Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital

We took our two cats here during the 2 years we lived in Ventura County. One of my cats has diabetes and so visits to the vet are frequent. My cat had been having a monthly bout of pancreatitis which consists of frequent vomiting until she becomes dehydrated. The course of treatment is anti-​emetics and IV fluids. Because I was an established patient and knew what my cat needed and didn’t really need to see a vet, they allowed me to bring her in for a tech visit and the tech was able to give the IV fluids and the anti-​emetic, which allowed me to skip paying the office visit fee. They were very open to helping me reduce my expenses that come when you have a pet with a chronic disease like diabetes.
Although they recommended regular urine tests, blood glucose curves and fructosamine checks, they understood when I refused to have these tests done regularly because I feel my cat has been mostly stable on her current plan for many years, and that if she’s asymptomatic, I don’t feel that tests are necessary. Again, they were excellent at recognizing that I know what is best for my test and didn’t insist on tests that were expensive and unnecessary at the time. Nor did they make me feel bad for not having my cat tested regularly.
They were also good at helping me manage my cat’s diabetes Dealing with the pancreatitis was becoming costly and it was also very stressful for my cat. The first time we came here, the vet told us that pancreatitis can be caused by a high-​fat diet. After doing some research on my cat’s diet, I discovered that while it is a low-​carb, high-​protein diet that is ideal for diabetic cats, it did also have a high fat content. I switched my cat’s diet and my diabetic cat has not had pancreatitis since I switched her diet. And this was after she’d had pancreatitis at least a dozen times. My vet in WA state had never mentioned this connection between diet and pancreatitis and it was this information that really helped my cat’s health.
Overall, I can’t recommend this place enough and when we had to move from V.C., this vet was high on our list of things we would miss when we moved.

I have to say that this veterinary clinic was the best I have ever been to in over 40 years. I felt like we were the only patients there because of all the time the doctor gave us to explain the situation causes and cures thank you so much you guys are all awesome. The office staff was very professional but very welcoming I appreciated everyone’s kindness.

After taking my 2lb Maltise Laila to countless vets, I finally found this place and I love it. Dr. Anton took great care of my little Laila. He did her spay and took care of her teeth cleaning. He called several times to check on my dog and was caring and understanding. This hospital is 5 star for pets. I highly recommend it for the ultimate in pet care.

When I came to your facility it was because I was facing a dire emergency. I had just been on a walk with my dog in the park when we were attacked by a coyote. The coyote snatched my dog up in its mouth and took off running. I was only able to get my dog back because we ran after it with another big dog in hand. When the coyote finally dropped my dog she was lifeless and bloody. I found your facility and drove straight to you. Upon arrival, your staff refused to even begin to render treatment for my dog until I drove home to get my purse!
I returned with some cash in tow and you admitted her. The next day I was provided with an invoice of how much it would cost for your facility to treat her and having to borrow money from friends and family I paid you over $ 1,000. It was made very clear by your staff that payments were not allowed. I was then given an additional invoice for services that your facility felt she would need and seeing how I would just not be able to afford paying your facility for a new invoice that was thousands of dollars more than what I had already paid, I sought out another veterinarian.
While at your facility I informed your staff that I would be taking my dog elsewhere. It was nearing the end of the day and once I told your doctors I would be taking her your staff proceeded to try and talk me out of my decision. They then informed me I needed to wait so that she could be discharged. It took a total of 3 hours for me to be able to leave your facility. I was seen by your billing department who kept telling me I still owed money. While I was arguing with them and they continued to not bring me my animal I was left feeling like I was being extorted by your staff.
Since the moment I stepped foot into your facility, money had been the driving force of your company. It was clear that unless I had the cash up front my dog’s life was of no concern to your staff. Unless i could pay for services up front no treatment would be rendered. Unless I could continue to pay then she would not receive further treatment. However, after I had already given your facility over a thousand dollars and told them I could only continue to keep my dog there if they would allow me to make payments… Your staff then suggested, I surrender my dog to your facility as an option.
When I said, I am leaving and taking my dog else where. Your staff kept me in the waiting room for over 3 hours and every time I said what is going on her they just told me I had to wait. I said just bring me my dog and they said they would. This went on for the entire 3 hours while your billing department kept trying to get me to give them more money.
I had another vet waiting after hours for me and I kept having to tell them your facility had not released my dog yet. And in the end your staff made me sign a paper before they would give me my dog and let us go.
At this point I was willing to do anything to get out of your building as we were both being held there against out will!
Again if my dogs life was of any concern to your facility, I would have been out of there within the hour as your staff was made aware I had a vet expecting us to come straight to his office to further care for my dog.
As it turned out this vet stitched up my dog and made her whole… They waited for us after hours and took her in. I gave them $ 900 total and was allowed to make payments.
Your facility is a vacuum that sucks as much money out of people without any real concern for animals. If you can afford to pay then we care, this should be your motto as it has proven to be true. It has taken everything within me to not post my story to social media to warn people.
How dare you keep sending me bills at this point in time. If anything I OVERPAID your company. And based on the opinions of two veterinarians offices that is exactly what I did at your facility.
I had previously written to you about my experience… and of course there was no reply by the doctors at your establishment. Not one acknowledgement about what happened there with my dog.
I think in truth some ethics laws have been broken by your staff. When I came to get my dog that day I was in the company of my mother, sister, and aunt. All who were appalled by the treatment I received. Your facility continued to make a horrible situation even worse.
There was no compassion by your staff, no sincerity, it was only about money and in the end to suggest I «surrender my dog» as an option was horrific. And then your facility proceeded to keep my dog hostage until I signed a statement. And it was clear that they were going to refuse to give her back to me until I signed that paper.
Stop harassing me. Stop trying to extort more money from me. You do what you feel you need to do at this point in time and I will do the same in response. But stop sending me bills… I have already paid the ransom money.

Conejo Valley Vet has always been my Go-​To ever since I moved to Ventura County. I always believe where you have medical work done, for human or animal, it has to be as clean as possible, and Conejo wins in that subject.
The facility is super clean, with good sized waiting rooms.
They see all different kinds of animals and I’ve come in for quite a few.
Dr. Antin is usually the vet I see, I bring in lots of «exotic» pets and he seems to have the most knowledge. I’ve brought in rabbits, ferrets, and dogs.
My current rescue though is the one I’m writing the review for.
A puppy named Conner, I brought him in after finding him in Oxnard, skinny and dirty. The day I brought him was the day everything seemed to go downhill. He was gaining weight and active, then the day I scheduled the appointment, he seemed dead tired and not interested in anything.
I brought him in that evening for his appointment, with Dr. Wallach. First thing she did was test him for the Parvovirus– The #1 thing I was afraid he’d have after that day.
Unfortunately, he tested positive.
Since he was still responsive, he came home with me with pain meds and antibiotics.
A week later, after all the midnight and 4am wake up calls to give him his pills, he passed Parvo.
Now he’s getting bigger and bigger everyday and is going in for his next round of shots in the next week.

Thank God for CVVH!!! They saved my dog’s life on Christmas. I want to thank Dr. Cao and his whole team. I can’t say enough about the quality of the care my dog received. I know that everyone working that day deserves my heartfelt thanks, but I only know Dr. Cao’s name. So… THANK YOU ALL!!! You are wonderful people and an amazing team of Drs., Nurses, Caregivers and front office staff.
Sincerely,
Sherry and Ken Yas (and of course Zoey the Min Pin!)
ps Zoey is 100%

Was recommended by a friend and was absolutely impressed. The facility is as clean as a people hospital. Run in the same fashion and with the dedication of professionals that love animals of all breeds. The experience was first rate

Wish I could give this place a zero star… we had an emergency last night with my puppy. Took an hour and a half to see the vet. I requested x-​rays on my pup becusse I thought it was a broken rib the doctor said he didn’t need one everything seemed fine. Paid the $ 100 fee for pretty much nothing.
Went home my pup was in loads of pain Unilocaling took him to my vet today and sure enough two fractures ribs. And now is in proper care. I will never go to that place again.

They moved to a bigger, better building that not only is a medical/​hospital facility for animals, but they now have daycare, as well as overnight facilities and a grooming area. This is one spectacular facility. Some of the veterinarians have changed… Dr. Sarah Gonda has moved on to her own facility, but honestly, anyone here is quite reputable. This most recent visit for our dogs’ annual check-​up was with Dr. Anton, and he was excellent. Whatever reason you might bring your pet (s) here, you can’t go wrong. While nothing is cheap, you can rest assured of getting the best care that your money can buy.

EXCELLENT, all around!
i was dog sitting a gentle lab, and while i was walking her, on her leash, an unleashed dog approached. i asked the human to please leash his dog. «oh, don’t worry, he is friendly»
5 seconds later, stoli was attacked! it was HORRIBLE and TRAUMATIZING!
cvvh took us in right away, and vet RACHEL was INCREDIBLE!
i was so upset, scared, worried… rachel was calm, matter of fact, caring.
long story short, sweet stoli was operated on, i was kept updated throughout this entire nightmare, cvvh were kind and patient with me, owners were grateful, stoli is home and healing, thank god!
DOGS ARE UNPREDICATABLE. PLEASE KEEP THEM ON A LEASH!
(i really liked that i was given an estimate, after the initial look over, and again when more intervention was required.)
my vet is retiring soon, and i will def use cvvh, as my everyday vet!

What separates Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital from others is the service and care. Because any time you go to thr doctor, it’s never fun, but the moment you arrive you are greeted warmly and with a smile which puts you (the pet owner) at ease. The entire staff from reception to vet techs to groomers to boarder to doctors to administration is wondeful and makes you feel comfortable and at ease. Your pet even recognizes this relaxed atmosphere.
A couple years ago, the hospital moved from their historic location to a brand, new state-​of-​the-​art facility that is cleaner and more advanced than many human doctor offices. Unlike other groomers or vets, our dog is much more relaxed traveling to, arriving at, and walking into their facility. No shivering. No fighting the leash. Barely a tail between the legs. (She does get nervous, once we go into an exam room, though, but who wouldn’t.)
Most recently, the hospital is 24/​7, which gives us peace of mind that we can take our furry family member to a familiar facility, even during an emergency. Most recently, she broke her leg, and we were able to take her in on a Sunday night.
You will find vets and groomers who are less expensive, but when it comes to health and medicine, I don’t think you are doing yourself a service by getting the cheapest treatment and care.

First off, wow! This place is awesome! Called at 11:30pm one night because I noticed my pet hen’s eye was puffy and she was wheezing and sneezing. What I found out, it’s hard to find an exotic bird vet at that hour.
So after doing a search on Unilocal,I started to call any emergency pet clinic within 50 miles. Out of all of them I only found one who’d take birds.
At this point, I’m completely stressed and would do anything, and will drive anywhere to get my hen seen.
When I called Conejo Vally animal hospital Shelden answered the phone. Her voice was calm and knowledgeable. After going back-​and-​forth on why I was calling I decided to get in my car and just drive there; cause the hen wasn’t going to heal on her own.
Getting there was a breeze from Pasadena.
When I arrived they instantly put me in a room. The doctor came in and diagnosed my hen, then gave me medication. The whole amount came to a total of $ 101 and that was including the meds.
When I went to my normal veterinarian in Eagle Rock, I had the same examination for my other hen, and she charged me $ 168 for the same dr. visit. In comparison to my regular vet, the Conejo Vally hospital was really affordable for being an emergency facility.
Wish I lived closer! Love this facility, love the staff and doctor. Also love their flexible hours. I will definitely be back!

AMAZING people. I found a bunny on the side of the road who could barely move. Spent an hour calling everyone i could think of in los angeles. these guys were the ONLY ones who would not only accept him into their facility, but also treat him (as opposed to euthanizing him on the spot) without eveb charging me for it! Bless these people; Xavier the bunny is doing great thanks to them.
Truly a wonderful, CARING facility.

I have used Conejo Valley Vets on and off over the last 20 years. For the most part I find them ridiculously expensive, abusively so. I go there when I feel that access to multiple vets might be helpful, depending on the issue at hand. Mind you, these are regular vets, not one is board certified in any type of veterinary specialty. For routine health care, other nearby vet clinics are much more reasonably priced.
Several months ago, I went there with my older dog because of advanced age and arthritic pain. I was hoping for some alternatives to improve his quality of life. I was given meds. I had to do my own research to find that there are alternatives to improve his quality of life. I found out about the canine rehabilitation specialty and now take my older dog to Holistic Vet.
That same dog had to have a cancerous skin lesion, the size of a green pea, removed. I had that done at Conejo Valley Vets… although the price appeared steep, I went ahead and had the surgery there.
Today’s experience was THE WORST. Today concerned my younger dog, who has no health concerns at all at this time.
I had my dog’s teeth cleaned at the holistic vet’s office. It was a non anesthesia procedure. Her teeth had a minute amount of plaque and there was no gum disease, however I just wanted them cleaned before we got further with plaque.
The vet at Holistic completed the cleaning and then informed me that one tooth had a small crack, was loose and probably should be removed as it wouldn’t get any better. Holistic vet doesn’t do anesthesia, therefore no tooth extraction would be done.
Mind you, I use the Holistic Vet mainly for my other dog who is older and needs rehab for his arthritis, Conejo Vets have no such service for older dogs or post op ortho recovery, which as it is with humans, dogs need therapy too.
On my way home from my younger dog’s teeth cleaning, I stopped at Conejo Valley to ask for a ballpark estimate and to make an appointment for the extraction. My appointment was for this morning, the vet tech at the front counter said price ballpark of $ 160.
I met with Dr. Swirtzer, not my favorite as he consistently seems argumentative and no matter what I have to say, no matter what my own experience and knowledge of my dog, he always has the last word. He examined my dog, then left the room for the vet tech to come in with the estimate. Dr. Swirtzer is not a fan of non anesthetic dentals, but I am. Especially because I don’t have to worry about my dog, and it’s something that I can afford. My choice. Having spent my first career cleaning teeth in human mouths, I’m not completely in the dark about dental health. Sophie has had a healthy appetite, no gum disease, and exhibited no oral pain. Since I’m retired, I am with her everyday throughout the day and have ample opportunity to notice if anything was wrong.
The vet tech came back into the room with the estimate. $ 869 to pull just 1 tooth! I think I momentarily exploded, then picked up my dog, purse, and walked straight out the door. I repeat, this was for an extraction of 1 tooth $ 869!
I then went over to my favorite pet supply, got a local recommendation, called them up, drove there… they took a blood panel, did an exam including checking her mouth. The estimate was $ 357 and now I’m going to pick up my dog at this day’s end, minus the tooth in question. This is less than half of what Conejo Valley Vet tried to gouge me for, absolutely unnecessarily. This is breathtaking, and yet it so sad that they do this. People try to do the best they can for their dogs and not everyone had unlimited means for unnecessary price gouging, nor do they have the wherewithal to consult a variety of local vets, do online research, and ask others for recommendations.
Today’s experience, and to put things into perspective, reminded of my visit with my other older dog and Dr. Russell, the vet cardiologist on Moorpark Rd just yesterday. My old guy had a heart ultrasound, a couple of other procedures, several blood tests and a lengthy consultation with Dr. Russell. The tab for yesterday’s visit was $ 750. Not a small amount, but that was a specialist and a much more in depth level of care and higher level of expertise.
UPDATE: The estimate I received was in writing and it was $ 869. The response below does not reflect the written estimate that I was provided when I requested that a single tooth be extracted, nothing more was requested. Another facility removed Sophie’s tooth for $ 357, including pre-​op blood panel, monitoring during surgery and extraction. I am confused as to where Conejo Vet is now quoting $ 643-​$ 740, as the written statement I received was $ 869. I did not request full mouth x-​rays, etc, just a tooth extraction.

Updating my previous review as CVVH has been my veterinarian of choice for the past couple of years. I’ve seen Dr. Kelly (will miss her!!!), Dr. Lavie (our regular vet– love her) and Dr. Antin (for an emergency and associated follow up visits) — all doctors have been amazing. Really. They all take their time with my beloved pups and answer all my questions. I’ve called the hospital a few times for advice and, unlike other places which would have required $ or an in-​person visit to give advice, I’ve always received prompt return calls from the doctors. Additionally, the front and back staff are amazing! I love their techs so much and the care they give to my sweet dogs. Heartily recommend Conejo Valley Vet Hospital!

HELL NO!
If you love your pet… don’t do it.
They only care about getting paid. I was left in a room while they examined my dog … a room with a sigh that says you are NOT to leave. Prices were discussed and I was pretty much given choices based on how much I could pay. I finally sked to have my dog back and there was postering and stalling. I asked if my dog was being held hostage. I finally got him back and got the hell out of there. The next day emergency surgery was performed at Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, Thousand Oaks which cost me only half of the $ 3000 quoted at Conejo.

The doctors and staff at Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital are AMAZING! On Memorial Day Monday afternoon, we came home to our cat Skip having some sort of attack or seizure, we weren’t sure but being the holiday, our regular vet was closed and so was the other emergency vet hospital in Simi Valley. We rushed over to Conejo and immediately the doctor took Skip! The nurses were compassionate and understanding of my emotional state. Later on, Dr. Kane explained what they did to stabilize Skip and allowed us to see him. Afterwards, Dr Kane kept us informed and up to date on a regular basis.
Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital saved my cat’s life, and I am eternally grateful!

THE most gracious staff. We transferred our pets records here after our previous vet retired. Open 24 hrs with a vet on staff at all times, this place is cleaner than some people hospitals.
Just check your receipt before you pay, they will try to add stuff you ‘might’ not want or charge you for things you didn’t know you were being charged for.

I was very pleased with my visit to Conejo Valley Vet today. First, I called the office at about 8am on a Wednesday and asked if I could make an appointment *that day* for someone to see my snake. The receptionist informed me she had three doctors that day who could see snakes and gave me a range of appointment times. I picked the one that worked for me and when I came in, everyone was friendly and courteous and I was seen in a very timely manner. The doctor (I forget his name now) was very friendly and caring and I felt he was comfortably knowledgeable about my pet. He offered me various treatment options, including expensive diagnostic ones but did not pressure me and in the end I decided to treat the smaller issue that was obvious and see if that would help improve the concern that was intermittent and wouldn’t show itself (behaviorally) while I was there.
The cost of the visit was reasonable (about $ 60) and I felt like the doctor was patient and understanding. I will definitely come back if my snake needs more treatment.

As far as vets go, this is a great option. We’ve used this office for 7 years now and have no complaints. Plus, their new location is a state of the art facility, including doggy daycare and boarding.
Tends to lean on the pricey side a bit. more than the small town vets I remember. Our dog had a small cut on his foot and it was $ 240 for a short visit and some meds. We’ve spent thousands there over the years, but well worth it for top quality care for our furry family members.
On a side note, we had to put down our Golden there at the end of 2013. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. The doctor could not have been more compassionate and kind. (I really wish I could remember her name.) Her bedside manner could not have been better. It really meant a lot to me. Now they even have special rooms for the sad occasion.
Overall, you’re not getting the cheapest vet here, but you are getting high quality service with people you can trust. We’re loyal clients to this day.