Tamalpais Pet Hospital

My husband and I are dedicated, lifelong lovers of animals. We chose Tamalpais Pet Hospital because of the varied pet health care needed for all three of our dogs.
For several years now, Tamalpais Pet has been more than competent to address the many medical issues that have occurred as well as primary care with our very active 8 year old Field Champion Labrador Maggie (detached ligaments), Lulu, a severely abused rescue Chihuahua with seizures and our beloved Poo, a 15 year old senior Chihuahua. Their care has included successful surgeries and achieving maintenance med levels specific to seizures, just to name a few. The staff has always been accommodating with scheduling (and filling the prescriptions quickly) WITH A happy attitude (who doesn’t like that!). Even the pet owners that come into the waiting room for appointments seem happy.
I am retired now and had dogs all my life so its safe to say my previous pets and I have had many different experiences with veterinarian care including emergencies. I must stress this as it has been a very long time since I’ve experienced the type of pet care that exemplifies the decades of knowledge, skills and expertise, dedication and compassionate care Dr. Redfield and Dr. Havernick give. And NO I haven’t been living in cave… they are THAT GOOD!!! I ‘m just a RESPONSIBLE pet owner who wants the best for my dogs without going to Davis (which I have for one dog and my horse) so in my opinion that’s hard to find now with a lot of pet care going the corporate route.
I highly recommend Tamalpais Pet Hospital for the care of your pet family.
Deborah and Steve
:)

This will be a long story, but these people were so amazing, they’ve earned it.
a little over a year ago, my husband’s (fiancé at the time) and my 2 year old dog, Lelu, started limping, and didnt stop. We live in Santa Rosa, and took her to our usual vet there. They diagnosed her with two torn CCL’s and recommended TPLO surgery, then told us the cost… with their (very competent, but not board certified) vet the surgeries were going to be in the 4−5k range. Each. We were absolutely willing to pay whatever to get Lelu feeling better, but still, we had just placed deposits on our wedding stuff and money wasnt exactly flowing freely. I had a friend recommend Tamalpais Pet Hospital, who uses Dr. Wells for their TPLO surgeries. He comes HIGHLY recommended, so we decided to give them a shot, traffic or no traffic. I am SO glad we did. Not only were they actually somewhat less expensive (for a board certified surgeon to boot) but they were so, SO helpful in helping us understand exactly what was wrong with our pup’s hind legs, the process involved in the surgery, and, perhaps most importantly, they made sure we understood what to do for our pup during recovery to give her the best chance of complete recovery. On top of that, they were exceptionally empathetic to, frankly, a very emotional and stressful time for our dog and us. Lelu’s FAVORITE thing to do is run, and the thought of her not getting to do that broke our hearts. Lelu was immediately at ease with the entire staff every time we took her in, and thankfully the surgeries went off without a hitch. The follow up appointments were all just as wonderful. We never felt judged and always felt sympathized with.
I’m writing this review NOW because a year later, my dog started limping again. Now she plays HARD and runs HARD with her brother, so I feared the worst. So even though it is an hour (if we’re lucky) commute, we didn’t dream of going anywhere else but Tamalpias. All of them still remembered Lelu. It turns out that her body started to reject the plates in her leg… but the bones healed perfect. She’s getting surgery this Friday to remove the hardware, since thats only really necessary during recovery, and of course, I’m using them and Dr. Wells. I wouldnt want it any other way.
Long story short, if you want the best possible care, detailed explanations of whats going on with your pet, a caring, empathetic staff that you wont feel judged by, and you want your dog to be with people who genuinely love their patients and what they do, and incredibly competitive pricing, choose Tamalpias Pet Hospital.

When I move to Mill Valley 5 years ago I continued to schlep my dog and two cats to the vet in the Mission they had always seen. I finally realized this was not practical and luckily found this clinic. All the staff are extremely pleasant and they clearly love animals. I’ve seen both Dr Havernick and Dr Redfield over the years and found them to deal with the issue quickly and not waste your time or money. In one case I had been advised my cat needed treatment for something from another vet and the Dr advised me to save my money as it wasn’t needed. Yes you heard me a vet telling me a test was not needed and to save my money!
In a nutshell I truly love this clinic. My dog wags her tail when she knows she’s going there, then again she’s a lab so this may not be surprising. I highly recommend them.

Coco the dog and I have spent a lot of time at Tamalpais Pet Hospital over the past two weeks for a sprained joint and a foxtail up her nose. Everyone at the hospital is incredibly kind, from the receptionists to the nurses and veterinarians. They have squeezed us in same day for every issue and have been extremely conscientious about Coco’s care. We have worked particularly closely with Dr. Redfield, who is not only compassionate and patient with my anxious dog, but a hero for extracting the foxtail from deep in Coco’s nasal passage. She also correctly identified a difficult to diagnose case of demodex when I first adopted Coco last year. The staff has been great about faxing information to the insurance company and they are very communicative, following up after appointments about after care etc. I am a huge fan.

I cannot decide…1 2 or 3 stars.
I’ve experienced good care here for the last few years. (Front office staff are pleasant, and Dr. Redfield is very caring and thorough). And my cats have made numerous visits here in the last few years.
However, to warn others, I had an awful experience this week, that others should know about. My male cat was hospitalized over night for dehydration. Upon release to me, I was not informed that he had not voided within this 24 hour period.(actually it appears that no one monitors this detail.) I had him on my lap for the (few blocks) ride home, and he emptied his bladder on me, and MY CLOTH CAR SEATS. Well, this is a HUGE PROBLEM… Removing cat urine from cloth/​foam car seats and carpet is no easy feat. Imagine the smell of about a cup or more cat urine in your drivers seat for 2 – 3 days.
Conversing with the office manager, she informed me that the website for this business has a POLICY that cats MUST BE BROUGHT TO the office in cat carriers. Their website does indeed say this, however, a) I have never had them refuse my cat that was not in a carrier (so much for their policy), b) nor HAD ANYONE THERE EVER INFORMED ME OF THIS POLICY and c) I had never visited/​read their website prior to today.
A policy would look like this… when one calls for an appointment they are told that cats MUST COME TO THE OFFICE in a cat carrier. That they have a policy. And they may want to mention that cat carriers are a must to pick up cats also, as «often» THE OFFICE MANAGER QUOTED, «cats will hold their bladder until they leave the vets office.» (Had never happened to me in over 25 years of back and forth to the vets office.
Most importantly, when one pays hundreds of dollars for health care for their pet, they should be informed of any issues upon release of the animal from the hospital, no? i. e…cat hasn’t urinated… especially when cat is hospitalized for possible dehydration, and treated for the same? Oh, and btw, some cats will empty their bladders on the way home from the vets… you may want a car carrier…
Perhaps this business needs a policy that involves reporting IMPORTANT INFORMATION to owners upon releasing their pets from the hospital? Perhaps a policy that they will not release a cat unless the owner brings a carrier (incase incontinence issues arise on the ride home?)
I requested that this business pay to try to remove cat urine from my car, which they did, however, the office manager reportedly unloaded her anger on the car wash staff. Awkward.
Sadly, because I am now aware of anger involving me and my situation… I will need to find another vet. Additionally, and more importantly, I was not kept abreast of important information about my pet, that I should have had. He was still lethargic — or not his usual self/​energy when he came home after 24 hours in the hospital, but he did perk up within the next 24 hours. For $ 250 and a motorized cat box to deal with, I think I will monitor him myself in the future.
Oh, additionally, because their website states their policy about car carriers, the owner, Dr. H said I was partially responsible for the mess I was left with, and he would only pay half the fee to have my car seat/​carpet steam cleaned…(which did nothing to remove the urine, btw)

I was mistaken as the staff called me! I had my figures mixed up… so please allow me to amend. They are great and yes they are expensive but they are in par with the rest of the vets in Marin… and let me add… Dr, Havernack is worth it…

I went to this vet Hospital for the first time because mine was on vacation. I was in need of emergency cat dental surgery and health for certificates for my dog and cat to fly the next day. I was so relieved and happy with the quick response and quality of care my dog, cat and i received. The staff was so friendly and bent over backwards to make my very stressful situation bearable. I can’t say enough good things about them. I think I’m going to switch vets!

Unfortunately, my Gris Gris has gone to kitty heaven.
After a small break without four leggeds, we got a French Bulldog puppy. We now have his mother, too. Oh, did I mention the two cats that are also now with us (their mother and siblings had been rescued by Tamalpais). They are our children, and yes we are «those» people. I know they are very safe when we occasionally have to board them.
We have had one emergency and Dr. Redfield provided exceptional care and follow up.
We have moved up to Penngrove, and I Unilocaled local hospitals just in case we needed someplace in an emergency. I have seen complaints about other vet clinics and how expensive they are, so it isn’t just Tamalpais Pet Hospital that people think is too expensive. Having pets is expensive, and part of the responsibility of owning them. By the way, TPH price matches the Heartguard and other flea products that I buy from them.
Although I will still try to find our «In Case of Emergency» clinic up here in Sonoma, we will continue driving south to see the great doctors and staff at TPH.

There is only one Vet I would ever take my dog to and that is Tamalpais Pet Hospital. For over 10 years I have taken my dogs to this outstanding Vet whenever they get sick, Or need their yearly check ups. Dr. Havernick and the other Vets are simply, the Best. And, the staff of young men & women are enthusiastic, smart, and care about each and every animal that comes through the door. I couldn’t give any Higher mark for a local vet.

Tamalpais Pet Hospital is a great place! Doctor Redfield is very thorough and an excellent professional who has helped my dog with serious allergies.

Tamalpais Pet Hospital has provided medical care for our family’s dogs and cats for over a decade. The veterinarians are superb — smart, compassionate, and skilled. The staff are equally wonderful — friendly, warm, and efficient. Our animals have received great love and care — from annual check ups and preventive care to health crises to end of life decisions and support. We are very grateful for this wonderful team and their love of animals.

We’ve been coming for 5 years now and have always been well received and taken care of promptly. My dog is never scared to come, it’s easy, convenient and we are very happy with this establishment!

I love this place!!! There are two different entries for dogs and cats, which is fantastic. I’ve been taking my dog here for years and they always are very helpful, kind and very caring!!! I couldn’t ask for a better place to take my pup. I recommend it to everyone!!!

I just started coming here and so far, everything has been amazing! They follow up to check on mu pup and can always squeeze me in.

They neutered my two female cats and did a great job. I didn’t want a complete hysterectomy only their ovaries removed. Which they complied with. I appreciated that very much, it leaves their abdominal muscles more intact. They recovered well within 24 hours.
Why not 5 out of 5? Because they made me get a rabies vaccine for my indoor cats before they would operate. I was hoping to spare these two, as I previously owned a cat that developed cancer from it.

Have been here for years and they are on top of all my dogs needs. Excellent doctor ! My dog Chewy had an eye problem that two other doctors «played» with for 3 months and my poor dog was getting worse. They were suppose to be top doctors, too. Then I went to Tamalpais Pet Hospital and they helped my dog IMMEDIATELY ! He has been fine since.

Thank goodness for Dr. Haevernick and his staff!
I called our regular vets at Tamalpais Pet Hospital when I suspected my dog had a gastrointestinal blockage this past week. While they didn’t have any appointments available, the vet tech listened attentively to my dog’s symptoms and offered to take her under observation. They fit in an x-​ray between appointments and discovered a large mass in her stomach — which I figured was a piece of the shredded beach towel I discovered hidden in a corner of our guest bathroom after I dropped her off.
They operated ASAP and caught it while the towel was still in her stomach. They removed about ¹⁄₃ of a beach towel… all in once piece! Had it progressed into her intestine, this would have been a far more serious issue. Especially since my pup has a blood clotting issue.
My little lady required a couple transfers to and from the emergency clinic while her blood was monitored for clotting problems. She’s a skiddish little girl, but her tail wagged like crazy around Dr. Haevernick and his loving staff. She refused to eat in the unfamiliar surroundings of the emergency clinic, but happily did so once returned to Tamalpais Pet Hospital, which says a lot.
Dr. Haevernick and his staff kept in constant contact to ensure that I knew how she was doing. We took her home yesterday, and she awoke this morning feeling playful and much like her old self, if understandably sore.
Dr. Elliott followed up today and gladly reviewed photos of the incision I had taken to monitor bruising due to her preexisting condition. It felt so good to hear that the entire staff was rooting for my dog. :)
I can confidently recommend Drs Haevernick, Elliott, and the entire Tamalpais Pet Hospital staff as compassionate, caring, and expert in their experience. I’m so glad our dogs are in their care!

They got us in almost immediately and took exemplary care of my baby. Several things that I loved:
1. Separate entrances for cats and dogs.
2. Exceptionally clean, quiet and well tended office.
3. Staff were excellent to me, from first panicked phone call, to the last of many follow ups from the nurses and the doctor.
4. Both the doctor and the nurse took the first couple minutes in the room to coddle him and let him get to know them before they examined him. They took the time to calm my nerves and answer all my questions, as well.
5. Fees were discussed up front, very clearly, and then they came in under budget.
6. They use the highest tech laser options wherever possible… much better for the babies.
I had to rent a ZipCar to get to them from the city. It was a hike… but I would (and will) do it again in a second.

In response to the comment from Tamalpais Pet Hospital — I am lowering my rating to one star. I realize that you have cutting edge technology, and believe that you try and be sensitive to costs. Your response however strikes me as self serving and not at all honest.
And judge you did.
In tears, I informed your staff up front that my budget was $ 500.00. After we had reached our budget and it was clear it would cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to keep her from dying the vet recommended keeping our dog over night. He causally stated it would «only» cost us another «Couple hundred dollars» which was absolutely not true. Our dog needed to be on an IV and would have had to have exploratory surgery. I felt unheard and ashamed. It was only the kindness of your office manager that enabled me to leave with some measure of dignity.
No one wants to see their pets suffer but I would argue that if presented with severe financial restraint up front, the kindest and most ethical thing to do is to offer euthanasia without judgement.
Over the last several years our family suffered many loses; our business, home, life savings, and every cent we had saved for our children’s college education, but no loss has been as great as the loss of our best friend and companion. All we wanted was to be treated with respect and sensitivity. In these difficult economic times I am confident we are not alone.
The vet we eventually took our dog to also had the technology to keep her alive but were sensitive to our financial situation, we were given a pillow on which to rest our dear companion and allowed to sit with her in dignity while she was put to sleep.
I am confident that your vet hospital offers the best care money can buy, which is why I did not go into detail in my initial review, but sometimes you will be dealing with people who cannot afford it. True compassion is not pushing a family to spend their rent money lining your pockets.

I had a small emergency with my rescue frenchie, who apparently has yet to meet a bouncing ball he didn’t want to attack.
They were very patient with my showing up on their doorstep on a Saturday afternoon (in a panic). They correctly evaluated my dog, and didn’t over medicate, and even followed up with a call the next day (even though I live in the East Bay).
Lucky Marin people should take their pets here.