are not a lot of vet options in monterey to begin with. DON’T GO TO THEM. I even called to give them a second chance and all I hear is money money money.

Friendly caring and highly knowledgeable

I've been to almost every vet on the Monterey peninsula and so far this one ranks number two as far as staff competence, available appointments, and friendliness. Dr. Fenstermaker gave my dog a reduced rate for a procedure and her vaccinations because she was a stray that needed veterinary care and I was unable to cover the full cost. It's hard to find a vet that thinks with their heart primarily before their wallet but both dr. Fenstermaker and dr. Sharp do exactly that.

Great clinic. Very friendly and accommodating. Dr Fenstermaker is very nice. The facility is small but easy to get to. Sunday hours make it easy to get in for appointments. They offer a good small selection of treats and food. And, they've got WiFi if you need it.

A bit pricey but it will do for this area.

This review is written on behalf of Michael Shefter: My cat Jay was very sick and her back legs stopped working. The VCA Hospital used the best, most up-to-date methods to treat her and she made a full recovery. After that I continued to have follow-up with Jay at the VCA clinic and the staff was very helpful. When sometime later she had a tumor on her eye, they operated on her and she also made a full recovery. I especially would like to say that veterinarians Dr. Amanda Sharp, Dr. Karen Fenstermaker, Dr. Tim Mayerhofer and Dr. Taina Power were fantastic specialists and very helpful and nice to both me and my cat. The staff at the registration were also wonderful and caring. I highly recommend this clinic to anyone with pets.

Awesome veterinary hospital. They always make time for emergencies. Very thorough. I've never had to wait very long to see a vet.

Have taken care of my pup for the past 3 years. Good vets and staff!

Great service , the staff knows what they're doing and they take great care of my dogs

VCA is so awesome and caring. They take such great care of my pig dog (English bulldog) that you can't even tell he's 8. Everytime we go in for a check up or an allergy problem, he leaves 5lbs heavier, from all the love, and treats he gets. The staff here are great. I am a firefighter/paramedic and am very critical by nature of other medical providers, and these guys are top notch. I highly recommend this spot!

I've been a client here for many years. Dr. Sharpe is a wonderful vet, calm and kind and smart. Great staff too, the front desk is always helpful when I call.

Honestly, I would give 0 stars if I had the option. $75 and the vet looked at my dog less than 5 minutes. She was not thorough AT ALL and I still had alot of questions about preventative care for my senior dog. Upwards of $1300 to get my dog's teeth cleaned. The staff was very unfriendly and did not seem like they wanted to be bothered with doing their job. Long wait as well. If you are coming in as a new client MAKE SURE TO ASK HOW MUCH AN INITIAL VISIT COSTS! Don't make the same mistake as I did and assume that these people care about you or your pet's health!

Great staff and treated my dog like a king.

great staff, excellent vets - they really care about your animal

This says all about this place. A vet who can't tell a difference between an anxious dog and an aggressive dog. A vet who doesn't feel comfortable seeing a big dog. A vet who is all about herself not the patient.

The office is filled with knowledge and friendly staff and veterinarians. We were always about to get in quickly when scheduling appointments. The office and exam rooms are very clean. Their prices are very competitive for the area.

They're so kind and helpful; as first time dog parents, we probably ask a lot of dumb questions but they're always patient, supportive, and good with our puppies. Love all the doctors and nurses we have encountered here.

Ocean View is just FANTASTIC! The staff is extremely kind and kind hearted. Always get the best possible service from them. They are totally dedicated to the health and well being of your pet, yet totally understand the financial realities that affect your decisions. Dr. Sharp, Dr. Powers and Dr. Staff are the doctors we have dealt with the most, and all three are just totally beyond description in their awesomeness. Dr. Powers directly saved K9 Echo's life when we first got her. She was able to treat a intestinal blockage from an insane worm infection without surgery! Dr. Sharp took excellent care of K9 Bravo when he was extremely wounded. These three just LOVE all the animals they see, and make us feel special when we are their focus. The Doctors and staff all work very hard to ensure you and your pet get what is needed in the most cost effective way possible. I'll never see another vet as long as I live here.

While living in Monterey this was our preferred spot for our animals. The staff was friendly, accommodating and they knew us by name every time we came in with our dogs. They treated our pups so good. We had the honor of getting to know all the vets there. They made themselves readily available. We had to go through the process of getting a pet passport for both dogs to move overseas-- and Angelique assisted us-- she was knowledgable, thorough and made the process painless.She let us know everything 7 months ahead of time, came up with a game plan for us, did research and got us in and out of the health inspection with ZERO problems. I would highly recommend VCA-- I would most definitely come back to them if we get back to the Monterey area again!

The staff here is very knowledgeable and very caring and professional in all that they do.

Wonderful, skilled and loving staff

I initially hesitated to come here because the reviews lead me to believe that this place was a gold digger - suggesting unnecessary or additional procedures to gouge the customer. However, I decided on them for one reason & one reason only - I was able to get the first visit free with a coupon via their website. With that, at least one visit would be acceptable. The visit when phenomenally well! Ocean View solved my pets issue (foxtail in her eye) when earlier "Pet Specialists of Monterey" had sent her on her way saying they hadn't found anything. Shame on them and thanks to VCA Ocean View for solving our problem. So grateful. They also allow you to come back to the exam room with them for which I was very grateful.

DO NOT GO TO DR. FENSTERMAKER! Overall a good vet office but make a point not to see her. We waited over an hour even though we had an appointment and she rushed us through the visit. She seemed oblivious to the fact that my dog was going blind despite it being extremely obvious. She didn't even look at her eyes or refer us to an optometrist. We went in due to my dog shaking and her diagnosis was that it was due to her teeth despite the fact our dog indicated no signs of pain. We were aware the teeth were a problem but visited specifically due to her shaking. She recommended a tooth cleaning/extraction which we proceeded with despite it being expensive and us being very nervous about anesthesia because our dog is 14. We trusted her, big mistake. After the procedure our dog continued to shake and her vision quickly worsened to the point she went completely blind. When I called the office in tears SHE HUNG UP ON ME!! The rest of the office is very kind and seems genuinely concerned with the well being of your dog. I wish I could give them a better rating but I am utterly surprised by Dr. F's lack of professionalism. Update - We went to an optometrist and there is nothing they can do to help. The cause of her blindness is likely neurological (dementia, stroke, brain tumor, etc.) and it's very possible the anesthesia made it worse. Our dog no longer folllws me everywhere, she doesn't get excited to see us, she constantly walks into walls, walks in circles and gets stuck in small places. It is absolutely heartbreaking. Again, I cannot emphasize enough DO NOT GO TO DR. FENSTERMAKER!! She made a horrible recommendation after a rush visit and couldn't care less when I called. She is a heartless, soulless, terrible person and should not work on animals aka our little babies. Update- We went to an optometrist and there is nothing they can do to restore our dogs vision. The cause is likely something neurological (dementia, stroke, brain tumor, etc.) and it is likely the anesthesia made it worse. I cannot emphasize this enough, DO NOT GO TO DR. FENSTERMAKER. She made a rush decision that was horrifically wrong and couldn't care less when I called. She is a heartless, soulless, terrible person and should not work with animals aka our little babies.

They have a very loving staff