Galea Yves DVM

(Culprit)
Galea seems to be a decent guy and vet, but his front office staff, the one who answers the phone, has a lot to be desired. …She makes you feel like you’re trying to get into an ‘A List Celebrity Club’ on opening day. Seriously! Maybe this is why this place is quiet as a tomb! But the WORST is, she is always trying to add services to the procedure or appointment, sometimes I wonder if she is on commission. Today was the latest incident…
(Background)
I rescued my dog from the pound in April 2015. So, she has been throughly examined 6 months ago, spayed, current on all shots, etc —-a clean bill of health. And she was seen by Galea six months ago to put in a microchip… Additionally, I have taken her to Galea for a nail trim since I rescued her. She is a young happy dog with NO health issues.
(Problem)
I called to find out the times for nail clipping as they have walk in times for this type of procedure at Galea’s office on Saturday… But as usual I got the third degree from the Front Office Warden… She has to look me up, study my records… THEN says, for a nail trim, you will also have to get an examination (!!!) — REALLY? What next? Blood work? I went through the dog’s exam history stated, above… and pointed out that it’s a nail clipping not heart transplant, but she wanted to tack on the exam anyway.
(Can you imagine getting a physical before a pedicure?)
(Solution)
Petco charges 10 – 15 depending on clip or dremel (file). They were great! I paid 15 dollars, gave the tech a good tip, and they treated me like a valued ‘customer’… I don’t mind paying the extra for Galea’s office, but turning a $ 25 nail service into an office visit that probably would cost me a $ 100 out the door with the trim, is why most people I know don’t like Los Angeles vets, and why sadly people do not take their animals in. And, then to have to deal with the front office Warden who makes everything into a major medical procedure is more drama than I need for a Saturday afternoon. She should get a job as a prison guard or jail house warden, IRS auditor, or maybe a colonoscopy tech.

dr galea is excellent. he let me watch my cats’ surgeries. he’s very thorough with a good bedside manner. he and his staff provide excellent care. no hesitation to recommend this practice!

I cannot recommend Dr. Galea and his wonderful team at Sepulveda Animal Hospital more highly. He has cared for my dogs for many years and I am always pleased with his very thoughtful and considerate approach. My yellow lab used to dread going to the vet and would dig her toenails into the cement to keep from going in the door. Now she starts barking the minute she senses we are near Dr. Galea’s office and runs in to greet the staff wagging her tail. That says a lot, especially since she has undergone several surgeries and other painful procedures there that would ordinarily send a pet running. I am so grateful that I was introduced to Dr. Galea. Knowing my pets are in his care eases my mind tremendously, especially when I must be out of town. I wish there were more stars to give him.

Dr. Galae has become too busy to provide the same awesome care he has provided me with for years. The front office Gina actually was laughing on the phone at me when I was upset about my dying dog. ABSOLUTELY NO COMPASSION WHAT SO EVER.
This is NOT how they were just 2 years ago.
Big business set in i guess

If you are looking for exceptional medical care, honest and reasonable fees, a helpful staff, and a clean facility for your pet relative, look no further than a more than 5 star veterinarian, Dr. Yves Galea!
I wrote a review about my experience with him on his clinics Unilocal page. It says it all:
My cat had fallen from a 2 story window and shattered her femur. After a traumatizing experience at the VCA West Los Angeles Animal hospital (that review to follow) I was referred to Doctor Galea quickly by a vet, and by another reputable animal professional. I quickly scooped up my girl from VCA and drove her to Dr. Galea as soon as his door opened that morning.
Attention to acuity of the patient — 5 Stars:
My experience working in an ER taught me that a good doctor will first base his care on acuity, attending to the most life threatening or sick first! I called Dr. Galea’s office at 8am for a quote. His administrative staff got him on the phone immediately. He gave me a very reasonable quote over the phone for my cat’s surgery and told me to bring her in right away! She was was out of the ER, in his office, and they were prepping her for surgery within an hour of my phone call! And, he went over an itemized list of all the costs involved from hospitalization, tests, surgery, and after care! He makes the term «being on it» an understatement!
Customer service — 5 Stars
My cat had surgery the same day! From the time I first got to the office, to his personal phone call before the surgery to discuss her surgery plan, to the call after surgery to update me on how it went and how she was doing, the customer service was absolutely top notch! I cannot express the peace of mind he gave me while I waiting those calls, and the trust he earned during the entire experience!
Level of care — 5++++++++ Stars:
Turns out my girl had a very bad fracture. During the fall, her poor leg was also empaled by an object that had the potential to cause an infection that jeopardized her keeping that leg all together! She required hardware, and a lot of creativity, skill, and talent from Dr. Galea. Like Humpty Dumpty, he put her leg back together again. He had me stick to a very conservative after care plan which included a long cage confinement, and the perfect combination of meds to fight any chance of infection. All of this so that she could recover into the same agile, and thriving cat that she was before her injury! Dr. Galea made himself available every step of the way. And when he was not available due to his other patients (who I might add, rave about him in the waiting room), his staff always remembered us, were friendly, and even more helpful!
Naobi has regained her status as the queen of the house to myself and her brother and sister! I dare say she is more confident because of the experience, and holds no baggage from it. Dr. Galea turned what began as a traumatizing and potentially devastating experience, to one of great relief and hope! I highly recommend him, his great staff, and impressive facility!
*Thank you Dr. Galea, for giving her highness Naobi her second chance, and for being such an exceptional Surgeon and Vet!*

I’ve worked at Animal hospitals and specialty hospitals on and off for the last 14 years. Dr. Galea is absolutely one of the best veterinarians I have ever been to. I am so impressed with him! You receive the quality of a specialist hospital/​surgical center for less cost than most general GPs.
I am so pleased with my surgical consult today with Dr. Galea and my dog for a Lateral Suture! I am going ahead with the surgery and will update this once it’s done. Dr. Galea will be my pets regular DVM from now on! It’s worth the 1.5 hour commute!!!
Besides clearly knowing his stuff, and having great referrals, I am super impressed with his honesty, no bs, and more than fair prices. On top of that, my dog who normally is a nervous wreck at vet offices absolutely liked Dr. Galea. Dr. Galea was so kind in his interactions with my dog that it is clear this is not just a «job» of his but rather his heart is in it.
Thank you Dr. Galea!
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Update 1 week after surgery:
Dr. Galea is fantastic! My dog is doing great! Today I brought my dog in for his one week check up with Dr. Galea. When my dog saw Dr. Galea he started wagging his tail and got very excited to see him. I’ve never seen my dog excited to see anyone at the vet or calm enough at the vet even to feel happy and excited. It was such a nice change from the normal shivering/​shaking and nervousness. I can’t say enough great things about Dr. Galea and his staff. During the week when I had questions it was very easy to get a hold of Dr. Galea. I am super impressed how he more often than not will get on the phone right away. I’m so happy with Dr. Galea!
Thank you Dr. Galea and Staff!

DR. Galea was the only honest vet who didn’t give me false hope about my pet. She was very sick and other vets wanted to keep running tests on her. We talked about her quality of life and that she had made it to 15 y/​o. I still feel sad and miss her…

After going to several vets in West L.A., I finally found someone I was really comfortable with. Dr. Galea is a no nonsense person, who truly cares and treats animals with the utmost care. He is also very concerned about his clients’ expenses, and tries to keep them to the minimum. This seems rare if you read most vet hospital reviews around here. I would definitely recommend him to my friends and family. And yes, we have the same first name, which is pretty rare around here since it is truly French.