Tustin Care Animal Hospital

My dogs have been patients here for 6 years.

At first I loved it. I feed raw and they understand this. The best was that they often talked me out of paying extra money for unnecessary tests and things unlike most vets who notoriously pad bills.

A few years in, dr leong was more difficult to see so I saw dr takatani. This vet really liked bill padding and kept lightly bullying me into unnecessary tests and meds. I refused to see her and would wait for dr leong. Then dr leong did the same and I ended up paying over $2k on unnecessary tests and meds only be told my 16 year old dog had.wait for it.arthritis. They made me fear it was cancer and it was arthritis. Didn't bother to rule that out first?

Then the unthinkable happened. My dog had a small growth that didn't grow much for years. She was old so we agreed to just keep an eye on it. Then it started getting bigger. We decided if she was stable it should be removed and quickly because it was growing fast all of a sudden. Her blood work came back perfect and her X-rays showed the growth was not attached to anything important and was superficial and could be quickly and easily removed. They had to pass her info along to a surgeon and check his availability. After a week I heard nothing so I called. The receptionist giggled and said oopsie she forgot to call the surgeon. I waited two days and called again. She forgot AGAIN. I waited 2 more days and still didn't get a call so I called again. She informed me the surgeon only had one appointment available before he went on vacation for the holidays. I said I'd take it. Didn't hear back. Called the next day and she told me that the appointment was already taken so my dog couldn't be seen until January. I asked if my dog could wait that long and I was reassured that it would be just fine. In January I drop her off and go to work. I was expecting to pick her up after work but I get a call around 11am that she was sedated and prepped but the surgeon said the growth was now inoperable because it grew into her urethra and bladder. This was a death sentence. The person who called me showed no compassion for telling my dog would now have to be euthanized then asked when I'd be collecting her and paying for the prep and sedation. I absolutely lost it. The audacity! Pay? ! They wanted hundreds of dollars from me when all they did is essentially inform me they killed my dog. I picked her up and was not asked to pay. I took her home and spent a few days with her then had her euthanized. She was old yes but still went for long walks, could jump on and off the bed, played with toys and friends, and was enjoying her life which was cut short because no one could be bothered to pick up the phone and set up an appointment.

This was all during COVID during which I lost 3 jobs. I was broke and struggling. They cut me off my other dogs incontinence meds because I couldn't afford the extremely over priced senior wellness exam to keep her prescription that she's safely taken for several years. I ended up having to live in Colorado briefly when I lost my last job and was able to get her prescriptions there for a much reduced price. It was COVID and the world was in chaos and it was not a controlled drug. They could have shown compassion but declined. I tried to get a new vet but now no one, even emergency vets, were taking new patients so I was stuck.

My younger dog now has pneumonia, which was diagnosed and being treated at TCAH. I had to return the next day to bring a fecal sample which they lost forcing me to take time off work for a third hour long drive in a week. They also failed to make a phone call or follow up in any way which seems to be a common practice here.

Additionally the new vet I saw seemed very confused about basic veterinary medicine, in stark contrast to dr leong who is very sharp and competent. This practice seems to have one very smart and capable vet/owner (dr leong) who surrounds herself with the most inept supplementary staff imaginable.

I've gone in to collect my dogs records and have found a new vet.

I have never had a bad experience with any of the staff. They are all so kind to my fur babies and never have I felt rushed or unheard. People doctors should care this much about their patients.

Unfortunately the quality of customer service has gone down here. The clinic owner is now the only vet on staff. It is extremely difficult to get an appointment and then once you do you aren’t given an appointment card, email confirmation, or anything of the like. You run the risk of being told one date and having it turn out to be another (as is what happened to me). Ashley (desk clerk) is extremely rude. Don’t waste your time requesting a call back from the doctor because you’ll be told that you will get a call back in 24-48 hours, wait over a week, and still never receive a call.

So unfortunate too because in Fall 2022 this was still the best vet clinic in OC. The doctor retains rude employees who are costing her money and is spread too thin.