All Creatures Veterinary Clinic

Dr. Otten and his staff took fantastic care of my sweet kitty during her senior years. They always treated her (and me!) with warmth and dignity. As Molly Jean aged and developed health issues, Dr. Otten approached her treatments wisely and conservatively. He used the most advanced and current treatments in the field, but never over-​treated. He always called me promptly with her test results and provided an in-​depth, easy to understand analysis of them. He and his staff were always professional and courteous. I firmly believe that Molly Jean’s senior years were made all the more «golden» because of the care she received at All Creatures!

This place is great. Dr. Chan really knows what she’s doing, cares about your pet, and is thorough. I’ve taken my dog to over 6 different vets in his 7 years and found that most places see your pet as a dollar sign. The facilities are small, but the quality of service is exceptional. Not the cheapest place, but they definitely don’t try to nickel and dime you. It’s totally worth it.

We are really happy at All Creatures! I found Dr. Otten after one of my cats had a series of weird and complicated health issues that other vets seemed to consistently make worse. We finally found relief with Dr. Otten, who was thoughtful not only about our cat’s needs, but also about what I could actually do for my cat.

They took great care of my cat, with patience and kindness. Efficient visit and great doctors! Highly recommend

Went in for my bearded dragon and they gave him medicine and took stool samples and said I would get results by that Friday (4 days later). I didn’t get a call or e-​mail and I had to call myself after another week of waiting and they told me my results and said a DR. would call me back and that was over a week ago.

I just wanted to get my pet’s nails trimmed, but they said they couldn’t do that simple procedure without a full physical exam. All told, I would’ve been out about $ 100. I found another place that waived the exam fee and charged only $ 17 for the trim. A much better deal!

Dr. Otten and his staff have been wonderful in the treatment of my older cat. The technicians are nothing short of kind and caring individuals. Dr. Otten has very good people skills and I felt that all my concerns were being addressed to my satisfaction. I would highly recommend this vet clinic.

I just switched my cat’s care from VCA to All Creatures. At our previous vets office I felt as though I was always being manipulated or sold on unnecessary product/​services.
Dr. Otten and his staff handled the care of my very difficult cat with a now chronic condition with care and respect. Reasonable treatment plans were offered and the decision was left in our hands. Everyone we interacted with there was very kind. I would recommend this vet clinic.

I’ve been very pleased with Dr. Otten and his staff. We first started going to All Creatures after moving to the area and dealing with one of our cats who ended up being terminally ill. Dr. Otten gave us options, an opinion, and it was obvious it was not all about the money. In the past few years he’s helped us with everything from routine checkups, to a very serious UTI, to joint care for an elderly cat. I’d highly recommend this vet to other cat owners!

I echo another reviewer who described Dr. Otten’s practice as «clean and minimalist.» As a horse owner for over 40 years, I have noticed a distinct difference between small and large animal practices. While a vet may have to possess better «people skills» when dealing with household pets, that doesn’t necessarily translate into better, or more compassionate, care for the animal itself. In large animal practices, vets and owners are acutely aware of the cost/​benefit of any treatment modality. We have to be. We are also around death more than those with just companion animals, either our own horses or another’s in a training barn.
Recently, I had to bring in one of my cats for a UTI. In terrible discomfort, she didn’t respond to the initial round of treatment so I had to return her for more diagnostics. She is a difficult animal to handle due to neurological problems associated with being exposed to Parvo Virus en utero. Dr. Otten was marvelous. He understood my limitations with regard to treatment options, etc., due to my cat’s skittish nature. He was supportive of my position on euthanasia if this infection didn’t resolve in another week or two. He did not try and convince me to «do whatever it takes»
With costs already over $ 500, Dr. Otten also discounted items without any prompting from me at all. His understanding, and sensitivity to his clients’ financial considerations is not something I’ve encountered before, and it was much appreciated.
In closing, Dr. Otten is one of those rare individuals with a small animal practice who displays a pragmatism toward realistic treatment options while, at the same time, always putting the animal’s best interests first. I can honestly say he understands animals and is a true advocate for the alleviation of pain and suffering. He is a true «patient advocate.»

On my other Unilocal account I gave this place a good review, but I shouldn’t have.
The first time I took my bearded dragon here, Dr. Otten flipped him on his back for a long time. Bearded dragon’s lungs collapse when they’re flipped over on their backs and they can’t breathe. I had to tell him not to do that. He wasn’t just checking his stomach or anything, that’s how he was holding him.
I rushed my bearded dragon here on a separate occasion because he wasn’t breathing and this is the closest reptile vet. His time was obviously limited, he was very fragile and in pain. Dr. Otten was very rough with my dragon despite the fact he was in terrible shape. It was very unnecessary. I decided to put my bearded dragon to rest, I was a mess just like anyone else would be when putting a friend down. When I was getting ready to leave the receptionist says «I’m sorry about your uhm… uhh… *long pause*» and I had to tell her that it was a bearded dragon she replied with «oh». It might not seem like a big deal, but they were being very rude.
I don’t like the way they handled my pet and I don’t like their attitudes.
I have yet to find a good reptile vet, but please do not take your reptile here. This place may be okay for dogs and cats but exotics are obviously not their specialty.
On a side note, there was one lady of the staff who was nice. I think she might have been an assistant. She was very polite and assured me that they were going to do the procedure quickly and he wouldn’t feel pain anymore.

I love Dr. Benjamin Otten and the entire staff at All Creatures! I have a menagerie at my house — 4 dogs and 2 cats and they have all been so well-​cared for by Dr. Otten and his staff. I have been a dog and cat owner for many many years — have been to quite a few vets in the Berkeley-​Oakland-​El Cerrito area, and I have never had such a good experience as with Dr. Otten. My animals range from elderly to young and I feel that Dr. Otten takes time with each patient and really looks out for what is medically best for the animal and the family. I am thrilled to have a vet who really knows me and the needs of my animals — and the whole office staff is tops!

First impressions are lasting. I was incredibly excited to go here because of the rave reviews so I stopped by the office to make an appointment. However, the receptionist was completely clueless. I asked her standard questions, like if my pet still needed to see the doctor for his shots weeks after his first appointment with the vet (usually an office visit will be valid for up to a year). She couldn’t answer the question and had to get up to go ask someone else who knew the answer. Then the doctor came out from behind and didn’t even bother introducing himself as we made eye contact. I’m almost positive he knew that I was the person asking the questions since no one else was in the office at that time.
The receptionist may not be seeing my puppy but she is reflection of the practice and if she can’t answer standard questions, how can I trust this practice with the best care for my pet?

Heard about this place from word of mouth. My poor little dog had some issues — she kept licking her rear end. The doc said that her anal glands were full and needed to be released. Though there was a bit of a wait, the staff were very kind and reassured me that the doctor would be with me soon. They also followed up with a nice call the next day to be sure she was OK. Doggie seems to be doing fine now.

We found out about a month ago that our 6 month old puppy, Bella, had aortic stenosis and had about 1 – 3 months to live. As you can imagine, it was a rough day. Dr. Otten and his staff were amazing. Dr. Otten himself was very informative and even after explaining everything to me, explained it again when my boyfriend arrived (As I was incapable of explaining). I can understand him coming off a little short, but I think that’s his personality. During this visit he was very caring, understanding and empathetic. The staff has been amazing. I’ve called multiple times since Bella was diagnosed, having small questions and also needing a referral for an emergency.

We brought our rabbit Ramona in to find out why she wasn’t eating. It was on a Saturday and they were the only vet we called that would take her in on short notice without an appointment. During our visit, Dr. Otten handled Ramona with true expert care, gently but firmly finding out our diagnosis. The vet tech Alexis who helped us was similarly pleasant and professional. We felt from the moment we walked in the door that we were being well taken care of.
To put a cherry on top of it all, their pricing is, for lack of a better word I can think of, gracious.
This was the first vet we’ve taken her to and we’re glad we nailed it on the first try!

Thank you All Creatures for such great care you all provide to your clients. Working in the veterinary field is not an easy job by any means, high fives to you and your staff for being such rock stars at your jobs!

I read every review on Unilocal today after trying to make sense of what happened to me and my dog yesterday at All Creatures. What I’ve decided is that they’re all true, that it’s possible to see Dr Otten and his staff and feel you’ve made a good choice in bringing your pet there.
The horrible thing is that Dr Otten is ALSO an explosive, ranting, angry, inconsistent individual who YELLS at people who bring their animals to him when this animal is hurt or sick and everyone is vulnerable.
He YELLED at me yesterday for bringing my dog in without an appointment though my husband and I have been bringing our dog in for weekly injections for 12 weeks — we’ve come in week after week in what has always been a drop in basis. He seemed irrational, entered the waiting room yelling at me for simply being there because — he said — he had no tech and he was running late, none of which of course was my responsibility.
My husband too has had Dr Otten raise his voice to him, which is simply unacceptable behavior, as it’s completely disrespectful and entirely uncalled for.
I worry too that we’ve been sold SO many drugs by All Creatures — we intend, in fact, to add up all the money we’ve spend there month after month after month and it is EASILY thousands of dollars. We’re finding a new vet and are relieved we never have to see this unpredictable man again.
No one wants to spend all this money on our pets but will do what we need to try to keep them well and safe and comfortable when they’re in distress.
Dr Otten simply is not — I sincerely believe — a trustworthy individual.

So happy to have found Dr. Otten! I have birds (or they have me, I’m never really sure) and since Dr. Galvin’s practice closed I have just been praying that nothing ever happens to my guys. Well, now I am really relieved to know that if something does, I have a knowledgeable, caring, reasonably priced vet to take them to who will give me different treatment options if possible. Everything about my experience here was exactly how I would like it. He treated my bird, Sidney, very gently. He also took the time to talk to me, addressing my concerns about the food I had been giving them since I wasn’t able to get the food I prefer. And, he gave me his email address so I can keep him posted about Sidney. Dr. Otten obviously cares greatly about his work and became a veterinarian for all the right reasons.
The office is also clean and well lit and the staff was pleasant. Street parking is no problem, either.

I have been waiting a long time to write this review. In January, I lost my feline companion of 17 years to (probable) leukemia. When Dr. Otten gave me the news that it was either time to move him to a hospital and apply emergency life extending treatment, or to euthanize him in the clinic, he was very sympathetic to the gravity of the moment with tissues at the ready. The process was very quick, and I was able to hold him when he went. It was a very hard experience and Dr. Otten and his staff were kind, and gracious. About a week later, I received a hand written card from Dr. Otten expressing his condolences. It was a very personal touch that I will always remember. Then later I received a letter from UC Davis Veterinary school notifying me of a donation made to them on behalf of my cat Bear!
I am very thankful for All Creatures. They do good work.