Rancho Village Veterinary Hospital

Just brought Bree in to have a baby tooth pulled that was impacting her adult teeth and again she was in and out and treated royally! Thank you Dr. Boman for caring for Bree so well, recouping at home now.

Dr. Boman is attentive, stern but caring, and an all around great doctor. she took great care of my two babes and i could genuinely feel she cared about my dogs’ well being. If you’re looking for a great veterinarian, Dr. Boman is your doctor.
Doesn’t hurt that she’s pretty hot, too.

The vets have the bed side manner of a typical doctor for humans, staff pretty nice, except for one that ruined my impression of this place. She questioned the vets recommendations of vaccines every three years and tried to make me feel guilty for not getting them yearly. I have since read that if vaccines are needed its better to do titers, because they tend to show 5 – 7 year protection. Not only that, but the vaccines can cause injection site sarcoma — a cancerous tumor. Her and the receptionist was unprofessional to discuss the excitement or lack thereof their work hours. They forget who pays their salary.

I am fairly new to Rancho Village Vet Hospital however I DID MY RESEARCH before I committed both myself and my dog to going there (and driving 40 miles ONE WAY).
I have a 6 yr old Boxer who has a serious heart condition. My vet who I have been going to since he was 4 months old didn’t seem to be comfortable treating my dog anymore and would stop returning my calls, not follow up with results from the hospital (when my dog would be in ER for something), I just didn’t feel comfortable.
I took it upon myself to attend a dog show at Del Mar figuring there would be Boxer owners/​breeder and handlers there that knew of great veterinarians in San Diego. I spoke to two breeders and they BOTH recommended Dr. Helphrey! I immediately started talking to Pam (the office manager, I believe for 25+ years) and she was an absolute angel in my eyes! She knew the breed, she knew their health issues, she just brought tears to my eyes b/​c it was EXACTLY what I was looking for. SOMEONE WHO CARED! I got the office number and made an appointment a couple weeks after just to introduce my dog and to have a few things looked at (a lump and rash on his paws) and I could not believe the office. The minute I walked in the door, I was greeted with a hello, how is your day, the smell was crisp and clean, the floor was spotless, the art work was up to date, the parking was simple (right in front)…I was a happy girl!
As soon as I met Debbie (the vet tech) things got even better. she made my boy (dog) feel as though he was the only dog in the office, she talked to him EXACTLY how he liked to be talked. He loved her! Dr. Helphrey was the kindest, most gentle man to my dog. He listened to my concerns (ALL OF THEM) wrote them down. THEN examined my dog. He gave me recommendations… DID NOT TELL me what I need to do, but RECOMMENED different options! Most vets TELL you what you need to buy! I really appreciated that!
My most recent visit my dog had blood in his stool. I was very concerned b/​c he’s already on 6 other medications for his heart and didn’t want him to have to take any more medications. Before Dr. Helphrey prescribed a new medication to us, he took the time to call the hospital that prescribes the other meds to my dog to make sure it was ok to add this new medication. I appreciated that!
My dog is my service dog and my companion. I don’t trust just anyone with my dog. I do TRUST Rancho Vet! Debbie, Pam and Dr. Helphrey are GREAT! If I drive 40 miles one way you can too!!!

Use to really like this vet and they have helped us with our pets a lot. But they decided to no longer work with rescues. They also use to honor a military discount and decided not to do that anymore either. I will not return

Both Dr’s are awesome! They really listen and take all the time you need in an exam. They always let you know of an Rx will be less expensive at a pharmacy than at their office. They are gentle and thorough when examining your pet. The staff is friendly, and has always given us an appt when we need one. I am confident giving this office a 5 star review.

Great service, and they take good care of your pet. I think communication level could be worked on a little, but over all, a friendly place that takes the care needed. Why not 5 stars? Because NO ONE likes to go to the doctor… ;)

i just adopted my terrier mix, from the humane society recently, and was looking for a good vet near my home to bring her for her first check-​up. i went to one vet and was not impressed at all by their staff or the doctor. the ladies at the front desk seemed pre-​occupied with other things and showed my pet and me very minimal attention. the doctor saw me for about 3 minutes and that was it. i guess because this visit was «free» to me and they are paid a nominal amount by the humane society. fair enough, but again, i was looking for a vet for the long term as well. not impressed at all by their blasé attitude. i then went to see dr. Helphrey at rancho village vet hospital and received totally different treatment from he time i made the appoitment on the phone until i walked out the door. (and even received a follow up call that day from dr. helphrey!). the staff was extremely friendly, polite, professional, and competent… the office is spotlessly clean, modern, and up to date. you can tell dr. helphrey is an excellent vet from the moment he comes into the room. he immediately puts you at ease with warm demeanor, sincerity, knowledge, and compassion. he told me about an issue my new dog may have with her eyes and recommended an excellent opthomologist in the area who can better assist me and my dog. i can’t say enough about this doctor and his staff. thank you dr. helphrey and everyone at rancho village vet hospital… you now have a customer for life!

I’ve been going to RVVH since 1994 and I’ve always been happy with the level of care my pups and I have received. I had an allergic pup who received TLC from the very start in 1996; I immediately was thrilled with Dr. Lake’s low-​impact approach, starting w/​OTC treatments such as colloidal oatmeal soak & Benadryl. We moved to allergy testing and changed food with only the occasional steroid treatment. Only in later years did we have to do more drastic treatment (Atopica).
My high-​strung little terrier/​chi mix was amazingly at ease with vet techs Kristy & Lauren the other day (she seems to prefer women in general) yet she was pretty good with Dr. Helphrey as well. Office manager Pam is great; she has been there for what seems like forever and her daughter Jamie is doing a wonderful job following in Mom’s footsteps. Big shout out to Debbie too. ;)
BTW unless something has changed recently, they ARE open on Saturday, contrary to what the Unilocal overview says. See the RVVH web site at

I just got back from taking my 11 year old dog to this Hospital for treatment, and I’m so happy with the service. Because I had a dog who almost died under anesthesia, it was very important for me to go to a doctor who had a lot of experience in this area. I read their resumes online, and they sounded impressive, so I made my appointment with RVVH. From the moment I arrived (1.5 hours early) the accommodated me and comforted my dog, who isn’t the easiest dog to deal with. The doctor spent HOURS with my dog, and he really made me feel comfortable with his knowledge. He performed surgery to remove cancerous lumps on her hip and eye, clipped her nails, expressed her anal glands, checked her teeth. They didn’t try to up-​sell me on anything, and even told me there were services I was requesting that I didn’t need. In the end, I received a VERY reasonable bill… I’m not rich, but the charge was totally fair… I’ve been charged so much more for so much less!
They helped me get my dog in the car for the trip home, and just now, the office manager, Pam, called to make sure my dog did okay on the trip home and to make sure she was resting. I think this is incredible service.
I feel really bad about the person who had a bad experience with their neuter surgery. I suppose I’d be really mad, too. I don’t feel like it was fair the person who gave them a bad review because they wouldn’t treat her dog for free. They offered her «Care Credit», which is something I, too, have had to apply for in the past. She opted not to accept it, and asked them to do the cheapest treatment possible. They did that. So what is she complaining about? I’ve had vets charge me more than $ 50 just to see my dog.
Anyway, I am recommending this Vet Hospital to my friends without hesitation.

Friendly and knowledgable staff. Clean facility and short wait times. Prices seem fair compared to our other experiences, only gripe is they’ll still charge for exam even if it takes 30sec to diagnose problem. Yet we still go because they’re honest, offer clear advice, always provide several options for treatment, love our dogs, and we love their small town feel and get-​right-​in service.

I feel very sorry for the previous reviewer, as I know how upsetting it is when your furry baby is sick or having health issues. However, my experience with this vet has been completely opposite of the previous reviewer’s. We have been taking our dog here for a few years, after she almost died under the care of another vet who failed to correctly diagnose Parvo. After that horrible experience (she received emergency care from another facility), we decided to find a new vet! We have had nothing but positive experiences with Drs Lake and Helphrey, and our dog has been quite a high-​maintenance patient, as she has epilepsy and severe food allergies which cause reoccurring skin and ear infections. This was the 1^st vet to help us figure out the food allergy issue, and now we have our dog on a prescription diet which greatly reduces her other health issues. Also, we really liked that the vets took the approach of helping our dog through her diet and not through steroids and lots of meds. Everyone there is always so sweet and helpful and they love our dog like she is family! It is very easy and convenient to get an appointment, too and they can usually see patients right away/​same day. We have also boarded our dog here numerous times and have had no problems whatsoever. Again, I feel bad for the previous reviewer and their experience, but based off of my experience, and the good health and loving treatment of our dog, I would definitely recommend this vet to others.

The staff is very professional and extremely competent. Both Drs are caring, compassionate, and without a doubt very competent. I wouldn’t take my dogs anywhere else.

I have to agree with Katherine, Christina and Jim. There HAS to be more to the stories of the first two reviewers. Drs. Helphrey and Lake are kind, compassionate, skilled vets who always go the extra mile. Whether it’s the follow up phone calls to see how your pet is recovering or the Drs. willingness to do more research if they don’t have an immediate answer, they’re just fantastic. We have been clients for 12 years and their technicians and office staff, especially Pam, Jamie, Lauren & Debbie go out of their way to make us feel welcome and well cared for. No matter when I go I always feel like I am their most important client!

This staff here is wonderful! They were so nice to both me and my beagle.
My dog needed some medical attention while I was in Rancho San Diego visiting my family. I took him in without an appointment and they saw us in a matter of minutes. They did a minor operation that night and he was ready in the morning. The next day they called me to check up on him, to make sure he was doing okay. The technicians really went out of their way to make it a good experience for me and my pup! And now he is fully recovered and doing great! I highly recommend this vet hospital!

I have been a client for 20+ years and have nothing but wonderful things to say about the staff and the doctors. They have always taken excellent care of my animals and I trust them completely. After reading the two reviews below, I have to think that there must be more to the stories. It doesn’t sound at all like the doctors I have trusted for over two decades and I don’t believe it. You can not find a more competent, thoughtful, and compassionate staff. I won’t take my animals anywhere else!

I took my dog Angel in just to get a toe nail removed that she snagged in the back yard. They made me fill out paper work and then sent me into the room where the nurse was snappy and apathetic to my dog’s pain. I told her that i didn’t have a lot of funds and she said «Oh its ok you can fill out this paper and just get a credit card». Practically shoving the paper down my throat. I dont need another credit card. They told me that there could be a chance to remove it without anesthesia. Anesthesia she told me is $ 250.00 just for the shot alone. I told them to do what they could. I heard my dog Unilocal and then brought her back in with her toe bleeding and said there was nothing they could do. They didn’t even offer to clean her up. Sent me out the door after charging me almost $ 50.00 for what? They took two seconds looking at my dogs toe and they just made it worse. I don’t recomend this pet hospital. The worse I have ever been to. With their flat screen Ipod Tv’s in every room I wonder how they got the money for that? They obviously care more about the apperance of their office then their clients in need.