Rancho Sequoia Veterinary Hospital — Attraction in Simi Valley

I never leave reviews but my experience with this place was pretty terrible.

If it isn't obvious, the reason they have so many 5 star reviews is because they send you a text offering a discount on your next visit if you leave a perfect review.

I brought my dachshund in who had started displaying mild IVDD symptoms, but he was still walking. They were able to get me in the same day (so I was thankful for that) - but the vet did not give him a physical examination - she just took him to the back and forced him into position for an X-Ray - I just hear him screaming/crying for a good 10-15 minutes. I later learned that X-Rays are practically useless for this condition - you need a CT Scan or MRI to actually see what's going on - so all the trauma/pain was pointless.

I brought him back in the next week because his condition had plummeted and he was no longer walking, and this time I saw the other vet. He scoffed at me when I mentioned I wanted to hear all options because I wasn't sure if I could afford an expensive surgery. I took the referral and called them for an appointment. This other placed called me back the day before my appointment and told me my vet had referred me to the wrong hospital, and they didn't have the tools/personnel for IVDD surgery. Time wasted, and now we have to wait even longer until we can get into the correct facility.

They also couldn't fill his prescriptions fully, not a huge deal but adds to the list.

I called to cancel my follow-up appointment because I didn't want to go back to this place, and it turns out they had already cancelled it without telling me.

I'm sure lots of people's experience with this place is fine, but if your pet is having a more serious issue, or you want them in good hands if/when they have a serious issue, take them somewhere else.

This edit due to their response:

They did not give him "strong painkillers" prior to the X-Rays. They offered to give him a shot of an opioid AFTER all the X-Rays had already been done.

He DID scoff at me, and made a rude comment along the lines of "if you can't afford a few thousand dollars...". The surgery is more than "a few thousand dollars".

Yes, it was 2 days that I waited, because they close at 1 PM on Saturday and he worsened Saturday afternoon, AND they are not open on Sunday. I called at open Monday morning.

"It was the correct facility, they may not have the equipment but they get it done on site" - WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?? And why did they send me elsewhere then? And why did they say they didn't have the correct personnel for it?

When I called to cancel the follow-up appointment the person on the phone told me it was already removed and that there was nothing to cancel.

The owner is lying and not willing to own up to anything....

Extremely Disappointed with Rancho Sequoia Veterinary Hospital

To preface this, I did request for the office staff to have Dr. Kang see me or call me to discuss this. After a day and a half, they chose not to reach out to discuss my concern, so I am moving forward with posting this.

It saddens me to reach the point that I need to do this as until this point, I have enjoyed my interactions with Dr. Kang and the staff.

I am deeply frustrated with the recent experience I’ve had with Rancho Sequoia Veterinary Hospital and feel compelled to share them to help other pet owners make informed decisions.

Excessive Prescription Markups – I was shocked to discover that a necessary medication for my dog was being sold by Rancho Sequoia Veterinary Hospital at 2.5 times the cost available through reputable retailers like Chewy.com and Costco ($54.99 vs $135.08). This kind of markup on a lifelong medication feels incredibly unethical.

Unreasonable Withholding of Written Prescriptions – I was denied a written prescription for my dog just three weeks after a check-up appointment. I was told I’d need to bring the dog in again for a check-up—clearly a way to charge for another visit unnecessarily.

Inconsistent and Contradictory Practices – For another dog, I was again refused a written prescription under the same pretense, even though they had just provided a written script for the exact same medication the month prior. I originally submitted that prescription to Costco, but due to ongoing supply issues that Costco was experiencing, I simply wanted to transfer it to Chewy.com. Still, they refused, despite already having prescribed the medication, and willfully filling the prescription for me in-office (this one at a 2 times markup – $24.99 vs $48.90)!

Lack of Communication and Empathy – The vet has not taken the time to directly address my concerns or explain the reasoning behind these questionable practices. It feels as though the priority is no longer the health and well-being of my pets, but rather squeezing more money out of loyal clients.

Sadly, after a couple of short years of trusting this clinic, I can no longer recommend Rancho Sequoia Veterinary Hospital. Pet care should be driven by compassion and ethics—not profit.

I had originally moved over to this clinic ever since it became so difficult to get appointments at our previous veterinary clinic for our dogs due to their growing popularity. It looks like I will be switching back to our...

Staff was excellent. Dr. Kang and especially Dr. Martin's decision making in regards to the care of my cat was poor. Dr. Kang took an exray of my cat which indicated a growth in her chest cavity. He chose not to pursue that diagostically, but instead followed thru with a dental procedure and removed a tooth. While recovering from the tooth surgery liquid antibiotics were given for a 12 day period which cleared an infection she had at day 5. When I brought her in for the 2 week checkup the surgery site was checked by Dr. Martin with no infection and healed properly. Dr. Martin gave her an antibiotic shot which he said would last 4 days. He did not indicate what the antibiotic was nor any potential side effects. The antibiotic was Convenia which lasts 14 days and stays in the system for up to 65 days. He did this 12 days into antibiotic treatment and with no infection present. My cat could not eat at all after this shot and she weakened to the point where she could barely walk. I brought her to conejo valley vet where the growth wad addressed from Dr. Kangs own xray. I was told that she needed 2 days of IV and glucose to get her feeling better, but with so little food and strength she had no chance to survive a chest cavity surgery that would have to follow to remove the growth. She was humanly euthanized that day.

Bottom line is Dr. Martin gave a harsh 14 day antibiotic when the cat had already completed her post surgery antibiotics and was clear if infection. Additionally, he had no idea how long the antibiotic would even last.

Dr. Kang had no explanation for why Dr. Martin did what he did. On the 5 day visit Dr. Kang said the there was no antibiotic injection that could last two weeks. I shouldn't have come back after that. Neither doctor knows their own drugs

Convenia is a drug with many ADR complaints against it. Don't allow this injection unless...