Pet Talk: My Favorite San Gabriel Valley Vets

When I visit Kaiser Permanente, I seldom cavort, dance, or shake my booty. I choose a quiet corner in the waiting room, and refrain from sniffing other patients. I keep drool to a minimum and resist kissing the doctor when he takes my temperature.

But then, my doctor is not a veterinarian. 

Everyone in my house has a crush on their vet. Maybe it’s because vets really seem to love their job and their patients.  That alone separates them from most people-doctors I know.

Dr. Domotor at the Animal House in Monrovia has been in the business of, among other things, keeping my boxer alive over the past decade. I won't embarrass Phoebe by going into her various ailments  (let's just say "intestinal difficulties" and leave it at that),  but I think the fact that she has made it to 15 years old is testimonial enough.

As animal hospitals go, Dr Domotor’s is the luxury edition. Expansive waiting area, examination rooms decorated in homey, farmhouse style. Best of all, the doors are made of glass, so no one feels trapped, and we can watch all sorts of interesting characters pass by, and not just human, canine, and feline.

When short on time,  I can drop Phoebe off at the Animal House for treatment during the day and pick her up on the way home from work.  

The vet technicians have a gentle hand, and Dr. Domotor herself will spend all the time you need discussing your pet’s health, options, case history.

Given the attention she lavishes on all her patients, Dr. Domotor is usually many (ahem) minutes late for an appointment. And the care doesn't come cheap. 

This may be partially due to her enthusiasm for tests, x-rays, blood panels, and such.  But the tests are suggestions, not a requirement; you can opt-out, which  I’ve finally chosen to do. Phoebe is 105 in dog years (Phoebe claims 100, but she lies about her age), and I don’t think any test will tell us how to turn back that clock.

Dr. Domotor's Animal House:  Two paws up!

Albert, the  three-year old lab,  takes his trade to Vanderhoof’s Veterinary Hospital in Altadena. When I first got Albert he was fresh from the mean streets -- hungry, thirsty, and scared of absolutely everything, from gardening equipment to paper cups (yeah, I know, go figure).

More than anything, though, he was terrified of doorways. So on his initial visit to Vanderhoof’s, he gave a big No Way until one of the technicians got on the sidewalk next to him, and the two walked in the door together, on all fours. Since then Albert  thinks Vanderhoof’s is right up there with food and fetch.

Vanderhoof's doesn't offer the same amenities as Dr. Domotor's -- that drop off and pick-up concierge service, for example.  But the vets, in my opinion, are excellent, and the staff really, really nice. Their magazine selection could use some updating. 

Vanderhoof's Veterinary Hospital:  Two paws up!

And one more local vet shout-out goes to Dr. J. David Wheat of Arcadia.  I think everyone who has a horse in San Gabriel Valley has heard of Dr. Wheat, and that includes some of the trainers at Santa Anita Racetrack.  My horse Vandy is rather fragile; a 900-pound delicate flower.

We’ve been through everything – founder, bowed tendons, pulled ligaments, bone spurs. She’s had wraps, packs, bandages, casts, stitches. Let’s just say Vandy’s my million dollar baby.For whatever reason, Vandy tends to injure herself on major holidays, either really early in the morning, or very late at night.  Dr. Wheat is  the same, friendly, sweet, sunny Dr. Wheat at 2 a.m. that he is during a scheduled appointment at 10 a.m.

Dr J. David Wheat:  Two hooves up!

If any of the aforementioned vets ever expand to human clientele,  I'll be first in line. Cavorting, dancing, and shaking my booty.