Somerville Veterinary Center

As many other reviewers have noted, this vet Center is profit driven. I took my cat here today to establish care as we just moved and need a regular vet. Before even meeting my cat or examining him, they tried to sell me a long list of “suggested” bloodwork for a number of diseases that he doesn’t have. He’s in good health. When I said he’s in good health and I’m just here to establish care, the vet assistant said “it’s my job to tell you this”. Okay. Secondly, my cat can be aggressive at the vet because he gets scared. The vet acted like she had never touched a cat before. She didn’t put on protective gloves or even use a towel to try and pick him up out of the cage. She asked me to do it? And then when he hisses she said she wouldn’t do a check up. I’ve been to the vet many times with my cat, and while he can be aggressive, vets and their assistants are trained to deal with that. I won’t be going back and I don’t recommend this place to anyone.

Horrible Vet. I recently moved to Boston and tried this vet. They only want money, only care scheduling the next appointment. The personal its good, sadly there system is very corrupt. Would have liked someone to tell me this before giving my trust to this organization.

TLDR: DO NOT let this clinic tell you that you must come in and pay for a follow-up visit to obtain results of your pet's labs or tests. They are legally obligated to give you your pet's medical records upon request just like your own doctor would. Here, they intentionally withhold information and milk their clients for unnecessary visits as they value money above all.

This is not a complaint towards any particular individual at the Somerville Vet Center, but rather a commentary on the clinic's questionable policies and ethics. While I have chosen to find a different vet for my dog, I’m hoping that this clinic either changes its practices, or at least that this helps inform current and future clients of their rights as pet owners.

My dog had been having GI issues for a few weeks so we took him in for stool testing which came back positive for Giardia. They prescribed medication and told us to come drop off another sample in 3-4 weeks, so we did just that. Two days later, I called the clinic to ask about the results of the test (which we had already paid for) and was informed that they will not release results until I come in for a follow-up. As doctors, their job is to advocate for the animal’s health and help owners make informed decisions.... this could not have been further from the truth here. Later that day, I spoke with a supervisor and informed them that it is actually illegal to withhold medical records upon request – only after that was mentioned, they sent me the results immediately. My dog’s labs came back negative for Giardia and all other infections/parasites. Knowing this, they still had full intent to take my money. Truthfully, we haven’t loved this place from the start (for various reasons), but this last incident was enough to end our relationship and finally find a better & more honest practice for our pup!

I never do bad reviews but I believe others should be warned of the poor services at this clinic. Horrible service and personnel don't show caring for the animals. We called the clinic to get some suggestions on how to proceed with our dog's alarming symptoms. They are unwilling to connect us to the right place to go nor be seen by a technician or a staff member to see if it's something to go to an urgent care. Even rude to us. We didn't ask to be seen on same day but just to see of we are dealing with an emergency or can wait 4 more days to be seen by someone at their clinic. Even with the personnel there no one had the decency to check on our dog. I advice you to go elsewhere if you want to receive optimal services of a vet office who really cares about your dog and love for their profession.

Our dog is suffering and they could care less. Maybe someone in the clinic may reply and deny this, but this is what happened to me today and very unfortunate. Won't be going to this clinic again and took a copy of my dog's record.

When I moved to the Boston area I tried a few different vets, including 2 others in Somerville. I just didn't like any of them for different reasons. A friend recommended this place and we've been coming here for about 5 years now. They do a great job! I haven't been able to get to know one vet because we tend to always see a different one and luckily we haven't needed anything too major, but I have always had a good experience. The office staff is always very friendly and helpful and they keep good records. Highly recommended.

This post is from the perspective of a job applicant.

I recently scheduled a phone interview with Somerville Veterinary Center for a posted position through Indeed. Shortly before the interview start time, I was asked if the interview could be pushed back an hour. I was flexible and said yes. I received a phone call from a hiring manager at the rescheduled time, but the call seemed to have dropped within a minute. I called back twice, left a voicemail, and followed up through Indeed. Four days later, I received an email through Indeed letting me know Somerville Veterinary Center had decided to move forward in the interview process without me. I took time off from work to interview for a position at this practice and would have appreciated more professional behavior. Applicants beware.

I've been bringing my cat here for a few years now and it wasn't bad, they're open for longer hours and do most things. However, they have drastically increased their prices, because I was charged over $500 for a basic annual wellness visit. I will be changing vets because I can't afford that much for one visit when others in the area are below 200 for all the same services