Miramonte Veterinary Hospital

If I could give zero or negative numbers I’d do that. Took my cat in for an open sore on her backside and the vet checked her teeth and thyroid first. I that he please check the open sore so that I could get back to my mom who had just been released from the hospital. He got very passive aggressive with me. When I again requested that he check the open sore, he said that if I didn’t calm down he’d ask me to leave. I left with my cat, her chart and no bill since he had never done what she was brought in for. The last couple of times I’ve taken her there, the office keeps trying to add unnecessary services. Money seems to be more important to this vet than the animals (or their owners).

I want to share my experience with Dr. Kenton Taylor at Miramonte Veterinary Hospital. I hope it helps other people avoid the costly, time-​consuming visits we made. Dr. Taylor and his staff gave us misinformation about proper treatment, and made us feel guilty when we refused treatments that had thus far been ineffective.
I first brought my bunny Stellar to Miramonte when he showed signs of GI stasis. Dr. Taylor felt Stellar’s belly and said he could feel a blockage — he then had his technician and assistants quote a treatment plan of an x-​ray, blood tests, 6 shots a day (1 antibiotic, 1 painkiller, 1 stimulant, etc…), and force feeding. The total cost quote came to $ 900. We were reluctant to pay such high costs, and we left to continue looking for other opinions.
Later that day, the director of the House Rabbit Society called me, concerned that I may be denying my bunny needed care. I had brought Stellar there before for his neutering operation — they had been gentle and caring and the operation was a success. Because of this previous positive experience, I trusted her opinion. She told me that Miramonte had called her and reported that I was denying necessary care and that Stellar would be dead in a matter of hours. Now, panicking and feeling guilty, I called Miramonte to bring the bunny back for treatment. The assistant said that Dr. Taylor didn’t want to treat Stellar anymore because we had frustrated him by seeking a second opinion. I felt it unreasonable that Dr. Taylor tried to make me feel that I was not allowed to seek a second opinion. This also made me feel that Dr. Taylor did not care about my bunny’s health.
Because of my state of panic, I resolved to apologize for doubting them, and bring Stellar back to them anyway. We followed their treatment course for a week, and saw no improvements in Stellar’s behavior. It was a stressful and time-​consuming treatment plan for my partner and I to carry out. Each time we restrained, gave shots, and force-​fed, it would take us at least forty-​five minutes. It was equally stressful for our bunny to receive the treatment, as he would resist and grind his teeth in pain. And through all of our efforts, he continued eating less and getting more lethargic. At this point, we sought a second opinion at VCA Almaden. Five minutes after making an appointment at VCA, Miramonte called to «let me know that VCA is a corporate hospital, and it’s going to end up costing a lot more there.» (VCA had contacted Miramonte for Stellar’s medical records.) This later proved to be a completely false statement. The staff member offered another consultation with Dr. Taylor, but since the treatment had been ineffective thus far, I declined and asked her to fax the records.
At VCA Almaden, they explained that stress is the most common cause of bunny health issues, and that the combination of administering shots and being restrained for force feeding had been inhibiting Stellar’s progress. Dr. Leejoan Ma compassionately listened to our concerns, and proposed a treatment plan that included an easy to administer oral drug and subcutaneous fluids. After five days, Stellar was back to normal. Dr. Ma’s treatment was efficient and effective, and the total cost of treatment came to about $ 85 ($ 10 for the oral drug, and $ 15 for each administration of subcutaneous fluids). Had I gone to VCA Almaden first, I would have saved a whole lot of money and stress, and my bunny would have been healthy a week earlier.
I’ve tried to make this review as objective as possible, despite how stressful and upsetting my experience with Dr. Taylor was. He gave us the impression that our pet and our concerns were insignificant. I hope this helps others avoid what we dealt with.

I’m writing this review because a number of the other reviews on here are simply unfair to this wonderful veterinary hospital. I adopted my cat through their rescue program over five years ago and continue to take her back for excellent care. It is a very busy practice, but the entire staff, and especially Dr. Taylor, is so nice and caring. They love my silly cat, who has some chronic medical problems. Dr. Taylor’s prices are fair for this area and MUCH lower than Adobe Animal Hospital’s. If you have a sick animal, and you want competent veterinary care, it costs money, just like it does for humans. You also get what you pay for. Consider buying pet health insurance, which works just like human medical insurance. Dr. Taylor’s office will ask you to pay at the time of service, but they will also work with the pet insurance companies to make sure you get reimbursed according to the policy.

Don’t go here for long term care of a pet.
Every time I brought in my dog with his lifelong battle of allergies and subsequent skin infections they acted like they’d never seen my dog before and that he needed a full panel of tests, skin scrapings and slides to figure out what was wrong. It was always staph, just as it has been for the last 7 years. When I tried to bring him in for another round of antibiotics to treat his staph breakout they REFUSED to give him any medicine unless I paid over $ 260 in scrapings and slides that would inevitably tell me what I already knew. They made me pay $ 108 for the visit and I left with no treatment for my dog.
I should have stood in their waiting room and burned $ 100. Same thing.
I’m appalled at their utter lack of concern for my pet. They will nickel and dime you into oblivion. Dr. Taylor didn’t even have the guts to talk to me face to face about why he was refusing to treat my dog. He sent in his vet tech multiple times then she sent me to the assistant in the waiting room. Cowardly, appalling and unprofessional.

I rescued a Pit bull about three years ago. He was very sick. I have spent thousands of dollars at this veterinary hospital. I can say this, they are very helpful if you have money to spend. At the end of Jan. 2015 I took my Pit bull in because he was sick again. They took Stitch in, looked at him. They checked his ear and did a test on what ever stuff they pulled out of his ear. They told me what was wrong, and gave me medication for him. As usual they called to check on him, which is very nice, and things were great. Two weeks in I called back and told them that he was twitching his ear again. They wanted me to bring him in again I told them I couldn’t, I have no more money. They said they wanted to check to see if it is the same thing. The last time it cost $ 420.00 and I can’t afford that again. They said sorry but they need to have him come in again I asked if I could just pay for more medication but the answer was the same I have taken him before and it usually cost around 200.00 but they went up. That loving concern about stitch was gone. Now it is 2÷23÷2015 and stitch is pain with his ear. I called them again and told them this. Same thing they want to see him, to see if it is the same thing. I said I do not have any money left to please talk to Dr. Taylor. They called me back and said that the doctor looked at the chart and would like to see him again. Well I have been up all night with my dog and this really pisses me off that Stitch is in pain because I have no money. You would have thought that since I saw him the first time this would be apart of the original doctor visit.
I guess what I am trying to say is, that these people are great when you are paying them, but as soon as your money runs out they have a different attitude. I really have no idea if the girl at the front desk actually spoke to the doctor. What I do know is, I feel very sad right now that none of them care about Stitch being in pain.

The best and most consistent vet to have in your corner is Dr. Kenton Taylor at Miramonte Veterinary Hospital in Mountain View. I have been going to Miramonte Veterinary Hospital for over 20 years, which speaks for itself. Dr. Taylor and his team have cared for my pets during routine exams and during emergencies and they are always caring and thorough. I appreciate that Dr. Taylor explains what is going on with my pets and what the choices are in giving them the best care. He uses technology to research and learn new information for treating my pets and he is empathetic while staying professional. You couldn’t ask for a better vet and facility.

Dr. Taylor and the Miramonte Vet Hospital have taken care of our dogs since we moved to Palo Alto in 1995. He was the only vet for our chocolate lab Bowser who lived to be 15+ yrs. The last year of Bowser’s life when he was failing quickly, Dr. Taylor was constantly in touch with us giving us detailed information on his condition and providing us with treatment options. When we made the decision to put Bowser down, Dr. Taylor came to our home and Bowser went peacefully on his favorite rug with us petting and holding him.
Our son, who lives in Arizona, has a lab puppy and has made an appt. to have Dr. Taylor check out his puppy while he is home for winter break. We trust him and know he is an expert!

I had been bringing my 3 cats to Dr. Taylor for years for regular shots, and even though his prices were high, he was very pleasant, and the clinic was convenient. Everything seemed fine until my cat Patches started to lose his appetite in June 2013. I’ve waited this long to write my review in order to be fair to the clinic. My only regret now, after the fact, is that I didn’t read the Unilocal reviews of Miramonte Veterinary Hospital earlier, or I would have taken my Patches to someone else sooner.
Instead, I let Dr. Taylor and his staff «treat» Patches for a month by bombarding him with expensive and stressful tests – none of which were conclusive. I kept telling them that he was very sensitive, and that these repeat visits were stressing him out and likely causing further decline. That fell on deaf ears. Dr. Taylor then put pressure on me to cut open my cat’s belly for exploratory surgery. By then, my cat was skin and bones and a nervous wreck. I figured that the surgery would kill him. Meanwhile, Dr. Taylor had Patches on higher and higher doses of a steroid, and also had me buy a super expensive medication that would treat the «possibility» of cancer, even though the pricey ultrasound was clear. Dr. Taylor and his staff put lots of pressure on me for the costly operation, and implied it was my fault that they didn’t know what was causing the weight loss because I was blocking the surgery.
After a month of multiple vet visits and a huge bill, Dr. Taylor said that Patches was in «grave» condition. It didn’t help, either, that every time I brought him in for yet more probing and prodding that they weighed him on their only scale – a huge one on the floor for dogs. The technicians and vets would race by this scale as poor Patches was cowering there in fear, and slam the half doors that separated this area from the waiting area. Also, they wanted me to bring him in for costly and stressful force feeding, using a tube down his throat.
I thought Patches was going to die, and I didn’t want his last moments to be in this noisy clinic, handled by a vet who basically was blaming me for their failure.
I picked Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos, in part because it was nearby, and also because I finally had the wisdom to read Unilocal reviews – and theirs were mostly positive, while the negative ones for Miramonte echoed exactly what I had experienced.
Dr. Nancy O’Day at Adobe was fabulous with Patches. She understood when I told her that Patches was a very nervous cat, and she and her assistant treated him with the utmost care. They even have small scales in the examination rooms, so they could weigh my cat in a tranquil, quiet way. Before I brought my cat in for the first visit, I wrote up all the details of Patches’ symptoms, blood tests, ultrasounds, x-​rays, medications, etc. Dr. O’Day suggested that the excessive dose of steroids could cause stomach upset and internal bleeding, so she got him off the steroids and his appetite started to improve. She also had us treat him at home with daily subcutaneous fluids since his kidney numbers were low. And now, almost 1 ½ years later, Patches has regained his lost weight, and is enjoying his life. He has recovered enough that we were finally able to stop the subcutaneous fluids, and we now give him water-​diluted tuna juice (from canned tuna) to increase his fluid intake.
I was surprised, too, that the cost of his treatment was much less at the Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos, even though they have a very impressive building and extensive emergency facilities. They also told me the cost of everything ahead, in contrast to Miramonte, which insisted on multiple tests and presented me with huge «sticker shock» bills after each visit.
A final note – for those multiple blood draws done at Miramonte, the technician would whisk away Patches each time to another room. At Adobe, they told me I could stay, which was good because my voice and touch were helpful in soothing my cat. Overall, I’m so thankful I got Patches away from Miramonte.

I totally trust Dr. Taylor with his knowledge and willingness to help our pets. He is completely thorough and very precise in explaining technical aspect which I prefer. I had to take my cat to Adobe for emergency during Thanksgiving because Dr. Taylor was closed and to this date I regret the decision because the vets at Adobe was totally uncompassionate, gave minimal information to me, and needlessly made my cat suffer before dying in my arms.
I will be leaving a review for Adobe after letting my sorrow for losing my cat and my anger subside so I can be objective when I leave the reviews there.

We have had only good experiences with Dr Taylor and Miramonte Veterinary. Dr Taylor has always laid out our options, answered our questions, and treated us and our pooch with respect.

Brought my Westies in for their yearly exam and vaccinations.
Staff was courteous and thorough. They brought up some new flea protection products that I found informative.

My fur baby wasn’t feeling well, the vet here didn’t know what’s wrong with her and send us home. Later the night we bring her to a vet ER to learn that she is having Glaucoma. If miramonte know what they were doing, my dog’s vision can be save!

I have gone to Dr. Taylor for close to 20 years and feel so lucky to have him as our vet. He has always taken excellent care of my small birds, and has always treated all of us with kindness, compassion and respect. He is very knowledgeable and informative. I would highly recommend Dr. Taylor at Miramonte Veterinary Hospital. My experiences over these many years have always been positive. Thank you, Dr. Taylor!

Do not come here.

Update: Dr. Fan left in January 2013, apparently.
I had my dog at Miramonte Vet recently for a nail trim and they gave her a quote for a teeth cleaning for over $ 600. She’s a big Doberman, and this requires general anesthesia, so it tends to be expensive. More recently I had to take my dog to a vet in north Fremont for an X-​ray, and while we were there, they quoted me a flat fee for teeth cleaning of $ 95, inclusive of everything including general anesthesia.
I can’t help but feel like I was getting ripped off at Miramonte. I just had them send my dog’s records to my new vet in Fremont. Without Dr. Fan and with expensive prices, I’m changing vets.
To be fair, the staff at Miramonte have always been kind and helpful, and they gave good care to my dogs. I always felt like I got the best care from Dr. Fan and she was wonderful. But whenever I had to deal with Dr. Taylor, he always recommended very expensive interventions.

I’ve been a client at Miramonte for many, many years, and have nothing but positive things to say. I’m finally posting now because Dr. Dasho (he’s new this year, replacing Dr. Fan) just saved my cat Ambrose’s life with an emergency surgery from which is is recovering rapidly.
Dr. Dasho was kind, concerned, and experienced with both animals and people. He was very patient with my reluctance to cut that kitty open — but it had to be done, and it was exactly the right call. In fact, this was the second good call he made for Ambrose — he also figured out that my boy had a recurring bladder infection that is now cleared up. He really goes the extra mile, and is a very skilled diagnostician. He hit the nail on the head twice in a row for Ambrose.
Dr. Taylor and Dr. Fan have always been great with my cats, too. In an earlier post, someone said Dr. Fan gave too much information — but for me, she was perfect. I was in control of my cat’s care because she told me absolutely everything to make sure I knew all of my options. It was hard to put my cat Squeak down, but because of the complete information she gave me about his problems, I knew letting him go was my only choice. She and Dr. Taylor were both very concerned and supportive, and helped me through that difficult time.
As for the office staff and vet techs, Barbara and Jake deserve a special mention. They have always been there for me, Ambrose, and Squeak, and both are very special people.
I really appreciate all of the attention and care the folks at Miramonte have given to me and my boys, and I wouldn’t think of taking my animals anywhere else.
Bee

Perhaps pros and cons would be the most helpful for someone looking for a vet hospital:
Pros:
Both vets Dr. Fan and Dr. Taylor are very intelligent and accurate with diagnoses and treatment. They are very skilled in their profession. They were both able to quickly diagnose my cat with congestive heart failure and put him on the path to recovery.
Cons:
I won’t be back because:
They don’t welcome questions about costs or procedures. I was expected just to sign their estimates and be quiet about it. They really lack in customer service. I felt we were drawing blood too often and taking excessive x-​rays. They would never communicate with me as to where we were going with these expensive tests. When I asked, I would receive attitude from one of their vet techs. The doctors make their vet techs handle the customers so they don’t have to. I find that to be very selfish on their part.
The second reason (and most important reason) I won’t be back is because on our last visit, one of their vet techs «tossed» my cat in his carrier next to me on the wooden bench. The cage slammed down next to me and scared both my cat and myself. I chose to pay and leave, I didn’t know what to say at the time, as I was very upset. I received a phone call about when we were returning and I asked what was being done and they said — more xrays and more blood. His last tests were fine; I could not understand why we were repeating them. My cat is stable now; and we were at the point in which it was about time to spread out our visits and begin maintenance. It was only when I decided to try a new place that they said these were going to be the last tests for awhile. This was a little too late.
I have to give them credit for giving my cat’s records to my new vet in a timely manner. I did have to go pick up his xrays and they would not give me his refill on his Potassium supplement when I asked for it. Instead I had to order it online and wait a few days to receive it. My cat was almost completely out of his supplement. That’s pretty awful when they were the ones collecting my money and making my cat’s vet experience miserable.
I find it unfortunate that they are so cold. Given the skills of the doctors; they could turn this around overnight and become a 5 star place if they would show just a little warmth and compassion. Most people don’t have $ 250+ per visit to drop on things that are excessive. All the doctors had to do was tell me where we were going with his treatment, and educate their techs on how to properly handle animals — especially when they are sick and scared.
I could tell that they were not too happy with me for going to a new place. I can take their attitude, but I will not subject my cat to it. He deserves better than that. Not a good fit for us.

Still nothing but good experiences here. I feel lucky to have such a knowledgeable vet for «exotic» pets! Also, it is great to catch up with Bill the parrot and the rotating supply of adoptable kittens whenever I come by.
With the lovebird, the test showed she had Giardia, but she seems to be doing great after the recommended round of antibiotics in her water. (I use «she» loosely – they offered to perform DNA testing for gender if we wanted it, since there are no reliable external signs for her breed, but they also said it would not make much difference since it is a one-​bird household.)
We later brought in our new adult rabbit for a health check-​up and to inquire about getting him fixed. Dr. Taylor and his assistant were good with a nervous rabbit and good at explanations. (They kept using the verb «castrate,» instead of the more euphemistic «neuter» or «fix” – be prepared, men!) He asked us about whether he was doing several rabbit-​specific behaviors («helicoptering,» which sounds like spraying while binkying) and explained how rabbit testes differ from cat or dog testes (open vs. closed inguinal canal), which means rabbits have more healing to do after this surgery.
Little bunny came through his procedure just fine, though just as they prepared us for, he needed special help while recovering. In addition to administering pain medication, we stacked up towels to help him climb into his litter box, because at first his hops were hobbled. But soon, he seemed back to normal and it was tempting to let him out instead of leaving him cooped up in his enclosure (where he couldn’t hurt his incision by running a lot). Luckily, everything went smoothly and he is a happy bunny!

Having just read the mostly awful, scary reviews below, I almost hesitate to submit mine but, this is my experience. My dog tore his dew claw badly, it’s the claw by itself up the leg from the paw by about 5″. I let it go the first day because he seemed fine and it was near closing time for ‘non emergency’ vet services.
The next a.m. however, I decided he needed to be looked at. My wife has always taken our two dogs to this vet so, I called and they said, bring him in. I didn’t even ask cost but I was expecting to be hit pretty hard. The front desk staff (a young lady, then a young guy), the initial attendant who checked weight, etc, and then the lady doctor (don’t know her name) were all terrific.
She said it needed to be removed, told me exactly what they would do (clean it, lidocaine, cut it, bandage it) and I fought off the urge to ask ‘how much $$$?’ because I’d have done it no matter the cost.
In about 30 – 40 minutes he walked out, heavily bandaged (very thorough job!) and I was given more info about giving him the antibiotics he would need, caring for the bandages, bringing him back for another look in 7 – 10 days, etc. Very helpful.
The bill, including the antibiotics and a (can’t remember the drug.) treatment for both dogs was $ 200. I blurted out ‘that’s ALL??’ because I seriously expected it to be twice or more that amount.
We’ll continue with Miramonte based on this and all our past experience. Oh, and there’s a great dog wash place right next door, $ 18 and they supply everything you need to do a great job. Nice lady operates it.

Way too over priced. I highly suggest you check out nine lives foundation in Redwood City instead. They’re a nonprofit shelter and their resident Dr will do all she possibly can for you. Of course, this place I’m recommending is only for cats. I have a kitty.
I have no idea why they estimated $ 800 to diagnose a small lump on my cat but I was charged only $ 100 for the lump diagnosis by another vet.
It’s just ridiculous.