Irvine Veterinary Services

I have known Dr. Cole for thirty plus years, and I would not take my animals anywhere else. He is kind, patient, and takes his time in the exam room making sure both animal and owner are educated and happy. He is always available by phone, which is helpful with a new puppy, and he’s never bothered by concerns or worries. His employees have been with him just as long, and all adore him as well. Dr. Cole is a pro, and has been in Irvine caring for our before Orange County was on a map. He’s the best!

We brought our new little Morkie here for his shots and ended up buying the shot package which turned out to be a great deal. I just have to say that we love Dr. Cole. He is by far the best vet I’ve ever been too and what makes him even better is that he absolutely loves animals and Dexter is über excited every time he gets to see Dr. Cole! I’ve never trusted a vet like I trust him. He’s genuine and you can tell he’s just a great person that is in the career he was meant to be in.
We had a little emergency scare and I called his office, he called me back within just a few minutes to reassure me that everything was ok.
I can’t tell you how much we love Dr. Cole and his staff!

UPDATE: The receptionist has followed up with me several times to see how my pet is doing. So friendly and helpful over the phone! The doctor has called me personally to answer questions and to get updates. Even when she was working at a different location she returned my call promptly. Seriously, I’m just so impressed with the doctor and staff. My new go to vet. I just had to update my review because they have been amazing not only during my visit but days and now a week after.
They got me in last minute to see my dog that was experiencing unexplained pain. The receptionist was friendly and helpful on the phone. The doctor (Dr. Feng) was just so good with our dog. I got a follow up call from another doctor the next morning with test results. She answered all my questions and gave me next step recommendations and referral. Thank you IVS, you’ve been very helpful through this stressful situation.

I give them an extra star for the nice office. Be prepared to spend a fortune, pay for mandatory follow up visits, and be overcharged for medication.
Update, reducing them to 1 star. My dear 5 year old weimaraner contracted giardia drinking from a stream in the high Sierra. The person at the front desk asked if I «bought my dog at Russo’s pet store» when I came in to drop off another fecal sample so that I could get more Panacur. I am unable to comprehend such ignorance.

I had been going there for 5 years and loved Dr. Yamasachi but she left within 2 years. I had never really bonded with another vet but hung in there. Well my dogs became infested with fleas for the first time since moving here and when I took them in get medication I was told they were out of everything for the weight of my dog. Not only that but most of the medications I was told I would have to order on line, that they don’t carry at the clinic as most people get their meds on line. Well if your dog is infested in fleas you can’t wait a week or longer before you begin treatment. I had to run to Costco to purchase Frontline Plus and ended up returning that as it didn’t kill any of the fleas. Have been told the fleas have built up an immunity to Frontline. Any way I want a full service veterinary clinic and would not recommend this place.

It’s really to me that this place has such negative reviews. I had a really pleasant experience. I work at a daycare facility and needed to bring a dog in for a health concern because his owner was unreachable. IVS was his regular vet, so we called them first, and they squeezed us right in, even on a weekend! Dr. Feng saw us quickly upon arrival, was pleasant, thorough, and very upfront with her treatment plan and a cost estimate. They communicated wonderfully with us and the dog’s owner throughout the process. I also feel their treatment cost were right on par with other Vets in the area – and I’ve dealt with A LOT of Vet hospitals. I would gladly seek their services in the future (though I’ll hope it’s not necessary!).

I recently had to put my beloved dog to sleep. He had lymphoma and was 14 yrs old. During the process Dr. Cole and his entire staff were so kind and supportive. They went the extra mile and would call and check on Bentley. When I knew the time had come and all the extra measures had been exhausted we called to bring him in. I believe my dog as well as myself and my husband were treated with such kindness and compassion. I then received a card with a donation made in Bentleys name and information on how to deal with our loss. I can only give this practice the highest praise and tell you how wonderful the team at Irvine Veterinary Services are!

They no longer stock most common medications at the practice, you are now forced to go online and order. I find this to be extremely inconvenient and after 35 years I am considering a new vet. Dr. Cole’s practice has become too corporate and quite expensive.

I have been going to this vets office since I moved to Irvine last August. The 2 stars = getting my dogs in quickly if needed. Other than that, i will be switching vets for a few reasons.
None of the employees are very friendly
Expensive-​I was quoted up to $ 1132.00 for my chihuahua to get his teeth cleaned.
I’ve inquired about boarding but I will not have my dog sit in a metal crate all day.
The last event that turned me off is what I was told by my daycare facility. The daycare had a 9 month old puppy die while he was in their care and found out that the dog had heart issues and it should have been caught by the vet 3 times. Sounded like the vet worked with a certain breeder and let some things slip under the table to give the puppies a clean bill of Heath. This is just hearsay of course but it was just another thing that turned me off about this place.

NEVER TRUST THIS VET!!!
The other reviews are on point regarding their shady business practices!
In an attempt to force you to buy their overpriced medication, they will test your animals, but refuse to authorize their own prescriptions! That means you have to jump through a million extra hoops just to get your pet’s medications at a reasonable price elsewhere.
If that wasn’t bad in and of itself, they always do a hard sell for their «recommended» products that contain meat by-​products, corn syrup and other artificial ingredients that are awful for your animals. You have to really dig throughout their website, but there it is… the TRUTH… the terrible food manufacturer is a SPONSOR. No wonder they try to sell your animal awful food.
Lastly, I walked in and saw an assistant behind the counter leaving a review on Unilocal for their own clinic! Can you get any more sketchy???

DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS HERE, EVER.
They run a shady practice. Recently purchased a puppy from Russo’s pets and they work together by giving you two free exam visits here.
The first visit I asked for a list of all the shots my puppy would need. I’ve taken him in 3 times already and each time they keep telling me I need more shots than what they originally told me– when I specifically asked them to lay out the schedule of shots and prices. He’s had 3 shots already and another appointment at the end of the month. I spoke with them today and they the are telling me he needs two more on top of the appointment at the end of the month. When he should have been finished with his pets. They seriously run a scam here.
Also, when I asked the vet (Dr. Moore) a question about my puppy, her response was «I don’t know, I have cats»! That should’ve been a red flag for me. It was a simple question about revolution for dogs.
The physical exams were not even thorough. I wish I had read the reviews before coming here. It would have been worth the extra money to just pay for a better vet instead of using the free exams, since they are already over priced as it is.

Horrible boarding services — DO NOT leave your pets here if you love them!
Left my puppy here for about a week over Christmas last year, asked the staff to brush the puppy every few days.
When we picked up the puppy, her hair was terribly matted all over showing that she had never been brushed and it looked like the puppy was left alone with just food and water for the whole week.
We had to take her to a groomer and he couldn’t do anything but to cut all matted hair out ruining almost a year of our effort to groom her into that style she had before the boarding service.
We told IVS about what happened, asked the owner to contact us for an explanation. Never heard anything so asked again, and still never heard anything back from them.
They are not only horrible but ignorant and arrogant as well.
Pet owners, there are better animal hospitals in Irvine area — do not use IVS.
I would never go back to this horrible place and will not recommend it to anyone!

This place is scary! My cat will never come back!
Did not listen to me when i told them to sedate my cat prior to grooming, They call me half way through grooming to ask if its ok to sedate. They said my cat was really stressed and needed to be sedated. Great, thanks for listening to me. Now my cat is stressed because you didn’t listen to me. Unacceptable.
Did a horrible grooming job– lots of missed areas. Again, unacceptable.
Did not explain anything to me regarding his sedition medicine. Again, unacceptable.
my quote was for 72 dollars, yet my bill was 254 when i picked him up.
They do not care about your animals and will overcharge you beyond belief.
RUN FROM THIS PLACE.
the cat clinic in Tustin is alot better, they actually care and take the time to explain every little detail. and alot less money.

I am surprised by the many negative reviews of this practice. I have been taking my pets here since 1995. I will agree that the prices are a little steep compared to some other local Vets and their prices go up every six to twelve months. However, I love my babies and always want to feel secure in their treatment. I hope Dr. Cole doesn’t retire until he is in his 90’s. I sincerely trust him and his evaluation of my pets. Plus, I always enjoy chatting with him. I took my darling cat here today because I had a concern. Dr. Cole spent a good 30 minutes addressing my concern and also had his techs back up his thoughts. What I know from my many chats with Dr. Cole through the years is that he stays on top of new medical advancements and his experience, in itself, speaks volumes.
Again, yes, pricey but for me I am willing to pay a good price for a Vet a trust!
Also, nice that you can go for medical, grooming, and boarding all at one place.

This place is horrible.
Starts with their relationship with Russo’s Pet Experience in Fashion Island. As part of the sale with Russo’s, IVS did a basic exam paid for by Russo’s. We were told the dog was up to date on shots and all clear. We were suspicious. Immediately after, we took him to an independent vet and found he had terrible ear mites and yeast in his ears. We also learned he was the THIRD dog to come in recently from the same Russos store — and likely cleared by this vet — with the same problem. We were also told the dog was up to date on shots and learned he was not. It is obvious the store and vet are working together. We have started filming in store and will post videos on YouTube to come. Owner would not call us back.

After two animals gone I think it is time that this establishment have their license revoked. First was my cat, he hadn’t really been moving for a few weeks and once he stopped eating we took him in. We paid $ 100 for us to tell the vet his symptoms, he looked at him, said it was probably a slight cold then sent us home. It was clear that there was something much worse going on but what were we supposed to do. Two days after taking him to this vet we found him dead in the bathroom.
Next was my dog. We had been taking him in for various reasons and every time we were there we asked for suggestions on how to treat his aggression issue. We always described in detail how severe it was, but every time they would just tell us to see a behaviorist. We did that multiple times, and every time we would come back they would simply say «Well you need to train him better». My dog is the most well trained dog I know, and is so fun-​loving and seems like the happiest dog on the planet 99% of the time. But every once in a while for no reason at all he will attack my mother and I. The first couple times weren’t very severe, but we know that he is a liability and are worried for the safety of ourselves as well as other people if we take him in public. It is clear that there is something physiologically wrong with him, and these «vets» will not give my animal the time of day, possibly considering other options such as medication for my animal. He bit my mother today, this time forcing her to get stitches, so I called hoping to get some advice on what to do before having to report him to animal control but I never received a call back. Of course with an aggressive animal it is possible that nothing can be done, but I would assume that a business that’s supposed to be keeping animals alive would exhaust every option before the dog has to be put to sleep. While I do not blame my aggressive dog on this business, they did next to nothing to attempt to fix his problem.
If it were an easier process I would look into suing this company, but hopefully at least this review can heed warning to others. Do NOT take your animal if you want to keep it alive.

I came here last night with my new pup and had her looked at by one of the doctors here. I thought it was a fine visit, very informative and what Dr. Feng brought to light about our breed was incredibly thoughtful.
I looked at some of the reviews prior to taking my new pup here, and they’re a bit scattered (which I expected). When there is a trauma any good pet-​parent will enthusiastically detail the interactions they have with all staff members and can be biased, but these physicians are trained to remain calm as to provide the best professional care.
We asked Dr. Feng about cropping and, though she voiced her own opinions, was honest and let us know that she wasn’t too familiar or experienced with performing such a surgery and whether any of the other doctors at IVS did either.
Ultimately, we settled on the pre-​paid puppy package which I thought was standard pricing for shots considering I’ve done this before (the oldest having had them 5 years before, but at another hospital).
I think they did a fine job with Alpha, even providing a make-​shift «obstacle course» because we feared she might have an issue with blindness. Dr. Feng didn’t have to do that. All-​in-​all, I look forward to having Alpha visit Dr. Feng at least for the remainder of her puppy series and hopefully after that

I’ve been coming to this vet for 8 years, mostly because of its proximity to my house. I’ve read some other reviews, and it’s true that every service and product here is overpriced, but I figure that’s what you get for going to a place in the middle of bourgeois and wealthy Irvine, where retail space must be very expensive.
If you ever find yourself flabbergasted by the price of a certain medication, and you don’t mind spending additional time attaining it, some medications can be found online or at another vet office for a fraction of the price.
My most recent example, my dog had a bacterial skin infection, so the vet suggested we purchase Douxo Chlorhexidine spray, which is an antiseptic spray. We payed $ 44 for it at the vet’s office… and the retail price on
was only $ 19, so I certainly feel foolish, like I’ve been duped by a good buddy.
I’ve also noticed it’s a trend here to always push for surgery. I have several neighbors who’ve told me stories about how their dog had some condition, and the vet’s answer was always surgery, which is 1) very expensive, and 2) very invasive for your pet and not necessarily the best treatment.
My previous dog, who passed away a while back, had a luxating patella — very common — and their first recommendation was surgery. We never got the surgery, my dog was fine, and she passed away a couple years later.
Point is, take their recommendations with a grain of salt, and seek a second opinion if you’re not sold on the treatment plan. There are vets and doctors alike who will always push for some invasive procedures, but I’ve learned that tightly controlling symptoms can control a condition if not improve it (given, of course, that it’s not life threatening).
Overall, this place isn’t too bad. The vet techs and vets are nice enough. They always seem like they’re in a rush, like they’re really busy and don’t have time to explain all the nuances of your dog’s skin infection. It’s all understandable; they’re not the best, but they’re not the worse either.

I was not impressed with the service here. I brought one cat in after she passed away in our home to be cremated. They sent nice condolence cards which I thought was sweet. That was my first experience. I went there because they were very close to where I live and my cat died so suddenly.
My second experience was where I was very disappointed. My other cat was having problems walking. My husband took him in and was quoted about $ 350, he received a phone call to let him know they had to do some procedures and the costs would be more, but no amount. I picked him up at the end of the day and they said he had bladder stones and the price was nearly $ 800, not what I was prepared for. The staff was polite enough but the doctor never came out.
I paid for it and they said he needed surgery with a quoted price of over $ 2000. I was concerned this would not be the final price after this experience. After 2 weeks, his antibiotic regimen was complete and began to have problems again. I took him to another vet for a better quote.
Not only did he quote a better price, but he told me the stones were not causing the walking problem. He had a spinal injury.
So I am upset that they did not inform me of the price increase and their diagnosis was incorrect. I went to Quail Parkway vet and saw Dr. Morgan.

If it were possible to give negative stars I would.
This past week has been one of the worst weeks of our families’ life, for nothing. Our King Charles Cavalier has been sick, built up fluid in her body because of a heart condition we are aware she had. We took her to see the vet, and they informed us that she was basically going to pass away any day and she had barely any function left in her heart. They advised to not even take her home, they wanted to put her down that evening.
We decided to take her home to have the chance for all of our family to get to say goodbye to her. As we were leaving they asked us if we would like to prepay to put her down, first of all we were all hysterical from getting the news and secondly, that is just a horrible thing to ask a family who is clearly upset, so cold and harsh.
We took our pup home, and within hours she was acting normal, a little lethargic but ate, walked, did her business, slept fine. Hmmm we thought, this doesn’t seem like a dog on their last days.
So we decided to get a second opinion, oh and by this time the Irvine Vet office had called to see if we wanted to schedule a time to bring her to put her down, again…
We took her to another animal hospital in Irvine, and after being examined the Vet told us that there was NO WAY she needed to be put down. HE HAD NO IDEA WHO WOULD EVERY RECOMMEND THAT. She did have an excess build up of fluid, and yes she has a heart condition, but he also informed us that she should be taking additional medications and there are more ways to be treating her!
Needless to say, our pup is happy, ALIVE, and will hopefully be with us a few more years.
Please, please, please do you homework and get second opinions. The Irvine Vet services let us down. I would hate to think that they had put other families in this same position of almost killing an innocent animal.