Brea Veterinary Hospital

Took my kitten here after she woke up with what seemed to be an eye infection. I didn’t want it getting worse, so I called Brea. They squeezed me in that same day, and I was in and out in roughly an hour. Briefly read some negative reviews about upselling, and yes, I was quoted for some recommendations made by the vet. Although, the best part about having a backbone is being able to say no. I left with ointment for my kitty’s eye and a complimentary nail trim. My consultation was also complimentary as I was a first time client, which was a pleasant surprise. The staff were helpful and friendly.

I am truly thankful for Brea Vet. These people really care about your pets like they are theirs and they will take you in short notice in case of emergencies. The doctors are kind and knowledgeable. My personal favorite is Dr. Forbes. She is patient and kind. All of the staff here are kind, patient, and professional and you can make appointments so you can avoid the wait that you would have at other pet clinics. Billie Jean and Charlotte love Dr. Forbes!

These veterinarians are the best. The staff is friendly, accommodating, and competent. Your pet will get the best care possible.

Damn. Sadly I can no longer recommend this vet as readily after our last few interactions. If you decide to go here make sure you are extremely vigilant and look out for every charge and upsell they try to squeeze in. WATCH THE PAPERWORK. While there are still positives, the staff is still great, but apparently the times they weren't trying to borderline-deceptively extract more money out of us were the exception, not the rule. 🫤 Extremely disappointing considering that was the biggest reason I liked this place. Unfortunately, it appears that even though they may have a couple rebel employees that try to help people save money when the bosses aren't around, that's not the norm. It looks like there is a general top down push to increase revenue. Just as an example, recently we had appointments to get our dogs updated shots, quoted over the phone at like $85, however, when we took the dogs in we were handed a paper to sign that included bunch of stuff we didn't ask for. What we were told would be under $100 could have been more than 3 times as much if we weren't paying attention. It also reminded me of a similar situation I had forgotten about. Just be careful. Vet offices are often hectic and crazy, and it's easy to just sign the papers and hand over your card without looking over everything. Old review: Just started going here earlier this year after switching from our old vet and we are often still pleasantly surprised at how great the entire staff has been. I can't recall even a single negative interaction between all the calls and visits for our many pets. That's particularly surprising considering that before making the switch I called around to all of the local vets to get prices on some common services And they were consistently either the least expensive or within just a few dollars of the lowest price. But the most refreshing part of the entire experience has been the lack of the shameless profiteering that seems to have overtaken much of the industry. At least so far we haven't noticed any effort to push unnecessary tests or procedures (or they at least prefaced those by making clear they were just recommendations), and couple people have actually offered advice on different ways to save money without being asked. Unfortunately I haven't learned any names yet but I'll be working on it so I can give more specific thanks in the future. I'm still kind of in the habit of calling around for prices for anything major, but so far that's only reinforced the feeling that I made the right choice. (Update: they may be cheaper on the phone, but watch your paperwork when you get in there)

Beware: This hospital uses deceptive practices that can lead to unnecessary costs. I am a client here. Well, I was a client here. I am moving on to another hospital. My puppy had her last wellness check in January of 2024. Her bordetella and influenza shots were due this month (October). I received a text message with a link to make an appointment for her 2 shots. I showed up for the appointment this morning and asked the receptionist how much the shots were going to be? She told me $37 & $16. They asked me to bring my puppy in to the exam room and then a Vet Tech asked questions about diet & exercise. I was asked to wait for the Vet to see us. When the Vet came in she started asking more questions and I interrupted and asked if she was doing a wellness check? She said she was. I told her that I only wanted shots and had not agreed to a wellness check. I asked her if they were planning on charging me for the wellness check? She told me she would be right back and left the room. The Vet Tech came back and told me that my puppy's last wellness check was in January (9 months earlier). I asked the Vet Tech again if I was going to be charged for a wellness check and she said "yes". I asked how much and she told me "around $69". I told her I would bring my puppy back in January (1 year from the previous wellness check). I just need the 2 shots right now. She said that they will not give the shots unless my puppy has had a wellness check in the last 4 months. I feel this is a tactic used to get more money out of me. They did not tell me of the upsell when I made the appointment. They did not tell me of the upsell when I asked the receptionist how much the 2 shots were going to be. They did not tell me about the upsell or policy when they started the wellness check on my puppy. I just need 2 shots and not another wellness check. We walked out without the 2 shots that I made the appointment for. The funny thing is, they offered curbside service for the 2 shots when I made the appointment. Would they have insisted on doing a curbside wellness check as well? I became a client in August of 2023. I was charged $261.74 for the new client exam, heartworm antigen and a 6 pack of Simparica (flea medicine). I went back in January 2024 (5 months later) for Simparica and they charged me for an office visit, fecal panel, DHP shot & 1 month of Simparica. Total $219. They would only give me 1 month of flea medicine because my puppy was 1 pound over the prior dosage and they insisted she loses the 1 pound and they would give her the lower dosage. I was ok with that until I asked if they would charge me another office visit when I bring her back in 30 days. Of course the answer was "yes". They wanted to charge me another $69 to essentially have my dog stand on their scale. Time to move on....