Central Veterinary Hospital

I am very happy with my first experience here! My cat was well taken care of and prices were very reasonable ! Kudos to this place!

If you know dog lovers in the Tri-​City area, as we do, most all of them agree Central Vet is the best veterinary hospital in the area. 6 years ago our lab-​chow of 18 years passed away in her sleep. I called them out of blue, looking for someone who could help us, as our current vet was closed and unavailable. Central Vet opened their door well after hours to take care of us. It was a difficult time for us, but the guy who was working was terrific and very understanding. He noted he couldn’t get his cats to live as long as our Kumi and said she must have lived a good life; he managed to get smiles from a very tearful family. Never forget that. Three years later, we were ready for another canine family member and brought home the biggest breed God ever made, an English Mastiff (my wife wanted a big dog and she wasn’t kidding). We had no doubt who we wanted to be our puppy’s doctor – we went back to Central Vet and have been with Dr. Bruno for over three years. Dr. Bruno did the spay on Zo and has been caring for her since she was 8 weeks old, from less than 20 lbs to almost 200. One Saturday Zoe cut her hind leg on a fence nail. They practically shut down the office as they had five girls holding Zoe down while the doctor stapled her wound shut, but he came back and chuckled and said, «For a giant dog, Zoe is really, really good – she didn’t even flinch.» A couple days later I brought Zobo back for her check-​up/​dressing change and the smallest girl on staff took care of our giant girl all by herself. Due to it’s location, the wound took an extremely long time to heal, so we went back for many visits and they were always great – they appreciated the 42″ diameter «cone-​of-​shame» I had to make for Zo! All the techs/​assistants/​office personnel there have been consistently wonderful over the years. Their love for animals has not interfered with the great care they provide. Zobo sheds like a bear and slobbers like a faucet, but she gets nothing but love and attention from the staff. We added a French Mastiff to our family a year after Zoe was born to give her a sister to play with and she has received excellent care as well. Mia has somewhat of an anxiety issue, but thankfully, Dr. Bruno and the staff has worked around it. Dr. Bruno gave us some guidance and we find Mimo is getting better. Zoe is a 6’2″, 200lb. love bug and has the sweetish disposition of any dog we’ve ever had in our extended family, from Chihuahuas to German Shepherds; none of them have been as eager to love and be loved as Zobo. We know having a good vet plays a role in that. Thank you Central Veterinary Hospital!

Best Vet in all the Bay Area! Dr Dunlap is great and so is the staff there! I would not take my dog anywhere else!!!

We took our precious Yorkie who needed massive dental work. We previously went to ace vet but was not happy with them. We were referred by a friend They were great and caring and loving my corky. Highly recommend and trust them.

Great staff. Great service. Great doctors. A place you can trust. My dog is really comfortable to visit this office. I
made a wrong decision to change the office just because to save some extra bucks. After the bad experience Brewsky and I went through at Uni Pet Vet office in Union City, I realized that by saving some extra money actually was not worthy at all if it is really a concern for your beloved best friend. Your pet is really needed to be where the utmost care is given.

Terrible experience at this veterinary hospital. Arrived 15 min early, had to wait an additional 35 min, my dog got some antibiotics and a bandage, i took off the bandage and his wound was worse than when i had come in. How do u manage that? I come back, the veterinary «professional» eyeballs my dogs wound and tells me he has cancer and to enjoy the rest of my time with him. How can you diagnose my dog without testing? All this place did was make my dogs bump bigger and bleed and send me home in tears. I took him to a real veterinary hospital and they ran some tests which i will find out about soon. Regardless of what results I get, Dr. Hedge made me feel like there was no hope and my dog is going to die tomorrow. I dont care what she thinks, but there are better ways of handling situations and there is always some kind of hope or alternative. Needless to say I will not be bringing my dog back here. I really feel like this place just tries to prolong situations in order to have people come back and spend more money rather than reach some kind of solution or treatment.

I recently got a mixed breed terrier puppy and decided to go with central vet because her ‘breeders’ went there. Couldn’t be happier with the service. As a first time puppy owner with little to no experience training, they have provided me with excellent service, advice and piece of mind. The first time I took her in for a round of shots, the vet tech took the time to tell me a lot of excellent information about where to get puppy classes and even gave me specific training advice that pertained to my individual needs based on our yard size, etc. I’ve called the vet several times with questions and everyone on their staff that I’ve spoken to is knowledgeable and eager to help. I even called asking about flea treatments and my vet took the time to call me himself to go over the options. Great place!

I’ve been coming to Central Vet for about the past 7 years. Dr. Dunlap is so awesome with DaeDae before he passed and was the 1 that realized that he had a bigger problem before he passed away. He’s great with Smokie Joe too.
The staff is friendly and always helpful. Very clean too.

I just wanted to take a moment to be sure to finally sit and write what a wonderful veterinary hospital this is. I’ve taken my pets here over the years Cats and dogs and the dr were always so kind and the staff. Especially Elizabeth What a angel who truly is in a job that shows she loves what she does and is there for the animals losing a pet is like losing a family member and I’ve dealt with more than i ever want to buy at least when you go here you know they are fighting for your pet not just your wallet. Believe me I know the money is what keeps practice going and for what they do they deserve so much more but knowing they care as well is priceless
Thank you central vet

I have been going Central Veterinary Hospital with my various dogs since 1988. I love Dr. Victoria Bruno and Dr. Tane McKee. Both are excellent veterinarians and surgeons and I totally trust them both. Also The staff there is always friendly and helpful. They care about my dogs and about me. I recommend them highly.

Maybe everyone hates the vet where they have to put their dog down.
My dog had a bad back injury. The technician came to take him in back, and we told him how to pick up our dog to minimize his stress. The tech brushed us off, carried him out the door to the back room and my dog immediately sprayed the entire room with diarrhea. My husband and I sit waiting in the adjacent exam room feeling terrible that it happened and for ten minutes the techs complained about the diarrhea, the bad smell, «oh my god there’s more back here!» and cleaning it up. We couldn’t not hear it as they are located right outside a thin wall and door. It was strange – part of me was really happy that they all got sprayed and had to clean up smelly sh** for not lifting the dog carefully and being too fast, but also felt terrible that it happened in the first place. I thought they should just shut up and clean it because we can hear everything and are boiling with fury and guilt on the other side of the door. ULtimately they made me feel that I didn’t advocate enough for my dog and I don’t like the feeling. That tech dealt with a dog with a back injury without seeming to think much about what manner he carried him. We kind of thought «well maybe he knows» as he is a tech after all, and we ourselves struggle to pick him up carefully, but we almost instantly regretted it when my dog Unilocaled and sprayed poop everywhere.
Eventually we put him down at that office and switched to ACE for our other pet. So far pretty happy with them but haven’t had any major health issues to put them to the test, but I had to go back to Central recently for an immediate appointment time. (That’s one thing they do have, in my experience, is openings fairly immediately, which is good for avoiding emergency fees and the sole reason I return.)
So I’m back at Central, and once again, I was sitting in the exam room waiting to find out if my dog’s eye injury is going to blind her, while hearing them chattering away in a gossipy manner. They should have their chatty conversations somewhere else. I just don’t like having them congregating and chattering when I’m upset and worried. And there was another couple in an exam room having their pet put down and surely they had to sit there listening to the same inane jabber. It’s not that I expect them to work in silence or never talk it’s just too much right outside the exam doors when People are worried about their pet. Maybe it’s just an unfortunate office layout. But they talk too much and not about pets and you’re forced to listen while you wait. Also the vet (who had been one of the speakers chatting about wtfever while I waited) breezed into the exam room speaking at a high volume and my dog was already shaking with anxiety/​pain.

nothing is more fun than waking up and stepping on a huge pool of doggie vomit.
well i have central veterinary hospital to thank for giving us the WRONG dose of medication for my baby and ODing her. the weight criteria on the box is double my dog’s weight on the vet’s label. how was i supposed to know to not trust the vet’s label?!
When we called them, they told us to call the emergency vet for help and when we called the ER, they told us to call poison control who was going to charge us $ 60! They never called back to check up on my dog and showed no remorse. When I went to exchange my medication for the correct one and asked how this happened, the receptionist said «we just gave you the wrong medication.» Like the rest of the reviews, the techs and receptionists really don’t seem to care about our dogs.
p. s. my dog has taken the correct dose of this medication from a previous vet without any issues.
i also came home from work to more doggie vomit. thanks for that too.

Greg and I can’t thank you enough for SAVING Crackers life!!! On Sat Feb 21, 2015 Crackers, a 12lb Chinese Crested, was ran over by a 1 ton pickup. He was rushed to SAGE Veterinary Hospital where he was stabilized until he could be transported to CVH to have MAJOR surgery. Bill and Team performed the surgery, repairing a torn stomach wall (shredded was the word used) and managed Crackers pain. Now 10 days later Crackers is coming HOME! He is being called «The Miracle Dog» and it is because of the excellent care he received — THANK YOU Bill and Staff!

Received a referral to see Dr. Bentham for our puppy’s first checkup. Also saw the Unilocal reviews and looks like it was a can’t miss spot and our future vet for our puppy. Dr. Bentham was not available, so we ended up meeting with Dr. Dunlap.
Waited in the waiting room for at least 30 minutes for Dr. Dunlap. We finally get in there and he starts going through the exam. My wife asks him a question roughly 2 minutes into the exam and he blows her off by responding ‘we’ll discuss that towards the end’. A few minutes more into the examination and I ask a question and he responds ‘we only have 15 minutes for this checkup and I would like to get as much covered during that time!’ My jaw like literally dropped after that response, especially with this being our first puppy and first appointment — you would think that we would get a little more of a welcoming experience!
The whole exam seemed like he was in a rush and as far as being able to ask general questions regarding our puppy, basically flew out the door. As the appointment concluded, my wife may have gotten one more question out of the handful she never got to ask Dr. Dunlap while I was just dead silent. I pressed my luck and asked one more question and when i mean one more, it really was one more — as after the question was asked Dr. Dunlap said ‘OK THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION BECAUSE I REALLY HAVE TO GO’!!! Jaw Drop number 2 for me… I cannot believe how unprofessional he was in front of me, my wife, and daughter. DR. DUNLAP IS JUST PLAIN RUDE!
Now for the exam and what was prescribed by Dr. Dunlap — he provided my puppy his final DHPP shot and had requested to give him his one year booster the second week of January. My puppy is only 4 months and I’ve read and heard of Vet’s over vaccinating, so perform your due diligence for all you newbies with new pup’s out there on this topic. Also, when I made my appointment over the phone — they had requested to bring in a fecal sample a day before our appointment. On the day of our appointment, Dr. Dunlap confirmed that my dog had Giardia. He had none of the symptoms that come with this parasite (diarrhea, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, weight loss, etc…) and yet he still prescribed him with Metronidazole and Panacur for him to take up to 10 days. After those 10 days he requested two more fecal samples to ensure that the Giardia had passed. (how convenient at $ 32.75 a pop).
Exam completed and time to check out and just pay my bill so I can rid myself of this horrible, horrible visit (i wish my wife had one of those Neuraylzer’s that Will Smith had in Men In Black to make me forget this whole experience). Of course, I waited another half hour for Dr. Dunlap to complete my puppy’s chart — why should I be surprised?
For obvious reasons, our business was done with Dr. Dunlap and Central Veterinary Hospital once we stepped out. I called another veterinarian in the Tri-​City area and they were awesome, exactly the kind of treatment we were hoping for. I guess I really can say Thanks Dr. Dunlap for being the way you are. Without your RUDENESS we would have never found our new Veterinarian!
PS…Yelp is there a way to give a negative star because Dr. James Dunlap does not deserve even one star.

This vet is very unorganized and pushy. I felt like I was talking to a used cars salesman.
We went in to this vet because it was the only one open since it was the day after Christmas. My pup needed some meds and things checked out that we were worried about. After the exam I asked the nurse to fill out a pet insurance form and fax it in so I may get some money back. She said that she would get the Dr. to do it. A week and a half later they still haven’t done it.
I had to call them twice for them to actually fax it over. The first fax was incomplete on their end so I called again. When I talked to the nurse on the phone again she said that I had to take care of it and they didn’t fill out insurance forms. I asked why was I told that they would take care of it but turn around and say that I have to? They told me I had to fill out the form but how am I supposed to know what was done w/​o an invoice and just a total? The nurse on the phone was very rude and sounded like she didn’t know what she was doing not talking about.
When we took in our pup they were trying to push a lot of meds and future appointments and what not. I felt pressured and not comfortable at all. I would not recommend them. They are not professional and very pushy, and only there to make money off of you. I didn’t feel like they genuinely cared for both my pup and I.

They recommended euthanizing one of our foster dogs :(
My friend was able to finally catch a stray dog who’d been roaming the streets for almost 2 months. My husband & I committed to fostering the little guy with a rescue organization, but wanted to take him to the vets to get him checked out, de-flea’d, and get his vaccinations started since he was INFESTED with fleas & terribly underweight. We have multiple other pets in the house, and this is usually our standard practice when taking in any strays.
My friend brought him here (upon recommendation of another friend), and they took him in. My friend called for updates, but they kept stating that they were busy and unable to do any work on him so far.
The next day, my friend called again. This time, the person who answered the call told her that the pup was the most ‘vicious, aggressive’ dog they’d ever seen and that he should be euthanized.
I’ve been in the rescue field for the past 6 years and I’ve never had an animal hospital refuse treatment on any of my fosters due to behavior — and I’ve had my fair share of temperamental dogs. The fact that this veterinary staff couldn’t handle this 14 pound boy really, really baffles me. The fact that they didn’t tell us they were having such difficulty working with him really upsets me. If they were incapable of handling him, they should have contacted us immediately — instead, our boy had to sit in a cage for almost 2 whole days.
Apart from the poor animal handling skills, the mis-​communication that goes on at this clinic is quite startling. One tech claimed that our guy didn’t eat/​drink at all, while another said that he was eating/​drinking just fine. A tech stated via the phone that they were unable to administer any vaccinations on him, but when my friend picked him up, they told her that they were able to give him a shot. There is zero consistency or credibility here.
We took him to another animal hospital, and they were able to perform all of his medicals without a problem. I would NOT recommend this hospital to anyone.

In my opinion, this place and the amazing staff saved my dogs life, literally.
Hilo, my puppy, was attacked by a pitbull at a dog park in Union City and nearly tore his right front leg off.
Muscle tissue and nerves were all exposed and had to be stitched and stapled, along with a tube in order for it to drain.
The doctor told me that there is a possibility that Hilo may never walk on that leg again, because of possible nerve damage.
Well, as you can see in the picture, about 2−½ weeks later, Hilo’s recovery has been awesome! He is not only walking again, but playing tug-​o-​war and running too .
The girls in the front receptionist area and the entire staff that helped us, has been Amazing and super friendly! Every visit we had, we experienced friendly customer service along with lots of smiles .
Thank you so very much for all your help and care that you provided Hilo!
Mahalo! :)

Dr. Bentham is now juicy and izzy’s primary doctor as of the past few years. He is the director of the hospital and extremely knowledgable and caring of all animals. He is absolutely amazing!
He’s taken such good care of juicy during both her knee surgeries in the past year and a half. Each time he would explain what was exactly wrong and did such a great job that she’s running and playing like a youthful pup again (she’s 9 btw). She also just got her teeth cleaned by him earlier this week and came back with pearly whites and fresh breath. Izzy loves him and will actually wait by the sliding door for him knowing that he’s about to give her tons of treats. She obviously knows how to milk the system ;) He never rushes the appointments and will take his time with your pets and make sure to answer all questions and concerns.
I also appreciate how familiar I have gotten with the staff. They greet me every time by name as well as the girls by their names. They also remember who I am when I call, which is very sweet (and a reminder that I’m a frequent visitor lol)
I trust Dr. Bentham 100% with my girls and enjoy each visit since he has a very warm and welcoming personality. I just don’t enjoy bad news or the vet bills but who ever does? Lol. Ps: I like how they’ll give you an estimate of how much a procedure will cost and list it out rather than just throwing a price at you.

I haven’t bought my cats to Central Veterinary Hospital honestly because I could not afford to bring all my 5 cats. With 5 cats in the house the exams and care can get very costly. This is not their fault or their problem. It is just something that a cat owner, or mom has to do in order to make ends meet when you have tons of cats. You have to search for something that is within your budget.
My cat Libby passed away at my home, and I had called up every vet to see how much the disposal charge would be. Every other placed charged $ 100 and up. Central Veterinary Hospital charged $ 60. So I bought her body to them in the morning. The next 2 days they mailed me a sympathy card, with a very sweet poem. I thought that, that was such a nice touch that they would even go out of their way to do that.
Thank you Central Veterinary Hospital.

First of all — WE LOVE BONNIE! Best groomer ever,
GROOMING
I followed Bonnie to Central Vet approximately 7 – 8 years ago. I’ve been going to Bonnie for 10+ years. I had a beautiful Samoyed that was groomed by Bonnie regularly. I could not have survived without her. Talk about a fur ball…
I now have 2 stubborn Jindos that are loved by her.
She does excellent work. I see all sizes of dogs go to her. This woman is loving and compassionate to all. I can not thank her enough for taking care of my loved ones.
Cost: $ 40
VET CARE
We see Dr. Dunlap now. I really like him. He is a wonderful, caring man. I can see his love for animals during our appointments. He is the first vet that I have felt comfortable with. He has taken care of our regular visits and recently he helped with a very scary situation that turned out well in the end. I quickly learned that being a vet doesn’t only mean taking care of animals, it’s also taking care of their owners. Dr. Dunlap is a compassionate man. My family gives him 8 paws up and 4 high 5’s!
Cost: I have no idea. But I have never been shocked so I’d have to say «reasonable»
OFFICE TEAM
Very professional, pleasant and caring. They are great in person and over the phone. They sensed when I was upset and made sure we got in right away.
FACILITY
This isn’t your modern, brand new office but it certainly is occupied by the warmest staff. The rooms are clean, sterile and efficient. I have had the unfortunate experience of being in the room where it’s time to help your 4 legged family member go to a better place. I do not remember the room at all but I do remember Bonnie and the team being by my emotion, heartbreaking side the entire time.
I moved 7 years ago but I still happily travel 40 minutes to come here each way regularly.
This review may not have all the components of pricing, location, etc. But Central Vet and it’s team deserves 5 stars based on emotions, love and appreciation.