LF A Good, Reliable Veterinarian in San Diego Area (office, parking)

[tonyinsd]

I'm sorry, is there some kind of force field that renders people incapable of functioning once they enter downtown? Where does this force field start? And how far out does it go?

To say that downtown is not an option for people who don't live there is truly mind boggling.

People go to TJ for medical procedures and prescriptions, for God's sake.

If you want to say it's not an option that you'd choose because you don't want to pay for parking, fine. But to suggest that if you don't live downtown it's not an option is laughable.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by tonyinsd

I'm sorry, is there some kind of force field that renders people incapable of functioning once they enter downtown? Where does this force field start? And how far out does it go?

To say that downtown is not an option for people who don't live there is truly mind boggling.

People go to TJ for medical procedures and prescriptions, for God's sake.

If you want to say it's not an option that you'd choose because you don't want to pay for parking, fine. But to suggest that if you don't live downtown it's not an option is laughable.

Sounds like you got some homework to do pal to see about that force field you are asking about. Legend has it.... lol

Tony, I think the part that is mind boggling is that there have been opinions other than yours in regards to vets that are NOT downtown. Its logistics of where someone lives vs how 'good' is 'good' for their pet.
People go to TJ because certain procedures might be cheaper or they simply dont have insurance here. People see specialists for specific issues despite their location. How about a second opinion? People see a specialist for something and they dont address the symptoms adequately, you see another one.

I used Market St and you probably read my yelp review and a host of others and saw how great they were and justify your position but thats besides the point. Was proximity a deciding factor for you before you went as well?

When there are vets all over SD that have yelp reviews as the OP makes out, just as good as Market St, going JUST downtown when all things are equal sure doesnt make a lot of sense to me and to others here.

The vet I have now is just as good as Market St and a bit closer and it has nothing to do with paying for parking downtown. If I didnt like this one I am seeing now, simple. I go somewhere else, continue to write peer reviews about how bad/good a service is.
Its logistics and quality of care, plain and simple and that is what this thread is all about.

[karenh3585]

I, too, used to go to Bodhi in North Park. After 1 of my 3 dogs had a bladder stone, and subsequent surgery they sent us home w/ some antibiotics and told me that she would need to be on this crappy prescription-only (expensive!) dog food for life -- that was all they could do for her. One month post op and she had crystals in her urine again so obviously their treatment wasn't working (this after almost $2K in vet bills).

Someone at work recommended Dr. Weingardt w/ the Animal Healing Center near Old Town:
[url=http://animalhealingcenter.net/]Animal Healing Center - Dr. Keith Weingardt, DVM, CVA[/url]

He is AMAZING! It took a while to get an appt since we were new patients but he is so knowledgeable (used to be an emergency center vet), he sat on the floor during our consultation in his living room-like office -- I felt completely at ease with him. He specializes in holistic treatments & medicines but will prescribe 'traditional' meds when/if necessary. He suggested a homemade diet for her and some Chinese herbs and voila! One month after our first visit, her urine came back completely normal (she doesn't strain anymore and it's not the dark color that it used to be so I'm confident the results were correct) and her skin allergies have cleared up! She's a white poodle and always had those ugly (and stinky) brown tear stains but no longer! One of my other dogs has always had 'digestive problems' i.e. runny stools. Now that he's been on the homemade food his bathroom habits are normal which for a 125 lb dog makes it so much easier to clean up.

I am a Dr Weingardt fan and won't take my babies anywhere else now!

[Clevelandgal]

Boy I'd love a vet that could help me make homemade food for my cats. One of mine had the crystals, went on the special food and still had them...that essentially changed him from a boy to a girl...all this made me think commercial and "special" precription foods are not the answer. I would just want to make sure it was balanced nutritionally for them. I know you pretty much have to get bones and organs along with the typical meat in a food mixture.

[medsrme]

When we moved to SD 4 years ago, we lived in Little Italy and found Market Street Vet. Dr. Raffy Dorian and Dr. Saltzman are the most amazing doctors ever and that includes human doctors. Their level of compassion is unmatched in their profession. We have a large Great Dane and a lot of people around here go to a vet known for taking care of Danes. But the love, professionalism and patience that have been extended to my family and our dog is humbling. When we moved out of LI, we didn't even consider going to a vet b/c they were closer. As for parking, 100% of the time I have found meter parking right out front. It's not that busy in that part of the EV.

[moved]

I used to live at 14th & Market (across from Albertson's before and after it was there), and I know what the metered parking is like on Market Street. Try finding it when there's a Padres game. I very rarely go downtown anymore, it's just too much of a hassle.

[tonyinsd]

Originally Posted by medsrme

When we moved to SD 4 years ago, we lived in Little Italy and found Market Street Vet. Dr. Raffy Dorian and Dr. Saltzman are the most amazing doctors ever and that includes human doctors. Their level of compassion is unmatched in their profession. We have a large Great Dane and a lot of people around here go to a vet known for taking care of Danes. But the love, professionalism and patience that have been extended to my family and our dog is humbling. When we moved out of LI, we didn't even consider going to a vet b/c they were closer. As for parking, 100% of the time I have found meter parking right out front. It's not that busy in that part of the EV.

Yup.

Just to see if I was insane for insisting that I would be continuing to go to Market Street even if I moved, I went to Yelp to look at the reviews. There were reviews from La Mesa, El Cajon, and Chula Vista. I guess that force field that makes people who don't live downtown incapable of handling things doesn't keep them from coming.

I will continue to go to Market Street even if I do move out of downtown, although that's highly unlikely. Having a doctor that knows my pets and their history and how they act is well worth a drive and finding a parking spot.

[moved]

Just because you choose to go to Market Street, doesn't mean that everyone else in SD has to. That's your choice, and there are many other excellent vets around. I used to go to Bodhi, but won't anymore since Dr. Nagel sold the practice. The Yelp reviews have steadily been going downhill since they moved into the new building.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

When I have business Downtown and want to be sure I can find parking for a few hours I just park at the Horton Plaza P, and get the ticket validated at a store. Everything is pretty much within walking distance. Not sure if I'd do it with a dog who needs medical attention, though, but with a cat in a carrier on wheels I think I would hoof it from Horton to Market St...

[moved]

My carriers aren't on wheels, and I don't care to go to a vet downtown, plus I rarely have business downtown. Tony's choice is, mine isn't, and other people choose not to go downtown. Myself and lots of other posters prefer to drive to a vet that has a parking lot, and there are lots of other excellent vets besides Market Street.