Charlestown Veterinary Hospital

Wonderful vet. They helped us through a very difficult time with our cat Hobbes, who has since passed. They sent a very nice sympathy card afterwards. You can tell they really care. We still take our other cat there, and just adopted a rescue that will be a new patient. Can’t speak highly enough of them.

So beyond pleased with Charlestown Vet Hospital! I did a lot of research before deciding which vet would be best for us, and finally decided based on proximity to our house.
We took our 11 week old golden to see Dr. Sell today for her second vaccinations. On the ride there our puppy was so nervous to be in her car crate/​in the car in general that she went poo and was then covered in it :(. Very clearly upset about be whole thing, and not knowing what to do next, I was helped by Ryan who took her in immediately — bathed her and asked me to bring the crate in so he could clean it fully. He also gave me air freshener for the car which was very thoughtful.
He was very thorough about the vaccines she would be getting and explained all the other options. He was never pushy and actually told me not to get certain vaccines if she wouldn’t be in the wilderness or hiking for long periods of time.
The vaccines themselves were quick and easy and our puppy Charlie seemed calm and happy with Dr. Sell.
The place is clean and modern and we will definitely be returning :)
Thanks very much again, Ryan! We really appreciate it.

We looked at a few options when it was time to spay our dog. This office is a little more expensive than others, but our dog was more comfortable there and they seem more attentive to our dog than other offices we checked out. When it came to having the surgery, we wanted to make sure our pup didn’t have more added stress, so this is the office we went with. They were clear in their direction prior to surgery and were flexible on pick up.
Ryan, the tech, was very helpful and responsive to all of my questions (and I called several times after picking up the dog) and he also followed up with a call a few days later to see if she was healing well. The stitches looked very neat, and the incision healed perfectly – Thank you Dr. Sell!

I love Charlestown Veterinary Hospital. I went their Thursday (10÷8÷15) for my dogs check-​up, had to get his shots updated. We get their, my dog who’s a two yr old Jack Russell gets so excited when we arrive, the staff their is so friendly and compassionate to him he can’t sit still. This is my 3^rd Jack Russell (over the years) and this is the only place I’ve ever taken him, the Vet and her staff treat him like family, and my pooch loves that. I could go on an on about how great this place is, but anyone reading this I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Charlestown Veterinary Hospital. If your looking for a Vet with tender loving care then this is the place for you. Thank You Misty, Ryan an Kim… for all your help…

I have lived in Boston since 1975. I have had 2 kitties at all times between 1975 and 2015. I have been to many vets in Boston and the Boston area over the years. I also came into contact with a number of vets having grown up on a farm and having a horse stable. Dr. Sell is exceptional in every way. She is a «stand-​out» compared to the numerous vets that have treated my cats over the years. Dr. Sell is the most compassionate vet I’ve ever had. I have the utmost confidence in her and feel so fortunate to have found her. Great facility! Ryan (vet tech) is wonderful as well as Kim, the receptionist. I recommend her wholeheartedly.

I had a great experience here! I brought my two kitties in this afternoon for a regular checkup and to get their vaccines updated and we had a great time!
Experience with the staff: Ryan, the tech, was very friendly and helpful. Dr. Sell was so kind to us and did a great job explaining one of my kitties’ heart problems in a way that actually made sense. The last vet we took him to (VCA Brookline) was very pushy about us getting an MRI done, but Dr. Sell did a great job explaining why it was important to do the imaging but did not at all make me feel pressure to get it done right away. Instead, she said it was something to think about saving up for, which makes sense and made me feel a lot better about the whole thing (I’ll start saving right away, Dr. Sell!). She also had some really helpful suggestions for getting our fat kitty into shape (and she didn’t try to sell us any expensive food, which I really appreciated). Overall, thought she had a great bedside manner– she was very gentle when giving them there shots and she even sent my boys home with some toys for the ride home! I’m so relieved that I found such a great vet so close to home!
Price: I thought the pricing was quite reasonable– definitely comparable or less than what we’ve paid in the past.
Location: The building is in kind of an odd spot, but actually this is perfect. It’s tucked away in this little corner of an industrial park-​type area with lots of warehouses. My cats are very nervous about traffic, so it was helpful to have a very quiet parking lot with no cars driving by and no one around.

I just got back from an appointment here for an annual check up with my little baby Shorkie named Peanut. I just moved to the area so I needed to find a vet.
I walked in and was greeted by the friendly receptionist, who immediately began playing with Peanut. He was obsessed with her! She was so great! The facility, from what I could see, was clean and modern, as all the other Unilocalers had said. I was pleased. I immediately explained I was just there for the check up, and she said it was 65 dollars. I asked about Bortadella prices and she quoted around 25, so I was okay with that. I wanted him up to date with the shots he needed.
Then, the service provided was flipped 180 degrees when I was brought into an exam room by a vet tech who immediately put me off with his attitude. Peanut didn’t want to go near him and the way he handled peanut was almost like he doesn’t like dogs. Weird… maybe he was having a bad day? Never met a vet tech like that.
He started asking me questions and I would answer them, maybe a little elaborately but with important information, and he would cut me off with the next question. Obviously not a people person either. Then he told me peanut needed to be tested for heartworm and the bordatella was due. i said, we have him on heartworm meds and told him we just wanted to do the bordatella today. He said «Okay, just so you know you won’t be able to refill the heartworm medication without being retested» I said I understood and they run out in about a month so I will set up an appointment for the testing on a later date. I explained I had limited funds with me, and he said «Well, just so you know, it will cost extra to make another appointment and do it then» and I said «Okay, that’s fine — my fiancé is the one with all the money anyway, so we will make an appointment for peanut to be tested for heartworm later this month when Paul can come in».
He said «Okay. Will you pick him up for me and hand him to me? Sometimes they are less scared if their owners pick them up first and feel more comfortable. I am going to just take him in the back for blood work»
LETS PAUSE: Shouldn’t they be comfortable with a vet tech? Peanut is so friendly and loves almost everyone! I worry he will go home with a stranger if I don’t keep an eye on him in the dog park.
Okay, I said… thinking he couldn’t be so daft as to actually run the bloodwork on peanut that I literally just finished telling him NOT TO DO. I guess this is part of the check up.
Off he goes, and Peanut comes back into the room shaking.
Fast forward through the lovely visit with the actually veterinarian who gave him bordatella and he gave her kisses. I go back to the reception desk and am told I owe 154 dollars… 60 of which was for HEARTWORM TEST (LIME DISEASE, AND OTHER CRAP I NEVER ASKED FOR THAT HE DID IN THE ROOM IN BACK DIRECTLY AFTER I TOLD HIM NOT TO)
I told the receptionist… I just wanted bordatella, i told him no when he asked about the heartworm test, multiple times. After further reviewing the bill, and the conversation I had with the vet tech in my head, I couldn’t help but asking to speak with the vet tech. He insisted I told him to do the test after he said it was going to be more money to come back in. When I said «No… I told you Paul has more money and I would come in another time with him» He said «Well we already ran the test, so what do you want me to do? We can’t do anything about it now».
He seemed nervous when I asked for his manager, and was very vague about the details. He said she went on lunch. I asked when she would be back. He said in an hour or two. I said can I have her information. He said no, he doesnt have her card unfortunately. I said can you write down her information. He wrote down on a sticky note «Dr. Sell».
I will end this review with… WTF

I really, really wanted to love this vet and I did at first. But over a year, I fell out of love and have now moved on (to an in-​home vet service). I have 4 beloved animals: 2 cats and 2 dogs
PROS:
— Location… for me, walkable
— Very clean and the right size… not too big or small
— Modern, up to date
— Competent… I never questioned this, which at the end o the day, is all that really should matter.
— Friendly
WHY I LEFT:
— I never left there feeling proud or happy with how much I love and care for my animals. They were too heavy, too this, too that… this is a hard thing to put my finger on. My animals are the love of my life and I want validation for all I do for them
— There was too high a focus on selling me things that were not needed or extra. I know vets do this pretty much across the board, but this fact upsets me and connected to my point above.
— The two times I emailed with health questions, they just cut and pasted from the Internet. I know this, because I had already DONE good research and I needed a second/​real opinion. When I addressed this, they made ME feel like I was at fault for wanting more than cut and paste from the Internet.
— When I requested my files for transfer, they never once asked why or what I was not happy with. To lose a consistent, good paying client with 4 animals, with no response, seems sad to me. Especially as a «new-​ish» business.
I do wish them luck and I think they have great potential. They were just not for me.

Love this place– everyone was super friendly and helpful, Dr. Sell was WONDERFUL with my nervous dog, and the prices were reasonable. Definitely the best vet in Boston.

I was looking for a new vet for my dog and cat about 6 – 8 months ago, after the vet I was using moved further away from the city. I was initially disappointed that another highly rated vet wasn’t taking on new patients at the time. Then I found out about the newly opened Charlestown Vet on the Charlestown/​Somerville line, and decided to give it a shot. I am SO glad I did! Misty Sell and her staff are super helpful, friendly, professional and thorough. My dog has teeth troubles, and had his 2^nd dental cleaning here a few months back. It was a much better experience than the one he had at my previous vet. At the same time, Dr Sell doesn’t make more out of things than is the case. If something isn’t necessary, she’ll tell you that. I trust her and that makes all the difference. The facility is immaculate. Prices are also reasonable. If you are looking for a new vet in the Charlestown /​Somerville /​Cambridge area, I would highly recommend making an appointment with them!

We just returned from Charlestown Veterinary Hospital and have to say this place is awesome! Our cat leo had some urinary issues, and the team right away were compassionate, warm, and even had Leo relaxed (as much as he could be anyway). The office is super clean, charming and welcoming which is needed when you know you’re little one is sick. Dr. Sell and her team were obviously extremely knowledgable, and they explained things to us in non-​medical terms which was comforting. I highly recommend Charlestown Vet to anyone seeking out high quality medical care for their furry little friends!

The care we have received for our many animals has been consistently so good that we followed Dr. Sell from another practice to this one that she opened in Charlestown.
Our experience with a number of other practices over the years has been that they’ve gotten far more interested in maximizing profits and pushing people to do everything that can conceivably be tested for or tried, regardless of whether it’s truly needed, likely to be of benefit, or something the owner wants and can afford.
Not so with Dr. Sell. She’s so skilled and gentle, so thorough and in tune with people as well as animals, and has staff with the same priorities, that every time she’s cared for one of our animals, we’ve felt we received trustworthy information, good guidance, compassionate care for our beloved friends, and in the end were sure we were doing what was in our animal’s best interests. Fees are reasonable, the office is comfortable and low-​stress, the staff are sweet and competent, it’s easy to get an appointment, and there’s plenty of parking.
PS Don’t be put off by the industrial area. The office is a hidden jewel!

On New Years Day, we were out playing in the snow with the kids and our 8 year old black lab mix, when she gave a Unilocal and wouldn’t put weight down on one of her back legs. We took her home and I checked her over (I’m a Nurse Practitioner for Adults) and figured there wasn’t any breaks — and when I did a bit more research assumed she had torn her CCL (equivalent to her ACL). I decided I should get her seen sooner rather than later (as our Vet is CT) and called Charlestown Vet when they opened the next morning — and they got us in that morning. I had done some research and knew there was a pretty standard test to verify a torn CCL and had a pretty good idea on what physical exam would be given — but figured I would go with the suggestions of the Vetenarian. Dr. Sell was excellent — she was kind, thorough and did the «drawer test» and confirmed that our dog had indeed torn her CCL. I was wondering if she would suggest x-​rays but she was comfortable with her physical exam (I was impressed — I’ve always seen that the best practitioners rely on their skills and experience — extra tests are used to rule out only when they are unsure of a diagnosis — so I knew I had someone with experience when I watched her with her exam). I was prepared to be told surgery was the only option — but Dr. Sell actually told me we had 2 options: Surgery or Medical (natural healing). I decided to try the Medical Heal for the interim — as our dog is 8 years old and we already had confirmed arthritis in her knees before — so knew that knee surgery wasn’t gaurenteed great results. Dr. Sell gave us a prescription for 2 pain medications to keep her comfortable and told us to get her rest and follow up with our Vet in Ct (we knew we had to take her to our parents in law for her to rest and avoid stairs).
I’ve had bad experiences at other vets in the area that seem to push too many tests, xrays or blood work (example — I had found a tick on our dog last summer on the Cape, took her to the Vet and asked for a prescription for an antibiotic to prevent Lymes Disease — treat it propholactically (as we do in humans) as it’s endepmic on the Cape — the vet wanted to run hundreds of dollars in blood work and tests to rule out a variety of diseases — I knew the liklihood of these other diseases were slim, but said I would monitor for any signs and symptoms — it was a battle to walk out with prescription — and the visit cost me over $ 300 for a basic physical exam. However, my visit to Dr. Sell was far more thorough, thoughtful and comprehensive and the entire visit cost us $ 125. I plan on switching our care to Dr. Sell. Our dog is doing better week after week — and in the interim I’ve also had a chance to do more research and read published research on strategies for a CCL injury in dogs and am so happy the Dr. Sell gave us the option of the Medical Healing — as the published research supports that a natural heal can achieve the same results as surgery — and sometimes better results in older dogs. (In humans, surgery is often the last option — I can’t figure out why so many vets push it as the first and only option). I can’t recommend Dr. Sell highly enough for her expertise and knowledge into understanding what is best for the animal. We are lucky to have her in Charlestown and thought I’d share with other animal owners in our Community!

After trying to get in with another highly-​rated vet on Unilocal who is not currently accepting new clients, we’re really happy we found Charlestown Veterinary Hospital. We recently adopted a Boxer/​Terrier mix and came in for a wellness visit. Dr. Sell and her vet tech were very friendly, welcoming, and were really wonderful with our dog, Alfie! They were right on time for our appointment, there was no pushiness or that «rushed feeling» during the exam, and the prices are super reasonable/​competitive for the area. They both asked several times if I had any further questions/​concerns, and I felt they were very thorough. Even though Alfie had to get two vaccinations, it was obvious he was trusting and super comfortable with both of them, and I’m happy to have the peace of mind that we’ve found a competent, caring vet!

These ladies are the real deal. I recently took my cat in because he had stopped eating, started drooling a lot and I noticed a growth under his tongue. Before updating his shots, etc. we discussed and opted for a week of antibiotics to rule out an infection. I went back 3 weeks later as it turned out to be a cancerous tumor and now had to do what every pet owner dreads. Dr. Sell and the tech were the most compassionate and caring professionals to help me along this difficult journey. They even sent me a card after the fact, which gave me much needed peace… the reassurance of knowing I did the right thing.
Their fees and costs are very reasonable and they won’t pressure you into doing anything you are uncomfortable with or can’t afford — like many vets I’ve been to. They will listen and discuss every option and any concerns you have.
This team is everything you could ask for. Plus the office is immaculate and they really do offer you a beverage — unfortunately not the strong kind I needed, but there is a great tavern around the corner.

I just returned from Charlestown Vet and had such a positive experience I wanted to review it right away!
I have been to many vets over the years of owning dogs, cats, horses, hamsters (yes, we took the hamster to the vet… turned out he was allergic to his cedar shavings.) and I’ve mainly had great experiences… but since owning just cats, I haven’t really loved a vet so much I couldn’t easily leave/​trying someone else…
After today, I am happy to say I’ve found a vet I hope sticks around Charlestown and does well. Dr. Sell, the vet and Erin, the tech are absolutely fabulous, enthusiastic, and clearly in love with what they do.
They spent time talking with me about my cats and recommended a vaccine I wasn’t planning to get. Instead of just doing it, Erin simply recommended it but gave me the option to wait or decline. I really appreciated that, as I’ve had some experiences with vets that just do what they think before asking.
The office itself is tucked away behind tavern at the end of the world but there are plenty of signs leading there. The best part: PARKING! PLENTY OF PARKING! The office is new, bright, sunny and very clean.
I hope that Charlestown and other area residents consider Charlestown Vet as it is a new business that deserves to thrive. I know I’ll be returning with my cats and any future pet additions to the family for years to come.

I usually just take my cats to low cost clinics for their annual shots, but I needed somewhere to take my cat because she was showing signs of a UTI. After being told by other veterinarians that they were not taking new customers, I decided to give this place a try since they were two minutes away. At first I was nervous because they did not have any reviews, but then I saw they had just opened in April.
They were absolutely wonderful! While other places might have insisted my cat gets x-​rays and bloodwork done, they gave my cat an exam, and a prescription for antibiotics, meaning I walked out paying a lot less than what I was expecting. I read that other places charge upwards of $ 600 just to diagnose your cat with a UTI, and I walked out paying less than $ 100. Please keep in mind that my cat was not exhibiting any signs of illness other than urinating outside her litter box.
In addition to the reasonable costs, the veterinarian and the tech were incredibly nice and attentive. The office is beautiful, they offered us coffee or water when we arrived, complimented our kitty, and gave our kitty a plush Halloween mouse toy. They also have treats for both dogs and cats at the front counter.
I am really happy I finally discovered a veterinarian in Boston that is so awesome!