Sane vet in Sacramento?

May 10, 2006 8:00 PM

Does anyone know of a reasonable vet in Sacramento, CA?

My mother is trying to find a reasonable vet for a fox terrier in the Sacramento area, preferably somewhere between downtown and Greenhaven. The vets that she's been trying so far have all been pushing expensive and unnecessary treatments. Do any of you guys know of a sane vet in that area who will take good care of my mom's dog without trying to sell her things the dog doesn't need (and then trying to make her feel like a Very Bad Pet Owner when she says no)?


Some examples of problems my mom has had with vets:

The dog is somewhat allergic to grass and occasionally gets a rash on her stomach; the vet pressures my mom to spend $1200 (to start!) on allergy shots even though a bath and ointment takes care of it.

The dog had an ear infection last week and the vet insisted on sending a culture to the lab (which costs a couple hundred dollars) and waiting for the results before giving the dog antibiotics (which is going to require a second paid visit to the vet). My *doctor* doesn't do this, and the dog's vet didn't used to.

When they boarded the dog at the vet for a few days once, my mom got a phone call a few hours into the trip because the vet wanted to do some sort of "wellness and age assessment" on the dog and come up with a list of procedures the dog needed.

posted by clarahamster to pets & animals (4 comments total)

my girlfriend's been going to Midtown Animal Hospital (1917 P, right by Press Club) and she's been very happy with it -- so much so, that even though she relocated to Alameda, we took her dog there the other day rather than someplace in the Bay Area. The receptionist remembered the dog's name (although she hasn't been in for over a year) and they went ahead and trimmed her claws for free. I thought they seemed really nice, and she seems to like them.

Unfortunately, I haven't owned a dog for about 6 years or so, so I don't have any personal anecdotes to give.
posted by fishfucker at 8:12 PM on May 10, 2006

A friend from the area seconds Midtown Animal Hospital and says they're the best.
posted by evariste at 8:53 PM on May 10, 2006

My wife and I have have been taking our pets to Sacramento Veterinary Surgical Services (SVSS) for over 15 years. They are top notch. They can be a bit pricey, but they don't run unnecessary procedures.

Both the county animal shelter and the SPCA use them for all of their surgical and emergency services.

They are open 24/7. If you had any sort of veterinary emergency, that is were you should go.

They also have regular appointments. They are for much more than surgery.

We take all of our new cats their for an exam and testing before we bring them into our household. We have also had to have several put to sleep over the years. They have helped us through feline diabetes as well as diagnosed and treated a cat that showed up at our doorstep for loss of blood supply to his hip bone. Our free, $2000 cat, but worth every penny.

Although all of the vets are excellent, I've had really good experiences with Dr. William Porte.

Their phone number is 916-362-3111. They are off of Highway 50 and the Bradshaw exit. This is a little farther than you wanted, but it is worth it.
posted by tbird at 10:12 PM on May 10, 2006

Thanks! I've forwarded my mom the two suggestions. I'll post back if she lets me know how things went. She's been pretty frustrated with vets lately. :)
posted by clarahamster at 11:18 PM on May 10, 2006