Pet Specialists of Monterey

Awesome. I was referred to PSM by my former pet surgeon in Marin, who worked alongside Dr. Montelais. How better a reference? Dr. M and his team evaluated my beloved Jasper (whose past local vet said surgery was not age indicated) and J was a candidate for surgery. All is amazing! Yes the surgery was tough, and recovery long, but my dog companion now walks without a limp, and the bone fragment that was floating in his leg (s) is gone. Jasper is an energetic 10 year old Aussie with love for life and Dr. Marsolais and Dr. Montes and team gave him back his mobility. Cleared to go do anything today! Yay! We’d also been in previously for a stomach issue and they treated Jasper fast and with great results. All I can say is go, get there as soon as possible, to ensure the best possible results. Jasper is a happy dog! I am a happy companion.

Warning: Do NOT take your birds here for emergency treatment.
On December 20, I took a bird into Pet Specialists of Monterey, after a surgery incision (done by Avian & Exotics of Monterey) burst open, spilling the bird’s intestines out of her body.
Dr. Frankovich was the veterinarian on duty that night. I requested that she suture the hernia shut to keep the organs inside the body (so they did not dry out and die) while I drove to the avian veterinarian 4 hours north.
She refused to suture the wound together, instead insisting on putting the bird under full anesthesia to perform an oviduct repair surgery that she — as a dog/​cat veterinarian — has no experience with (or any business) doing.
When I asked why I would possibly pay someone with no experience in avian surgery over $ 3,000 to sew up my bird incorrectly, when I could pay the premier avian vet in the country to do the same surgery properly for less, I was told, «We charge more because we are ER vets.»
When I asked why she could not simply suture the skin to stop the organs from falling out of the body while I drove to the bird vet, Dr. Frankovich stated the cost of putting in 4 sutures would STILL be over $ 3,000, since skin sutures in chickens still require full anesthesia — because, according to her, chickens are so nervous that they could die of a heart attack if they looked down and even saw the needle.
I told her that if she did not put the sutures in, I would be forced to return home, tape up the gaping hole with duct tape, and look for a way to suture her myself on my way up to the avian vet.
She then refused to release my own bird to me unless I signed a (false) statement that I had refused veterinary care. When I asked what would happen if I did not sign the false statement, she said they would keep the bird and charge me boarding fees until they sent her to the local SPCA, at which point they would send me to a collection agency.
I asked, «So what you really mean is that you’re going to send her dead body to the SPCA tomorrow, since she is going to die in the next few hours since you refuse to treat her?»
The point is that this doctor cared nothing for the logistics of getting the bird the proper medical care; she was hell-​bent on charging $ 3,000 for sutures– something that I could (AND did) put in myself FOR FREE once I returned home.
After signing the false statement, I was handed the bird WITH HER INTESTINES STILL HANGING OUT. I drove home like this — bird completely eviscerated, lying on a non-​sterile towel.
Many hours later, at the real avian clinic, it was confirmed that had this bird gone into surgery with the inexperienced ER vet here, she would have died. (The bird is alive and doing well today, by the way.)
I cannot speak for the other specialty services provided by this clinic, but if you want your bird to survive an emergency situation, this would not be the place to take her.
I would also question the judgement of the Avian & Exotics of Monterey, since before they took off for the holidays, they recommended Pet Specialists of Monterey for after-​hours bird care.

We had a pet emergency on Christmas Day. They saw our dog right away! The front desk and staff were incredibly kind and friendly. They followed up with us over the next few days to provide more information which was extremely helpful.
It was a stressful situation for a holiday but we were well taken care of and so was our dog. I highly recommend them!

I cannot recommend this knowledgeable, compassionate and ethical clinic highly enough! From Samantha the receptionist, to the doctors, the entire staff is gentle and kind. We brought in our seventeen year old cat whose symptoms and blood work showed all the signs of lipidosis.
At first I did not care for Dr. Fradkin but eventually, I realized he was in «triage mode» and paying more attention to the patient than the nervous, blathering «mother».
We are in debt due to my being hospitalized over four months with over one month in a coma in intensive care.
I explained that I did not want my cat to go through invasive procedures, only necessary diagnostics.
We spent five hours at the clinic and Crystal was kind enough to bring my cat out to me between each procedure and give me a sequence of events. The diagnostics proved to be quite telling and not mere bill padding.
In the end, Dr. Fradkin patiently explained the diagnosis to us and gave us several print outs. Crystal then gave us a printout of medication, took the time to explain each medication to us and how to administer it, and told us where we could find them if we couldn’t go to Pet Specialist.
This clinic can also treat «exotics» such as snakes, birds and rabbits. In the future if a complex case present itself, I will come here first, as their depth of knowledge makes the higher bill well worth the additional time and expense when it comes to saving a family member!

So happy with this place :-) if you have a reptile, you definitely want to see a specialist. We found out our bearded dragon had a long-​standing mouth infection, after our previous vet told us the teeth turn darker when they get older. Our poor beardie’s mouth was so infected he could barely eat because his gums were so swollen. He had lost a bunch of weight and our first vet suggested he had stomach cancer and offered to do exploratory surgery to find out! Luckily, we were referred to the reptile specialists and they informed us the beardie was so skinny you could feel his intestines and it wasn’t stomach cancer! We are so glad we decided to bring him in for an exam with Dr. Wells. After 2 months of treatment he has gained his weight back, his mouth looks normal, and we aren’t paranoid about his health anymore. Highly recommend! Their facility is extremely clean and their prices were better than our normal vet for all 3 visits!

My dog couldn’t walk so I called my regular vet and they couldn’t see him for 3 DAYS! Seriously, a 14 patient and they couldn’t find the time? Rushed to Pet Specialist and they quickly took him in for a check up! They were professional, caring and calmly! Suggested appropriate tests for his age. Results were better than expected but the PROFESSIONAL treatment for both my dog and me, made them outstanding! God bless their help and caring!

Dr. Ghormley, our fifth vet, knew about the rare disease our two year old dog had, and cured him. We love him dearly, and would have lost him without her expert knowledge. Bill Burleigh

We took our 13-​year old Daschund-​Chihuahua mix in this morning with a leg injury. We couldn’t be more complimentary. There were quick, thorough, and caring. We were in and out of there in about an hour, which included X-​Rays. I hope we don’t need to go back but I wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

Our beloved golden retriever died in December. The care that we received was extraordinary from both the staff and the doctors. They were able to arrange a blood donor for Cayman so that we could make it home in order to say good-​bye. The letter to the donor family follows.
September 1, 2015
Dearest Family,
It is with a thankful and still heavy heart that I am writing to you. I know I should have written this months ago, but it was just too difficult.
I am Grand Cayman’s mom. Cayman died in December from cancer. Our regular veterinarian had told us that he had bladder stones, and they were causing all of his problems. Our eldest son was receiving his Master in Accounting from the University of Miami, and we had a trip planned to see the ceremony and celebrate with him. We were assured that Cayman would not die while we were gone, so we went.
Our house sitter, who is like a daughter to us, called us several times to say that Cayman didn’t seem to be doing well. Our youngest son was in bound the night before we were, so we told him to take Cayman to the vet the morning after he arrived. When he got to the house, he entered through the backyard and called us so upset because Cayman did not even get up to greet him. The next morning Cayman was taken to our veterinarian, and then referred to the Emergency Veterinary Clinic where they diagnosed him with severe cancer and internal bleeding. We were taking off from Miami when we received that news. When we landed in Phoenix we finally had a chance to talk with our son, and the veterinarian. The doctor told us that Cayman would die within the hour if he were not transfused. I could simply not bear that thought. Without your unbelievable kindness we would not have had the chance to hold him while he passed. My husband, youngest son, and myself can never ever thank you enough for what you and your dog did for all of us.
Two years before Cayman died he had a stroke. He was completely paralyzed and had to learn to walk again. If you are interested in his story you can see the video I made by going to these three links on Youtube. I believe that once you watch his journey you will begin to understand why our family will always hold your family in such a special place in our hearts. Thank you very much for being such kind people, and give your dog a special hug from us. We owe so much to all of you.
Very Kindly Yours,
Kayleen Lewis and family

Just came in because my cat died and I wasn’t sure what to do with him. She was very apologetic and accommodating and didn’t make me feel bad that he didn’t have a «current» vet. His old vet was my precious employer, so we’ve all moved on. SPCA charges $ 40 for cat cremation, but I didn’t want to wait until morning to drop him off so I paid the $ 52. Oh, and I meant to go to the clinic in Monterey but ended up here instead because I’m new to the area and had no idea where I was going, but they still took him in.

Well when I first came in I thought this is a cool place. But I took my turtle there. Many denied any charge me a lot of money so I figured I’d give them another try and take my dog over there that I found in the cemetery he was weak he was old he was tired he needed shots and they turned me away go figure. Then my daughter took her pet pigeon over there and the doctor says it’s just a pigeon. So sad

We still have not gotten our chicken back (I know, a pet chicken… we have a lot of animals) but I felt compelled to write this review solely about the guy, Mo, at the front counter. I will try to update once we pick the chicken up (who is seemingly making a good recovery.)
Anyway, Mo was without a doubt one of the nicest, warmest, and most caring people I have encountered. When sitting in the waiting room, the amount of care and kindness shown to the customers was astounding. I saw him deal with angry people, crying people, tired people, and friendly people.
I am a big fan/​student of human nature and was thoroughly impressed out how he seemed to be able to amend his approach and behavior to each person who came in. In all of the different interactions that he had, the thing that remained clear was how much he wanted to help everyone. When a lady was a bit upset and testy about her sick dog, Mo handled her with grace, even bringing out his only dog so that she could meet his little Pippa to cheer her up… Seriously impressive.
Big kudos to Mo and the rest of the staff here. Give Mo a raise!

Very nice, and clean (from what we could see), but when my husband brought our dog in for overnight observation, he had to wait 3 hours. Granted, our dog was not in jeopardy (she had been stabilized by our regular vet), and there were other pets coming in that we’re in worse condition — so triage is understandable. But when we came in the next AM, there were no other customers AND they knew we were on our way in (they called us by phone to let us know we could pick her up) — we ended up waiting another half hour. Not a huge deal, but coming on the heels of the long, long wait the previous afternoon… Three stars.

Our very terrific Vet, Dr. Tao in San Luis Obispo, CA, recommended Dr. Marsolais for our yellow lab Jake’s surgery. Dr. Montes was on the team too and I was so impressed by the care we received. Thanks to all the wonderful staff we encountered, Jake will be fine. Now he is getting Chemotherapy from Dr. Ghormley and he doesn’t mind a bit. He just bounds out of the car to run in and greet everyone. We get phone updates and detailed explanations so I want to shout our appreciation. Best ever!

Just got home an hour or so ago from a little kitty essential oil scare. Everyone was so helpful and kind and I felt relieved the second I arrived with our 5 year old cat. Dr. Sullenberger was super calm and collected and reassured me that Pirelli was fine, while the staff took great care of the little guy. Thanks for staying open 24 hours a day. You guys rock!!!

Dr. Sullenburger is my hero. He saved my tiny precious little min– pin Queen Nefertiti, she had her internal ORGANS hanging out after a vicious deer attack. We thought for
sure she was a goner and distraught doesn’t come close to my horror. It was very expensive, but a very intense surgery, and to have our adored little baby back? PRICELESS. King Tut, her brother, was injured fighting off the deer, and I suffered a torn rotator cuff and other injuries. The staff was so kind, professional and gave me confidence immediately. best Vet clinic ever. I will always be grateful.

What a wonderful experience! When my dog wouldn’t stop itching/​biting himself, even after seeing his regular vet earlier in the day, Pet Specialists was there. When I first called they gave me things to try in order to avoid making the trip in. When that didn’t work, they let me know that there was a price difference before and after midnight (which helped motivate me). When we got there, we were greeted pleasantly and the intake was simple. Dr. Erin Johnston was knowledgeable, empathetic, and patient. The most pleasant surprise was when we were finished: A full page of detailed discharge instructions and — get this — an «emergency» bill that was a third of what my regular vet charged me in the morning. Guess who’s my regular vet now?

The other day I had to rush my dog Tinker to the emergency room at Pet Specialists Of Monterey because she couldn’t breathe. After x-​rays we found out her trachea had collapsed, we were devastated, we thought that was it we would have to put her to sleep. Fortunately with today’s modern advancements in pet medicine there was a specialist on staff that knew how to do a procedure where a Stent is installed to open the dogs airway. I can’t even explain how stressful something like this is, their like kids, their our babies. The procedure was done and I’m happy to say Tinker is home resting and breathing with ease, and expected to live a long life. Thank you so much Dr Marsolais, Dr Montes, and all the staff at Pet Specialists Of Monterey you have given Tinker a second chance at life.

This star only goes out to Dr. Rockwood that thankfully saved my dogs life and Kimberly the only friendly vet tech I encountered at this place.
This vet hospital decided to switch the labels on my dogs proscriptions (antibiotics and pain pills) I ran out of «antibiotics» in 3 days so I was thinking what could have gone wrong, go figure someone switched the label on the meds so this whole time I was over drugging my poor dog with pain meds. Thankfully for Kimberly and Dr. Rockwood, they took my dog over night and gave her fluids at no charge. Then I was sent home with even more meds to make sure she wouldn’t get ulcers. It was such a pain and I knew I should get my money back for this cause none of this was my fault. They could have killed my dog with pain meds!!! I had to fight to get my money back and finally the finance manager talked to me and understood, but it seemed like people were trying to hide her from me.
I came back a week later to get my dogs staples removed and I just got the worst treatment at the office. Everyone was rude and cold, when in the beginning I didn’t do anything. They are lucky I didn’t press charges for almost killing my poor dog. I would never go back nor would I recommend this place!

My Moluccan cockatoo prolapsed this past Saturday, ¹¹⁄₁₆. Since this has happened before, I knew what needed to be done. At no time did the receptionist tell me the on duty vet could not perform this surgical procedure. Matter of fact, the vet said it was necessary to bring the bird in giving me the impression she knew what needed to be done. My husband and I were sent home with a $ 90 bill plus an additional fee for antibiotics yet, the bird still was in an abnormal state. Cicero suffered greatly from pain Sunday and Monday night-​surgery was performed in the Bay Area Tuesday morning. This surgery should have been done on Saturday when the prolapse was first noticed.
Unfortunately, this is the only game in town. While we waited an hour and a half for the $ 90 examination, we heard the same complaint from others in the waiting room… The only game in town with high fees to match.
Perhaps this facility is for dogs and cats only. Obviously, for a large exotic feathered pet, this is not the place. :-(