Santa Monica Pet Medical Center Santa Monica, California

I usually see Dr Bijlani but she was not available so I saw Dr Hillebrand. My dog had been coughing for a few days but was doing fine in every other way. Dr Hillebrand barely examined my dog and then told me that my dog could have a serious disease that could be fatal or make him quite sick. She said I should do a bunch of tests to find out. The tech came in with almost a $1000 estimate. I asked if I had to the tests and the tech kept saying that's what the doctor recommended. I asked to speak with Dr Hillebrand but I would have to wait 30 min until she was out of her next appointment. I was worried about my dog even though he was wagging his tail at me and did the tests. Several hundred dollars later, I find out my dog just had a cold and the $20 antibiotics was all he needed. I am all for doing tests to find out what's going on with my dog but it seems these tests were unnecessary and that Dr Hillebrand was only in it for the money. She doesn't seem to care about the patients or clients. After reading some of the recent reviews, I am not the only one that feels that way. Oh and now I have to spend $140 to vaccinate my dog against the bad disease that he doesn't have now. I haven't been very impressed with the pet medical recently and I am aware with the pandemic they have had a hard time with everything but you still need to respect your clients and not take advantage of them (their prices have increased a ridiculous amount in the several years I have been coming here). The sad part is I just found out Dr Bijlani is no longer working there when I tried to schedule an appointment with her. She was the main reason I stayed at Pet Medical Center because she was kind and actually seemed to care about me and my dog. So I guess I'll be looking for a new hospital...hopefully Dr Bijlani is not too far away!

The Santa Monica Pet Medical Center is unlike any other. They have a fantastic team, including many vets, and a spotless facility.

We have taken our animals here for many years and the doctors and staff are always so friendly and caring. We have never felt like we were being "upsold" into treatment/lab work/etc as we have at other vets in the past. The doctors speak to you in terms you can understand. Being given all the information puts you in control, as a pet owner, you want to feel that you are making the best and most sound decisions for your pets.

I live 1 block away and have taken my dog here for approximately 7 years. She is now 13 and has been having a lot of medical needs. I have spent over $7,000 in the last 6 months on vet bills for cardiology, dermatology and regular vet needs. Check out Yelp reviews, because there are so many people like me that used to like this place and now have no respect for their practices. Dr. Hillebrand is worth avoiding. She is a young vet that seems to bill a lot more than necessary and has a very paternalistic, condescending style. I had to find a new practice that was not so toxic.

Have tried to make appointment however when I arrived there was a really aggressive dog and nobody was able to control him my little dog was scared so I left . Should be a way to control such a aggressive dog

i have been coming here since around 1992 or 1993 and most of that I have seen Dr. George. He is amazing in so many ways. Always takes such good care and gives a-lot of himself. He is extremely great at what he does and is such a nice person as well. So during Covid, my baby became extremely ill and sometimes I couldn't see Dr G. Not a problem! It actually gave me a chance to meet the other bets there who were amazing as well. It is good to have different eyeballs on your baby. I trust them with her life and she is my life!

Inconsistent service. Good vets but office staff makes frequent mistakes and the environment is chaotic. There seems to be a software or training problem with their appointment system. I've gone there for scheduled appointments and had the receptionist insist I was unexpected, then some other employee would "find" the appointment. Their CRM system sends me text messages that are apparently intended for some other customer. Today they asked me to fill out the same 8 page form *twice*. Overall, this office is good for check-ups, vaccinations, and minor first aid. Not recommended for issues requiring consistent, long-term management and reliable record keeping. Vets come and go frequently, and some seem to be part-time. We've liked every individual vet, but nobody has stayed long enough to get to know our pets.

What is the point of building a relationship with your vet for over 10 years when they abandon you in your hour of need. I have referred dozens of people over the years and felt that if I ever had an emergency they would take care of my dog. I was mistaken. My dog was hardly breathing, gasping for air. I called the emergency number before opening and they would not see her. So I called Santa Monica Pet Medical at 8:30am when they open and requested an urgent visit. I was in tears. They said they could see her in a week to 10 days. No suggestions, no kindness. I googled natural remedies and ended up giving her honey which helped long enough to get her to VCA emergency. I took her to VCA Sepulveda where they admitted her on sight. They were kind, efficient, respectful and genuinely caring. She was in critical condition and diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She is lucky to be alive. Thank you VCA! I know vets are overloaded but I thought the point was saving lives, taking care of the patients that have been supporting your business for years and being kind. I will never go back to Santa Monica Pet Medical and I have sent an email to my entire list telling them this story. I also called my 10 friends who I referred and they are now looking for a new vet. I beg you, DO NOT GO HERE.

We have been going to this Vet for 40 years. Over the last year the service has gone downhill significantly. My dog was misdiagnosed with heart failure and it turned out the dog has cancer. I was given ZERO follow up with the Vet, no guidance for treatment, and the oncology referrals they recommended- NOBODY was taking new patients. As long term clients we were disheartened the lack of caring and follow through. We have another dog who stopped eating and drinking 4 days ago, we called to get an urgent appt with the Vet and there were no appts for a WEEK. We took the dog to another Vet office urgently and found out the dog had a collapsed lung. This Vet office has gotten too big and corporate to care for their local community. They lack follow through, shake you down with a LARGE bill every visit- they literally hold your dog in the back before you give your credit card approval. Very disappointed, we will NOT be going back to this Vet office after being loyal customers over 40 years, two families, and 6 dogs.

They provide excellent care to my two labs for 4 years .

This vet has changed my whole outlook on vets in LA. after having a shocking experience for many months at two other vets, this one was recommended to me and has not disappointed. From the reception (either on the phone or at the surgery), to email responsiveness, and then finally to the care, service, professionalism and friendliness of the team Santa Monica Pet Medical has been outstanding. Dr Bijlani looks after my dog and she is so thorough and so human! This is the only vet I've seen who have been able to effectively navigate through the Covid protocols without using it as an excuse or compromising their standards. Going to the vet for the first time has become a pleasant experience!! Thanks to the team!

Vet did a great job really taking time to thoroughly explain everything to me and provide real insight/guidance to help me feel good about my decisions regarding my pets healthcare.

Literally - if you disagree with them, they fire you as a client. Be warned if you question their treatments or diagnosis - they send you a notice in the mail terminating your relationship. They were wrong about my pet and it was a very costly and emotional experience.

The staff here is always responsive, kind, and efficient. I’ve never missed a bit of information or important reminder about my pet’s care. My puppy has an anxiety issue and santa monica pet medical center has not failed to assist me in managing it while continuously advising me on new and better ways to try to help. Dr. Bijlani has been my dog’s primary vet for the better part of 5 years, and I have no doubt his entire life is better for it. Thank you SM pet medical center doctors and staff for all you do while being the busiest you all have ever been, exhausted, or short staffed while continuing to be a phenomenal practice.

completely overpriced, unfriendly, terrible service! Stay away, and compare pricing with other pet services in the area. SMPMC = Never again!

I’m a new patient and I liked the facility, they were very considerate and put myself and my dog in a room as he had a cough and didn’t want to potentially spread anything if it had been contagious. Dr Greenbaum was very thorough and gentle with my pup. Nice to see a neighbourhood place that has been around a while and continues to get great feedback.????????

I’d take my kids there if I could

Dr. Annie Hernandez has been my veterinarian for nearly 19 years. She is sensitive, thorough, and brilliant.

The staff is friendly, the waiting area and rooms are clean. Dr. Hernandez has taken great care of my furry kids for over 10 years. Very professional and never felt like I was being up-sold. I highly recommend Pet Medical Center.

Dr. George was extremely helpful, & Emily was so nice with explaining how to help my dog with her ear infection. As long as I live in California I will be taking my baby here! They are the best simply! & very professional when taking care of your best friend

Only one of the vets was kind, but overwhelmed. I came here 3 times over the course of a week seeking help for my Cat and was treated like trash. I spent over $700 and got better advice from the local pet store owner for free.

This is a review following my visit today to Santa Monica Pet Medical Centre. We’ve been with SMPMC for over 10 years for our 3 labs and have spent over $30,000 in this time. We enjoyed our vet - Dr Hernandez, and most of the staff there are excellent. However, a few months ago, we noticed the level of professionalism had slipped and was replaced by looking for more profit instead. When our Golden had to go in to have a growth removed from his head, we asked that another one be looked at while he was under (a $1550 surgery). They said yes but didn’t do it so now we have to spend another $1550. We never buy our flea prevention from SMPMC as they are 30-40% more expensive than Chewy or Petcare Rx but that wasn’t a problem previously as SMPMC would send our prescription directly to the provider and we’d be sent the meds. They made a change a few months back where they now force you to drive to the office and give you a non-refill prescription, meaning you have to go back every time you need the flea meds, collect the prescription and mail it to the provider. We know why they do this of course it’s so they can give you enough bother and hassle to just buy from them instead. When I was there today, the owner, Mark, bought the prescription out to the car. When I asked him to change it to a refill prescription he get very defensive, started breathing fast and sweating, and made various excuses why he couldn’t do it. When I reminded him these are flea meds and not anything more sinister, he got loud, started shouting and swearing and walked off. I asked him to come back so I could explain that I didn’t like this shady practice they were implementing. By this time he was shaking and I could see green sweat marks in the armpits of his white shirt (gross!). He swore some more and told me I was fired as a customer. This behavior by Mark shows you exactly why you should stay away and find a different vet. If he can be this rude and disrespectful to the pet parent then who knows what would happen if he was alone with my pets in the office, because of course with COVID you can’t actually go into the vet’s anymore. We got lucky, hopefully you will too.

About three weeks ago we started going through hell with our cat who suddenly started to show severe symptoms of pain. He saw three different vets before Santa Monica Pet Medical Center got recommended by a friend. None of these vets was able to make a diagnosis. Worse, they had us run every possible exam BUT the one they should have. They would not listen to what was going on with our cat. We felt helpless and frustrated. Dr Susan Greenbaum gave him an exam, listened to us and instantly figured out what was going on, which sounded like a pretty straightforward issue to a skilled vet who actually cares about animals. Dr Greenbaum gave us a sense of relief and hope, and we will never thank her enough for that. She recommended a neurologist to run MRIs and then took the time to go through the results and to give us her opinion on the next step when there was nothing in it for her. My babies won’t ever go to another vet.

Excellent care and very experienced and knowledgeable veterinarians and staff. So glad I tried them.

I love this place. Wonderful staff and amazing doctors. I wouldn't go anywhere else or trust anyone else to care for my beloved furry angel. These people always give loving, reliable service, and Dr. George is the kindest vet I've found - he's like an animal whisperer or St. Francis -- my dog trusts him completely (and I can't say that about a lot of humans).

Yesterday was my first visit to SMPMC with my dog and it couldn't have been a more pleasurable experience; from the warm welcome when we walked in, to the examination by Dr. Greenbaum and her assistant, as well as check out. It's so comforting to know you are taking a special member of your family to a place with such great, caring, knowledgeable people. I wish I had found them 16 years ago when I had gotten my first Shih Tzu...but I'm thrilled I discovered them now.

Friendly staff and great service! Dr. Isaacs always takes the extra time to explain everything during an exam. Highly recommend!

As a professional trainer I have been to dozens of vets over the years in multiple states. My single worst experience was here. Four girls behind the desk, all rude and dismissive. I was standing in their lobby carriying an injured animal (covered in blood, myself and the animal) they didn’t even look up, I stood there calmly ... eventually left and went to the VCA location down the street. No one noticed that I left. I also have more than one client who has used them and had very negative experiences. Over charging (over $150 to re-wrap a simple wound that they had already charged over $800 that week to stitch) just generally rude unhelpful staff.

SMPMC is amazing! I am a first time pet owner and needed a lot of help and questions answered. The entire staff was so friendly and kind and you can tell they really love animals. They understand how emotional pet owners are and are very sympathetic to that. Dr Miller and Mary Rose in particular were phenomenal. They were so patient and so kind. I very much appreciate the team there!!! And so did my kitten- he even fell asleep because he felt so comfortable!

Amazing staff, awesome to work with!!! Your favorite pet will love them too!