I recently brought my dog in for euthanasia and chose cremation. During that difficult and emotional time, I was only asked whether I wanted cremation and whether I wanted an urn. I declined the urn but was never informed that this meant my dog would be cremated communally and that her ashes would not be returned to me.A week later, I was shocked to learn that communal cremation had been selected. Had anyone explained that choosing not to purchase an urn did not mean I couldn't still receive my dog's ashes, or had the differences between private and communal cremation been clearly explained, I would have chosen to have her ashes returned.These are deeply important, irreversible decisions that grieving pet owners should never have to make without a clear explanation of their options. I am already mourning the loss of my beloved dog, and now I must also live with the pain of knowing I cannot bring her ashes home because I was not given the information necessary to make an informed choice.I hope the practice reviews its procedures so that future families receive a thorough explanation of all cremation options before any final decisions are made.
My vet no longer recommends this clinic, and after three terrible visits, we are completely done.
I took time off work and waited 30 minutes in the lobby with my dog, who was the best behaved animal in the room, only to be told they refused to see him without a muzzle. Four other vets in the last two months have seen him without any issue and never required a muzzle. They never mentioned this beforehand, and to top it off, they did not even own a muzzle.
Driving 40 minutes only to be turned away due to poor communication and zero preparation is completely unprofessional. Go elsewhere
I unfortunately had to euthanize my cat just over a year ago here. I believe that Jena Christen was the veterinarian that assisted us, and she was fantastic and helped everything go as smoothly as possible.
I am so incredibly grateful for all of the care Carolina Veterinary Specialists gave my sweet kitty, Shadow, while he was in such critical condition. The technicians we came in contact with during his stay were wonderful. Mia was amazing, Josie was amazing, and there were several others whose names I unfortunately can’t remember. I truly wish I could remember every name so I could recognize each person who cared for and loved on our baby while he was there.
Shadow is FeLV positive and was diagnosed with small intestinal masses believed to be lymphoma, along with significant liver disease. Despite everything he was going through, the team at CVS was able to stabilize him enough for us to bring him home, where we are now doing palliative care. He is currently doing amazingly well at home, eating, resting, and enjoying being back with his family, and I am so thankful to the entire CVS team for helping give us this extra time with him.
I especially want to recognize Dr. Anstead. She is one of the most compassionate, caring, and understanding veterinarians I have ever met. She truly understands how incredibly difficult situations like this are for pet parents, and she went above and beyond to support both Shadow and our family. She took the time to explain our options, answer our questions, and help us make decisions without ever making us feel rushed or unheard.
Dr. Anstead, if you happen to see this review, please know that you are truly making a difference in veterinary medicine. The compassion you show matters more than you probably realize, especially to families going through some of the hardest moments of their lives. You are making a difference in both your patients’ lives and their families’ lives, and CVS is very lucky to have you.
There are a couple of things I do think could make the experience even better, especially for cats. Shadow is an indoor-only kitty, so simply leaving the house is stressful for him, and being critically ill made that stress even greater. We were told he was understandably very “spicy” with the care team during his first day. I think cats like Shadow could benefit tremendously from a separate, cat-only ICU or hospitalization area away from barking dogs and some of the noise of the emergency department. A quieter environment, more visual barriers, or partially covered kennels where appropriate could potentially help frightened cats feel safer and reduce some of their stress while hospitalized.
I also think some areas of the hospital could be a little cleaner and more comfortable. At the same time, I completely understand that this is an emergency and specialty hospital dealing with critically ill animals around the clock, so things are not always going to look perfect.
Overall, though, we had a very positive experience during one of the most heartbreaking situations imaginable. My biggest wish was simply to have my baby home with me again for however much comfortable, happy time he has left, and thanks to the care Shadow received at CVS, we were able to do exactly that.
Thank you to everyone who cared for him, comforted him, and helped us get him back home. We will always be grateful.
