Home Pet Doctor

Los Angeles, United States

4.8

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 323-469-3442
Website:
www.homepetdoctor.com
Address:
Serving Los Angeles and surrounding area
Hollywood Hills West
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
2.7 miMetro
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Today

Today –
Local time (Los Angeles) 9:32 AM Friday, November 29, 2024

Business hours

Monday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday –
Saturday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Dr. Steve Smith travels all over Los Angeles County to deliver veterinary care to dogs and cats. He gets calls every day from people that can’t easily go to the vet, so it makes more sense to have the vet come to them!

He offers routine veterinary care for healthy pets:

* Annual exams

* Vaccinations

* Microchips

* Wellness packages for puppies & kittens

* Healthcare packages for dogs & cats

* Preparation for travel

He delivers general medicine for pets that are sick:

* Collection of samples for laboratory testing

* Fluid therapy

* Injectable medications

* Prescription drugs

When the time comes to say goodbye to a pet due to illness or injury, Dr. Steve can provide gentle and compassionate euthanasia.

History

Established in 2005.

Dr. Steve graduated from Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990, and he worked for many other veterinarians in the 15 years that followed. He worked in general practices & he worked in emergency practices. He worked as a full-​time employee & he worked as an independent contractor. Altogether, he worked in over 150 interesting and unique veterinary hospitals in Michigan & California.

No matter where he worked, there was one common theme: Dr. Steve would always be expected to take care of too many pets in too little time. He never felt like he could give every patient the complete & thorough care they deserved, and he could never find enough time to talk to clients about their pets.

In 2005, Dr. Steve left the hectic world of brick and mortar veterinary medicine and launched himself into the wonderful world of house calls. Now he drives around Los Angeles, stops at 3 – 4 households a day, and actually gets to spend quality time with his clients and patients.

Meet the Business Owner

Steve S.

Business Owner

Dr. Steve graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University in 1990. In the next six years, he worked full-​time at hospitals in Grosse Pointe and Detroit.

After putting up with 30+ winters in Canada and Michigan, Dr. Steve sought out a warmer climate. He earned his California Veterinarian license in April 1996 and moved to Redondo Beach in August that same year. First, he worked as the Medical Director of a hospital in Palos Verdes, then he moved on to become the Chief of Emergency Medicine at a 24 hour hospital in West Hollywood.

Along the way, Dr. Steve’s also done quite a bit of «relief work,» filling in shifts at over 150 general practices & emergency hospitals.

Because of this, Dr. Steve is not only a great primary care veterinarian, he’s an excellent resource for medical consultations, second opinions, and referrals to specialists.

Home Pet Doctor also recommends

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

175

reviews

Hospitals

,

Pediatricians

Steve S. says,

«Dr. Steve is proud to be a monthly donor to the Children’s Fund at CHLA.»

Cal Pet Crematory

94

reviews

Pet Services

Steve S. says,

«Cal-​Pet Crematory is family owned and operated, and they’ve specialized in individual pet cremations since 1947. Nice folks!»

The Best Little Cat House

120

reviews

Pet Boarding/​Pet Sitting

,

Pet Groomers

Steve S. says,

«The premier cat boarding facility in Los Angeles, as far as I am concerned. Great facility, wonderful caretakers, cool cat trees.»

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20 reviews of Home Pet Doctor

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Del Mar, CA
So in full transparency, I have not actually seen Dr. Steve as a vet.
However, I recently found out from a cardiologist that my cat has heart irregularities and was prescribed beta blockers. It seemed like such a big deal, I wanted to get a second opinion on this diagnosis and treatment.
I reached out to Dr. Steve and he was very responsive to my email. I’m pretty sure he answered it in less than 5 minutes!!! He was willing to look over the test results and gave me his honest opinion on what the results meant. Sadly, my poor baby still has to go on medication, but it was great to get that second opinion so I’m not freaking out about whether or not I’m doing the right thing.
Thank you, Dr. Steve, for putting my mind at ease!!!
Place rating: 5
Burbank, CA
Steven is a caring and compassionate vet, it was a true blessing to find him for our animals. We recently had to put one of our beloved fur babies to sleep and he was wonderful. Will continue to keep him as our family vet and would highly recommend him to others. He is a vet that comes to your home and the price is still very reasonable.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Several months ago our cats traveled from Australia to LA and we were reluctant to put them back in a cage for their annual vet check up, so went for a home vet check up.
Dr Steve was great with the cats, and they seemed very relaxed with him. He gave us great advice about vaccinations and gave us the time we needed to go through everything. He honored his Unilocal discount, which is great because it makes a big difference. He is also accessible on email and text and was communicative before arriving — letting us know his estimated arrival time.
If you’re doing the home vet option, I highly recommend Dr Steve.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I adopted an adorable 7 month old kitten back in December named Sox AKA Soxie. It had been 9 years since I had a cat and I was very nervous and anxious about taking her to a vet. I wanted to take her back to her original vet where she had gotten her first shots and was spayed but, he was all the way in Pomona. It just wasn’t realistic for me. I really did not feel comfortable taking her to just any old office as Soxie is very shy and nervous around other people. I did not want her to be uncomfortable. After searching for a few days for the perfect vet I found Dr. Smith. In my experience I’ve felt like vets have tried to swindle more money out of me for different procedures or products that we may not have necessarily needed. I didn’t want to be put in that position again and after reviewing Dr. Smith’s website and going over his prices; I felt I would rather shelve out a bit extra dough to get a Dr. that will examine Soxie at home where she is comfortable then give it over to a vet who is just looking for an extra buck. Also, being able to talk to the vet one on one about Soxie’s health without any interruptions was an opportunity I did not want to pass up.
I called Dr. Smith to set up an appointment. I mentioned the discount he advertised on his website and I was happy to hear that he would honor it. (I would check out his website as his discounts may change periodically.) We set up an initial first exam and the Dr. came between the allotted time we had agreed on. He was gentle and courteous with Soxie and he was able to determine what she needed i.e. de-​worming and updated vaccinations. Altogether the Dr. came to see Soxie a total of three times. I was very happy and pleased with choosing to go with Dr. Smith.
Also, if you want any paperwork or records showing the work that was done for your pet; the Dr. is happy to oblige and send digital copies to you. Just make sure you do request them if you want them and be aware that he works from the road mostly it seems, so it may take some time before you receive them.
All in all, this was a great experience for Soxie and myself. Soxie and I look forward to seeing Dr. Smith again early next year. Thanks Dr.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I’ve used Dr Smith on several occasions.
I can’t say enough about how kind, patient, and caring this man is. And the man makes house calls? Can’t ask for better.
Place rating: 5
Beverly Hills, CA
Dr Steve is amazing! The worst part of going in for check ups is the car rides to and from the vet — my cat Biggie Smalls is terrified of the cat carrier and car rides are pure torture.
Dr Steve arrived on a Saturday afternoon with everything he needed to give a very thorough check up and collect samples. Biggie was calm (ish) under his care and he really put us both at ease. He patiently answered my neurotic questions and got back to me THE NEXT DAY with the blood/​urine results! This level of service is unheard of and I’m so happy that we found Dr Steve through his glowing reviews on Unilocal
Place rating: 4
East Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
Our Kitty was diagnosed with cancer in the end stages and we had only days with her before realizing we were going to have to think about putting her down. We wanted the most peaceful way possible and Dr Steve made that possible by coming to our home. The process was emotionally very hard but Dr. Steve helped calm nerves by explaining to us the science behind the 3 step humane process and that she wouldn’t be in any pain, shock, or unexpected darkness. I miss my cat very much but I am grateful we found this option.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Steve is an awesome vet. I emailed him about my dog’s stomach issues and he got back to me within minutes and set an appointment to stop by my home that afternoon and boy was he on time. He evaluated and took very good care of our dog and prescribed it medication. Our dog is feeling better now and we are all happier because of it. Thanks Dr. Steve!
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
Dr. Steve was very friendly and definitely showed a lot of love and care for our dog, Hope. We had to get Hope’s first round of rabies shot and micro chip for our upcoming move to London. Dr. Steve came to our home, performed the 2 shots and was out in less than 30 min. He was also very knowledgeable about the whole process of moving a pet to the UK. Would highly recommend!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I adopted my friends large aged Golden Retriever after he passed away in December.
He was a rescue and must have been treated very poorly before my friend adopted him. Come to find out that he is impossible to transport in a car., he has seizures and other ailments. I had been in a dilemma as to how to get him care.
Enter into the picture a recommendation of Dr Steven Smith Dba
«Home Pet Doc​tor​.com»
He returned my call in 10 minutes and instantly put me at ease discussing seizures in older dogs and treatments. I expected Euthanasia as the solution. I was very happy with his course of action and felt great that this was not the end.
He was great with the dog as well as patient with my little yapper. He drew blood and did a physical. Results should be in a couple of days with which his treatment will be based on. An excellent Doctor providing a great service! I am very pleased.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Steve is as good as it gets. I believe that Dr. Steve saved my lil Mimi’s life about two weeks ago. Dr. Steve continues to be a pillar of strength, information and just an awesome person/​vet. Dr. Steve responds to my texts/​emails 24 hours a day and usually responds within an hour but more important than that– he is a terrific doctor.
I have a 16 year old, 4 pound, malti-​poo, Mimi. I love this little fur-​baby with my whole heart. Unfortunately, this last November, little Mimi started having what appeared to be asthma episodes that included coughing fits and episodic panting. After 4 ER visits, 13 vet appointments with 4 different veterinarians, Mimi was not getting better and her medication was not working. Vets continued to insist that this was asthma. One night, Mimi took turn for the worse. Instead of rushing Mimi to the ER again, I sat down calmly and started to research what other things could cause labored breathing and coughing fits and… who is the absolute best doctor for my little Mimi. I somehow stumbled on Dr. Steve’s Unilocal page. After reading this exact page, I emailed Dr. Steve at like 1 a.m. on a Saturday asking for his first available appointment. Dr. Steve emailed be back within minutes, after a series of emails back and forth over about an hour of time (he wanted to know Mimi’s medical history and wanted to see medical records), he gave me an appointment for later that day around noon. After a 15 minute visit, Dr. Steve told me Mimi has congestive heart failure. Dr. Steve changed Mimi’s meds immediately. Within hours Mimi was breathing better, by the next day, my spunky lil girl was back in action– breathing, running, playing and barking. THANK YOU DR. STEVE.
A week later, Mimi decided she didn’t want to take her meds/​pills anymore, I text Dr. Steve, and he immediately started calling compounding pharmacies in my area got a compounding pharmacy to make Mimi chicken flavored syrup for her medication.
A few days later, (tonight) I noticed a bump under Mimi’s ear– text Dr. Steve, he responded in lightening speed. Dr. Steve goes above and beyond. I love Dr. Steve!!!
I normally do not write these sort of reviews. I have only written a few of these– when it is really warranted. Here, I do not know how to thank Dr. Steve… for saving Mimi’s life, for giving me my little Mimi for a few more years, for giving me peace of mind at the beginning of this ordeal or for the peace of mind he gave me tonight when I text him about a bump under Mimi’s ear…
I heard someone say, «the best compliment a client can give is a referral» …Dr. Steve, may this review bring you many referrals!!!
Place rating: 5
Santa Monica, CA
Dr. Steve put my beloved Lilith to sleep in 2010. I have written many drafts of my review and never posted it because that time I was in so much grief from so many things on top of Lilith’s passing. Dr. Steve treated me and my anxiety with care and kindness. His question of whether I wanted something to burn with my cat helped me a lot. I wrote Lilith a letter and they burned it with her. He asked me questions and I made choices along the way, including whether I wanted to say goodbye before or after or during. The entire experience was a gift. I am here because I will likely have to call him again soon because Damien, Lilith’s sister is deteriorating quickly and I wanted to see of Dr. Steve was still in business. I am so happy that he is because I hope he will be the one again to come help me say goodbye again. I am so grateful for his service.
Place rating: 1
Palmdale, CA
It has been more than 20 hours, since I have left a Voice Mail message and the doctor hasn’t bothered to call back yet. I left him the detailed message with my phone number to call back.
He has advertised that he has an off day on Fridays, so hopefully that should not be an excuse this time, which was mentioned for another negative review he has received.
UPDATE
He called back this morning after my review was left. He made an excuse that he did not contact me on purpose because he does not service Cane Corso breed. If that is true by any means, I think he should have just called me back to let me know, so that I am not waiting for him. He chose to ignore that message and only called me after reading my review on Unilocal.
I strongly believe, he would have never called me, if it was not because of Unilocal review.
Also, please note that on his website, he has clearly mentioned…
Dr. Steve does accept these breeds as new patients: Savannah Cat, African Serval, Rottweiler, Jindo, Chow Chow, Canary Island Pit Bull (Presa Canario), Italian Mastiff (Cane Corso), Argentine Mastiff (Dogo Argentino), Brazilian Mastiff (Fila Brasileiro), Japanese Mastiff (Tosa Inu).
That makes him the most unethical doctor ever. As he made an excuse of not treating a particular kind of breed to justify his reason for not calling me back, but in real, he does treat that breed as clearly mentioned by him on his own website.
Place rating: 5
Griffith Park/Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA
7 years ago, Dr. Smith came to our home (I posted here in 2009) and now a few weeks back, he came to our home for another of our pets, Groucho. Over the years Dr. Smith has been nothing but a truly humane, caring and professional home visiting vet.
When our Groucho started growing a bump on his back Dr. Steve came to our home to check him out. He did come with his vet tech and did take some samplings from Groucho to determine the nature of the bump. We discussed with Dr. Steve that Grouch was now 17 years old and that he’s had a cat’s dream life. We rescued him at the bottom of our property and for 17 years, he’s been healthy; but now we were concerned and did not want to put Groucho through tests, and visits, and series of treatments, radiation, etc. if this was something that wasn’t curable.
He contacted us a few days later to discuss this tumor, the options, the treatments and the long term outlook. We took all this information, researched the internet and then discussed this with another doctor. We decided to go on as Groucho was doing well…
A few weeks back, Groucho took a sudden downturn (now nearing 18) and we did not want to subject him to surgery, chemo/​radiation, treatments, with such a high percentage of this tumor returning and the very high risk of having our cat go «under» and not coming out.
Dr. Smith and his tech came to our house as Groucho was clearly uncomfortable and in distress and after a very thorough and thoughtful discussion, my partner and I decided to have Groucho go to sleep.
I can only say that the second time isn’t any easier, emotionally, than any other times we’ve had to do this, but I will say, for the second time, that I could not envision the process to be any more humane for our pet, and compassionate and caring for us. We’ve had to euthanize another of our pets at the local vet clinic and we only did that out of necessity. This man truly has a special gift and I only hope he continues to provide this to so many people and animals for many years to come.
Place rating: 5
Redondo Beach, CA
My husband and I recently moved to LA, and needed a new vet for Mister Orange, our 11 year old kitty. I was surprised and disappointed to find that that there are no cat clinics near the West Hollywood area, but I think ultimately it was for the best… we wouldn’t have come across Dr. Steve otherwise.
Dr. Steve is wonderful. He has a pleasant, calming demeanor, and it’s clear that he truly cares about what he does. He has a way of explaining things that is thorough, yet concise– after his visit I felt extremely well informed and not at all overwhelmed. He is pleasantly matter-​of-​fact in his recommendations, and I didn’t once feel pressured or up-​sold on products or future services. ALSO… his prices are incredibly reasonable, even compared with brick-​and-​mortar animal clinics in the area.
He has been prompt and timely in all of our interactions, and I love that I can text him with appointment requests or even questions. Makes things so much easier!
Some logistical notes– if you anticipate that your pet may need bloodwork or urine tests, ask him about it prior to your appointment since he will need to have his technician with him to perform those tests. Not that that’s a problem or anything… he can always come back with his technician for a follow up appointment.
A trip to a vet’s office creates so much unnecessary stress for a sick pet– especially for a cat. Using Dr. Steve is the kindest thing you can do for your fur babies to keep them healthy and happy.
Place rating: 5
Tujunga, CA
I called Dr Steve because friends of mine used him a year ago and were so impressed by his kindness, gentleness and respect for both the family and their dog.
My much beloved 16.5 year old cat started a quick downward slide a week ago. I had consulted Dr Steve and we had a tentative appointment — but Sunday night the cat took a sudden turn for the worst. I can’t write out the whole thing, but Dr Steve was so responsive both by phone and email — and by this time, he wasn’t going to make any money, but late on a Sunday night, I was sending him emails, and he was actually responding. He let me know that this is how it happens sometimes, and he was just there for me. And it was clear he was not going to get paid, because the cat died quickly… But he was still there for me. This is really why I am writing — this is a good man, not just a business.
P. S. I just read a one star review here for Dr Steve. I have no idea what was going on, of course, but her conclusion of ‘he doesn’t care’ cannot be made from just one event. Obviously, it was horrible for her and I am sorry, but this is why we Unilocal — things can go wrong for any one of us, but we are looking for the odds of things going right. The odds of things going right with Dr Steve are incredibly high, sez me.
Place rating: 5
West Hollywood, CA
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Dr Steve! He responds quickly, has been available for same day visits, if he was booked he was always available next day. He is honest, which I appreciate the most. If he doesn’t think your pet needs to be seen he won’t see them. And he would advise me on what to do. Which has at least saved us the cost of 3 visits. My babies have feline acne and he’s advised on how to treat it and only came when it did not improve and stronger treatment was needed. So he’s not all about the money, like my experience with previous vets. He’s AMAZING! He’s really nice as well and has a great demeanor. Thank you Dr. Steve! Big Hugs, Stewie, Oliver, Storm and Khaleesi
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
We used Dr. Smith to put down our 15.5 year old chocolate lab. It was a heartbreaking experience but Dr. Smith did everything he could to make the processes as peaceful as possible. He answered my 5 year old daughter’s questions about what each shot did and explained everything so well. He also showed so much respect for our dogs body after her passing. It was an ideal euthanasia, if that’s possible.
Thank you Dr. Smith.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I have used Dr. Smith to treat one of my cats who had colitis a year ago. Dr. Smith took the time to assess Bandit at my home, and followed up with his care, answering all questions. I utilized another vet to treat Bandit again when it occurred again, who insisted on sedating my cat at home, without attempting to assess him first, in spite of the fact that Dr. Smith did not need to do so when he saw Bandit initially. Needless to say, I will only be using Dr. Smith from now on.
I called Dr. Smith for a second opinion on his care again and he was extremely helpful. He returned my call in less than 30 minutes, answered all of my questions and even my texts subsequently. I cannot even begin to describe my gratitude for Dr. Smith. He assured me that I did not currently need to get Bandit expensive x-​rays and blood work and that I needed to just watch him as it is probably just a hairball. Dr. Smith is by far the best and most compassionate vet I have ever worked with. He does not try to rip you off with expensive and stressful procedures for your animals, he takes the time to assess your pets and answer each and every question you may have. I strongly suggest that you choose Dr. Smith for your your pets.
Place rating: 5
Hollywood, CA
I have had several interactions with Dr. Steve, and I’m very very impressed with his professionalism and his care.
One of my cats was coughing, like she had a furball, and I contacted Doc about it. Rather than schedule a house call and charge me for it, he told me straight up that I’d need to take her to a vet hospital for an X-​ray, to determine whether it was a hairball or something else like asthma. I did, and the X-​ray showed no hairball and the good Dr. Rogers at Veterinary Care Center on Santa Monica set up a treatment for my cat which worked very well.
Last December, my friend Renée and I basically inherited a mutual friend’s 21-​year-​old cat Penelope. It was really sad losing our friend, but we had to take care of her orphaned cat. I took her cat Penelope in, but Renée had more room, so then she took her. But over the last month or so, Penelope’s health began to deteriorate — normal things for such an elderly cat — kidney problems, pain, etc. Renée and I discussed it, and came to the unfortunate conclusion that it was Penelope’s time.
Although Renée lives outside Dr. Steve’s usual service area, I knew from reading Doc’s website about euthanasia, and from my prior interactions with him, that I wanted to call him for Penelope. He just came across as not only competent, but a compassionate person, and he went over the procedure and what would happen, and I noted that he used three shots instead of two, making it more humane and painless for our orphan kitty. So I figured even with the extra travel fees, our old girl, who was such a wonderful companion for our friend, earned being able to have her last day at home surrounded by her people and her favorite toys, instead of getting put in a carrier and driven to a cold exam room.
It’s the saddest damned thing a pet person ever has to do, but Dr. Steve really helped make it bearable. He’s a genuinely nice person and really cares about your pet. He even gave us some time alone with Penelope afterwards, taking a good bit longer than he really needed to put his things back in his van and get a basket for her. And he brought a pretty wicker basket to transport her for cremation. It’s nice he thought of the little things like that.
Both Renée and I and Penelope’s Gramma are really glad we called him.
My two girls are about 7 years old, and I’ll be calling the Doc for their regular veterinary care from now on, to save them the stress of having to get boxed up and driven to the vet — I’m really glad I found an excellent home care Veterinarian who’s honest and caring too! I highly recommend Dr. Steve.