Jamaica Plain Animal Clinic

My cat and I both like it here. Dr. Johnson and all the staff there are great. Plus there are two cats that live there and will greet you!

They diagnosed our dog with a heart murmur, and followed it up with a EKG. They said that our dog had a degenerative heart condition, and might not live to a normal age. They also said we would need to keep coming back for further (expensive) EKGs to monitor the condition.
We were devastated. We took her to get a second opinion a week later, and we were told she didn’t have any murmur, let alone a degenerative heart problem. Not completely trusting this, we got a third opinion, about a month after the second opinion. No heart problem. So we switched vets to another vet recommended in our area, and were told by our third vet in two months since getting the EKG that our puppy was just fine.
The strange thing is we have heard similar stories from other dog owners at the dog park. The staff were great, and very responsive to questions, but the overall experience was concerning. I am so glad we got that second opinion. We are now with a vet with a much better bedside manner, who I trust not to charge me money for something that was never wrong.

Since moving to JP 1.5 years ago, I have taken my dog and cat to this vet and have been very satisfied. The vet and vet techs are super sweet to my animals, and very reasonable and kind in their treatment. I also very much appreciate that they explain the cost of services and let you know, honestly, how necessary every test or treatment is. As someone who isn’t exactly rolling in it, it’s refreshing. Also, every time my pets have gotten tests, the vet herself has called me within a day or two to let me know everything was ok (no bad results yet!). They also have great hours, and are open relatively late at least a couple days a week.

This is my third year taking my pet to the JP Animal clinic. Overall I’ve been happy with my experience. The staff has always been super friendly, and they are extra gentle with my dog, which I greatly appreciate. I also love that there never seems to be a crowded front room area filled with pets, this makes it much easier for me, as my pup gets a bit nervous the minute we enter anything related to a vet clinic.
I find the costs to be a little expensive, they may be pretty standard for animal care in the city, however I would appreciate a review of what tests I am signing up for before I get billed for them. My fix for this is to ask ahead of time what tests/​shots they are planning on conducting and the price breakdown. I don’t think all the tests they include for each yearly visit are always necessary, but every pet owner is different.
Overall, I really like the feel of this clinic and will absolutely return, I’ll just be a little more proactive about discussing the costs of different services.

I love JP Animal Clinic! Everyone who works there is incredibly kind and patient. They explain everything up front and are always open to questions. I have never been surprised with unexpected fees, nor do I feel pushed into spending on anything my cat doesn’t need. I have been bringing my cat to see Dr. Amy Johnson after seeing a «free first visit» ad in my adoption packet from the MSPCA. She is absolutely wonderful — extremely knowledgeable, gentle, easy to talk to and very caring. A good vet office can be hard to find… and I can’t say more positive things about JP animal clinic!

4 years later and our greyhound still gets excited to go here. He underwent a smooth surgery two years ago with no issues. We have been back for annual physicals, as well as other appointments for miscellaneous incidents as they arise. The staff always answers our questions and we don’t feel rushed. Really can’t ask for anything more from this team. Two weekends ago we just popped in to see if they had an opening to squeeze us in and within the hour they had Dr. Johnson examining our buddy.

I called up Monday morning and was able to get a same day appointment. The tech was friendly and so was the doctor. And everyone was impressed by our super friendly tortie kitty.
We had a good experience. $ 85 for the exam.

The two stars are for the fact this clinic is near by and easily accessible.
Other then that, this place is just a SUPER expensive, but mostly standard vet clinic.
Even if all you need is a vaccine for your pet — expect to pay + 200% for the treat:
30 $ for the vaccine itself + 65 $ for a short «exam» (or 85 $ if your pet is not spayed/​neutered)
Once i asked if it is possible to just get the vaccine, but it was explained they do not do that kind of thing, and you have to pay. After some back and forth they agreed that there is no reason to pay TWICE the exam fee, if you bring two pets in at the same time. That only happened once, but i guess if you haggle enough, anything is possible, which only goes to show how serious or relevant their pricing is in general.
***“EXAM” here means:
An opportunity for the doctor to ask if you want any totally unnecessary but super expensive blood tests, lukemia tests, other cancer tests etc, or super expensive or unneeded medication, just to be on the safe side.
Also — whats up with the «nurse will check you in, then you will wait another 10 – 15 minutes before the doctor actually comes in»? I know its important to make all the upper crust JPers feel like their pets are getting treatment just like a human being, but is there any reason the doctor cannot go through the questionnaire, and other minutia often discussed at the check in stage, and save us the extra wait???

Dr. Jennifer Probert is very thorough. She takes the extra time to make sure your pet gets the absolute best care. She even took the time to to make a special plan for my pup, which took into account his difficulties keeping on weight and with diarrhea (other vets hadn’t done this).
She also took the time to answer all of my questions, read all of his previous records, and listened to me. Finally, my pup is in good hands! She and everyone in the clinic are excellent caregivers and you can tell they really love animals.
Sometimes I felt like the other vets were just trying to make money of us. Hence the lesser stars.

A little disappointing on the follow-​up response from labs, surgery, pathology, treatments etc. «It will be ready in 3 – 5 days and we’ll call you to discuss» …1 week later, nothing. I call, «oh, it’s been ready, here are the results.» I don’t know. I’m in the medical profession and want my dog to be treated as well as my patient would want to be. No news isn’t always good news. Also, I wonder their motivation for treatments or excess testing (is it necessary or just extra $ — show me the evidence and convince me with your clinical acumen and knowledge.) Otherwise, very friendly staff and the vets themselves have been pleasant to speak with and have been very friendly with our dog. However, It has never seemed like they have the best grasp of veterinerary medicine, but I think they’re mostly okay. Overall, an «okay» local vet clinic.

Sadly, I don’t like this place and my fur children don’t either.
First the worst… My cats were so nervous that one of them could not be fully examined. I have had cats for years and have never had another veterinary experience like this!
My normally calm cat did’t like the cold, chemical– smelling surroundings. The Vet, Dr. Amy was terse and cold. I didn’t like her, and she failed to inform me that she didn’t do a total exam of my kitty. A few months later, a mass was discovered in kitty’s stomach which was very large. I am not saying it had been there previously, but it MAY have been. We will never know.
My other cat had a couple of teeth pulled. And the disinfectant they used was so vile-​smelling that kitty no. 1 avoided her for two months! When I called to find out what could be done, they told me it would get better. They did return the call promptly. But no idea how to help. I was on my own.
Very disappointed.
I do not recommend this place.

I had a pretty good experience here. I felt that they were friendly and their prices were reasonable.
I brought my cat in because she has been having asthma attacks. I have not had her diagnosed previously, but my mother’s cat also had it and I had been noticing our cat was occasionally showing symptoms. The reason it wasn’t a five star experience was that I felt a little bit like they thought I was overreacting.
We’re trying some antihistamines before progressing to the bronchiodilator, but since she had another attack after I got her home (stress I am guessing), I felt like I had good reason to have felt strongly it was asthma. Since her lungs sounded fine at the vet and my cat was growling at the vet, making xrays complicated, I guess it makes sense they couldn’t give her a definitive diagnosis. I just hate leaving and feeling like I am over-​protective cat lady.

JP people, if you’re not bringing your pet here, you’re doing it wrong.
We have a cat with kidney disease and unfortunately we are in and out of the animal clinic. While this is terrible for our wallet we know that we’re getting top notch care for our cat. Dr. Johnson is an amazing care giver. She’s compassionate and extremely knowledgeable. She ALWAYS takes the time to answer my questions and will even go out of her way to research things further and call us to follow up even without my asking.
We’ve been going to Dr. Johnson since 2007 and I couldn’t be happier with the care she’s provided all our pets. She’s the tops!

this place is amazing. i called, terrified about fleas, and they talked me through everything, and helped me schedule an appointment for my kitten-​child to come in (i know, it’s just fleas, but she’s an inside hairless cat — how do fleas even happen). they also made sure to call me the day before to make sure i still wanted the appointment, and we decided to just do a yearly check-​up and talk about fleas in general at the same time.
and it was great.
hannibelle lector cat loved them, i loved them, there was a lot of love. everyone seemed to know what they were doing, and genuinely like animals, even creep-​cats like mine. they’re patient, have good hours, and are on time. even if i move out of JP, i’ll still bring my cat here, because they make me feel so comfortable knowing that they care about her and her health.
seriously. everyone go to here.

Notwithstanding the three stars, I’d still choose to bring my cat here rather than to other clinics. The staff members are friendly and clearly love animals, and Dr. Amy is usually patient and knowledgeable. My complaints are similar to those of other reviewers — service is provided at a premium cost, and sometimes «extras» are pushed or simply tacked on.
As an example, Chloe cat’s dental surgery in February 2011 cost $ 341, though the estimate was approximately $ 140 less. Certainly things get discovered while the animal is on the operating table (as was the case here), but I paled a little at the magnitude of the increase. My cat made it through just fine, and Dr. Amy did a great job, as far as I can tell, but anyone with a budget may wish to inquire about prices at other clinics and about the cost of dealing with potential complications.
Another time, Dr. Amy recommended two different medications for my cat for travel. One was a script I filled at CVS. The other they just handed to me at the clinic – I assumed the bottle of pills would be gratis, since the staff members didn’t ask for payment. However, at a later appointment, I was charged for those pills, even though they had only been one of two suggested medications. (And to add insult to injury, my cat turned her nose up at the whole lot, so they all went unused!).
Don’t be afraid to press the doctor or the staff about the necessity or timing of certain vaccines. The FVRCP vaccine should be administered every 3 years. After a few instances like the one I described above, I know I’d be a bit more vigilant about reading my bill to be sure the vaccine hasn’t been administered more frequently than necessary.
Finally, if you plan to travel internationally with your animal, do your homework on the paperwork timelines. My timing was off by a couple of months, and I ended up needing Dr. Amy to sign a document twice. The clinic ended up charging me twice ($ 50 a pop!), even though no extra work was involved. They agreed to reduce the price of the second set of paperwork only after I asked to speak directly with Dr. Amy.
Hope this helps!

Customer Service and atmosphere are definitely two positives at the JP Animal Clinic! If you’re looking for a cheap alternative to a vet then the JP animal clinic is sort of a higher priced clinic option. Yes there are cheaper clinics, but the question you have to ask yourself is do you want nice friendly people who know what they’re doing taking care of your animal or someone who isn’t as sure of themselves and could harm your pet? I felt safe having the women at the clinic take care of my kitten and they were all friendly and helpful. It’s not too expensive, but obviously if you have a dog they’re going to cost more money anywhere you go for visits, check-​ups, and other health needs.
When we brought the kitten in all the women adored him and made a big fuss about how cute he was!
There was also an adorable cat that was there last time I went in, Viggo, and he was so beautiful and friendly. I pet him and then walked away to read the bulletin board and he meowed at me until I pet him more :) so cute.
I definitely recommend the JP animal clinic if your animal needs to be checked out or if they’re in need of immediate care.

My favorite thing about this place is that they clearly adore animals. You might say that this is a pretty basic requirement for a veterinarians office, but still, it’s very nice to be around people who genuinely care (almost) as much as I do about my cat’s well-​being.
I come here about once a year for check ups. They’re thorough, have a great «bedside manner,» and are really nice about telling me my cat is morbidly obese.
A lot of reviewers mention the feeling of having extras pushed on them — I’ve never experienced that. Dr. Amy does make suggestions, but she has never made me feel like a bad person for not purchasing poultry paste and a finger tooth brush, for instance. Instead, she game me a free sample of dental care food. Sweet.
I doubt that my cat will ever really love going to the vet, but there’s definitely something to be said for making me feel comfortable and satisfied every time we pay a visit.

Close to home, nice staff!
I take my cat here for check ups. They have been available for same day appointments when she has been sick and are really good about following-​up, calling home to make sure she’s doing better.

I started bringing my dog here after reading Unilocal reviews and the first visit was fine. Nothing to write home about, but I left feeling ok about it. The vet wasn’t impressed with what I was feeding my dog (a raw food diet) and she suggested not. That was fine, she is the doctor and I did follow her advice.
The problem occurred when my dog was actually sick. He is just a little guy who is full of zest and energy and one night he was sluggish, not interested in food nor play. In the morning nothing had changed and I took his temp and it read 104 and he very clearly was not feeling well. I waited ½ hour and called the vet promptly when they opened on a weekday morning and explained the situation, the fever, etc. They said they didn’t have any openings, wouldn’t see him — but, it could be something serious so «I highly suggest taking» him to Angell.
Why do I have a vet? So that when my dog is sick… I have somewhere established to take him. So I don’t have to spend extra money for emergency care.
I’d be more apt to understand it if I had called midday/​end of the day but… first thing in the morning and you can’t squeeze in a 10 minute appointment to check him out, give him some meds and have us on our way?
We got in the car, trekked over to Merwinn, waited a couple hours to see the Dr who is fantastic. Our little guy got a shot and some meds and almost immediately started feeling better. Actual time in with the doctor: under 10 minutes. Cost: $ 20.
My dog also found himself a new vet who came highly recommended by several people so Parkway Vets is our new place and they’ve been fantastic so far.
I

Husband and I are proud new owners of a four year old American Pit Bull Terrier. 58.5 pounds of pure muscle. 58.5 pounds of pure wimp.
Last week Husband was taking Gus for walk and a crazy dog came up to him and gave him a good lashing. Blood was drawn. Gus whimpered. Gus was sad. Gus was a good boy and didn’t growl or bite or scratch back. But, as reward for such good behavior, he got a nasty eye scratch.
In comes JP Animal Clinic. I tried Angell first since we just adopted him from them but they couldn’t get us in until the next Monday. Entirely too long to wait and I didn’t want to spend major bucks on an emergency room visit. So I called JP Animal Clinic, having passed their offices a gazillion times since moving to JP.
A few hours later we were seeing a lovely vet and vet tech. They loved Gus. Gus loved them. Gus, however, did not love the green goop they put in his eye to see if he had scratched his cornea. Somehow didn’t mind having a thermometer shoved up his booty, though.
They gave us some eye cream, a weeks worth of antiobiotics, one of those awesome/​sad plastic cones, and we picked up his six month supply of heartworm/​flea medicine all for about 200 bucks. Kinda ‘spensive, but we needed all of it (and it would be less than Angell’s e-​room).
I was so pleased I booked a check-​up for our two kitties– who are horribly overdue for shots and whatnot. We got a Saturday morning appointment with no problem. (I love places that are open on Saturdays so I don’t have to take a day off work.) Hopefully they love our kitties as much as they loved Gus.