The Holistic Vet

Called to make an appointment and the lady answering the phone was exceptionally rude. If the staff is rude at this early in the stage then probably best to avoid this establishment.

I have been struggling with my puppies allergies for 1.5 years, since we rescued him. He would get a rash on his paws and tummy after being on the grass which would cause him much distress to the point where the licking and itching would cause him to bleed. He started to even get sores and bumps on his body and his hair was starting to fall out around those areas. We went to the Animal Dermatology clinic where they put him on a controlled diet and medicine. After several months the bumps started to decrease and the only thing that would stop the grass allergies was no contact — booties, bathing after contact or blankets where he lay down. The next step recommended by ADC was shots on an intense schedule. This didn’t sit right with me and I wanted to see if I could find a more natural way to cure this. I was also not feeling good about the diet and some of the ingredients and wanted to get my pup on something more natural. So I found Dr Bittan and thought I would try the Holistic route. I also like that he uses both natural and traditional medicine depending on what is required –I appreciate that natural remedies aren’t always the answer. 2.5 months ago Dr Bittan put my pup on herbal supplements for his allergies and today he can walk on the grass bootie free. This is a HUGE break through for us. We still have our dog on the controlled diet which seems to be the cause of the bumps on his body and that is the next element we will tackle together now we are on top of the external allergies. I am so happy with Dr Bittan — he is smart, caring and really understands the pros and cons of both traditional and herbal medicine. I feel very happy to have found him and that he can take care of my pups dermatological and general veterinarian needs exploring the most natural route first. The majority of the negative reviews for this practice are regarding the receptionist but at the end of the day I am looking for the number of stars that represent how well my pet will be looked after and my experience has been great.

I took my dog for a consultation because of allergies. He was given the different pills and the vet said he could not guarantee those pills will help my dog but we could try them. After paying for the expensive vet visit and pills, my dog did not benefit at all. Just save your money and try a different vet.

My maltese has a partial tear in her back hind leg. She started limping one day and wouldn’t put any weight on her back right leg. Other vets told me a $ 4,000 (and very painful) surgery would be required to correct it. I found Dr. Bittan through a referal. He performs laser therapy on her leg and she’s on a few different homeopathic herbs and vitamins that he gave her. She’s now walking fine again. I think we have dodged the surgery bullet (fingers are still crossed) but it’s been about 3 months and she very rarely limps anymore.
What I love about Dr. Bittan is he thinks outside the western medicine box. I do think western medicine is great and needed when other things don’t work, but in my case, I’m so grateful that someone like Dr. Bittan is around to help me find alternatives. He’s saved my doggy’s leg and my bank account. Couldn’t recommend him more.

I have never seen my dog actually excited and happy to see a Vet before. Dr Bittan is one of a kind. He is both a regular DVM and also an alternative healer so you get the best of both worlds! After I previously spent thousands of dollars on X-​Rays, MRIs, visits to other veterinary practices and extensive pain medications and steroids — I decided to try alternative therapy before more drastic measures. I am so glad I did. The Holistic Vet used a laser therapy device called a K-​laser on my dog Mollie and the pain relief was almost instantaneous. I literally watched her relax and the pain dissipate from her little face. It was amazing to see. After several treatments as well as a combination of regular western medication and holistic herbal medication Mollie has healed and is close to normal again. Without needing surgery! After the initial consultation /​assessment, the laser therapy appointments are very affordable and very effective. This review is the bare minimum I can do to express my gratitude to Dr. Bittan. What a wonderful man. Please take your dog to see him.

I have never been here but was calling around different vets, some holistic, some not because I switched my yorkie from a cooked diet to raw and saw she was not feeling well after 2 weeks. Looked like she had nausea and wanted to throw up all the time. All the other places I called, did not want to say anything unless I come in. I was so frantic and just wanted a simple answer and a lady answered this line and was super friendly and basically advised that switching a dog from cooked to raw food that quickly will cause them to get sick — voila! I got my answer and I at least felt relief like someone who knows what they are talking about gave me a straight answer. I went home and fed my dog cooked food and she is back to normal. So I wanted to say THANK YOU to giving me some simple free advice. My puppy is doing well and I am thankful to whoever answered and helped me without a hassle. :-)

Well back in LA and happily visiting Dr Bittan once again. This is the only place Joey will tolerate acupuncture. He comes in limping slightly and goes out hopping for joy. This will once again be a regular part of my activities. Dr Bittan … still the best.

Love this place. Easy location to get to and has parking! Clean facility and the Dr is amazing! I’m so happy I found this place over 10 years ago! Every time I go Dr. Bittan prescribes the right medications and herbs. I’m very thankful for his expertise.

If I could give this incredible angel of a Doctor ten stars I would! I have a 14 year old Shih Tzu, Eka. Over the past 3 months I noticed a few things going wrong at the same time, her left eye was getting more and more foggy, this led to loss of confidence in moving around and stumbling into walls etc. She started pacing back and forth constantly and then suddenly stoping, like she had forgotten what she was doing. She also seemed to have trouble gripping the floor and when eating her back paws would slide far apart, looked like she was doing the splits. I upped her supplements and monitored her, these all seemed like natural signs of aging and I was trying to come to terms with all this, however about a week ½ ago however, I noticed a growth on the inside of her leg, right above her paw pad. She is about 13 pounds and this growth was about half the size of a golf ball. What alarmed me was how quickly it came on. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my local vet to get her checked out. I was told it could very well be cancer and to be sure that the bump should be cut off, but to do so my baby would need to be put under. Something in my gut told me I wanted another opinion. Eka is 14 years old and putting her under would be a big strain on her body. I didn’t want to jump the gun and make that decision.
I researched holistic vets in Los Angeles and decided to go see Dr. Bittan. This man is a real angel, from the second he started examining Eka, I could see how big his heart is and that he truly cares for the animals he is treating. He had a look at the bump and said its definitely not cancer, and that it is a fatty deposit. I was so relieved! He said to leave it be and that it will go away on its own. He spent a full hour with Eka doing further checks.
Dr. Bittan sent me home with 2 herbs for her immune system and brain function as well as elk horn extract (all three of these things are human grade supplements)
I gave Eka her supplements everyday and in a weeks time the bump shrunk half in size, she stopped sliding on the floor, back straightened out. She got her curiosity/​spunky energy back and over all seems as thought the clock has turned back 5 years! I cant say thank Dr. Bittan enough! WOW!
I highly recommend paying a visit! I will never go see another vet again!

BEWARE!
I booked an appointment for my dog who had leg fracture but based on advice from another vet, found that I would not require The Holistic Vet’s services. I called to cancel the appt and left a voicemail outside of business hours (giving more than 24 hours notice) and later discovered that they charged my credit card a $ 150 cancelled appointment fee anyway.
I called the office and spoke with the secretary — an absolute nightmare of a woman — and was forced to open a dispute with MasterCard. Despite them not articulating OR publishing a cancellation policy on their website AND being given 24 hours notice of a cancellation, they would not reverse the charge. $ 150 — for what???
These people are thieves and liars. I can’t speak to how they are as veterinarians but how they behave as human beings is enough to avoid them in every respect.

I was excited to be able to take my beloved Labrador to a holistic veterinarian near to my home. However, that never happened, because they insist on charging you $ 150 *before the appointment*! WT??? I’ve never had any sort of doctor do that, people or animal doctor! The person answering the phone began by giving me a long schpiel about the way things work there and insisting that they charge up front (what if I had to reschedule? Sorry, out of luck, and $ 150). Despite her curt manner, I almost gave my credit card number before asking how soon the doctor would be able to do a specific diagnostic test that I already asked about and knew she needed, to confirm her cushings meds (Trilostane) were still the correct dosage. Receptionist didn’t bother telling me that they weren’t equipped to do that diagnostic test there «because we’re a small office». They are very ready to take $ 150 for doing nothing, even when they can’t do some of the tests I told her I needed (according to a previous vet and the pharmacy).

I’m very frustrated as I have tried to take my dog to this vet now for 3 months, but after I explained my job is often times on call and I don’t use a credit card, the phone assistant insisted on taking my credit card information and deducting $ 150 from my credit card before I arrive for the first visit! What kind of practice is this that needs to take your money up front before you show up and not refund you if your dog suddenly gets well or you need to reschedule? This causes me to ask: «are people not paying after they see this man because he’s NOT a very good vet and they are not satisfied with his services??» I could see maybe penalizing them a $ 30 charge for not showing up, but $ 150 in advance and you are charged in full if you have to reschedle your appointment– regardless of the emergency. Because of this ridiculous policy, I have been «banned» from getting my dog the care she needs. I even offered to show up early and pay cash they REFUSED. They want your money. They obviously have their own agenda and don’t care much about the dog. Just the money they get from people. Sounds like a fear-​based scam to me — and it’s too bad. In the meantime, my dog is still suffering. I thought maybe this man would have answers, but sadly, he cares more about getting people’s money up front and I will likely never meet him. Makes me wonder how many other people they have blocked simply because they don’t have any trust in humankind. I run my own very successful business and have for over 10 years and would never choose to cut people off because they don’t use a credit card. Ridiculous.

My dog had cancer at age 13 and in addition to traditional treatment, I sought Dr. Bittan’s advice for a complete medical approach which included holistic medicine. The veterinarian who diagnosed my dog basically told me to let the cancer run its course but I was unwilling to do this without seeking other options, thus my appointment with Dr. Bittan.
Dr. Bittan suggested three holistic drops since my dog had melanoma and other skin issues. Interestingly, all her skin bumps (not cancerous) disappeared and her skin improved. After I moved to Northern California I had another issue and I was able to schedule a phone appointment. My dog had Cushings and he suggested a medication called Trilostane which Vets were not using in this area. I consulted with a local vet who worked with me on administering this med. Dr. Bittan is knowledgeable with Holistic and Western medicine. My dog has since passed but she lived until she was 17 and I credit Dr. Bittan for giving me the necessary info to make sound decisions about her health.

Dr. Bittan is wonderful. Our boxer was diagnosed with a very aggressive and terminal cancer in May 2013. He had surgery to remove his spleen and the surgeon immediately wanted to start him on an intense chemo and radiation regimen. I did some research and found that for this particular type of cancer, chemo is not effective. Our dog was miserable so we decided to approach his treatment holistically. I’m so thankful we did.
Dr. Bittan was honest with us and gave us realistic expectations. We knew he couldnt cure this cancer and that he realistically would not live more than a few months; but, we could expect our dog to be robust and «healthy» for that time. He spent an hour with us, explaining everything. That is unheard of! The vets that did his surgery spent, like 3 minutes telling me about his diagnosis. We were very grateful for his time and patience during this traumatic time.
The Chinese herbs that he gave us changed our dogs life! People would visit and ubiquitously agree that our dog didn’t even seem sick. He had so much energy and was so playful until the very end. I would take him for walks and he was so much stronger than he had been in years. Even though our pup is no longer with us, I’m so happy we decided to forego chemo. The last few months with our dog were some of the best and I wouldn’t trade any of that for the world.
As a side note, Dr. Bittan treats my moms golden retriever for epilepsy (for the past 10 years); he was off phenobarbital within a few days and is on Chinese herbs only– no seizures. He is the best.

Dr. Bittan is the best vet in LA. He always treats our dog with care and incredible knowledge and is always thinking of what is best for us. With many vets in LA, I always leave feeling like they are just trying to perform as many procedures as possible to squeeze every last dime out of me. This is not the case with Dr. Bittan. He only does what is best for our pup.

I am sooo grateful for Dr. Marc Bittan’s help and would HIGHLY recommend him to anyone.
My cat was diagnosed with cancer and I took her to several vets including City of Angels cancer center before going to Dr. Bittan. The type of cancer she had was terminal and there were really no options for a cure. I could have done radiation treatments through City of Angeles but that cost well over $ 8,000 and still wouldn’t have extended her life much as well as causing horrible pain with no guarantees it would even work.
My primary vet ended up recommending I take her to Dr. Marc Bittan to look into Chinese medicine treatments and I did. I can not say enough about how wonderful Dr. Bittan was. While 3 other vets said she only had a MAX of 1 – 2 months to live, Dr. Bittan said it was possible with proper alternative medicine that she could live more than 6 months. He actually met with me for a full hour to sit down and talk! He explained all the aspects of this particular type of cancer, what all of the traditional and alternative treatment options are, how they affect the cancer, what would happen as the cancer progressed and even gave me some helpful caring advice on how to prepare for it emotionally. He provided me with more through information than many human doctors I have encountered.
I had no prior experience with Chinese medicine but I figured in this case I had nothing to loose and it was worth trying if it could slow the cancer down and extend her quality of life. WELL IT WORKED!!! My kitty ended up enjoying life for 9 months after her diagnosis!!! And she was happy, enjoying her kitty life right up until the end.
I took a chance and it payed off and gave me many precious extra months with my best friend.
I will truly be forever grateful to Dr. Bittan for his help with extending my cat’s life far beyond what anyone else said was possible.
When I finally had to put her to sleep, the vet that did the euthanasia said she was absolutely shocked and amazed that Onyx had lived so long. She said «Cats with this type of cancer do not live this long so what ever Dr. Bittan gave her absolutely helped to extend her life a great deal/​»
What else can I say but I would highly recommend anyone to take your animal to Dr. Bittan. Western medicine is not the only or best option for every case.

The Holistic Vet aka Dr. Bittan, is as good as it gets…
Our dog was a rescue, and she had one health problem after another since day one… We had gone through almost a dozen vets… And worse is that every traditional vet said more pills and more steroids. But still after years more new issues would arise. Well, luckily we eventually found this vet.
What lead us to Dr. Bittan, was our poor little pooch had sores on the inside of her paws. 3 vets said we must soap and wash her paws every time she takes a walk for the rest of her life? Dr. Bittan had us remove a sore and created a solution that cured her in days.
While, I can say that when the front office is busy, they can be short with you. I found that was rare.
Growing up and living in Los Angeles for over 40 years, I can say it is incredibly difficult to find someone who can embrace both hard science and new alternative medicine without straying too far from the center of grounded reason.
When our dog got a cancer tumor removed, the surgeon vet said she had maybe a few months at best… After years of steroids as recommended by the vets who first treated our dog, we felt heart broken.
Dr Bittan’s health care regimen has kept our dog alive over a year later, chasing squirrels, and enjoying a quality of life that most doctors had written off.
Many «New Age» or «Alternative» practitioners leave the hard science behind, in search of new and more profitable treatments. But Dr. Bittan always balanced standard blood tests and diagnostic tests and if necessary surgery with any noninvasive organic alternative remedies.
In fact, for every appointment, he would always consider and suggest less treatment if the signs of good health or response to treatment was positive.
How many alternative doctors suggest you need less care if healthy than more? My only regret is that we didn’t see this doctor earlier.

When my beloved 8-​year old Tibetan Terrier, Willy, was diagnosed with a rare incurable stomach cancer, and would probably die within weeks, but that Chemo MIGHT help.
I instinctively balked at inflicting any additional suffering on him, and sought out Dr. Bittan. He treated Willy with homeopathic shots, which I learned to administer myself. My sweet Tibetan began to eat and feel good again, and lived a health and happy16 monthsy until the stomach cancer took him fast and painlessly.
I’ll be forever grateful for Dr. Bittan’s kind, gentle and learned care.
Sandy D., Los Angeles

I COMPLETELY agree with the previous Unilocaler.
I can’t believe the receptionist had such an attitude, lecturing me about how «Dr. Bittan is way to busy to call back his clients.» Wow… This is the first time i ever heard such a thing from a doctor’s office.
At my initial appointment, I was a bit surprised about the fact he didn’t even bother to take a look at my kitty but I did have a good consulting with Dr. Bittan.
Unfortunately my kitty has been throwing up a lot since i started giving her the liquid medicine Dr. Bittan prescribed so I do have to call the office to find out whether this is worthy of making another appointment.
I am VERY disappointed about Dr. Bittan. I was so glad about the fact that there is a holistic doctor such as Dr. Bittan here in LA but I do feel like it is NOT right for him to deal with his clients/​patients this way. Not to mention, he doesn’t even work at the office all week.
I don’t know whether I will go back. It is hard for me to continue a relationship with a doctor who won’t even call back his clients.
I did find out there is another holistic doctor (Rachel Jones in Marina Del Rey) so I will probably try her.
Sigh…

Dr. Bittan did an hour consultation with my dog. He seemed very knowledgeable. My dog was very comfortable with him, and in the office in general. Bittan did a thorough exam, which involved asking me a number of detailed questions about my dog’s general health and behavior, and looking, touching, and even smelling my dog’s mouth, paws, and ears. He prescribed a number of different natural/​holistic supplements and treatments, such as a mix of Chinese herbs, a fish oil, and two gemmos. In the two weeks that my dog has been regularly taking these supplements and treatments, his allergy symptoms do seem to have lessened. He doesn’t seem itchy in that «Oh My God I’m Going To Spontaneously Combust» kind of way, anymore. However, he is still a bit itchy, and has in the past few days chewed his tail bloody.
I understood from the get-​go that it might take a couple of tries to hit on the perfect combination of herbs and gemmos to offer my dog total relief. What I didn’t understand from the get-​go was that Dr. Bittan is «too busy» to ever return client phone calls. Ever. Period.
Having just called to find out what to do about 1. Continued Itching, 2. Chewed-​up tail, and 3. A minor eye infection that’s developed, I was rudely told that I could bring my dog in tomorrow, — maybe — , if Bittan had time, and then I was given the speech (again) that Bittan doesn’t always nail the exact right prescription the first time. That’s fine – I understood and accepted from the beginning that there might be some trial and error involved in this.
Honestly, I just wanted to know how the follow-​up process worked, and what to do about immediate concerns (eye infection and tail). The woman on the phone said she could take my phone number… which I took to mean that Bittan would call me back when he had a moment, so that I could explain what my pup’s eye looked like, and discuss the response he’s had to the initial treatment.
WHOA NELLY. Not so fast. Woman on phone quickly cut me off and coldly – and I can’t stress how coldly – informed me that «Dr. Bittan doesn’t have time to return client calls. You’ll be hearing from me. I’ll give him the information and get back to you with his answers. If Dr. Bittan returned client calls, he’d never have time to see patients.»
Wait, what? Are you serious? My mainstream vet sees a TON of patients, constantly, and always makes time to return a call. And how, pray tell, will this woman provide Dr. Bittan with «the information» when she DIDN’T EVEN ASK what my dog’s eye looked like, or how his allergy symptoms have changed?
I really like the idea of Dr. Bittan’s holistic practice, but I don’t understand how you can treat your clients – who are paying a LOT of money and working around your very limited schedule – so coldly. It just doesn’t make sense.
I’m being kind here in giving The Holistic Vet 3 stars. The way I was just treated is definitely not «A-​OK.» But because he’s really one of the only holistic vets in LA, and because I’ll most likely bring my dog back to him in the future despite his incredibly unfriendly receptionist and his stance on returning calls, for now I’ll be generous, with an eye toward updating later.