Gentle Care Pet Clinic

If I could give 0 stars I would.
While I was at work, my baby girl got sick so my mom took her to this pet clinic. We found out she had a disease and had to be put down. I got a package so that we could have her cremated and got a paw print made. I went to pick them up and someone «forgot to put a sticker» on the form. It’s way too late to get the print done now and the best they did was give me my refund on the paw print. THAT’S IT.

Love love love them! Easy to make an appointment, virtually no wait time, quick and thorough exams and caring staff. I never feel pressured to do anything that isn’t necessary. What more do you need? Then again, I am not the kind of person who feels the need to have my hand held and have the vet tell me how amazing my dog is or spend a lot of unnecessary time in the office chatting. I’m low maintenance. Bottom line, they are a great office and I would and have recommend them to anyone.

First off, me and my mother have BOTH been coming here for years for both dogs and cats. My mom swears by Dr. Bang but when I came alone with my own dog a couple years ago I had different thoughts.
He was so quick to get us out of the office, and I felt like he couldn’t care less about me or my dog.
3 years pass and it’s now time for me to get my dogs rabies updated… I ended up going to a vet closer to home this time and brought them the invoice from my previous vaccinations at Dr. Bangs office and also past records from the rescue I adopted him from. What do you know, there was NO due date put on the invoice (my last visit was August of 2013) AND come to find out they also vaccinated him 1 year TOO EARLY when compared to the rescues invoice.
The kind receptionist at Lakewood Pet Vet said she was going to call to clear things up and get exact due dates since they failed to put them on the invoice. When she called they had NO RECORD of us ever being there. They had my last 3 pets I brought. But absolutely no records of me or our new dog.
I was put on the line to speak to them myself and the receptionist told me «there’s nothing here I don’t know what else to tell you».
How would I have an invoice, with a bill, records, vaccinations etc. if I was never there???
Absolutely ridiculous. I will NEVER bring my pets or refer friends here again.

Very rude staff! I will be taking my two dogs to another vet. We actually dealt with these rude girls for 5 years. Today was the last straw.

Dr Bang & his staff are very caring. I’ve brought my very bad dog to the clinic and everyone is so very understanding. Dr. Bang’s staff has cleared the waiting room so that I can bring my dog into the office (my dog is hyper aggressive toward other dogs/​cats). Although my dog cannot be «officially» examined due to his aggressive nature, Dr Bang has spent a lot of time coaching me on what to look out for and how to examine my dog myself. Low cost vaccinations and same day appointments on Saturday (I work Monday — Friday) are definitely additional reasons to visit, but really… It’s nice to have found a great place to take my bad baby.

We have been seeing Dr. BANG for years for all our pets. Recently came in with
our dog and Dr Lee (new Dr) Bang was on vacation. He was in accurate in diagnosis.
He wanted to run more costly tests, bill was way more than used to be and actually
charged us for med that were wrong diagnosis. We went to a new Dr. and found
excactly what was wrong with our dog and was treated and healed. I will never go
back. Obviously new office help do no approve of this Dr. either. New front office
also. Not the same. Not better. No longer will I send my friends here either.

I have three rescues, two small dogs and a cat. I have been bringing all three to Dr. Bang for over six years. He is always attentive to them, is very careful in his assessment and has NEVER over treated, which is way more than I can say about other vets in the area. The office staff is professional and helpful, and always friendly with my pets. I buy the special dog food, which really has made a difference for them, and I get my prescriptions from them.
I’m writing this because I’ve read some of the negatives and it’s kind of strange that they complained about his accent. Really? You live in CA — we all have accents. In any case, I’m grateful Dr. Bang is here, and I know my pets are as well. If you are considering trusting your pets’ care to him, visit the office before you need to, and talk to the staff and look at the pictures and thank you notes on the wall in the office. These are caring people.

Dr. Bang has cared for my dogs for close to 12 years now. I have always found him to be compassionate and caring. One of my dogs suffers from acute pancreatitis and Dr. Bang has literally saved his life several times. He’s seen me through the loss of two of my dogs and I could not have asked for a more caring experience under the circumstances.
I appreciate his conservative approach and the fact that I never feel he is performing unnecessary treatments/​testing just to make a buck. The staff is fantastic, it’s fairly easy to get an appointment and I have personally recommended Gentle Care Pet Clinic to well over 50 pet owners.
I see some reviews here that claim he is rude and I am shocked. I have never experienced that with him. He can be short and to the point but I’m there for the expertise for my pet, not idle chit chat. The office staff is more than happy to review what the Dr. said if there is ever a slight difficulty in understanding him.
My dogs are my family and I would not trust their care to anyone other than Gentle Care.

I will never be back! I needed the doctor to fill out some paperwork so that my puppy could fly internationally with me. He began the conversation by saying, and I quote, «I usually charge about $ 90 for this so if you dont agree with that you can get out.» The money was no issue, but the way he said that rubbed me completely wrong! He also did not know anything about international travel and asked me questions that I had no idea the answers. While some doctors may not be well versed in international travel, he could have simply said he was unsure about the paperwork. He was rude and rushed me out. The only positive from this experience was that his staff was very nice and apologized for him, something I get the feeling they do quite often.

Former med– surg animal health technician, and nurse. Have had 3 dogs with Bang, cant beat him for general care and first diagnosis!!! My Bouvier lived 16.8 years :-) at 90# and only arthritis meds her last 6 months. Bang removed a very large tumor at age 13! Go with a pros rating, you wont be disappointed. I also put her down and my Black Russian Terrier of 12 years with them, they are good people and gave me as much time as I needed with each saying good bye in passing, I held both 90# dogs. If you have to experience that, please have them give your pet a pre– anaesthesia, to put their minds to sleep before the heart is stopped, its the most humane way for all involved!!!
If you really love your Dog and want to give it the best care, then purchase Jean Dodds DVM new book on Amazon. she has over 20 patents and is know world wide for K9 health and genetic. She is my go to vet when I run into a more than general need for care. you can find her on Facebook also, along with her worlds first dog bloodbank «Hemopet». she is a holistic vet, only taking special cases. Woods DVM is on site and takes general cases, he has a dozen holistic specialties. Much healing can be done with Diet and titers, look up the new vaccine protocal Dr. Dodds started years ago. check the recommended vaccines, some manufactures have posions in theirs. Just think, a 5cc vaccine is good for 1 to 150 pound dog, theres a reason why overvaccinated dogs have PROBLEMS!!! Dont mask your dogs problems with steroids ever!
Lisa 90 720

Don’t listen to the negative reviews for Gentle Care Pet Clinic on Unilocal.Go with the good ones. The poor reviews, if you read between the lines, sound like demanding, know better than the doctor pet owners who wouldn’t be satisfied if the service was free. Dr. Bang IS sometimes short on chit chat, even HUMAN doctors are for that matter. Why? Because they have many patients to shove into a 10 hour day. It also comes with the popularity of the place. More patients, less time to chit chat. But the prices are fair. Dr. Bang is not a miracle worker as some of the negative Unilocal posters seem to demand, but he is fair, and he loves his patients.

Dr. Bang is the best. Found this place through friends. And I have to say, I love this place. Nice, friendly people. Everyone here are super nice. The doctor is super good and caring. And very affordable. I highly recommend this place. Dr. Bang works magic each time. Words can’t even described my gratitude for everyone here.

I’ve had a lot of difficulty with this vet. Began coming here out of necessity and per a neighbor’s suggestion. Dr. Bang does not speak very clearly or slowly, so on several occasions I did not know what I had agreed to for my pets. I never walked away from a visit feeling confident that my pets were getting treatment for the right illnesses, and to the best of my recollection, Dr. Bang’s attitude is really only one of «Let’s try this, and see if it works» rather than «This is what is wrong, and this will fix it.»
One PRO: The vet assistants/​receptionists are quite sweet and would often cuddle with my pets while I waited for the doctor.
My earliest annoyance was when they decided they would no longer order my cat’s refrigerated medicine, and instead told me to find it online somewhere, pay for it and have it shipped to them, and then come pick it up. Well, turns out refrigerated shipping for one bottle of pills is, what, thirty dollars or something? I’m sure what most ethical vets do is order all their refrigerated medicines in one transaction so that they ship together and the cost isn’t outrageous, but Gentle Care made me go home and buy it myself, bringing the total to $ 90.
Most recently, I took off work and made a weekend visit home to take care of all my animal errands, namely for my cat with kidney disease. My intent was to go in and buy his special prescription food, then stop by the pharmacy and pick up his pills. This could all be done in an hour total. But after several calls and two trips to the pharmacy over a period of two days, I was finally told that they were NOT ALLOWING the pharmacy to fill my cat’s meds until he came in for bloodwork (never gave a reason; I assume to confirm he still has kidney disease– as if he would miraculously recover at age 19)! It took four more days for me to be able to find someone to take him in for his $ 160, COMPLETELY unnecessary visit, just so I could get his meds refilled. That really came across as evil to me– withholding a sick cat’s medicine so they could manipulate us into making them a profit. Gentle Care has created some of my biggest inconveniences and this last issue has definitely steered me away from any future business with them.

Dr. Bang had been my vet for 20 years and has always taken outstanding care of my pets. He is very compassionate and caring. I highly recommend his clinic. The staff here is also great and makes my pets feel comfortable. Kudos to Gentle Care and thanks for caring for all my pets over the years.

I rarely give one star, especially for a fellow medical ‘professional’. This clinic has got to be the worst!
Preface: I work in the medical field but I am not a veterinarian. While I respect other professionals’ opinion, something was just not right about this place.
I was out of town and my mom was dog-​sitting. My dog was unable to hold her pee and had several accidents at my parents’ house — this made me think she had a urinary tract infection and needed antibiotics. My mom took her to this vet because they had availability and were relatively low cost. Again, because of my medical background, I told my mom to fill any prescription medications if there were less than $ 20. Anything else, I told her to give me a call so I could tell her if it was most cost effective to get it filled at Rite Aid. I eventually got a phone call from my mom who said I don’t know what’s going on– you talk to the vet…
She handed the phone to the vet who was almost impossible to understand. He kept giving me obscure answers to what was wrong with my dog. He said that he didn’t know what was wrong with her because I didn’t want to pay for tests. I asked him what tests he wanted to run– he said a urinalysis, an xray and something else (maybe an ultrasound). Because I thought it was a urinary tract infection, I told him to go ahead and do the urinalysis. He proceeded to CHEW ME OUT because my dog’s bladder was empty and that my mom would have to collect the urine himself. I asked him how we would do that because after all, we can’t exactly tell the dog to squat and pee in a cup. He ignored my question and said that since I didn’t want to pay for the tests, he could just prescribe antibiotics. I asked which antibiotics and how much. I can tell you right now that this man charges 3 times as much as other veterinary offices for generic and cheap medications you could fill at your local Rite Aid or CVS. (I see from another Unilocaler that I’m not the only one with this complaint) We finally agreed on a medication that I have my mom fill at Rite Aid that would be pretty affordable. He had the nerve to tell me that if the pharmacy didn’t stock the medication, he is not going to answer the call to switch the medication because it’s a waste of his time.
This guy rubbed me the wrong way for several reasons: 1) he didn’t answer my questions and had horrible bedside manner. 2) customer service and my pet’s well being was not a priority of his 3) he accused me of not wanting to pay for the tests which was not true at all.
Needless to say, my dog did not get better and I am taking her to a different vet which I would gladly pay five times as much to receive actual veterinary care. I will definitely not be returning here. EVER!!!

I had a very frustrating day dealing with the clinic. At the end of the day, they are a business and want to profit.
I simply called in the morning to see if my dog could have one of his previous medications refilled (it is for allergies). The receptionist said yes, and that I could pick it up. However, when I stated that I only wanted the written prescription, since I had found the product online for a more reasonable price, she said that there is a $ 5 charge for written prescriptions.
That surprised me! How can a doctor charge you extra for the written prescription??? Anyways, I brushed it off, and said that was fine, and would go in to pick up the paper.
I went in a few hours later, to pick up the written prescription only to be told that Dr. Bang would not return until 3:00pm… ok, fine, just fax me the written prescription.
Later that day, Dr. Bang calls to say that he would not fill the prescription… and that if I wanted the written prescription, my dog would need a blood test… which he just had about a year ago. He was fine in the morning if I would fill it there with him, but when he realized that I was requesting the written prescription (a $ 5 charge) to have it filled online, he added that my dog needed a blood test (which is $ 100).
I confronted Dr. Bang and expressed my disappointment in his over-​pricing of medications. He charged me $ 1.50 per pill, when it was readily sold online for 61 cents! The identical product!
One word: SHADY!
I double checked all the other products and meds he had me purchase from my previous visits, and all were over-​priced… almost double what you would find online.
This clinic gets you in the door with their $ 29 exam fee, but don’t be fooled. You will be paying high-​prices for products that your pet may or may not need.
At the end of the day, I was disappointed. I realize, yes, this clinic has a heart for the well being of our pets, but additionally they have vested interest in their own financial gains.
I will not be returning to this vet.

GLOWS: Easy to make an appointment and was able to get in the next day at a convenient time for me. Office staff is friendly. Cost of an exam with the vet is very low compared to other vets in the area. A male vet tech tried to help with suggesting alternatives to medication since the doctor wasn’t knowledgeable.
GROWS: Office staff was very unprofessional. Talking loudly throughout the office while I was waiting about their personal lives for all to hear. Discussing things like their parenting practices, their boyfriends, and at one point I heard them call someone a «bitch».
The examine room smelt very strongly of dogs and was very cluttered. There are bottles of various stuff all over the counters and shelves. Doesn’t have the sanitary feeling that most vets have.
The office staff did not have me complete any paperwork on my cat, didn’t ask about any relevant medical history, and it appeared like it was an after thought for them to weigh her and write down her sex before the doctor came in. The doctor also did not examine her. Didn’t take her temp, didn’t ask about her health history, her age, didn’t seem to listen when I told him about recent surgery she had and the complications that followed. He didn’t ask if she was vomiting or had diarrhea, both standard concerns when a cat is constipated because is indicates impaction. He just tried to yank her from her carrier and as she freaked out he just yanked on her more and more. I had to tell him to stop so I could take her out myself.
I was hoping to get some help from Dr. Bang with treating my cats constipation in natural ways. Possibly by changing her food or adding a supplement. I shared with him the names of medications she had tried previously and he was not familiar with either of them and had to go in the back to google them. They were lactulose and miralax, both commonly used in animals for constipation. So, his lack of knowledge of them was a red flag. The remainder of the visit he tried to get me to keep using lactulose, even though I told him several times I wanted to try to manage it naturally first. Then he laughed at me, like I was so foolish and should just give my cat sugary medicine every day instead. He also said to increase fiber in her diet which I’ve already done by adding pumpkin to her food.
I agreed to take a refill of the lactulose, just in case my cat doesn’t have a bowel movement for several days to help her pass it. They charged me $ 30 for it. A generic medication that has cost me only $ 10 at my previous vet.
Overall I was very disappointed. Dr. Bang was not gentle with my cat. He handled her without care for the fact that she was obviously nervous and scared. He didn’t bother to consider potential causes of her constipation or want to explore that. He just wanted to treat her symptoms and get me out. That may work for some people, but not for me. I want to know the cause of the problem and address it.
In the end, you get what you pay for. I tried out this vet because they were more affordable than my other vet. Unfortunately, instead I just wasted money. I’ll be returning to my previous vet to address this issue. It will cost more than Dr. Bang but I know they will work with us in determining the source of the problem, listen to my concerns and develop various ways to treat it.

Loved how well they took care of our cat. I took our adult cat in since it had been a very long time and she had become an outdoor cat for several years. They were super kind and gentle with her and to my surprise, our kitty was obedient and didn’t make a fuss. Their staff really know how to take good care of animals and don’t push for procedures that are not needed.
Highly recommended by both me and my kitty!

I am so thankful to have found Dr. Bang at Gentle Care. They were recommended to me as a low cost clinic, which they are and that is the reason i initially called them. Also, my dog Buddy, unfortunately, is aggressive towards other dogs. I asked the folks at Gentle Care what i should do since i obviously could not bring him into a waiting room full of other dogs. They told me, «no problem, we will come in early and meet you and Buddy twenty minutes before we open.» That blew me away. I have been coming to Dr. Bang now for seven years and they open early for me every time i need to come in. So not only do they take great care of Buddy, with a no nonsense approach, but they are affordable as well.

The staff is helpful and friendly and Dr Bang is straight forward and honest; he truly cares about animals and I appreciate his warm and focused interaction with my pup.
When adopting my 4 mo pitbull mix my objective was to find a vet clinic that was affordable, truthful with their diagnosises and interacted with the patient and owner on a personable level. I am glad to say that I have found this with Dr Bang and his staff. My pup has visited the clinic three times, the latest visit was scary as he was vomiting and had bloody stool. I was a walk-​in with no appointment who was attended to right away– the staff and Dr were efficiently quick, reassuring, and thoroughly explained each exam and test. I can 100% confirm we will continue visiting Gentle Care Pet Clinic.