Dr. Tom Picherack, as well as the entire carstairs veterinary clinic staff, have been nothing short of exceptional. In October of 2021, my German Shorthaired Pointer Scout incurred a traumatic ACL injury out bird hunting. When it became clear that surgery was the path forward, I began searching fervently for a surgeon, and stumbled upon this clinic. Dr. Tom was highly recommended everywhere I searched, and upon price matching was the most reasonable option (a major consideration for a young person without a ton of money). From initial consultation, to surgery, to each follow up appointment, Dr. Tom was thorough and empathetic. He went above and beyond to make sure my concerns were heard and my mind was at ease. 10 weeks on, Scout is healing incredibly well, and well on the path to a healthy life back doing all the things she loved. Everywhere I have gone and mentioned Scout's TPLO was done by Dr. Tom, his reputation has preceded him; my home vet had nothing but good things to say, the canine physiotherapists had nothing but good things to say, and others I've met who've had a TPLO done by Dr. Tom have nothing but good things to say. Dr. Tom, there are no words that can properly express my gratitude to you. It takes an honorable and compassionate human being to provide people with an affordable option to heal their dear pet, and to make time to support those individuals so thoroughly. It is clear that Dr. Tom's motive is not to squeeze every penny out of your pet's misfortune, but to simply care for your pet and get them back to normal- something I've struggled to find at the big, corporate calgary vets. If your pooch has incurred a cruciate ligament injury, then Dr. Tom is someone you can trust to take care of it- I'm sure the same goes for every vet in that clinic, for every type of veterinary need. THANK YOU CARSTAIRS VET CLINIC!! Read Less

Our 5 year old chocolate lab Charlie Brown tore his CCL, a ligament in the left knee, while chasing a deer. He is a big boned dog and weighs in at 150 lb. Other vets we consulted predicted complications due to his size and quoted from $5,500 and up for the surgery. We got a recommendation from the lady vet at Cochrane Lake Small Animal Clinic to Dr. Tom Picherack at Carstairs Veterinary Clinic who has a great rapport with dogs and quickly made friends with Charlie. After a thorough exam and consultation ,an appointment was made and Dr. Tom performed the necessary surgery and inserted a steel plate into the knee joint. Now almost 3 months later Charlie is very nearly back to normal doing all the things that labs love to do. The fee was very reasonable and included two follow up exams and X-rays. We are completely satisfied, thank you Dr. Tom, James and Paulette. Read Less

All I can say is WOW! The staff at the Carstairs Veterinary Clinic took us in on short notice (on a Saturday) to address our concerns with our Sheltie Cash. He has been having a number of issues lately and we were left feeling that our dog’s health issues were still not resolved after significant expense at another vet clinic. The staff is friendly, courteous, and took the time to thoroughly review our dog’s history and condition. We received excellent advice on what should be treated and what conditions should just be kept an eye upon. This no-nonsense advice was greatly appreciated. Not only has this advice saved us significant long term cost, the visit and supplies were significantly cheaper than what we have previously experienced. We walked in thinking we may have to say goodbye to our loyal companion, but left with renewed faith that we will have many more good times ahead for our family. Read Less