Advanced Veterinary Specialists - Santa Barbara, California

Shawn Montgomery

Dr Shields, Justin and the whole team took care of my Babs as if she were family. Dr Shields was thorough about her surgery and kept me up to date every step of the way! I was kept at ease the entire time. I can't thank them enough for getting Babs back on her feet!

Brooke Barbisan

I can't say enough good things about Advanced Veterinary pet emergency. They are always so kind and understanding in the most chaotic of circumstances. We are the parents of a 2 year old pup who wasn't feeling well and had developed a bump on her head. Like any parent when you go to the emergency room your anxiety is pretty high. They are so calm, cool and collected. They clearly try and tell you the wait time and get you in as soon as possible. They explain what they're diagnosis is and the recommendation. It's usually a range of not so bad to if you really wanted the super duper treatment. Our case just turned out to be a bug bite that swelled a bit and we got a little bit of meds & she was 100% better the next day. They did give the broad range of treatment that included blood work & some other stuff that would have been pretty pricey but they also gave us the option of your pup seems pretty healthy and a more mild treatment is just fine. Which turned out to be perfect and didn't cost an and a leg! We have had many dogs and even when our really old best friend was on his last leg they were so kind and helped us make a decision that was dignified and just said that spending a ton of money would not change the outcome. We got to take him home and quality time together for what he had left. They are top notch and really appreciated in the crazy times you go to them to help your pets.

Jeanette Kimball

Dr Barash was excellent! She was very thorough with her explanation of the different issues my dog has going on. Her drawing on the whiteboard helped me to finally understand the reason behind the diagnosis. Dr Barash assured me that the medications will help her and while the underlying disease can’t be fixed, she’ll be able to live a normal life. A really good experience with an awesome doctor. Dr Barash has incredible knowledge and treats from her heart.

Elise Chaney

My elderly cat was on his bench, on his cat pillow, by my front door laying in the late afternoon sun like he does every day. My front door is very far from the road and sidewalk and the bench is usually hidden pretty well by one of the cars in the driveway. According to my neighbor who watched in horror as all this happened in the blink of an eye, an unleashed/stray Rottweiler walked slowly up our driveway and grabbed my cat by the neck, gave him a good rough shake, and slammed him to the ground. After I raced home I found my boy already crated and ready for the emergency vet sitting out front of my house with my aunt and neighbor who were on the phone with LPD and Animal Services because the Rottweiler was still wandering our street.
Arroyo Grande Emergency Vet was shut down for some reason at that point and so there was overflow into the Santa Maria/Orcutt Emergency Vet and 2 of the 3 Emergency Vets in Santa Barbara. Thank goodness AVS wasn't full yet.

Almost the second we walked through the door they whisked my boy into the back and started work on him. About a half an hour after finishing the paperwork I was taken back to an exam room to speak with Dr. Baer who explained everything calmly and in detail and answered all of my questions. My boy was lucky. He was just bruised and had a dislocated elbow, which she had already put back in place after letting a pain management and sedative take effect. She let us know what they had done, what they planned to do, what she felt was the right course of action for some things, and gave us informed and detailed options. She'll let us know what we were in for if we took him home and how he would be cared for if we let him stay overnight for further observation. It was whatever we were comfortable with. She let us know there were still possibilities that may need further treatment but that if he did go home and needed to come back there would be no charge for the recheck. I felt my boy had been given the best care, that my questions were all answered to my satisfaction, and I appreciated the detail and the options given. I hope I never have to use an emergency veterinarian again, but if I do I know where I'm going. Thank you Dr. Baer; to you and your staff❤️. Thank you so very much ☺️

Pamela Galbraith

We had a great experience here (despite having to be there for urgent care). The staff was warm, attentive, and communicative. We had a little bit of a longer than expected wait, but we were given updates on the delays and they brought out a blanket and water for my dog while we waited. Dr. Schumacher was wonderful and gave me a thorough rundown of the tests they ran, and the medication we were going home with. Highly recommend.

B K

My experience with the internal medicine department at AVS has been extremely positive, specifically with Dr. Wells who is highly trained and experienced, communicates with owners with easy-to-understand explanations and patiently answers all questions. Every technician and member of staff has been friendly and efficient. We are fortunate to have such a professionally managed veterinary clinic in Santa Barbara.

Carol Gemberling Stewart, DNP

I was delighted with the professionalism of all of the staff members and how easily the visit flowed from one element to the next. I was very worried when I was told about the seriousness of my dog’s injuries but my fears and apprehensions were quickly allayed by the kind, well informed and knowledgeable staff. Thank you for making my visit a very positive experience. I look forward to seeing you again in the very near future.

William Lenz

My 10-year old pug had blood in her urine and sudden incontinence issues. My vet at La Cumbre feared a mass on her bladder after studying her x-ray. She called AVS and Dr. Bunnell said I should bring my dog in next morning after starting on Clavamox. I took her in and met with Dr. Weintraub who went over history and the recent episodes. She kept her to do an ultrasound and bloodwork and called me at 6 p.m. Good news! Probably a persistent UTI and no tumor visible on the bladder. Huge relief! The process was costly but worth it. She also suggested a follow up with their specialty internist in the future. Very professional and also compassionate.