The Pet Hospital of Tierrasanta

Love Dr Laura and her staff. Never easy to bring in your beloved dog to have a growth checked out. With her knowledgeable approach, Dr Laura guided me through the options at hand and together we chose the best scenario under the circumstances. Highly recommended!

These reviews are so rigged! Every single person I’ve ever talked to who has brought their pet here has had a TERRIBLE experience! I’m beyond shocked the reviews are so high. Way over priced and terrible service. Not to mention the bet made me feel like I was an inadequate dog owner, which I am not! She ran tests that I didn’t want done, and wanted to charge $ 700 to have one tooth pulled. Don’t go there unless you want to be robbed of your money.

I LOVED my experience here yesterday! My pug was having an issue with his eye after I got off of work (wont go into detail, but he needed to be seen as soon as possible). I called the vet that I took him to once when we moved to San Diego, but the receptionist was really rude and said they couldn’t fit us in. So here I am, at 4 pm on a Friday, frantic and searching for a place that will see him so that I don’t have to go to the emergency clinic and pay out a ton of money. I looked on Google Maps and this was the first place that popped up. When I called, the receptionist was super nice, but said that they were finished with appointments for the day. She asked me what was going on and so I told her. She said «let me see if the doctor is able to stay a little late». When she came back to the line, she told me to come on down. I was so thrilled that they were willing to stay late on a Friday afternoon to see my boy. Dr. Houston was very thorough and even asked about his health otherwise. He didn’t rush us out the door at all. I am so grateful to have found a vet that is compassionate and friendly.

I have been taking all my dogs here and the care and treatment from the Staff has been superb. Dr Dowd and Dr Grafton are really great Vets who will take the time to explain what is going on with your pet. Take your pet there with confidence.

I went here for the first time when my dog was having leg pain after being new to the area. I was referred by two friends who recommended this vet office. Dr. Dowd did a physical examine and determined my dog had prostate cancer. She was very honest and straight forward with me as hard as it was to hear. I was grateful for her honesty in that she recommended not running a cancer test or completing a rectal examine because she was 90% certain it was prostate cancer so if I was ok with it not being 100% to save money and just love him the weeks he has left.
When we returned two weeks later after having the symptoms exactly the way she described, they had a room ready for us. They were very sincere and asked our wishes (to be in the room or not to be, to have alone time before and after to say our final goodbyes) and what was comfortable for our dog and us. During the procedure she asked us about his life and a happy times to share. The techs and receptionist were all so caring also handling everything in the room so we didn’t have to face people and by helping us get him out of the car.
We can’t thank them enough for making that hard day a little bit easier. I would definitely recommend Dr. Dowd and this vet office.

My pup had dental surgery and Erin was there every step of the way! She educated us on how to prep for the procedure and post op procedures. She thoroughly explained in simple terms what was going on with my pup in ways that I can fully understand. Erin is the most compassionate and kind person, she truly has a gift with animals and making sure their parents are at ease !!! I left my pup for her procedure knowing that she was in the BEST hands! The staff handling my payments, phone calls, etc were very warm and professional. By far the best pet hospital I have ever been to!!! Thank you everyone at The Pet Hospital of Tierra Santa !!!

I wouldn’t bring my dog to this place, it’s a huge waste of money! I have been very unhappy in my experiences here, and won’t be coming back.

Great first time office visit. My pup had a bit of an eye problem! Doc had her all fixed up and ready to go!

I was trying to cut mats out of my dogs ear and I sliced his ear. I was pretty sure he needed stitches and I couldn’t get my dog into my usual vet with it being a Friday so I gave this vet a call and they had an opening. I headed down and they took a look. I had two options either stitches or they could shave the area and give antibiotics. I went with the shave option due to money. They treated my dog well and even gave him a stuffed monkey to take home. I feel the pricing was competitive and they gave great care. I would come back again.

My puppy is so loved & taken care of each time she comes here. I’ve taken my puppy here for her 1^st checkup, ear infection, and her 2^nd vaccination shot. Dr. Dowd spends a solid amount of time examining my dog & answers any questions I have (it’s my 1^st dog). She’s been helpful with raising a healthy dog. When my poor pup had an ear infection, I was able to bring her in an hour later. Dr. Dowd checked her ears & performed what was necessary. No extra charges on testing. My puppy left with clean ears & antibiotics. This office is kind of pricey, but they provide quality care. After checkups, they call to see how my puppy is doing. My puppy actually enjoys going to the vet because she is so loved!

The staff is extremely friendly. They are very gentle and friendly towards the animals. They also empathize with your situation and explain any questions you may have. I know I felt comfortable leaving my huge German Shepherd there. The doctor is always willing to make a phone call to go over things with you which I think is very nice. They usually follow up with a call the next day after a procedure which I think is very hospitable.
Pros:
Always willing to write scripts for you (if the doctor has already been prescribing it) for you to send to third party Rx company to save money.
They never push unnecessary expenses on me
They offer referrals if the issue is not within their scope of practice

The Vets and staff at the Pet Hospital of Tierrasanta are wonderful. From the initial visit the staff are very thorough in getting all pertinent information about our pets. Our pug and Boston Terrier had excellent care from both Doctors Houston and Dowd. Our pug had multiple mast cell tumors removed in the four years we lived in the area, and each time we were given options with his surgery. The follow-​up care after surgery was amazing; the doctor or staff will call to let you know how the pet is doing and allow time for question/​answer. Techs called to follow up after treatments and for reminders of any care due. While not the «cheapest», I had no problem paying for top notch care for my two dogs who are like children to me. LOVE the care we received there and would highly recommend the Pet Hospital of Tierrasanta.

They are a bit expensive, but I love my pets and want them to have the best veterinarian that they can get. I love that the staff is professional but very warm and friendly. I’ve never seen Dr. Dowd, but Dr. Houston is excellent, and treats all of my pets like they’re his own. He prescribed some excellent flea medication when the topical treatments had no effect, and my corgi is one happy and flea-​free canine!
Even though they are 20 minutes away from where I live, and I have vets closer to home, I will continue to take my pets here because the staff and doctors are outstanding.

Dr. Dowd is an awesome vet! She spends a lot of time with me and my pups and truly loves them up every time we come to visit. She is also conservative with treatment and is cool with a holistic approach. We love her and highly recommend her! Lisa, Peanut, Gypsy and Violet

Brought my cat in today for the first time. Couldn’t have been more impressed. Professional and courteous office staff, clean building, nicely decorated exam room. Dr. Dowd was very friendly and I really felt like she cares deeply for the pets she sees, he didn’t seem like «just another face». I wasn’t pressured into any unnecessary tests or anything like that. It was SO nice to walk out not feeling guilty for declining some random thing that someone tried to push on me. I think we have found our new vet :) thank you so much for the wonderful care you gave my pet

I LOVE Dr. Houston and the staff here! They were all super friendly; cleaned up my pomeranians piddle without complaint and treated us very well. I discovered a lump on my dogs back thursday night, called for an appointment friday morning at 8 and was able to get an appointment at 11! I wouldn’t be able to get in anywhere else for days. they were very helpful in getting us in quickly. I called several other clinics in the area to get pricing and find out dates and this place is comparable with others in the area, but they don’t try to charge for any xtras so you end up saving money. for example: They told me up front what exactly what they would be doing and how much it would cost. They have a 10% military discount, too, which is really nice. Within an hour I had him seen by the doctor, lab tests done to determine the cause of the lump (black widow bite!), and a heartworm test.
The following are the costs we incurred:
$ 58 office visit
$ 50.75 Cytology (lab tests)
$ 41.24 Clavamox drops (medication for spider bites)
$ 20.30 heartworm test
$ 104.06 for six months of heartworm/​flea control
total = $ 274.35
I may be biased but the fact that Dr. Houston is actually from HOUSTON (where I am from!) made my day.

We have taken our cats to Dr. Houston for over 20 years. In fact, our little Tuxedo cat Alice, who is now 21, was one of his earliest patients.
We have been consistently impressed over the years with the kindness, professionalism and quality Dr. Houston and his staff provide to our four-​legged fur-​faced little friends. They absolutely love animals here and take the time to calmly and gently reach a rapport with the cat to make the exam go smoothly and with as little stress as possible — the cats totally love Dr. Houston!
I so rarely write reviews of any kind but Dr. Houston and his staff deserve special attention. There are few services these days that offer this kind of value. The prices are really affordable especially in comparison to other vets in the area. But overall it is the quality of care that wins the FIVE stars.
You can put the care of your furry buddy into Dr. Houston’s or Dr. Dowd’s hands and feel confident that they will be cared for with love and the highest quality of general veterinary care available!

had a bad experience here. I recently moved to the Tierrasanta area and wanted to find a new vet near my place for my 8 month year old kitty. I came here one night an hour before closing to see if they carry prescription feline I/​D food (since my kitty has indigestion problems, he can only eat that kind).
They said they do carry it and they would need a prescription from my previous vet in order for me the purchase it. They proceeded to tell me that I can have my previous vet fax over the prescription and if the fax goes through, then I can go ahead and buy the food (which I told them I need tonight since I don’t have anymore food at home). I called my previous vet and they said they will fax it right over. I waited for around half an hour before the office manager would even talk to me and check on my fax (there were two clients, one in which came AFTER i came but she opted to help him first).
In between all this, I asked if I can use the restroom. They said that they have one in the back but they didn’t want me walking through the hallways because they weren’t sure if they were transporting some medicines and wanted to keep the place clean. I asked them if they can check and they said «can’t you just wait 15 minutes?!» OK… rude.
So while I was holding my bladder, I waited and finally the two other customers left so I asked the office manager if she can check to see if she received the fax. WITHOUT EVEN checking the fax, she told me that she can’t give me the food tonight even if the fax went through because I needed a handwritten prescription EVEN though she had told me earlier that a fax will suffice. I was infuriated because I have no more food for my kitty. The office manager ignored everything I said, even when I told her why she would lie to me and make me wait, all she said «well sorry, I don’t want to get in trouble, I cannot let you purchase any food today, you can come back tomorrow.»
The other lady who was by the office manager was also not that kind. She’s the one who didn’t let me go to the bathroom.
I usually don’t write any reviews but I’m just so infuriated with them that I had to log-​on to my Unilocal account after not touching it for ages and write this review.
I’m giving them two stars because I had good conversations with a customer with a Pomeranian there and that kept me sane, so really, I should be giving them 1 star.

I just read every other review before writing mine. A couple of these paint a very bad picture of what I consider the best vet in San Diego. I was brought up to «consider the source», which is why I want to give a little background. I have been bringing my pets to see Dr Houston for over 15 years. I have been a pet owner for most of my 58 years and have experienced many vets. Dr Houston is the best and his entire staff has always been wonderful. There have been times that, for financial reasons, I have opted to purchase meds online. Dr Houston has always cooperated and helped with the information needed on his end to make this happen. Many times over the years I have called to ask a specific question about my dogs care and Dr Houston is usually the one to call me back. To say that he doesn’t care about his «patients» is simply untrue. I wish my own doctor gave me the medical attention my dog gets!
My latest experience was yesterday. My mom’s medium sized mixed breed dog «Buddy» was having problem with his back legs. It didn’t help that Buddy is pushing 16 years old. After a thourough exam it was determined that Buddy’s legs were just weak. His nails needed to be clipped and the hair on the bottom of his paws was making it slippery on hard surfaces. He was also given a non-​steriodal pain med as a trial to see if that also helped. The whole bill was just a smidgen over $ 100, and this included the meds, nail/​paw clipping and trimming, and exam. No unnecessary blood tests, x-​rays etc.
Rather than give dozens more examples let me just summarize that I am basing this review on a 15 year time table and 4 dogs/​2 cats during this time. I am not a friend or relative. Dr Houston and his staff are absolutely the best in San Diego.

One of my chiweiners laid lifeless on the dirt. My roommate rushed her here. The vets said she had been stung by a bee. her body had a bad reaction to bees. Instead of swelling up she lost all color! No joke. her little black nose turned light brown. It is still light brown after a month. Lol bee scared the black out of her nose.
The vets were very nice and caring.
They even offer military discount .
Very nice of them to keep her a few hours after to monitor her blood levels.