Companion Animal Hospital

Quick update on a recent experience with Companion: took in my elderly kitty as she was losing weight. Dr. Mottishaw did testing on her and long story made short, after Dr. Mottishaw’s advice, our little kitty has gained weight and energy and is acting like a much younger cat. Thank you Dr. Mottishaw and Companion staff!

I’m picky when it comes to vets. I hate the ones who give you the guilt-​trip for not brushing the dog’s teeth daily. I hate the ones that make you wait too long. I hate the ones who muzzle my pup because she’s a tiny bit nervous and growly. And I really, really hate the ones who are too pushy when it comes to treatments/​services.
I’m super lucky to have found Companion. The office staff — they’re probably the most friendly people I have ever met. I’ve never waited more than a few minutes before being taken back. I’ve always been able to get appointments quickly (usually same-​day). And I love that Dr. Horne really takes the time to explain everything in great detail. Our baby girl recently tore her ACL, and I really appreciate that Dr. Horne did not push the surgery option. He very clearly wanted what was best for her.
My very minor complaint is that things can be a tad bit pricey. And it adds up quickly. But my baseline is back in the Midwest — where pretty much everything is roughly half the price of the Bay Area. So I’m not sure it’s a fair comparison.

I went back for their complimentary exam after my negative review. They were friendly and sweet to my pets. They helped us with our flea problem thank heavens and carry taste of the wild dog food which is a plus! I like the location and want to develop a relationship with them here so far so good.

My new favorite vet! My cat was unwell and needed to be seen ASAP. I called my old vet, and for the 3^rd time, in a dire situation, they told me they were booked and could see her in 3 days. After a few calls, I found Companion, and they got her in within 30 minutes of my call. The staff & Dr. Horne was very friendly, knowledgeable, and caring. I even received a follow up call to see how she was doing. (Well, thank you!) The fees were very reasonable, as well. Highly recommended!

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! A joyful experience from the minute you walk in the door. Everyone from reception, to the vet techs and the doctors themselves go the extra mile to truly make you feel at home!
Karen the receptionist makes it her job to remember your & your pet’s name and any medications your pet needs. All the vet techs are sweet hearts, always smiling and offering your pet the same quality of love they’d get from family. The doctors take their time to hear out your concerns, suggest the best options and if something is out of your price range they don’t judge you for not loving your pet enough, instead they tweak the plan until everybody is happy. They praise you for the great work you’ve done in your pets well being! But above all are patient as hell with antsy critters. Before them no one could cut my dog’s nails, not I, nor the groomers his paws were off limits, but not to them, they get the job done.
BEST VET CLINIC EVER!!! Come!!!

The front desk staff is really nice and knowledgeable. The medical care has been great so far for our 2 cats. We end up with different vets and techs each time, though. My main complaint is even though they block off 20 minutes for a simple shot, they run 15 – 30 minutes behind all the time. I always have to wait at least 15 minutes, and today was half an hour. No one explains why I have to wait or apologizes for it. I show up on time for my appointments and I expect them to respect my time too.

Experienced, expert care with a heart! Dr. Horne and his whole team have taken care of all of our animals since 1989 (2 cats and 3 dogs). Every interaction from Karen in reception to Dr. Horne in surgery has been outstanding. Recently, Dr. Horne and his team (Kym and Aimee) saved my dogs life with around the clock care.
Companion will always give the client multiple choices for care that balance budget and intervention level based on specific needs of the animal. In fact, they recommended we not operate on my cat’s broken leg which saved me $ 1500 (other vet recommended surgery).
Check out some of their new services! When they get busy, their front desk may get backed up (for check-​in/​out) but that is because they take time with every client/​animal to provide best possible personalized service

After having a good cooling off period, I take back some of the things I said about Dr. Horne. Even if I didn’t always agree with his decisions, I know he was doing what he thought was in my cats best interests. My cats suffered from a complicated, difficult to treat disease. But because of that, I wish he would have referred me to a specialist rather than attempt to treat it himself.

This is an animal hospital with heart and soul. My adult male cat, Midas, is my little lovey muffin man, he’s been such a positive force in my life for many years, so pet owners know, your animal is family, and when something is wrong your animal, your heart goes into panic mode! He is allergic to fleas and must have gotten a bite, and is already a neurotic groomer, so he gave himself a terrible hotspot on his inner thigh and under his tail. It needed immediate attention or I’m certain it would have gotten infected, and I called a handful of hospitals that simply could not see me same day.
I called Companion feeling already defeated and got one of the warmest receptionist experience ever. Karen sympathized with my situation and told me she would check with the Doctors to see what they could do… then told me they could see me THAT DAY in just a few hours. PHEW!
The support staff there are so kind, these people truly love animals. They help you through what you need to do (paperwork, etc) because they understand the stress. The vet tech Kym was very sweet and attentive to Midas, and assuring and informative to me. I had a lot of questions and she answered all of them comprehensively. They take into account the animal’s lifestyle (indoor only etc) and give you an honest answer based on the needs.
The Veterinarian, Dr. Petra Mottishaw, is AWESOME. She evaluated the patient and the situation, and all of the little factors, and created the perfect healing plan for him. Midas has had skin issues in the past, and my experiences with vets is that they want to run every damn test in the book. I get handed a sheet of paper listing tests that run an insane cost, and I have to haggle with them meekly, uneducated, and with massive guilt because the average person cant afford all of that! There were a couple things in the healing plan that they worked with me on, and had alternatives for, making the cost much more manageable.
He got a couple injections, a medicated shampoo and spray, and lots of love through the whole process. I told them that he’s a nightmare to bathe, and they gave me a free harness and lesson on how to use it.
They followed up twice to check in on his healing progress, and I was elated to tell them how well he was doing.
Thank you Companion staff! Please keep that heart and soul!
ALSO* I told them I was moving to another city in a week, and they suggested a pheromone calming collar called NutureCalm… I HIGHLY SUGGEST this item! Midas is neurotic by nature, and will groom himself to pieces because of stress, and I put this collar on him the night before the move and he handled it like a champ. A few meows on the drive, but not shaken or scared, and acclimated to his new environment positively. At $ 17, this was absolutely the best purchase I’ve made for him!

I have been to many vets and these people are by far the BEST. I own Australian Cattle Dogs and both have hip problems. And one of my dogs is deaf. The Dr takes his time and doesn’t push either of my dogs. I even drive down from Alameda to make sure they get the BEST care in the bay. The staff are ALL friendly and when I call they are QUICK to get answers. THANKS EVERYONE Dillon and Shee-​Ann like you. I’d say love but they NEVER love a vet lol.

I recently took my teacup chihuahua here because she had an abnormal growth on her foot the doctor recommend getting it removed immediately, I was able to make an appointment for the next day to have it removed which was very convenient. When I took her in I was very emotional (& pregnant) because she had to be put under anesthesia, and we all know our pets are our babys. The staff was extremely kind and let me come back and put her in the cage, which they had previously warmed and stocked with blankets for her to be comfy; they also said I could call at any time to check on her. I received a call once the procedure was finished from the doctor himself, with an update of how she was doing. When I picked her up she was on pain meds and all bandaged up nicely. The next day they called to check up on her which I really appreciated as well ! Overall it was a very good experience, and I would highly recommend this veterinary service.

Had an appointment to have my gimpy little old man seen at Companion Animal Hospital yesterday. I chose this location because they were having a $ 20 first time office visit. I’m unemployed and broke so an inexpensive option was my only option.
My dog is like my child and it was more than heartbreaking to see him hurting, I was literally feeling his pain. I was concerned that I wouldn’t get good or loving care for him because ya know, you get what you pay for!
But, I couldn’t have been any more wrong!! Every one of the lovely people who work there were amazing! They ended up giving me the medication I needed to make Lambchop feel better! The entire wonderful staff placed the suffering of my animal over the bottom line and I’m so grateful! I ended up leaving there paying only for the $ 20 office visit but received a priceless experience:)
Dr. Horne was knowledgable, compassionate and kind. Valerie and Karen were astounding. Valerie is actually my new favorite person on the planet:)
This is an amazing team.
Companion Animal Hospital now has one very loyal patient who is feeling much better.

We first came to Companion Animal Hospital in March 2013 because we thought they had the best puppy package. Since then, we have been there frequently for checkups and minor health concerns and couldn’t be happier with Dr. Horne and the whole staff! We have never had a problem getting an appointment, and have been «squeezed in» on multiple occasions. Everyone at Companion treats us like VIPs and always works to educate us as much as possible on the issues we notice in our dog.
We highly recommend Companion Animal hospital!!!

These guys are just fantastic. Sweet, friendly, and very clearly happy to be helping. They’re tucked away in a somewhat odd area, and the building doesn’t look like much, but when you walk in you’ll be greeted enthusiastically and given great service. They’re not looking to rob you blind, they’re looking to help out your furry friends and make sure you can do it economically.
Definitely recommend this place.

When I had an emergency with my cat, I took a chance to walk in to Companion Animal Hospital. I was greeted by a friendly tech, but they were booked up with other clients. However, the lady was so nice that she called 2 other local vets to see if they could accomodate me. She got me an appointment down the street, and the cat is fine. THEY REALLY CARE! THAT IS GREAT SERVICE!~!!!

The staff at Companion are some of the most kindhearted people. They treated my pet as if he was their own. The appointment fee (around $ 65, if I remember correctly) was much cheaper than I had been quoted from other animal hospitals around town, and the staff was much more receptive to the fact that I was concerned for my sick kitty. The prices for blood tests and X-​rays ranged in the $ 400-​$ 500 area, which is pricey for someone with low income. However, it’s to be expected. Other than that, I received excellent service from everyone working there.
Also, when my cat passed away, I could not afford to have him cremated. They were sweet enough to wrap him in his favorite blanket that I had brought with me and provide me with a box to burry him in. This was one of the nicest gestures any animal hospital has ever done for me. They knew I was upset and did their best to make the experience less traumatic for me. A big thank you to everyone who works there. They truly care for their customers and their pets.

Dr Horne was a godsend for my female dog’s need for surgery and care that no other vet would provide. I am truly thankful for his and his staff’s kindness. I heartily recommend his services.

We recently got a dog, and I didn’t want to go to the vet that the SPCA recommended. Since I’d been here before, it seemed a natural choice. Our dog got kennel cough, so I called them up and scheduled an appointment. They were really friendly over the phone, but when I got there they asked me to stay outside so my dog wouldn’t infect anyone else — totally understandable. Once we got in to see the vet, she was very helpful and informative. I also didn’t feel like she was rushing us out the door. Here comes the really good part — they informed me that the «free visit» that the SPCA offers for adoption, is good at any vet! Not only did they honor the certificate (saved me $ 60!) but they took her stitches out (from her spay) for free. They recommended I get our pup rabies shot and heart worm tablets, which I did. I was genuinely impressed with the changes this place has made!

Summary: Friendly, fast, and affordable pet care!
The longer version: My idiotic yet loveable pup ran into a very stationary object at full speed in the dark on the beach. He knocked himself out cold and injured his front legs. I took him home, bandaged him up and hoped for the best.
The next morning he was shaking badly and couldn’t walk. I called a few vets in Santa Cruz, Companion was the only one that said «Bring him in right now, we’ll make an opening». I called my credit card company, upped the limit on my card and prepared myself for a massive vet bill.
At the clinic, the Vet checked my pup all over, had him do some line walking and determined the dog didn’t need X-​rays. However, the Vet did say if I wanted them I could have them done, but he didn’t think it necessary. If the dog was still in bad shape in 3 days, then come back for the Xrays. The Vet perscribed the pup some anti-​inflamatory pills, gave him a shot in his rear to make the inflamation go down faster and gave us some pain pills too. Blood work was done before though to make sure he could take the pills and that his liver was good (he’s 8).
I walked out with a barely walking dog who felt better and the bill only came to $ 200! Any other Vet that I have gone to has never given me a bill less than $ 300 and they always insist upon getting every little thing done. I love my dog and like to take care of him, but there’s a point where it’s just too much.

From the moment they picked up the phone this place has been nothing but friendly grade A service. They got me in on a Sunday with very little notice, which was critical as my boy was having a problem that I thought I might have to pay emergency fees for.
They also figured out my boy was having an allergic reaction not a hematoma as I had thought. This was great as they treated him properly which got his symptoms under control fast and now he’s very happy and back to his normal pretty self (instead of a having a fat ear :).
Fair prices too. Once again great staff from the front desk to the doctor.