I came here with my dog Nugget to be seen after being bitten by a venomous snake. Firstly, when I called the clinic, the young lady who answered was super friendly and I could tell she was concerned for my baby boy. The situation was very stressful because I was worried about Nugget, and had no choice but to bring my infant daughter with me. When we arrived, they pulled him back immediately after a nurse examined him in the waiting area. The young woman at the front desk, who I had spoken with on the phone, was so friendly, and the nurse who came to get Nugget was as well. Within 45 minutes, I was in an exam room and Dr. Sauve was very thorough, kind, and understanding. The entire staff really put me at ease and helped me feel confident in the care that was being provided. She made sure to explain everything, and was very transparent about the services Nugget would need. I expressed our financial position wasn’t the best right now and that I wouldn’t be able to afford antivenom. She didn’t judge, and her demeanor didn’t change in the slightest. She presented me with two options for nugget’s care. Ultimately, after his labs came back, it was evident that he was stable enough to go home and we were sent off with some pain medication. The bill was extremely reasonable. The nursing staff was incredible and friendly, and Dr. Sauve made me feel very comfortable and safe in a very stressful and anxious situation. You can trust your babies with them—they provide exceptional care, great customer service, you can tell they are all passionate about their jobs and truly care for their patients. Thank you all for taking care of my boy and doing what you do!
Dr. Sousa and Maddie were literal life savers! Nixon suffered from from a snake bite and we had no idea. They responded so fast, brought him straight to the back and came out every five minutes with updates. They offered plenty of clarity and comfort. I’m so thankful for the staff.
My primary vet recommended I bring my dog here on a Sunday afternoon after concern that he ingested a toxin. After explaining his symptoms, they recommended he receive emergency care. He began breathing very rapidly, panting, and his heart was beating extremely fast. He was salivating excessively, was agitated, anxious and panicked. The symptoms came on very suddenly and continued the entire 30 minute car ride. In an attempt to check in and get my dog examined, I was met with a condescending tone and terrible attitude from the ladies at the front desk. I explained that I thought he ate something, but I wasn’t sure what it was. She rolled her eyes and started to hand me a clipboard, I’m assuming to get us checked in, but then said “let me get a second opinion” and decided not to hand me the clipboard. Second opinion on what, I’m not sure, but it sure felt like it was to determine whether he was worthy of even being examined. She began whispering to the other front desk employee, I’m guessing to get this “second opinion” by side-eyeing him through the glass. My dog is the sweetest pit mix, maybe if he was a different size or breed he would have received at least some level of concern. These employees never laid hands on my dog, never asked his name, and didn’t get within ten feet of him. I tried to explain the symptoms to the second employee, who was also extremely condescending and acted as if it was an annoyance that we were even there. She said “I’m not trying to be….what’s the word?” To which I replied “dismissive.” I again attempted to explain that his behavior was not typical, and that i wanted to have him checked. I had no issue with what could have been long wait times or high emergency fees, but we never even made it that far. My instincts, even in an emergency situation told me I needed to get my dog proper care elsewhere. I told them I was no longer interested and left the facility. I was not rude, disrespectful or difficult, never raised my voice and calmly walked away. The front desk employee followed me outside, yelling “ma’am! I was going to check him” as I walked back to my car. After reading the reviews and even more importantly, the responses to them from this establishment, I’m glad I made that decision to get him care elsewhere. I’m sure the response to this one will be similar to the others, with mention of him being “stable” when other animals were not, but the topic of wait time or the order in which he would be seen was never a concern and was never even discussed. They were not asking me questions to try to get a better understanding of what may be going on, the first employee mockingly repeated “she thinks he ate something” to the second employee and the only other question asked was whether he was outside when it happened, insinuating he might be panting because he was hot. I replied that he was inside and the onset of symptoms was acute. I’m not sure how these two front desk employees were able to assess stability through the glass, but the fact that they acted as though they could visually decide whether he was even worthy of care was a major red flag. It seemed as though handing me paperwork to complete was at their discretion too, when I never mentioned or had any concerns over cost or wait times. The decency of getting him checked in would be a bare minimum expectation. Dismissive was the right word…and that is evident in the way this business responds to anyone that gives less than stellar reviews. Accountability and addressing rude employee behavior goes a long way and could quite possibly improve your ratings. I’m sure the vet is great, but the unprofessionalism at the front desk was completely inappropriate.
On Sunday, September 13th, I brought my dog in after he had been seriously wounded in a dog fight. I arrived at around 10:45am and waited for nearly an hour while my dog sat bleeding in the lobby. They finally took my dog in the back to assess him and left me sitting in the lobby. After another 30 minutes of waiting, a nurse came and took me to a side room. She told me what they had examined and everything they had decided to do and finally shoved a bill in my face for the costs. I expressed my discomfort in what they were proposing and said I had the medication at home and that I just needed them to clean and close the wounds to the best of their abilities. I asked to speak with the vet and was told they were too busy to speak with me. When I questioned the nurse, her attitude shifted and she became dismissive. She left and I went back to the lobby and waited another 20 minutes until another nurse came and got me and asked me about the events leading up to the attack. I told her and again expressed that I would like to speak with the vet and was ignored. I returned to the lobby once again and waited another 20-30 minutes and they brought my dog to me, still bloodied with a piece of gauze taped to him. They said they just checked the wound and put a cover over it and handed me paperwork. I was only charged for seeing the vet since I “refused medical services”.
The service and care provided by this “hospital” was abhorrent and the lack of professionalism was shocking. I wanted to speak with the vet and discuss treatment options. Instead, they shoved a bill in my face and when I questioned them, was told there was nothing they could do since I refused service. I waited for nearly 3 hours and was charged $150 for nothing. I don’t even know who examined my dog. Not a single person talked to me beyond giving me a bill.
Now I am going to another vet for proper care and treatment. Hopefully it’s not too late.
Wonderful experience at Small Animal Emergency Services. My cat Bumble went in not feeling well and stayed the night on iv's and antibiotics and came back home the next day. Bumble had some mats and the kind staff all worked on him and gave him a Lion Cut on top of the care and detail they gave my little Bumble. You cant asked for a better experience!! Thank you for helping my fur baby!!
