Testimonials
What our patients’ families are saying about Dr. Frey:
We wanted to extend our deepest gratitude for the incredible care you provided to Sully during his recent surgery. We know the mass on his neck presented some unique challenges, and we are so thankful for your skill, patience, and dedication throughout the entire process.
Your kindness, clear communication, and compassion truly put us at ease. We especially appreciated the time you took to explain everything in detail and your responsiveness—even on the weekend. It meant the world to us to know that Sully was in such capable and caring hands.
Thank you again for everything you did for our sweet boy. We are beyond grateful.
Warmly,
Shawna & Jason
After Dr. Frey had a wonderful experience performing surgery at a local animal hospital for the first time, Dr. Sandy writes: “I’m so glad you enjoyed your day here! We all agree, you’re not only a gifted surgeon, but an absolute pleasure to talk to … down to earth and funny! You’re a unicorn!! We will be looking for more surgeries to have you back for now that we know how easy you make it!”
I’m so thankful to have found Dr. Frey! My pup Sally was diagnosed with Laryngeal Paralysis. Sally’s vet that she had been going to for years didn’t know much about this disease and the prognosis was dim. He advised surgery would be hard on her (12 years old) and there was a high risk of aspiration pneumonia for the rest of her life. We ended up going to my parents’ vet in Vista CA – They gave me Dr. Frey’s contact info. I emailed Dr. Frey and she responded promptly. We had a lengthy phone consultation which I was very thankful for. We had already spent so much money going to consults and I already knew everything about this terrible disease. We went for an exam at the vet’s office and were given a surgical quote and it was right in our budget (thankfully).
I wasn’t sure how long I was going to be able to keep my girl comfortable, but Dr. Frey always put me at ease while waiting for our surgery date. I texted Dr. Frey often, sending her videos of Sally’s struggle to breathe and asking questions; she always answered!
Sally had her tie-back surgery on August 6th. Dr. Frey texted me before, during (regarding removal of a lump near the surgery site) and after with a picture of my groggy girl recovering. We picked her up that day and I was amazed at how quiet her breathing was. Dr. Frey checked in on Sally daily to see how she was recovering. The first day I needed to clean Sally’s surgery site, I couldn’t even find where the incision was. I had to have help and a flashlight! SoftSurg … exactly!
I’m so thankful for you Dr. Frey!!! You gave me my dog back! You gave her life again! She can finally be a dog again … go on walks, sit in the sun with her chickens, go to her favorite girl’s soccer games, go to the grandparents’ house. She has life!! Sally also celebrated her 13th birthday on November 3rd – all thanks to Dr. Frey!!!
Dr. Frey operated on my cocker spaniel, Molly, for removal of a perianal mass. This was her first major operation since her spay surgery, and given that she’s now almost 11 years old, I was very anxious about the whole thing.
Dr. Frey called me after the operation and after Molly woke up to let me know how the surgery went. She said that Molly did great and gave me a description of the procedure. She gave me great post-op instructions and answered my questions before I even asked them. She is so kind and compassionate. She told me that I can contact her at any time with questions or concerns.
When I went to get Molly later that day, the staff at Southpaw gave me the bag that Dr. Frey gives to all of her patients. It included a folder with post-op instructions, wipes to keep the surgical area clean, and a paw shaped silicone ice pack.
It’s been a week since the surgery with one more week to go before Molly’s stitches come out, and it looks good so far. The incision looks clean, dry, and intact. She hopefully won’t need any more surgeries, but I’d want Dr. Frey on her case again, if she ever does.
We first met Dr. Frey in November 2020 during a very challenging time. Not only were we dealing with Covid but our boy had bladder stones that needed removal ASAP, coupled with a mass on his back leg that didn’t look good. She performed surgery on our Frosty to remove all his bladder stones and she took a biopsy of his mass. She called me after surgery and prepared me for a likely amputation of his back leg and confirmed a successful removal of all stones. One week later she had Frosty on her schedule to perform his amputation, as unfortunately the biopsy confirmed her fears. The urgent care she was to perform the surgery on had issues with their oxygen and she moved mountains with our regular vet to find another solution and get his surgery done the same day as planned! The leg was removed beautifully and the incision was done perfectly. Dr. Frey’s expertise is unparalleled to anyone I’ve ever met with all my animals; her compassion is just as exceptional. She followed up until Frosty healed and was more than okay to answer any and all questions I had – and I had a lot! We crossed paths with Dr. Frey again in November of 2022 when Frosty developed another mass on his front leg; she came to the rescue again and successfully removed the mass. There aren’t enough kind words I can say about Dr. Frey – she’s truly a gift from above not only for Frosty but for us. She’s taken such good care of our family and although I pray we don’t need to use her for any further needs, I’m grateful to know we have her if we do. Don’t think twice when it comes to booking with Dr. Frey, you and your pet will be so grateful you did! Thank you Dr. Frey!! Love, Frosty and family.
Hi Dr. Frey! Just wanted to thank you for taking such good care of Beau. He’s doing great, and I can’t believe how small his incision is! He has no signs of discomfort and his incision is healing so well. And he’s still rocking my t-shirts!
You see, I live in Mesa, AZ, outside of Phoenix, and my 12 1/2-year-old boxer-mix was diagnosed with this terrible disease, GOLPP (Geriatric Onset Laryngeal Partial Paralysis); the result of this condition is that she has a difficult time breathing as she can’t fully open her larynx and was in danger of aspirating her food and/or suffocating. My vet, who is fantastic, recommended a surgeon here in AZ to perform a tie-back surgery to help her breathe better. Still, the cost was astronomical and, in my opinion, predatory due to the surgeon requiring that she recover for 2-3 days in an ICU. My good friend posted our story on FB, and luckily for us, one of Dr. Frey’s patients read the post and responded that her dog had needed the same surgery and highly recommended Dr. Frey. Well, I’d been to San Diego with my dogs before. I thought, ok, let’s just see what she says, so I reached out to her, and it turned out that was the best decision for Roxi and especially for me because Dr. Frey was able to work with a vet in San Marcos to have the surgery there. Then, the real miracle of Dr. Frey came through because we had to wait for about four weeks because Dr. Frey was undergoing surgery, and during that whole time, she was there for us every step of the way. She responds to text messages and phone calls, watches videos of Roxi’s breathing, gives advice, is willing to work with our vet here, and calms me every time with her generous sharing of information, knowledge, and advice. Each time I was worried, I’d reach out, and she’d respond. If something was happening, I’d reach out, and she’d respond. If I had questions, I’d reach out, and she’d respond. And every time, she was understanding, calming, and just wonderful! Then the best thing happened: Roxi got her surgery, did great, and we got to meet Dr. Frey! Now, two weeks later, Roxi is doing great & Dr. Frey is still calming me whenever I get worried or have questions by generously sharing her knowledge and advice with me and giving me much-needed guidance. I’ve worked with other fantastic vets, but Dr. Frey is a level above and, even with her busy schedule, ALWAYS makes time to answer questions and keep me calm. I don’t know if I’ve expressed how grateful I am for Dr. Frey and the sheer luck it was to have a stranger on FB recommend her, but that’s the power of the good she does nine years after Dr. Frey treated another dog with GOLPP, the experience was so wonderful that the pet parent just had to recommend her to me and I’m so thankful they did!
It’s not enough to express my gratitude, but thank you, Dr. Frey.
This review is for an experience we had over 12 years ago with Dr. Tracy Nicole Frey. I can honestly describe Dr. Frey in one word … Amazing!!! Back in 2011 (yes over 10 years ago), Dr. Frey was our surgeon for both of our little babies, Mochi and Tobiko. Our male Maltese needed his spleen removed and then a month later our girl Maltese needed all her mammary glands removed due to cancer. At the time, my wife and I were a nervous wreck!! We were so fortunate to have Dr.Frey as our surgeon. The experience we had with her resonates even over 10 years later. I clearly remember during the surgery dates that Dr. Frey would patiently explain in clear details how each procedure would be done. Step by step with patience, experience and care. She or a member of her team would come out and keep us informed on how our little one(s) were doing during the surgery. After the healing process, the suture scars were very minimal at most. Evidently, this was just a physical proof of how experienced and professional Dr. Frey truly is. Her team in San Francisco, at that time, was known as “Team Sparkle”. She was most certainly a flash of sparkle at those worrisome, dark times. Her care, compassion and professional skills truly shone. She is the utmost professional surgeon one can only wish for. We will always be forever grateful to you, Dr. Frey, and will always remember you as an angel to our lil babies. We highly, HIGHLY recommend Dr. Frey for all your pet’s surgical needs!
One day post-op front leg amputation: “I’m here with Missy and just wanted to say she is doing so great! We are eternally grateful for what you’ve provided us. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!”
Dr. Frey – we can’t thank you enough for getting Ursa into your schedule so quickly. Through various dog surgeries and owning horses for the last 20 years of my life, I have never seen such a clean and unnoticeable incision site – truly amazing! One day post-op, and Ursa is already resting and ate her first meal back home. I appreciate when our vet can use a surgeon that will make the process smoother for the animals’ benefit. I 100% would recommend you to any dog owners I know! Thank you again!
Dr. Tracey, a referring veterinarian with whom Dr. Frey has worked at several San Diego hospital locations, says, “I just want to tell you how much I value your awesome complement to what we are able to do in general practice. I have been preparing for upcoming appointments and have come across multiple patients for whom you have assisted in providing excellent surgical care. I don’t get to thank you often enough, but you are amazing and such a valued team member no matter where I am practicing 🙂”
Dr. Frey is fantastic! We met Dr. Frey when one of my twin Australian Kelpies needed to have a tiny cancerous mass removed a few months ago. After surgery, he was very loopy from the anesthesia and cried a bunch, so naturally, being a helicopter mom (my doggies are my fur children and my whole world!) I texted poor Dr. Frey back and forth as a worried dog mom for an hour or so and she was SO there for me. She had actually prepared a great take-home packet with info explaining how dogs tend to whimper from surgery-induced dysphoria which was spot on. But of course, I had to be sure he wasn’t in pain so I texted her anyway. She was everything I needed. She calmed me down, educated me on what it likely was causing the crying, and totally held my hand through it with helpful suggestions. My little boy was totally fine. I was so appreciative of her. He healed up beautifully and now he is happy and cancer-free!
Fast forward to last week. Yep. His twin brother needed the same procedure. Of course I was determined to have Dr. Frey do it. The day I initially wanted to do it her calendar was full, of course, likely because she’s so good! So I waited an extra week knowing my little guy needs the best. This one went even better. He’s thriving!
So grateful for Dr. Frey and our amazing vet for recommending her. I’m thrilled with our veterinary team and highly recommend them. It’s apparent how much they love animals, are knowledgeable and experienced, AND they’re good with the pet parents. Normally you get one or two of those but they nail all 3. For ANYONE that needs Dr. Frey for surgery, don’t worry any more than you have to. Your fur baby will be in loving hands!
Words can hardly describe my appreciation for Dr. Frey. Finding out our 8 year old maltipoo, Charlie, had a perineal hernia was by far one of the scariest experiences. We were recommended by our vet in San Diego that Dr. Frey would be the absolute best surgeon to handle his case. We had just moved to the East coast days before finding out he needed surgery. We immediately booked a ticket out of Washington, DC to fly to San Diego for his surgery the next day. There was no hesitation whatsoever. All we knew was Dr. Frey was the best in our vet’s eyes and that’s who we wanted for Charlie. This turned out to be the best decision we’ve ever made.
Not only was Dr. Frey a professional, but a genuinely caring person who made our family and pet feel so comfortable during what can really be a scary time. Dr. Frey isn’t a typical surgeon, who you hardly have any contact with pre-surgery and who treats you like any other dog owner with a pup in need. Dr.Frey spends time with you and your dog. She gets to know you, your pet and thoroughly goes over the details of what’s going to happen during surgery, along with what recovery is going to look like post operation. Having that conversation with Dr. Frey made me feel so comfortable. I was able to trust in her immediately because her compassion just shines through.
Pre-operation and the days following, Dr. Frey kept me abreast of everything and stayed in contact with me, ensuring that all was well with Charlie. I have nothing but pure confidence in Dr. Frey and her abilities in her field. Dr. Frey is a real person, who makes you feel like she loves your pet just as much as you do!
Every surgery has risks and right before Charlie went off for surgery, I thought to myself, if anything happens to Charlie during surgery, I believe so strongly that even if Charlie didn’t make it, Dr. Frey had my full trust that she would be the surgeon and person to do everything she possibly could to save his life. To feel that type of comfort was more than I could have ever hoped for and sums up my respect and appreciation for Dr. Frey.
You did surgery on our dog Kelso a week and a half ago to remove his gallbladder. Within a few days he was behaving almost completely normal again. Less than a week after surgery we had to work really hard to keep him from jumping, running or playing with his brother. Now he’s like a completely new dog. He has more energy than he’s had in a long time. Thank you for everything 🙂
Hello, Dr. Frey!
I wanted to let you know that Pancho healed incredibly, and is doing great! Since the surgery, he has become even more energetic than before! Even though it didn’t seem like the hernia was causing him any pain, it makes me wonder if it was and we just didn’t know it. He’s always been a happy boy, but as soon as he made a full recovery, he seemed to a be puppy all over again. He’s been full of energy and joy for life! Every day we give thanks that we found you, and are so appreciative for such a seamless experience, with such an ideal outcome! I am happy to share our experience to help others find the right surgeon for their furry friends! Thank you again for your expertise and kind, professional approach! You are truly an angel and miracle worker!
I wanted to write you a sincere thank you for the amazing care you gave Rupert. I have never forgotten. Despite the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and intestinal lymphoma that the biopsies showed, he’s doing AMAZING. He was completely back to normal within a couple months, playful, and now he’s even quite plump as I let him eat as much as he wants ^_^ He’s been under the care of an oncologist and is taking medication, although we can’t be certain how to explain his incredible course over the past 8 months. The oncologist said this is unprecedented! My husband, children, and I were all praying for Rupert’s recovery and we know you are a part of this miracle. It all started with his major and urgent surgery that he received just in time. Had it not been for you, I know he wouldn’t be here.
I can’t express what it has meant to have had Rupert for all this extra time. He has slept next to my head almost every night since I adopted him 15 years ago, and with my husband deployed this past year, it has been especially meaningful to have had my little guy with me. So, thank you. I will always be grateful, and your care and surgical precision will never be forgotten.
