Central Marin Cat & Exotic Hospital

I’ve been going to Central Marin Cat & Exotic for 10+ years. The staff & vets have always been friendly & helpful with a keen eye to my cats’ needs. Dr. Bacon was incredibly helpful when I needed assistance abroad. He called me back in a timely fashion & helped me resolve my cat’s problem. I can’t recommend him enough.

We have a very sweet, and very spoiled guinea pig named Buster.
He has been coming to this establishment for two years… To get fixed, to have check-​ups, to get his nails trimmed, and even to be boarded when we go out of town.
It’s been so nice to know that we always have a place to go and get helpful and straight forward advice as our pig has become no spring chicken… Okay that sounded odd, didn’t it?
Thank you, folks at Central Marin Cat and Exotic Pet Hospital!
(Buster digs being «exotic»)

Very pleasant and professional staff. They’ve got an offer of a free exam if you are a new customer, which will save you about $ 70. They are centrally located, just off the freeway in San Rafael. Based on the foot traffic coming through while I was there, they appear equipped to treat most any kind of pet, from garden-​variety pets such as cats and dogs to more exotic animals like bearded dragons, chickens and rats.

I had an emergency over the weekend, and remembered that Dr. Bacon does house calls, thank GOD!!! My dog cracked her dew claw, and it just wouldn’t stop bleeding, and she continued to Unilocal in pain! Dr. Bacon to the rescue! He came in, got on the floor with her, sweet talked her, I held my dog while he performed the procedure and four days later, she’s back to romping around like a crazy pup; at thirteen years old. Thank you Dr. Bacon!!!

Dr. Bacon and his staff provide incredible, thoughtful care. Dr. Bacon’s bedside manner and empathy for our sick pet was truly genuine. Their hard work resulted in a better quality of life for our animal. Look no further — this is a quality establishment of professionals run by good people.

I’ve been taking my two cats to them for 1 &½ years now. There was one time they did an extra procedure on one of them that ended up on my bill (which I hadn’t signed off on). HOWEVER, I explained to the front desk folks that I was supposed to be notified of any other procedure being done — and they were able to negotiate my bill down with the accounting manager. Problem solved.
Dr. Bacon performed surgery on my cat who had entropian (curling inward of the eyelids causing squinting and eventual damage to the eyes). I can’t can’t overstate how happy I am with the result. You would never know there was anything wrong with my cat. He looks fantastic and his vision is better than ever. Overall, I’ve been very happy with the service I’ve received at Central Marin Cat & Exotic… and I wouldn’t entrust my kitties health to just anyone. :)

I had previously taken my cat to another vet who said there is nothing wrong with him. but I could tell something was wrong and found Dr. Bacon on the internet. he was extremely knowledgeable and recommended testing which, yes, it was expensive, but we found that my cat is borderline diabetic in time to possibly ward it off from progressing by using nutrition and non-​invasive treatment. I am very happy with dr. bacon and craig at the front desk and I would recommend them.

Dr. Bacon is an excellent rat vet. He’s very knowledgeable, his prices are reasonable and all members of his team are kind and professional. My understanding is he’s excellent with small animals in general. I highly recommend him if your are in the Marin County area.

Dr. Bacon is fantastic. He’s knowledgeable, compassionate and very gentle with cats. Although other reviewers have complained about his reliance on testing — and the costs associated with the tests — we found the tests helpful, especially after working with another vet who rarely if ever did tests and thus failed to diagnose our previous cat with diabetes at an early enough stage for us to be able to treat him. And, for those who have complained about Dr. Bacon failing to detect cancer, perhaps he now has better equipment. He took an x-​ray and then showed it to us, pointing out several tumors in our cat. He’s a fine vet and his office staff are really good. They are very organized and kind. We are happy to recommend Central Marin Cat and Exotic Hospital.

The staff is excellent but not crazy about Dr. Bacon’s professional manners and personality. He has an excellent exotic bird pet sitting service for very short stays for my large parrots.

Most vets will not see birds, and that is a good thing. Several years ago I took my budgies to a different vet for a «well birdie check» and got a bum steer regarding food that cost one of them his life.
Fortunately, Dr. Bacon really knows his stuff. About a year ago, I took one of my budgies to him because she had a prolapsed uterus and an infection (I know — TMI), and he saved her life.
Yesterday, I took another bird to him for a check and for bird psychology. He was so informative about the social dynamics of parakeets, hormone issues and the care and treatment of budgies. I have had two bird classes and spent time on the phone with a parakeet behaviorist, and I still learned so much more from Dr. Bacon.
He is an outstanding vet.

Dr Bacon and his team have been professional and caring in all interactions we have had with them. I think I first went to Dr Bacon’s with Nubs more than 16 years ago. Nubs has passed on and when she was leaving Dr Bacon and his team where there for us through it all.
I’ve since rescued three more cats and also have a feral who’s care Dr Bacon has offered to take on. House calls! How civilized!
The man also made time to perform surgery (gratis) on the broken leg of a mountain lion.
What’s not to Love at this Animal Hospital?

Dr Bacon is more interested in dictating treatment than the welfare of the animal! Actually chewed me out for using an alternative method to heal a wound after his ideas had failed for months. Stay away from this narcissist!
Staff is nice and helpful.

We have been bringing our pets to Dr. Bacon and the staff at Central Marin Cat & Exotic Hospital for over 8 years now, and we could not be happier with the quality of service, compassion and care that we’ve received during those years. In fact, in nearly 30 years of taking our pets to various veterinarians in other parts of the state, we would certainly rank Central Marin as the best of them all.
Last year, we had to put our beloved cat of more than 15 years to sleep. We’d had a difficult couple of years beforehand, dealing with a thyroid issue which gradually weakened him to the point that he was no longer eating, and was in obvious pain. Dr. Bacon, Dr. Lankes and their WONDERFUL technicians were the most compassionate people through this painful ordeal, and I could not have wished for better treatment.
Face it – when we take pets into our homes, they become a part of our family, and (most of us) will do anything we can to keep them healthy, especially when they are in pain. Just as we aren’t always certain what’s wrong with us when we visit the doctor, it can be really difficult to diagnose what’s wrong with a pet when they are sick — and they can’t speak for themselves, so imagine how much harder it is! And yes, in order to get a diagnosis, it’s going to cost some money, and sometimes those tests aren’t going to find the problem the first time. The staff at Central Marin always have explained those costs very clearly to us, up front and before service, and when we chose not to have a procedure performed, they never pressured us in any way. The comments of other reviewers do not reflect the experience we’ve had at this clinic.
What has always impressed us about Dr. Bacon and staff is that they really do care about you and their pets, and they’re going to do everything they can to find a way to make sure they are fixed up when they get injured or sick, and give them a dignified, painless and compassionate end when it’s time. Now we have a couple of new (rescued) kittens, and we continue to bring them to Dr. Bacon for their veterinary care. We are very confident that Central Marin Cat & Exotic Hospital is the best choice for our pets, and we have no hesitation in recommending this clinic for your pet’s medical needs.
A postscript: This is a clinic that specializes in cats and exotic animals, not dogs. One of the reasons we took our cats to this clinic was because of its specialty in cat care. I’m not sure why some of the negative reviews came from dog owners, but I do think they should not complain so strongly when there are plenty of clinics in Marin that specialize in dogs!

If I could give zero stars to this clinic, I most certainly would.
Back in September my mother’s dog, Tick, was having difficulty breathing and basically stopped eating, so she brought him in to see Dr. Bacon. Dr. Bacon recommends an x-​ray, some blood work and a couple various other things, all of which my mom agreed to. When the x-​ray comes back, Dr. Bacon shows it to my mom and points out the fluid in his lungs, as well as a mass in his abdomen. He says, and I quote: «This here is either a mass or something he ingested. We are not sure which.»
Taking Dr. Bacon at his word, after all he is the ‘expert’, my mom and Tick leave with diuretics in hand, anticipating an eventual recovery.
The next day, she receives a call from Dr. Bacon’s office, stating Tick’s blood work came back and his blood count is roughly 4 times elevated and he believes Tick has a fungal pneumonia. It is stated that the best chance for Tick’s survival is for her to rush down there and pick up an anti-​fungal medication as well as clavomox (sp?), which of course she does.
Fast forward to a week later, after Tick continues to not eat and has had pills forced down his throat everyday — ZERO improvement. By this time my mom (and all of us, actually) is at her witts end and we push for her to get a second opinion. Off to another vet she goes.
When she brings Tick in to the new vet, exactly one week after Tick’s appointment with Dr. Bacon, Tick is weighed and has lost an additional 15lbs. For a dog who should weigh about 50lbs to begin with, that’s a HUGE drop in a week.
As is common procedure, the new clinic attempted to obtain the medical records/​x-​ray from Central Marin Cat & Exotic Hospital. Guess who is less than accommodating? Yup, you guessed it, Central Marin & Exotic Hospital. So, Tick has to go in for another x-​ray since the new office couldn’t get the existing x-​ray… but bless the heart of this new office (a review for them to follow, BTW) they charged her ZERO dollars for this x-​ray. HUGE difference after the nearly $ 1,000 she’d been pumping into Dr. Bacon’s office.
When the x-​ray comes back, the new doctor is essentially speechless. Shows my mom the x-​ray and says that any first year vet/​med student could clearly see that Tick doesn’t have fluid in his lungs — he’s full of cancer. Cancer from his lungs down to his abdomen. The entire staff at the new vets office was dumbfounded that Dr. Bacon couldn’t (wouldn’t??) see this and thought (or said) that it was fluid.
This tale ends on an extremely sad note, as on September 26 2012 (a week and a half after Tick’s initial visit with Dr. Bacon) Tick was laid to rest.
There is no doubt in my mind, my mothers mind… ANYONE outside of Central Marin Cat & Exotic Hospital’s mind… that if Dr. Bacon and staff was not so financially motivated both my mother and Tick could have been spared the additional pain and suffering they endured under the medical advice that Tick had doggie pneumonia. I would like to believe that he is an uneducated nincompoop, but from reading others reviews he obviously has some knowledge about the medicine he practices. Therefore, the final conclusion is that he was out to milk our family for every last penny — The x-​rays showed RIGHT OFF THE BAT that Tick had terminal cancer. No amount of ultrasounds, blood work, medications, etc. (all of which were either preformed or recommended by Dr. Bacon post x-​ray) could change that. So not only has my mom lost her best friend, her beloved Tick, but she’s also lost out on a shit ton of money.

Then please tell me Craig, why was it never
addressed as to why Central Marin Cat & Exotic Hospital would not send my dogs x rays to my new vet. Also no explanation as to why Dr. Bacon could not clearly see what the x ray showed, terminal cancer with no possibility of recovery. If he is so interested in the well being of animals why did he want to have a $ 600 ultra sound done as well as a $ 319 fungal test done when CLEARLY the x ray showed the extent of the disease. Giving me hope by shoving pills in my dog which was another $ 200 knowing along there was no hope was cruel and selfish on this Veterinary Hospital’s part. I have no problem with paying for the care of my pets but to be so incompetent and to not be truthful is very painful.

We are on the road and traveling with us is our senior kitty who was diagnosed with eye ulcerations caused by the herpes virus. Treated by an ophthalmologist in Oregon, we needed to find a vet in the San Francisco area for a follow-​up. On the net, we found this hospital and made the appointment for the next day after they told us they deal with this problem in kitties all the time.
While we waited for our appointment, we got to meet a bearded dragon and a cockatoo and a chinchilla. What a marvelous place to see all these different pets.
Our vet was Dr. Lynne Lankes and we were so impressed by her knowledge and recommendations. She understood the multiple problems our kitty is fighting and offered some new things to try, especially in the nutrition area. She spent around an hour with us, thoroughly taking Sophie’s history so as to understand the nature of her illness. I would easily say she is one of the best vets I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.
When we went to pay our bill, guess what it was? $ 0. The first visit is free.
For those who have kitties and exotic pets, you might want to pay them a visit.

1^st visit: We brought one of our pets in for a general checkup and tests as I was concerned that she was not as active as she should be. Overall the visit was fine and I believe that we were given good advice about how to monitor her more closely and change up her diet.
2^nd attempted visit: front desk staff could use so much improvement that we will absolutely never go back. Dr. Bacon was recommended by several people, and these are local vets for us, but we will drive to the East Bay instead.

I have two pet Rats, Monkey and Brownie. I first brought them here to get neutered, which turned them into sweet smelling, sweet tempered and extremely docile and loving pets. It was expensive, but the amount of joy these two creatures have brought into my family home is immeasurable.
For the neutering, I found the staff to be very caring and considerate. They made a point of recommending that I bring the boys back after the surgery if it seemed that they needed more pain medicine. In any case, they bounced back within a few days. :)
The real reason why I’m writing this review, however, is for my recent visit for Monkey, who like his namesake, is a little jumping, risk taking, daredevil rat that has had a few bad falls in his 9 months of life. A couple of weeks ago it seemed as though he had lost the strength of his back legs and was in terrible constant pain. Although he snapped out of a few days later, I brought him in to see Dr. Lankes.
Dr. Lankes did an excellent exam, seemed to be thoroughly knowledgeable about rat anatomy and physiology, and was quite gentle and caring with my precious rattie. I had originally thought that he had a cervical spine injury, but she diagnosed T6 — L3. Best of all, she was supportive of trying out the simplest plan without pushing expensive tests and radiology scans. I picked up some glucosamine/​MSM drops and some rattie Advil, and wouldn’t ya know it, he was back to his old self in DAYS. He is a much more cautious rat and I think he has tamed his wild teenage ways.
I have had TERRIBLE experiences with vets in the past, largely having to do with them pushing extreme, expensive tests to rule out every possible thing that could be wrong with your pet. I did not have this experience at Central Marin Exotic and I am very grateful. Plus, if you have rats, I can’t imagine a better prepared doc to treat them.

I took my cat here on a recommendation from my mom because he had a urinary tract infection. I brought him in, and they brought out a piece of paper with all of the procedures on it, and the woman at the desk said that they would do the three «basic» tests at the top of the page, and if they needed to do anything else, they would call me. So I signed the piece of paper.
Later that day, they called me to tell me that they had done $ 600 in tests on my cat. When I protested, they said that I’d signed the sheet and therefore authorized all of the tests. When I tried to tell them that the woman explained that they would call to ask my permission before doing anything more than the basic tests, they said that was impossible.
After yelling at them on the phone for a half hour, they admitted that they hadn’t actually DONE the tests yet. So I drove down there, got my cat, bought some medication for him, and only ended up paying a total of about $ 140.
I sure hope they don’t try to swindle all of their customers like that.