Vet with reasonable waiting times for appointments?
Hi all! Does anyone have a vet practice they like, that’s reasonably priced, and where you can book well check visits less than a month out?
Our current vet is booking 5-6 weeks out for pets that are already patients, but said it would be even longer for a new pet. Is that just the norm now, or are there practices that are easier to schedule with?
We’re planning to adopt a pair of kittens from a shelter this month, and I want to be sure we don’t fall behind on vaccinations or anything.
We’re in Oakland.
Thanks!
Jul 13, 2023
Parent Replies
Ours (Claremont) books pretty far out too, but schedules vaccinations separately as quick drop-in visits with no exam, so no risk of falling behind. We’ve also done some vaccinations through PetVet and they’re great—can be a long wait but we’ve always gotten in. El Cerrito tends to have shorter waits than Oakland—they’re open different days.
I use Civic Feline Clinic in Walnut Creek. It’s just off 680 about 15-20 mins through the tunnel. If you live close to 24, it’s an easy trip.
appointments readily available, and nice vets who specialize in cats.
You should check ahead with the shelter or rescue group you are planning on adopting from, as they usually complete the initial sets of vaccinations for kittens, so you should be good for a while. That being said, you should schedule a wellness visit right after adopting them. And thanks for adopting in pairs - kittens are so much happier that way, and are easier on their pet parents that a single one.
I would absolutely recommend Dr. Margo Reid at East Bay Veterinary House Calls. You can schedule the appointments now to establish the kitty patients/ see their availability online and they usually leave a few slots open for day of appointments.
https://www.ebvhc.com/
Perhaps not ideally located but El Cerrito Pet Hospital understands that you can’t plan for pet illnesses 1-2 months in advance and they take same week appointments. Dr Naqvi is very good.
We ran into the same problem when we got a puppy at the end of last year--we had to complete her vaccination schedule and couldn't get a regular vet appointment at any of our past vets or recommended vets on short notice. We did the walk-in clinic at VIP Pet Care, inside the Pet Food Express on Broadway, and it turned out great. You can call on the days they are open and ask what the wait time is, or just show up to sign in when they first open. There are other locations, I think one in El Cerrito, and a few others in Oakland. The care was excellent, the techs were friendly and good with our dog, and Dr. McNulty was super helpful and responsive. At the same time, however, I did the paperwork to get our dog in as a patient with another vet office that was highly recommended and scheduled an appointment for several months out, about the time we would do an annual checkup for our dog's first birthday. I'd feel comfortable going back to VIP for additional care or subscriptions in the meantime, but I wanted to make sure we would be able to see a local vet with more regular hours and without the uncertainty of not being able to make an appointment for regular care.
We love Montclair Vet (in Oakland)! They have taken care of our guinea pig, cats, dog, and parrots, including helping our kids say goodbye to a parrot we had for 20 years. Montclairvethospital.com
My longtime vet in Alameda is also swamped and has been since the pandemic. They are no longer taking new patients and there is a wait for an appointment. That said, they do a good job scheduling quick tech visits for shots, and answering questions by phone. They are doing their best, so although it is somewhat frustrating, I feel my pets are well taken care of, so I also try my best to be patient and courteous. Some people have been less than cordial and the vet had to issue a plea for patience! Anyways I adopted a pair of kittens last year, and also had to wait a few weeks for the intake appointment.The shelter vet was on leave so even the shelter wasn’t able to fit in the spay/neuter appointment for weeks! It all worked out as the shelter vet tech took the kittens back for the initial booster shots, so we never fell behind on vaccinations at the early vulnerable stage. Once the kittens got older, it was easy to get their vaccinations and check ups as long as I planned ahead, and my regular vet was very sweet in answering my many questions by phone when they had typical kitten issues like diarrhea etc. So just find a vet you like, they are all busy, but you’ll be fine. Congratulations on your new kittens!
Our regular vet (Berkeley Dog and Cat) has had longer and longer waits during and post pandemic as well. So we’ve taken to scheduling things we need done sooner with SAGE in Concord. We love their facility and the care seems great. I would recommend them to anyone who is willing to go out that far.
Some replies might include PetVet for vaccinations, but please be cautious when your kittens are not feeling 100% (diarrhea, vomiting, eye discharge, etc) as they often still go ahead with vaccinations. In case of side effects it will be difficult to discern whether they originate from the vaccine(s) or the illness.