Lemon Grove Veterinary Hospital

I decided to go here instead of the vet by my house that cost 2 or 3 times the price. Got a cat fixed or neutered 10 – 20 years ago and it is priced very reasonable. So, one day I brought in my sick cat, Vader. They took good care of her despite her fatal outlook. There might have been a tumor that he said, (then again she had a hystarectomy, it could have been scar tissue) I filled out the form to have her put to sleep at the pound, figuring that it was the best thing to do. Dad told me why not keep her and wait a while. I did, that was over a year ago and she is still alive and gained her weight back. So many thank you’s to Anil Gowda, for saving our star family member and pet. And he even sent a sympathy card… little did he know, she’s alive and healthy. Still, it shows he’s a sweet and caring guy.

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Despite the location and semi rugged exterior, Dr. Gowda and his team are top notch.
— Dr. Gowda is straight up and breaks everything down so there are no hidden surprises.
— The teams service is exceptional. Prompt with phone calls, ready with answer questions, follow up calls and they truly show compassion for animals. It’s not just about money, at least I hope its not in entirety.
— The rates are very competitive. Those without pet insurance and have limited means, try them out.
I scheduled my 9 year old Dauchsands Teeth cleaning and extractions procedure. My primary vet wanted over $ 2,000 for the procedure and that was a procedure my insurance does not cover. I found Dr. Gowda through a friend and she has nothing but postive things to say. That sealed the deal for me.
All in all, the procedure cost well over $ 600 for my case (varies depending on breed and condition). I dropped my dog off in the morning and left her there all day while I was at work. They took care of her and performed the procedure under anethsia without any issues. I picked up my drowsy dog after work and she bounced back the next day.
3 weeks later, my same dog was attacked by a pitbul and suffered deep lacerations on her back neck. It was 10 minutes to closing time for Dr. Gowda, but he and his team stayed over 2 hours to tend to my dog. It required another case of anethsia and stitches. =(My dog is a trooper to endure this type of trama. After 2 weeks, she is good as new but a little tramatized.
Both case Dr Gowda and team performed as expected. They provide clear and concise post operation instructions for care and medication administration.
Give them a try!
5 stars!

I was appalled by their tactics. They lure you in with their dental cleaning coupon, but then when you get there they tell you all the «base» needs for cleaning which is double the price advertised, not to mention the final price could be 10X the advertised price. This is horrible. From a moral standpoint, they should not false advertise. If they recommend additional services this should be clearly stated in the coupon or at least when you call to make an appointment. I ended up walking out. I would NEVER TRUST this place, if they behave like this, I’m sure they take advantage of those whos’ pets lives are on the line. SHAME ON THEM!!!

Dr. Gowda is a compassionate, caring vet who truly cares about his clients and their owners. We took our 13 yo chow/​husky mix to his office because he was whimpering in pain, losing bladder control and drinking lots water. His office was able to get us in immediately when I called them. Dr. Gowda is cost conscientious when it comes to testing. He said he would order the minimal necessary tests first to help make a diagnosis. If needed we could order more testing depending on the results of the first set of tests. His office visit and lab testing overall are generally reasonable. He personally called us with the test results that same evening. He is one of the few vets that actually takes time to talk and explain things to his client’s owners. He was also willing to give us a prescription to take to Costco to save us money on the medications as he was not able to get the medicine our dog needed at a reasonable cost. All our three dogs will now be coming to him for any of their health needs.

Dr. Gowda and his staff are wonderful! The doctor took his time to go over all my questions and was able to give me a more then fair price on two of my dogs teeth cleaning, 19 pulled teeth later and Fiona is a happy camper. The staff even called twice to check on Fiona the next day. The male tech handled both my little dogs with such ease and gentleness. The women tech made sure I knew how to dispense the pain meds properly and told me to call if I had any questions. Please realize this is a new practice and they have coupons to attract new clients. Therefore the doctor will be busy and there will be a slight wait. (I was late 20 minutes and waited 10).
Dr. Gowda is an excellent doctor and my dogs loved him. he is efficient and will give you options and what he recommends, there was no up selling. I have read the previous reviews and find a lot of people on here have unrealistic expectations for what they are paying. Please disregard the reviews and give him a try. I especially recommend him for dental, especially if you have a dog who needs major work done. He is willing to work with you and try to get the best care for your beloved animal. If Dr. Gowda didn’t care about animals he wouldn’t have become a vet. Why go through all that schooling and spend all that money to do a job you would hate?

Last Saturday my husband passed two deceased dog on the highway near our home. It bothered him so much that we went back to pick up their bodies as we figured Animal Services wouldn’t be working again until Monday (They actually had Monday off too!). We wanted to let their owners know what had happened to their family members. Lemon Grove Veterinary Hospital was the first to volunteer to scan them at no charge (after MANY calls for assistance). The ladies in the front office are wonderful. It was not an easy thing to do, but they did it and also scanned the little dog we found that was alive. If this is the customer service they show to non-​paying customers, I can not imagine how paying customers are treated. Will definitely take my pets there when needed.

New Vet New Employees. Great Service Great People. I am a breeder of French Bulldogs this Vet takes care of me Honest Caring Reasonable pricing. I don’t pass judgment too easily as I am very picky with the vet offices I go to so take it from me they are a great office.
@FamilyBullies

I’m so impressed! This is the best veterinarian, and he carefully explains everything, looks for the best clinical solution for the best cost. My little dog who doesn’t really like anyone except me is actually letting this guy hold him and trying to cuddle :)
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful veterinarians in the 50 plus years since my first dog followed me home from school, but Dr Gowda is truly special. Today’s my first visit, and the first of many. I absolutely do not believe the terrible claims made in other reviews of this practice. I’m glad I didn’t find them until I logged in to post this review or we might have missed out on this veterinarian that my dog just LOVES

I took my 15 year old dog here on an emergency appointment. She was very sick with diarrhea. The staff & doctor were very nice and helpful. They took my baby right in and check her out. The doctor told me there might be a few reasons because she wasn’t running a fever. He made me up an estimate and went over everything with me. The office visit, a shot of antibiotics, three prescriptions and a sample sent to the labs cost me $ 143,00. Seems reasonable to me for everything he did. He called me back the next day with test results just like he said he would. I did end up getting another prescription but she has to take all of them. I would definitely recommend them for your animals care.

I’m so glad that we found such a great vet! When Dottie first was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure the VA Hospital told me to put her down since she was 13 yes old! I couldn’t bring myself do it then and I’m so glad I didn’t! In December I had another scare when Dottie caught a cold! She was up all night coughing and I thought it was her heart. Dr Gowda could see how distraught I was and calmed me down and took great care of Dottie! Dottie has been under Dr. Gowda’s care for over a year now and is doing so well! Thank you all at Lemon Grove Vet Hospital!!!

The staff is very Nice, the Doc is very Nice, polite, respectful. But known of this makes you a good doctor. I’m grateful that when I took my pup who had an issue from being neutered somewhere else that day, that he could not handle the situation, and did not want to be responsible if something went wrong, and sent me to a real doctor. An emergency and specialty hospital in La Mesa. Which was wonderful!
He’s Very scared of dogs, not sure why he’s in the business of coming in contact with them everyday.
In sure is a great place for shots, wouldn’t trust them with anything serious.

I should have read Unilocal before I took my pet here. When we pulled up and there wasn’t another customer in the parking lot or the building, we should have left. A good vet is busy, regardless of how new they are to a location. Word spreads fast and after months in business, it’s a glaring reality that if you go here, your going to be hit with the costs of running the business for that day. The front desk staff was nice, but they weren’t even expecting my pet at his appointment time. The new vet appeared to care about my pet, but he made sure to nickle and dime me up the arse. The 50% off discount coupon is expertly added back into the total they wring your wallet for. I would never recommend anyone board their pet here. I had hoped to find a new vet, but when you can’t trust a Vet’s ethics over money, you have nothing to build a relationship on.

This is the most horrible vet in the whole word he mixed up the shots when he was euthanizing my dog and she suffered terribly DO NOT GO HERE.

This is the vet I brought my 90 lb pit bull Moses to to be neutered. Moses is a big guy with lost of energy. The Dr was great. He let me stay with Moses until the meds kicked in and he was ready to be robbed of his family jewels. Poor guy. They gave me updates on his progress. A few months later our 14 year old chow shepherd mix had a facial tumor that ruptured. Dr Gowda saw us right away and had Bubba as good as new within hours. And now our princess Angel who is an 8 year pit bull was showing stroke like symptoms. I was able to stay with her through all the testing which was calming for both of us as I love my baby girl. Angel gave out lots of kisses and got lots of pets. We are on the road to recovery now. I appreciate the way Dr. Gowda interacts with us and our babies on a personal level.

«Pfizer acknowledges a problem with some dog owners, especially a consumer group that mounted a campaign dubbed BARKS, for Be Aware of Rimadyl’s Known Side-​effects – which include loss of appetite, wobbling, vomiting, seizures, and severe liver malfunction. Reports say the drug company has contacted pet owners who told their stories on the Internet, offering to pay medical and diagnostic expenses for dogs that carprofen may have harmed.»
This is what Dr. Gowda prescribed for our dog instead of Tramadol and now he is in such pain (from a sprained back) that he will not take a pill. I’m sorry I took so long to double check his advice. Nor did he tell me about the side effects.

I can see that you are upset with my unfavorable post, so I decided to respond to your reply. I am also copying your latest edited response at the end of this post. (I received 9 emails from Unilocal today. Please keep in mind every time you make an edit, I receive another email.)
I never post reviews on Unilocal,but decided to this time because your comment about «your clients are uneducated» did not sit right with me. Everything I said in my original post is true, I have no reason to lie. My intention was to inform people about my experience. It’s nothing personal, but you have seemed to have taken it to this level. Nothing worse that an arrogant doctor that doesn’t tell the truth. But, I did get chuckle when I saw that you wrote that Ty was happy and excited to see you, because that was so far from the truth, he was cowering between my legs. (Dogs have good insticts.)
I am sure that you are a competent doctor. Although in my case when I came in with two sick dogs, both having the same respitory issue, and knowing that they frequent the dog parks and beach, I would have thought you would have recommended a Bordetella vaccine since I told you that their last vaccine was in January.
We all make mistakes, I have certainly have had my share of mistakes and said some things I shouldn’t have said. But, you can’t build a business when you talk down to people by calling them uneducated. And, if a client asks you what is being prescribed, let them know what it is, it doesn’t need to be a secret. Hopefully we learn from our experiences and move on.
Also, I noticed you called me this morning. I would appreciate if you don’t call me anymore. I don’t know what we need to talk about. And, you need to review Unilocal privacy guidelines about using someone’s full name.
Btw, Ty and Frida are doing great!
Comment from Anil B. of Lemon Grove Veterinary Hospital
Business Owner
8÷28÷2014 Dear Susan A_​_​_​_​_​:
Please write review with your real full name. You were the first time client here, came with a coupon with 50% off for office visit ($ 19.99) for first time clients… and you were predetermined on how to treat your pet, and I honored your request by sending you with the medications you requested. Here is what really happened…
1. On 8÷18÷2014, Ty, your boxer pet was excited seeing me in the exam room and jumped all over me and was very friendly at our first visit.
2. I reviewed Ty’s chart and treatment plan that was offered on 8÷18÷2014. Blood work was NOT PART of the plan as you are claiming here. Your plan included an optional canine upper respiratory PCR panel ($ 135 – the reference laboratory fee) to screen for respiratory pathogens and medications (antibiotics and cough tablets) worth $ 76. Your total would have been LESS THAN $ 230 if you wanted to do everything. You informed you had prior experience with giving Amoxicillin to the pet in a similar situation in the past and you wanted just the Amoxicillin pills. We honored your request and dispensed Amoxicillin tabs. There was no pressure or up-​selling from our end. You bill for that day was LESS THAN $ 50.
3. Four days later (8÷22÷2014), your partner’s/roomate’s pet (Frida; Shepard mix) developed coughing and she made an appointment to be seen. She was offered the same treatment plan. Your partner also chose Amoxicillin medication. I assume you were VERY happy at your first visit (as your bill was LESS THAN $ 50), so you recommended us to your roommate who made an appointment 4-​days later.
4. At the end of the day (⁸⁄₂₂), your partner called in to purchase the cough tablets as the coughing was not getting better, inquired about the price and asked us to prepare the cough tablets to be picked up on the same day. Cough tablets we dispense are specifically formulated for dogs and cats-​and labelled for USE ONLY in dogs and cats, hence the price is different than what you see for human drugs on google. Regarding mentioning the drug names, we recently started transforming our practice to paper-​light hospital and some of the drug names that were missing on the drug labels, are being fixed. When you came to pick up the cough tablets, you seemed unhappy with the price ($ 16 per pet for the cough tablets), was not receptive while i was answering your questions and you mistook all my explanation I gave in the wrong way. I wish this had not happened.
We offer a comprehensive treatment plan for all the pets we see depending on the condition. Depending on their comfort zone, I work with them to take care of their pet’s condition. That is exactly what I did in your case. Thank you.
Dr.Gowda Read less

I brought my Lab mix in for his torn paw pad. LG Vet promptly answered the phone at 8am and took my pup in right away for 9am appt! The vet Dr Gowda was very nice and we immediately knew he would be our new Doc. Very up front with pricing, unlike other vets where the nurse has to come back with a quote.
I even brought in my 2 cats after work (very convenient hours!!) for vaccines and allergy treatment.
Dont judge the building for its appearance… the prices for services are great… Dr is awesome… excellent hours… highly recommended!

A great new Vet in town! We were looking for a vet as we recently moved to the area. We took our 12-​year old Jack Russell who has diabetes and was suffering from flea problem that made him gnaw at the skin and blood oozing from the wounds he created. The staff was concerned and caring; they shaved the areas and cleaned the wound. They gave him a cone to wear, gave some antibiotics, allergy injection and flea killing tablets. We are happy with the service and care they provided.

A friend recommended Lemon Grove Veterinary Hospital to me, after discovering that my cat Pickles had broker her paw, while climbing a tree. I was little reluctant, at first due to the previous owner, but after I found out that the hospital was under new management, I thought I would give it a try. I was very impressed with the new owner, service, quality of care and my cat and I were very happy.

The building has the charm of a World War II army barracks, complete with chipped and peeling paint. My two doxies were sparring one day and the one female was limping, so, we took her in. One xray later and the bill came to FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS! Yep. Then, the vet tried to push an antibiotic on me for the dog. I am a nurse by trade and last time I checked, for a SPRAIN, you don’t give an antibiotic. They are running a racket. I will not be back and have warned others. You lost my future business (2 dogs x yearly shots and physicals) for the duration of their lives would have been more than what you charged me. You lost out, sucker, and I am all the more wiser…